Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nur Verse 54

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say, “Obey Allah and obey the messenger. But if you turn away, then on him (the messenger) lies (the responsibility of) what he is burdened with, and on you lies (the responsibility of) what you are burdened with. And if you obey him, you will get the right path. The duty of the Messenger is no more than to convey the message clearly.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, then he is only responsible for his duty[[ The Prophet’s only duty is to deliver the message. ]] and you are responsible for yours.[[ Their only duty is to obey the Prophet (ﷺ) by submitting to Allah. ]] And if you obey him, you will be ˹rightly˺ guided. The Messenger’s duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺ clearly.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, he is only responsible for his duty and you are responsible for your duty. If you obey him, you will be guided. The duty of the Messenger is only to convey the message clearly.”

A. J. Arberry

Say: 'Obey God, and obey the Messenger; then, if you turn away, only upon him rests what is laid on him, and upon you rests what is laid on you. If you obey him, you will be guided. It is only for the Messenger to deliver the manifest Message.'

Abdul Haleem

Say, ‘Obey God; obey the Messenger. If you turn away, [know that] he is responsible for the duty placed upon him, and you are responsible for the duty placed upon you. If you obey him, you will be rightly guided, but the Messenger’s duty is only to deliver the message clearly.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou: obey Allah and obey the apostle; then if ye turn away, upon him is only that wherewith he hath been laid upon, and upon you is that wherewith ye have been laid upon; if ye obey him, ye will be guided; and naught is upon the apostle except the preaching plain.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say; "Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger; but if ye turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on you. If ye obey him, ye shall be on right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to preach the clear (Message).

Abul Ala Maududi

Say, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, you should note it well that the Messenger is responsible for the duty entrusted to him and you are responsible for the duty entrusted to you. If you obey him, you will be rightly guided, for the responsibility of the Messenger is only to convey the Message clearly to you.

Ahmed Ali

Say: "Obey God and obey the Apostle. If you turn away, then for him is his duty to fulfil, and for you the burden that you carry; yet if you obey him you will be rightly guided. The duty of the Messenger is to convey the message clearly.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Proclaim, “Obey Allah and obey the Noble Messenger; so if you turn away, then the Noble Messenger is bound only for what is obligatory upon him, and upon you is the duty placed upon you”; and if you obey the Noble Messenger, you will attain guidance; and the Noble Messenger is not liable except to plainly convey.

Ali Quli Qarai

Say, ‘Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle.’ But if you turn your backs, [you should know that] he is only responsible for his burden and you are responsible for your own burden, and if you obey him, you will be guided, and the Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms.

Ali Ünal

Say: "Obey God and obey the Messenger." But, (O people), if you turn away from the Messenger, (then be aware that) what rests with him is only what he has been charged with and what rests with you is only what you have been charged with. However, if you obey, you will be guided (to the truth). What rests with the Messenger is but to convey the Message fully and clearly.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger.´ But if you turn your back (remember that) he (- the Messenger) is responsible for what he is charged with (- the responsibility of conveying the Message) and you are responsible for what you are charged with (- the responsibility of following him). Indeed if you obey him you will be following the right path. (But if you do not, bear in mind,) the Messenger is not responsible but for the delivery (of the message to all) in clear terms.

English Literal

Say: "Obey God and obey the messenger." So if they turned away, so but on him what he was made to carry ,and on you what you were made to carry , and if you obey him/Him you will be guided, and nothing (is) on the messenger except the information/communication, the clear/evident ."

Faridul Haque

Proclaim, "Obey Allah and obey the Noble Messenger; so if you turn away, then the Noble Messenger is bound only for what is obligatory upon him, and upon you is the duty placed upon you"; and if you obey the Noble Messenger, you will attain guidance; and the Noble Messenger is not liable except to plainly convey.

Hamid S. Aziz

They swear by Allah with their most solemn oath that had you ordered them they would surely go forth. Say, "Swear not; obedience is more reasonable; verily, Allah is Informed of what you do."

Hilali & Khan

Say: "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he (Messenger Muhammad SAW) is only responsible for the duty placed on him (i.e. to convey Allah's Message) and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to convey (the message) in a clear way (i.e. to preach in a plain way)."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And they swear by Allah with their strongest oaths that, if thou command them, they would certainly go forth. Say: Swear not; reasonable obedience (is desired). Surely Allah is Aware of what you do.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say: Obey Allah and obey the Apostle; but if you turn back, then on him rests that which is imposed on him and on you rests that which is imposed on you; and if you obey him, you are on the right way; and nothing rests on the Apostle but clear delivering (of the message).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Say: Obey Allah and obey the messenger. But if ye turn away, then (it is) for him (to do) only that wherewith he hath been charged, and for you (to do) only that wherewith ye have been charged. If ye obey him, ye will go aright. But the messenger hath no other charge than to convey (the message) plainly.

Muhammad Sarwar

Say to them, "Obey God and His Messenger. If you turn away, the Messenger and the people will each be responsible for their own obligations. If you follow the Messenger, you will have the right guidance. The responsibility of the Messenger is only to preach."

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say: 'Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. If you turn away, upon him only rests what is laid upon him, and upon you rests what is laid on you. If you obey him, you shall be guided. It is only for the Messenger to deliver a clear message'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say: "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to convey (the Message) in a clear way.") Allah says about the hypocrites who had promised the Messenger and sworn that if he were to command them to go out for battle, they would go:

Wahiduddin Khan

Obey God and obey the Messenger. If you turn away, then he is responsible for what he is charged with and you are responsible for what you are charged with. If you obey him, you will be rightly guided. The Messenger is responsible only for delivering the message clearly.

Talal Itani

Say, “Obey God and obey the Messenger.” But if they turn away, then he is responsible for his obligations, and you are responsible for your obligations. And if you obey him, you will be guided. It is only incumbent on the Messenger to deliver the Clarifying Message.

Tafsir jalalayn

Say; `Obey God, and obey the Messenger.' But if you turn away, from obedience to him (tawallaw, `you turn away'; one of the two t' letters [in tatawallaw] has been omitted; an address to them), [know that] he is only responsible for that with which he has been charged, of conveying [the Message], and you are responsible for that with which you have been charged, of obedience to him. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And the Messenger's duty is only to convey [the Message] clearly'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ

Say;"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger...

meaning, follow the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.

فَإِن تَوَلَّوا

but if you turn away,

if you ignore what he has brought to you,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ

he is only responsible for the duty placed on him,

conveying the Message and fulfilling the trust.

وَعَلَيْكُم مَّا حُمِّلْتُمْ

and you for that placed on you.

accepting that, and venerating it and doing as it commanded.

وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا

If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance.

because he calls to the straight path,

صِرَطِ اللَّهِ الَّذِى لَهُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ

The path of Allah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth... (42;53)

وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلاَّ الْبَلَغُ الْمُبِينُ



The Messenger's duty is only to convey in a clear way.

This is like the Ayat;

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning. (13;40)

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَأ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ

لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُسَيْطِرٍ

So remind them -- you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them. (88;21-22