إِنَّ ٱلَّذِى فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لَرَآدُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٍ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَمَنْ هُوَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ 85
Translations
Indeed, [O Muḥammad], He who imposed upon you the Qur’ān will take you back to a place of return. Say, "My Lord is most knowing of who brings guidance and who is in clear error."
Transliteration
Innal-ladhī fara'da 'alayka al-Qur'āna la-rādduka ilā ma'ād. Qul rabbi a'lamu man jāa bil-hudā wa man huwa fī dalālin mubīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah assures Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that the One who has entrusted him with the Qur'an will certainly return him to Makkah (his place of origin and return), which was fulfilled when he performed the Umrah and later the Hajj. The Prophet is commanded to respond to doubts about his mission by affirming that only Allah possesses complete knowledge of who follows true guidance and who remains in clear error, placing all judgment with the All-Knowing. Ibn Kathir notes this was a consolation to the Prophet during his trials in Makkah, while Al-Tabari emphasizes the connection between Allah's trust in giving the Qur'an and His promise of the Prophet's return.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Makkah during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet. It appears near the end of Surah Al-Qasas, which recounts stories of previous prophets facing persecution. The immediate context addresses the mockery and rejection the Prophet faced, providing divine assurance of his vindication and eventual return to his homeland—a promise fulfilled historically.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari records that the Prophet said, 'I have been commanded to return to this city (Makkah),' referring to this ayah. Additionally, the hadith in Muslim about the Prophet's dream of returning to the Ka'bah before the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah relates to this promise of ma'ād (return).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that when entrusted with a divine mission or responsibility, Allah guarantees support and ultimate success, and that in matters of truth and falsehood, we should trust in Allah's infinite knowledge rather than becoming discouraged by worldly opposition. It encourages patience during trials with the assurance that God's promises are certain.
Related Ayahs
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُوتِىَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ قَالُوا۟ سِحْرَانِ تَظَـٰهَرَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَـٰفِرُونَ
But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, "Why was he not given like that which was given to Moses?" Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Moses before? They said, "[They are but] two works of magic supporting each other, and indeed we are, in both, disbelievers."
وَإِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦٓ إِنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِۦ مُسْلِمِينَ
And when it is recited to them, they say, "We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, [even] before it, Muslims [i.e., submitting to Allāh]."
فَٱلْتَقَطَهُۥٓ ءَالُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِيَكُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَـٰمَـٰنَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا۟ خَـٰطِـِٔينَ
And the family of Pharaoh picked him up [out of the river] so that he would become to them an enemy and a [cause of] grief. Indeed, Pharaoh and Hāmān and their soldiers were deliberate sinners.
وَأَتْبَعْنَـٰهُمْ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ هُم مِّنَ ٱلْمَقْبُوحِينَ
And We caused to overtake them in this world a curse, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be of the despised.