وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 29
Translations
And you do not will except that Allāh wills - Lord of the worlds.
Transliteration
Wa mā tashāʾūn illā an yashāʾ Allāhu Rabbu al-ʿālamīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes the absolute sovereignty of Allah over human will and choice, declaring that no one can will or desire anything except by Allah's permission and will. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as a fundamental principle of Islamic theology: while humans possess free will in their choices, ultimately all things occur by Allah's divine will and decree (qadar). The verse serves as a humbling reminder that human agency operates within the framework of divine omnipotence.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears near the end of Surah At-Takwir, a Meccan surah primarily concerned with the Day of Judgment and divine power. The broader context emphasizes Allah's complete control over all creation, leading to this statement about the limits of human volition. It addresses the Meccan polytheists' false sense of autonomy in rejecting faith and serves as a warning about ultimate dependence on divine will.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The strongest among you in faith is the one whose tawakkul (trust) in Allah is the strongest,' emphasizing reliance on Allah's will. Additionally, the hadith in Jami' At-Tirmidhi about 'There is no power except with Allah' (Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-Allāh) reflects this same principle of human dependence on divine will.
Themes
Key Lesson
This verse teaches that true freedom lies not in absolute autonomy but in aligning our will with Allah's will, recognizing that all our desires and actions ultimately depend on divine permission. For modern believers, this encourages humility in our plans, reliance on Allah through supplication, and acceptance that our efforts must be coupled with trust in Allah's decree.
Related Ayahs
لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُهْلِكَ ٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
They have certainly disbelieved who say that Allāh is Christ, the son of Mary. Say, "Then who could prevent Allāh at all if He had intended to destroy Christ, the son of Mary, or his mother or everyone on the earth?" And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. He creates what He wills, and Allāh is over all things competent.
وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
While Allāh created you and that which you do?"
وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّآ أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ ٱللَّهَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُۥ هَرَبًا
And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allāh upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight.
وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
And you will not cause failure [to Allāh] upon the earth or in the heaven. And you have not other than Allāh any protector or any helper.