Al-Qur'an Surah An-Naml Verse 91

Mufti Taqi Usmani

I am but ordered to worship the Lord of this city, which is sanctified by Him. And to Him belongs every thing, and I am ordered to be one of the Muslims (who submit themselves to Allah),

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city ˹of Mecca˺, Who has made it sacred, and to Him belongs everything. And I am commanded to be one of those who ˹fully˺ submit ˹to Him˺,

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city [of Makkah] Who made it sacred and to Whom belongs all things. And I am commanded to be one of those who submit to Allah [in Islam],

A. J. Arberry

I have only been commanded to serve the Lord of this territory which He has made sacred; to Him belongs everything. And I have been commanded to be of those that surrender,

Abdul Haleem

[Say Prophet], ‘What I am commanded to do is to serve the Sustainer of this town, which He has made inviolable. Everything belongs to Him; I am commanded to be one of those devoted to Him;

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

I am commanded only to worship the Lord of this city which He hath sanctified, -and His is every thing - and I am commanded to be of the Muslims;

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For me, I have been commanded to serve the Lord of this city, Him Who has sanctified it and to Whom (belong) all things; and I am commanded to be of those who bow in Islam to Allah's Will,-

Abul Ala Maududi

(Tell them, O Muhammad): "I have been commanded only to serve the Lord of this city that He has made inviolable, to serve Him to Whom all things belong. I have been commanded to be of those that submit to Allah,

Ahmed Ali

(Say): "I am commanded to worship the Lord of this land He has blessed, to whom all things belong; and I am commanded to be one of those who submit,

Ahmed Raza Khan

“I (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) have been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, Who has deemed it sacred, and everything belongs to Him; and I have been commanded to be among the obedient.”

Ali Quli Qarai

[Say], ‘I have been commanded to worship the Lord of this city who has made it inviolable and to whom all things belong, and I have been commanded to be among those who submit [to Allah],

Ali Ünal

(Say, O Messenger:) "I am ordered only to worship the Lord of this city (Makkah, where the first house of worship dedicated to God was built, and) which He has made sacred and to Whom all things belong. And I am ordered to be of the Muslims (those who submit to Him in all His orders).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `In fact I am commanded to worship only the Lord of this city (- Makkah) which He has declared sacred. Everything belongs to Him. And I have also been commanded to be (one) of those who submit (to His will),

English Literal

Truly I was ordered/commanded that I worship this the country`s/land`s/town`s Lord, which He declared it respected/sacred, and for Him (is) every thing, and I was ordered/commanded that I be from the Moslems/submitters .

Faridul Haque

“I (Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) have been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, Who has deemed it sacred, and everything belongs to Him; and I have been commanded to be among the obedient.”

Hamid S. Aziz

But those who bring an evil deed shall be thrown down upon their faces in the Fire. Shall you be rewarded save for what you did?

Hilali & Khan

I (Muhammad SAW) have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city (Makkah), Him Who has sanctified it and His is everything. And I am commanded to be from among the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Whoever brings good, he will have better than it; and they will be secure from terror that day.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

I am commanded only that I should serve the Lord of this city, Who has made it sacred, and His are all things; and I am commanded that I should be of these who submit;

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

(Say): I (Muhammad) am commanded only to serve the Lord of this land which He hath hallowed, and unto Whom all things belong. And I am commanded to be of those who surrender (unto Him),

Muhammad Sarwar

I am commanded to worship the Lord of this town which He has made sacred. To Him belong all things. I am commanded to be a Muslim

Qaribullah & Darwish

(Say Prophet Muhammad): 'I am only ordered to worship the Lord of this country, which He has made sacred, everything belongs to Him. And I am ordered to be of the Muslims,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city, Who has sanctified it and to Whom belongs everything. And I am commanded to be from among the Muslims.

Wahiduddin Khan

Say, "I am commanded to serve the Lord of this town, which He has made inviolable and to whom everything belongs; I am commanded to be one of those devoted to Him;

Talal Itani

“I was commanded to worship the Lord of this town, who has sanctified it, and to Whom everything belongs; and I was commanded to be of those who submit.

Tafsir jalalayn

Say to them; I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this land, namely, Mecca, which He has made inviolable, which He has made a secure Sanctuary, one in which no human blood may be shed, no person may be wronged, none of its prey may be hunted and [a sanctuary] which is never deserted. Such were the graces bestowed [by God] upon its inhabitants, the [tribe of] Quraysh, [graces] whereby God has spared their land the suffering and civil strife common to all the [other] lands of the Arabs; and to Whom, exalted be He, all things belong, for He is their Lord, Creator and Possessor. And I have been commanded to be of those who submit, to God, by affirming His Oneness;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Command to worship Allah and to call People with the Qur'an

Allah commands His Messenger to say;

إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ

I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city, Who has sanctified it and to Whom belongs everything.

This is like the Ayah,

قُلْ يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّن دِينِى فَلَ أَعْبُدُ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَـكِنْ أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ الَّذِى يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ

Say;"O you mankind! If you are in doubt as to my religion, then (know that) I will never worship those whom you worship besides Allah. But I worship Allah Who causes you to die. (10;104)

The fact that the word "Rabb" (Lord) is connected to the word city (in the phrase "the Lord of this city") is a sign of honor and divine care for that city.

This is like the Ayah,

فَلْيَعْبُدُواْ رَبَّ هَـذَا الْبَيْتِ

الَّذِى أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنْ خوْفٍ

So let them worship the Lord of this House (the Ka`bah), Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear. (106;3-4)

الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا

Who has sanctified it,

means, the One Who made it a sanctuary by His Law and by His decree, making it sanctified.

It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that Ibn Abbas said;

"On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah said;

إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضَ فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يُعْضَدُ شَوْكُهُ وَلَا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهُ وَلَا يَلْتَقِطُ لُقَطَتَهُ إِلاَّ مَنْ عَرَّفَهَا وَلَا يُخْتَلَى خَلَهَا

Verily, this city was made sacred by Allah the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is sacred by the sanctity of Allah until the Day of Resurrection. Its thorny bushes should not be cut, its game should not be chased, and its lost property should not be picked up except by one who would announce it publicly and none is allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs..."

This was reported in Sahih, Hasan, Musnad narrations, through various routes, by such a large group that it is absolutely unquestionable, as has been explained in the appropriate place in the book Al-Ahkam, to Allah is the praise and thanks.

وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ


and to Whom belongs everything.

This is a statement of general application following a specific statement, i.e., He is the Lord of this city, and the Lord and Sovereign of all things, there is no god worthy of worship besides Him.

وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ



And I am commanded to be from among the Muslims.

means, those who believe in Allah alone, who are sincere towards Him and who obediently follow His commands