وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ هُوَ أَهْلُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ وَأَهْلُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ 56
Translations
And they will not remember except that Allāh wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.
Transliteration
Wa mā yadhkurūn illā an yashāʾa Allāh, huwa ahlul-taqwā wa ahlul-maghfirah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes Surah Al-Muddaththir by emphasizing that remembrance of Allah (dhikr) is contingent upon His divine will—humans cannot remember or turn to Him except by His permission and grace. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the ayah affirms Allah's absolute sovereignty over human hearts and actions, while simultaneously reassuring believers that Allah is worthy of piety and is the source of forgiveness, thus balancing divine will with divine mercy and encouraging reliance upon Him.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears at the conclusion of Surah Al-Muddaththir, a Meccan surah addressing the early believers and the Prophet Muhammad during the difficult early period of da'wah. It serves as a closing reminder that spiritual success and remembrance depend ultimately on Allah's will, not merely human effort, which provides solace to those facing rejection and hardship.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari narrated by Abu Hurayrah: 'The Prophet said, "Whoever remembers Allah much will find that Allah has remembered him."' This reflects the reciprocal relationship between human remembrance and divine grace mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
While believers must strive to remember Allah and seek His guidance, ultimate success depends on His will and grace—this teaches humility in our spiritual efforts and reliance on divine mercy rather than self-sufficiency. The ayah invites us to balance sincere effort with trust in Allah's wisdom and unfailing compassion.