وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ 140
Translations
And indeed, your Lord - He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.
Transliteration
Wa-inna rabbaka la-huwa al-'Azīzu ar-Rahīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah is both Al-'Azīz (the Mighty, the Irresistible) and Ar-Rahīm (the Merciful, the Compassionate). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this verse emphasizes Allah's perfect balance of justice and mercy—His power to punish wrongdoing is tempered by His infinite compassion, particularly toward those who repent. The ayah appears repeatedly in Surah Ash-Shu'ara as a refrain reassuring the believers of Allah's ultimate authority and benevolence despite the rejection and persecution faced by the prophets.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan surah revealed during a period of intense persecution of Muslims. The surah recounts the stories of previous prophets (Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, and Shu'ayb) and their rejection by their people, with this verse appearing as a recurring refrain (at ayahs 9, 68, 104, 122, 140, 159, and 191) to console the Prophet Muhammad and believers that despite apparent triumph of disbelievers, Allah remains all-powerful and merciful.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad said, 'My mercy preceded My wrath' (Sahih Muslim 2751), which echoes the theme of Allah's rahma (mercy) balanced with His 'azza (might). Additionally, the hadith 'Verily, Allah is Mighty and Pardoning' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi) reflects this dual attribute mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers facing injustice or rejection should remember that Allah possesses both absolute power to defend them and boundless mercy to forgive—we can trust in His perfect wisdom and ultimate justice. This ayah teaches that strength and compassion are not contradictory in Allah's nature; true power includes the capacity for mercy and forbearance.
Related Ayahs
وَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُونَ
And that they say what they do not do? -
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَذَكَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَٱنتَصَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَسَيَعْلَمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَىَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ
Except those [poets] who believe and do righteous deeds and remember Allāh often and defend [the Muslims] after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned.
وَمَآ أَنتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَإِن نَّظُنُّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
You are but a man like ourselves, and indeed, we think you are among the liars.
قَالُوا۟ وَهُمْ فِيهَا يَخْتَصِمُونَ
They will say while they dispute therein,