وَلَئِن شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ بِهِۦ عَلَيْنَا وَكِيلًا 86
Translations
And if We willed, We could surely do away with that which We revealed to you. Then you would not find for yourself concerning it an advocate against Us.
Transliteration
Wa-la-in shi'na lana-dhhabanна bil-ladhi awha-yna ilayka thumma la tajidu laka bihi alayna wa-kilа
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute sovereignty over revelation, warning that if Allah willed, He could withdraw or erase the Qur'an that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), leaving him with no protector or helper against Allah's will. Ibn Kathir notes this demonstrates divine omnipotence and the precarious nature of revelation—it is entirely dependent on Allah's preservation, not human effort. The ayah serves as both a reminder of Allah's complete control over all affairs and an implicit assurance that Allah has chosen to preserve the Qur'an and the Prophet's message.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Isra, a Meccan surah that discusses the miraculous Night Journey and emphasizes the signs of Allah's power and the certainty of the message. The broader context (verses 84-86) addresses doubts about the Qur'an and reinforces that the message comes entirely from Allah and depends on His will, not human capabilities or preservation alone.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Al-Bukhari (4761): The Prophet said, 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.' This thematically relates to the responsibility believers bear toward the preserved Qur'an. Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim about the preservation of the Qur'an in believers' hearts and chests.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that all knowledge, especially divine revelation, is a trust from Allah that can only be maintained through His will and our sincere commitment to preserving and implementing it. We should approach sacred knowledge with humility, recognizing it is a divine blessing that requires both gratitude and active stewardship.
Related Ayahs
ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ ٱلْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۚ وَكَانَ يَوْمًا عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَسِيرًا
True sovereignty, that Day, is for the Most Merciful. And it will be upon the disbelievers a difficult Day.
هُنَالِكَ ٱلْوَلَـٰيَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًا
There the authority is [completely] for Allāh, the Truth. He is best in reward and best in outcome.
وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلَّا بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ ۖ لَهُۥ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا
[Gabriel said], "And we [angels] descend not except by the order of your Lord. To Him belongs that before us and that behind us and what is in between. And never is your Lord forgetful -
رَّبِّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَابًا
[From] the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Most Merciful. They possess not from Him [authority for] speech.