Ash-Shura 42:9

"Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides Him? But Allāh - He is the Protector, and He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent."

Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator

Here Allah denounces the idolators for taking other gods instead of Allah, and declares that He is the True God, and it is not right to worship anyone except Him Alone. He is the One Who is able to bring the dead back to life and He is Able to do all things. Then He says:

وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ

(And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, in whatever issue you differ. This is general in meaning and applies to all things.

فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ

(the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, He is the Judge of that, according to His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet . This is like the Ayah:

فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

((And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger) (4:59).

ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبِّى

(Such is Allah, my Lord) means, (He is) the Judge of all things.

عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

(in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance. ) means, `I refer all matters to Him.'

فَاطِرَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(The Creator of the heavens and the earth.) means, the Maker of them both and everything in between.

جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا

(He has made for you mates from yourselves,) means, of your own kind. As a blessing and a favor from Him, He has made your kind male and female.

وَمِنَ الاٌّنْعَـمِ أَزْوجاً

(and for the cattle (also) mates.) means, and He has created for you eight pairs of cattle.

يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ

(By this means He creates you.) means, in this manner He creates you, male and female, generation after generation of men and cattle.

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ

(There is nothing like Him,) means, there is nothing like the Creator of these pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no peer or equal.

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

(He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.)

لَهُ مَقَـلِيدُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. ) We have already discussed the interpretation of this phrase in Surat Az-Zumar (39:63), the conclusion of which is that He is the One Who is controlling and governing them.

يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَآءُ وَيَقَدِرُ

(He expands provision for whom He wills, and straitens.) means, He gives plentiful provision to whomsoever He wills and He reduces it for whomsoever He wills, and He is perfectly Wise and Just.

إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(Verily, He is the All-Knower of everything.)

"Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides Him? But Allāh - He is the Protector, and He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent."

Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator

وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ

(And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, in whatever issue you differ. This is general in meaning and applies to all things.

فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ

(the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, He is the Judge of that, according to His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet . This is like the Ayah:

فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

((And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger) (4:59).

ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبِّى

(Such is Allah, my Lord) means, (He is) the Judge of all things.

عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

(in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance. ) means, `I refer all matters to Him.'

فَاطِرَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(The Creator of the heavens and the earth.) means, the Maker of them both and everything in between.

جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا

(He has made for you mates from yourselves,) means, of your own kind. As a blessing and a favor from Him, He has made your kind male and female.

وَمِنَ الاٌّنْعَـمِ أَزْوجاً

(and for the cattle (also) mates.) means, and He has created for you eight pairs of cattle.

يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ

(By this means He creates you.) means, in this manner He creates you, male and female, generation after generation of men and cattle.

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ

(There is nothing like Him,) means, there is nothing like the Creator of these pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no peer or equal.

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

(He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.)

لَهُ مَقَـلِيدُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَآءُ وَيَقَدِرُ

(He expands provision for whom He wills, and straitens.) means, He gives plentiful provision to whomsoever He wills and He reduces it for whomsoever He wills, and He is perfectly Wise and Just.

إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(Verily, He is the All-Knower of everything.)

Те, которые ищут для себя иных покровителей помимо Аллаха и поклоняются им, допустили величайшую ошибку. Воистину, Аллах - Единственный Покровитель, Которому рабы должны поклоняться и повиноваться. Они должны пытаться приблизиться к Нему всеми возможными способами. Он покровительствует всем рабам в целом посредством того, что Его воля всегда исполняется, а предопределение непременно сбывается. Однако правоверным Он покровительствует особым образом: Он выводит их из мрака к свету, с любовью воспитывает их и опекает их каждое мгновение, каждый миг. Он умерщвляет творения и возвращает их к жизни, Его волеизъявление и предопределение непреложны, и все это требует от Его рабов, чтобы они поклонялись только Ему одному и никого не придавали Ему в сотоварищи.

لِّتُنذِرَ‌ أُمَّ الْقُرَ‌ىٰ (So that you may warn the town that is the mother of all towns) - Umm-ul- Qura (mother of all the towns) means the origin and foundation of all habitations and cities which is Makkah. This title has been given to this city because, to Allah Almighty, it is more distinguished and more excellent than all other cities, habitations and the whole earth. Imam Ahmad has narrated in Musnad, with the authority of Sayyidna ` Adiyy Ibn Hamra' Az-zuhri ؓ that he heard the Messenger of Allah at a market of Makkah when he ﷺ was migrating from the city. He ﷺ was addressing Makkah in the following words:

انک لخیر ارض اللہ و احبّ ارض اللہ اَلَیَّ ولو لا اِنّی اُخرجت منک لما خرجت

"To me, you are better and dearer than the whole of Allah's earth; if I had not been expelled from your vicinity, I would never have left it of my own accord." (At-tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah - rated as ` hasan ahib' by Tirmidhi)

وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا - means the suburbs in the neighborhood of Makkah Mukarramah; it could mean the neighboring Arab countries as well as the whole of the earth from east to west.

Other English translations

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator

Ash-Shura 42:9

Other English translations

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator