وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ 171
Translations
And Our word [i.e., decree] has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers,
Transliteration
Wa-laqad sabaqat kalimatu-nā li-'ibādi-nā al-mursalīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah's Word (decree) has preceded His messengers, meaning Allah had already determined that His messengers would be victorious and their message would triumph. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as referring to Allah's eternal promise in the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) that the believers and messengers would ultimately prevail over their enemies, providing spiritual reassurance to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early Muslims facing persecution in Mecca.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet and his message. This surah appears in the context of defending the messengers and affirming the certainty of Allah's promise, encouraging believers to remain steadfast despite worldly difficulties and the apparent strength of their adversaries.
Related Hadiths
Related to the concept of Allah's decree (qadar): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The first thing Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it: Write. So it wrote all that would happen until the Day of Judgment' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi). Also relevant is the theme in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet explains how Allah's knowledge encompasses all things.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that despite temporary trials and opposition, Allah's promise of ultimate victory for His messengers and their followers is absolute and predetermined, encouraging steadfastness in faith and trust in Allah's plan regardless of present circumstances.