Al-Qur'an Surah Maryam Verse 64

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(Jibra’īl X said to the Holy Prophet) “We do not descend but with the command of your Lord. To Him belongs what is in front of us and what is behind us and what is in between; and your Lord is not the One who forgets.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

“We only descend by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs whatever is before us, and whatever is behind us, and everything in between. And your Lord is never forgetful.

Ruwwad Translation Center

[Gabriel said], “We do not descend except with the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that is in between. Your Lord is never forgetful.

A. J. Arberry

We come not down, save at the commandment of thy Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us, and all that is behind us, and all between that.

Abdul Haleem

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And we descend not except by the command of thy Lord: his is whatsoever is before us and whatsoever is behind us and whatsoever is in-between; and thy Lord is not a forgetter *Chapter: 19

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

(The angels say;) "We descend not but by command of thy Lord; to Him belongeth what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between; and thy Lord never doth forget,-

Abul Ala Maududi

(The angels will say): "(O Muhammad!) We descend not except by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that is in between. Your Lord is not forgetful in the least.

Ahmed Ali

"We do not come down," (will the angels say) "but only by your Lord's command." To Him belongs whatever lies before us and behind us, and the space in between. Your Lord does not ever forget:

Ahmed Raza Khan

(Said Angel Jibreel to Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon them) “And we angels do not come down except by the command of your Lord; to Him only belongs all that is ahead of us and all that is behind us and all that is between them; and your Lord is not forgetful.”

Ali Quli Qarai

[O Gabriel, tell the Prophet,] ‘We do not descend except by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs whatever is before us and whatever is behind us and whatever is in between that, and your Lord does not forget

Ali Ünal

(In response to an interval in the coming of Revelation, Gabriel explained:) We do not descend but by your Lord’s command only. To Him belongs whatever is before us and whatever is behind us and whatever is between (all time and space and whatever we do at all times in all places). And your Lord is never forgetful (so do not fear that He forgets you).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (the angels will say to them), `We (the angels) do not descend without the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us (- the future) and all that is behind us (-the past) and all that is in between that (-the present). Your Lord is never forgetful (and will not neglect you).

English Literal

And We do not descend except with your Lord`s order/command, for Him what (is) between Our hands, and what (is) behind Us, and what (is) between that, and your Lord was not frequently forgetting.

Faridul Haque

(Said Angel Jibreel to Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon them) "And we angels do not come down except by the command of your Lord; to Him only belongs all that is ahead of us and all that is behind us and all that is between them; and your Lord is not forgetful."

Hamid S. Aziz

Such is the Garden which We will give for an inheritance to those of our servants who are devout.

Hilali & Khan

And we (angels) descend not except by the Command of your Lord (O Muhammad SAW). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two, and your Lord is never forgetful,

Maulana Mohammad Ali

This is the Garden which We cause those of Our servants to inherit who keep their duty.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And we do not descend but by the command of your Lord; to Him belongs whatever is before us and whatever is behind us and whatever is between these, and your Lord is not forgetful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord. Unto Him belongeth all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between those two, and thy Lord was never forgetful -

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), we (the angels) do not come to you without being commanded by your Lord to do so. To Him belongs all that is before us, behind us, and in between. Your Lord is not forgetful.

Qaribullah & Darwish

(Gabriel said:) 'We do not descend except at the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that lies between. Your Lord does not forget.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And we descend not except by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two; and your Lord is never forgetful.

Wahiduddin Khan

We never descend except at your Lord's command. What is before us and behind us and all that lies between belong to Him. Your Lord is not forgetful.

Talal Itani

“We do not descend except by the command of your Lord. His is what is before us, and what is behind us, and what is between them. Your Lord is never forgetful.”

Tafsir jalalayn

When the Revelation did not come for a number of days, the Prophet (s) said to Gabriel, `What prevents you from visiting us more often than you do?' and so the following was revealed; And We do not descend except by the commandment of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us, namely, ahead of us, of the affairs of the Hereafter, and all that is behind us, of the affairs of this world, and all that is between those [two], namely, all that takes place from this [point in] time until the coming of the Hour, in other words, to Him belongs knowledge of all of those things. And your Lord is never forgetful, meaning that He is never neglectful of you [even] when the Revelation is postponed from [being sent to] you.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Angels do not descend, except by Allah's Command

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said to Jibril,

مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَزُورَنَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَزُورُنَا



What prevents you from visiting us more than you do?

Then this Ayah was revealed,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

And we descend not except by the command of your Lord.

Al-Bukhari was alone in recording it and he related it with the Tafsir of this Ayah.

Al-Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas that he said,

"Jibril was kept from visiting the Messenger of Allah, so he was disturbed and grieved because of this.

Then, Jibril came to him and said, `O Muhammad,
وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ
(And we descend not except by the command of your Lord)."'

Allah said,

لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا

To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us,

It has been said that the meaning of "what is before us" refers to that which is in this life and "what is behind us" refers to the Hereafter.

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ

and what is between those two;

This means what is between two blows of the Sur.

This is the opinion of Abu Al-Aliyah, Ikrimah and Mujahid.

This was also stated by Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah in one narration from them.

As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas held this opinion as well.

It has also been said,
مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا
(what is before us),

means the future matters of the Hereafter.

وَمَا خَلْفَنَا
(what is behind us),

means what has taken place in this life,

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ

what is between those two;

means what happens between this life and the Hereafter.

A statement like this explanation has been reported from Ibn Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and Ath-Thawri.

Ibn Jarir also preferred this latter interpretation.

And Allah knows best.

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا



and your Lord is never forgetful.

Mujahid said,

"This means that your Lord has not forgotten you."

Allah said