يَمْحُوا۟ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ۖ وَعِندَهُۥٓ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ 39
Translations
Allāh eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.
Transliteration
Yahmul-lahu mā yashāu wa yuthbit, wa 'indahu umm al-kitāb
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's divine authority to efface or abrogate verses (naskh) and to establish or confirm others, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over revelation. The phrase 'Umm al-Kitāb' (the Mother of the Book) refers to the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) in which all knowledge and decrees are recorded eternally. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this affirms that abrogation is part of Allah's divine wisdom in guiding mankind, and that behind all temporal changes in divine law exists an unchanging, eternal divine knowledge.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan surah Ar-Ra'd and addresses the broader theme of Allah's signs and sovereignty. It provides context for understanding the permissibility of naskh (abrogation of earlier verses), which was a matter of discussion among the early Muslim community as the Quran was revealed progressively over 23 years. The surah emphasizes Allah's complete knowledge and control over all affairs.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to hadith reports about the abrogation of verses. See also related Quranic discussions in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:106 which explicitly mentions abrogation. While no single hadith directly quotes this ayah, the principle is supported by various reports regarding naskh in collections like Sahih Bukhari.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that changes in divine law are not contradictions but expressions of Allah's infinite wisdom and mercy, guiding humanity according to their evolving circumstances. For believers today, it reinforces trust in Allah's perfect knowledge and the purposefulness behind all divine commandments, encouraging acceptance of religious guidance with complete faith.
Related Ayahs
وَيُسَبِّحُ ٱلرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِۦ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِۦ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُمْ يُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْمِحَالِ
And the thunder exalts [Allāh] with praise of Him - and the angels [as well] from fear of Him - and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills while they dispute about Allāh; and He is severe in assault.
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ ۖ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ
And those who disbelieved say, "Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?" You are only a warner, and for every people is a guide.
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ
Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, "Allāh." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?" Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allāh partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?" Say, "Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing."
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَذُرِّيَّةً ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ كِتَابٌ
And We have already sent messengers before you and assigned to them wives and descendants. And it was not for a messenger to come with a sign except by permission of Allāh. For every term is a decree.