وَٱخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ 215
Translations
And lower your wing [i.e., show kindness] to those who follow you of the believers.
Transliteration
Wakhfid janāḥaka limanittaba'aka minal-mu'minīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to lower his wing (a metaphorical expression for gentleness and humility) toward the believers who follow him. Ibn Kathir explains this as an instruction to show kindness, mercy, and humility to the Muslim community, treating them with tenderness and avoiding arrogance. Al-Qurtubi notes that 'lowering the wing' signifies emotional warmth and compassionate treatment, emphasizing the Prophet's role as a merciful leader rather than a stern authority.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan chapter primarily focused on the stories of previous prophets and the mockery faced by the Prophet Muhammad from the Quraysh. The ayah comes after Allah commands the Prophet to warn his closest relatives (ayah 214), providing guidance on how to treat those who respond positively to the message with gentleness and compassion rather than severity.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet said, 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi 3895). Additionally, 'Mercy is not shown to any people except that it increases their honor, and it is not withdrawn from any people except that it increases their humiliation' (Sunan Ibn Majah 3809).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true Islamic leadership is founded on humility, gentleness, and compassion toward the community rather than dominance or severity. Modern believers should embody this principle in their interactions with family, colleagues, and communities, treating others with warmth and understanding as essential expressions of faith.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّىٓ أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْـَٔلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِى وَتَرْحَمْنِىٓ أَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
[Noah] said, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers."
وَٱخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا
And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."