وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِن كُنتُمْ ءَامَنتُم بِٱللَّهِ فَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلُوٓا۟ إِن كُنتُم مُّسْلِمِينَ 84
Translations
And Moses said, "O my people, if you have believed in Allāh, then rely upon Him, if you should be Muslims [i.e., submitting to Him]."
Transliteration
Wa qala Musa ya qawmi in kuntum amantu billahi fa alayhi tawakkalu in kuntum muslimeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Musa (Moses) exhorts his people to place their trust in Allah alone if they truly believe in Him, and to surrender completely to His will as Muslims. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this statement represents the pinnacle of faith—belief (iman) must be accompanied by reliance (tawakkul) and submission (islam), demonstrating that true faith is inseparable from trust in Allah's divine plan and protection.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within Surah Yunus, which is Meccan, and appears in the narrative of Musa and his people at the moment of their exodus from Egypt. The context shows Musa encouraging his followers who feared Pharaoh's pursuing army, reminding them that belief in Allah necessitates complete reliance upon Him rather than fear of earthly threats.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Place your trust in Allah as it should be placed,' emphasizing tawakkul as a fundamental Islamic principle (Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'Whoever places their trust in Allah, He will suffice them' (Surah At-Talaq 65:3) reinforces this teaching throughout Islamic tradition.
Themes
Key Lesson
True faith in Allah must manifest as complete trust and reliance upon Him in all circumstances, transcending worldly fears and concerns. For believers today, this ayah serves as a reminder that genuine submission to Islam requires surrendering anxieties to Allah and trusting in His wisdom and protection, particularly during trials and difficulties.
Related Ayahs
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ وَأَغْرَقْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُنذَرِينَ
And they denied him, so We saved him and those with him in the ship and made them successors, and We drowned those who denied Our signs. Then see how was the end of those who were warned.
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَـَٔامَنَ مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ ٱلنَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muḥammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?
قَالُوٓا۟ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا ٱلْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
They said, "Have you come to us to turn us away from that upon which we found our fathers and so that you two may have grandeur in the land? And we are not believers in you."
فَلَمَّآ أَنجَىٰهُمْ إِذَا هُمْ يَبْغُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُم ۖ مَّتَـٰعَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
But when He saves them, at once they commit injustice upon the earth without right. O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves, [being merely] the enjoyment of worldly life. Then to Us is your return, and We will inform you of what you used to do.