وَٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِن كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ ۖ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مُلْتَحَدًا 27
Translations
And recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge.
Transliteration
Wa-itlu ma uhiya ilayka min kitabi rabbika la muabaddila li-kalimatihi wa-lan tajida min dunihil multahada
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to recite and convey the Quran as it was revealed to him, emphasizing that Allah's words are immutable and unchangeable. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a stern warning against distortion, alteration, or omission of the Divine revelation, asserting the Quran's absolute preservation and that no alternative or refuge exists outside of Allah's words for guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Kahf, which addresses the spiritual challenges faced by the Muslim community in Mecca during the early Islamic period. It serves as a general directive to the Prophet regarding his duty to faithfully transmit the Quran without any modification, reinforcing the concept of the Quran's eternal protection and immutability.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, 'Whoever recites the Quran and acts upon it, Allah will raise him in the Day of Judgment with honor' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2914).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that the Quran is the unchanged word of Allah and must be approached with reverence and accuracy, making it incumbent upon Muslims to preserve its authenticity and meaning. For modern readers, it emphasizes that true guidance comes only from Allah's revelation without human modification, and that seeking truth elsewhere leads to spiritual misguidance.
Related Ayahs
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allāh is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.
وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ خُبْرًا
And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?"
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِى بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا
He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better [than what you offer], but assist me with strength [i.e., manpower]; I will make between you and them a dam.
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِى عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water, and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."