لَن يَضُرُّوكُمْ إِلَّآ أَذًى ۖ وَإِن يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ يُوَلُّوكُمُ ٱلْأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنصَرُونَ 111
Translations
They will not harm you except for [some] annoyance. And if they fight you, they will show you their backs [i.e., retreat]; then they will not be aided.
Transliteration
Lan yaḍurrūkum illā adhā wa-in yuqātilūkum yuwallūkum al-adbāra thumma lā yunṣarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah reassures the believers that their enemies (the disbelievers of Makkah and the hypocrites) can only harm them with minor annoyance, and if they engage in battle, Allah will grant the believers victory as the enemies will turn their backs in flight and receive no divine aid. Ibn Kathir emphasizes this as a divine promise of protection and triumph for the Muslim community, while Al-Tabari notes the conditional nature—victory is assured when believers meet the enemy in righteous struggle with proper faith and preparation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ali 'Imran (revealed in Madinah), which addresses the early Muslim community after the Battle of Uhud. It provides solace and reassurance to believers who faced trials from both external enemies and internal hypocrites, reinforcing their confidence in Allah's support despite apparent hardships.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'No disease will strike a believer except that Allah will remove his sins by it, even if it be the prick of a thorn' (Sahih Bukhari). This complements the ayah's mention of 'adhā' (annoyance/harm) as a means of purification. Additionally, numerous hadiths affirm Allah's promise to aid the believers in battle when they meet enemies sincerely.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that while enemies may attempt to cause harm, their power is ultimately limited and temporary, and that sincere faith and righteous struggle will result in divine support and victory. For modern readers, this serves as a spiritual anchor during persecution or opposition, encouraging trust in Allah's justice and the inevitable triumph of truth over falsehood.
Related Ayahs
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
That is because they say, "Never will the Fire touch us except for [a few] numbered days," and [because] they were deluded in their religion by what they were inventing.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allāh that you may be successful.
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـٰبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allāh took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allāh] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
[And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allāh gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allāh].