Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 128

Mufti Taqi Usmani

You have no authority in the matter, unless Allah forgives them or punishes them, as they are unjust.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

You ˹O Prophet˺ have no say in the matter.[[ When the Prophet (ﷺ) was injured at the Battle of Uḥud, some of his companions suggested that he should pray against the pagans of Mecca. He responded, “I have not come to condemn people, but as a mercy to pray for their guidance.” The verse here says that it is not up to the Prophet whether they believe or disbelieve. A prophet’s only duty is to convey the message. Eventually, almost all Meccans accepted Islam before the death of the Prophet (ﷺ). ]] It is up to Allah to turn to them in mercy or punish them, for indeed they are wrongdoers.

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is not for you [O Prophet] to decide whether He will accept their repentance or punish them, for they are wrongdoers.

A. J. Arberry

No part of the matter is thine, whether He turns towards them again, or chastises them; for they are evildoers.

Abdul Haleem

Whether God relents towards them or punishes them is not for you [Prophet] to decide: they are wrongdoers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Not with thee is aught of the affair: He shall either relent toward them or torment them, for verily they are wrong-doers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Not for thee, (but for Allah), is the decision; Whether He turn in mercy to them, or punish them; for they are indeed wrong-doers.

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Messenger!) It is not for you to decide whether He will accept their repentance or chastise them, for they surely are wrongdoers.

Ahmed Ali

You have no say in the matter if He pardon them or punish them, for they are unjust.

Ahmed Raza Khan

This matter is not for you to decide – whether He guides them to repent or punishes them, for they are the unjust.

Ali Quli Qarai

You have no hand in the matter, whether He accepts their repentance or punishes them, for they are indeed wrongdoers.

Ali Ünal

(O Messenger, you are a servant charged with a certain duty, therefore) it is not a matter for you whether He turns towards them in mercy (to accept their repentance for their unbelief, and grants them faith) or punishes them because they are wrongdoers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(O Prophet!) You have no say whatsoever in the matter, (it is upto Him alone) whether He turns towards them with mercy or punishes them because they are certainly wrongdoers.

English Literal

(It) is not to you from the matter/affair a thing, or He forgives on them or He tortures them, so then they are unjust/oppressors.

Faridul Haque

This matter is not for you to decide - whether He guides them to repent or punishes them, for they are the unjust.

Hamid S. Aziz

To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and in the earth. He forgives whom He will, and punishes whom He will. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Hilali & Khan

Not for you (O Muhammad SAW, but for Allah) is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardons) them or punishes them; verily, they are the Zalimun (polytheists, disobedients, and wrong-doers, etc.).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

That He may cut off a part of those who disbelieve or abase them so that they should return in failure.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

You have no concern in the affair whether He turns to them (mercifully) or chastises them, for surely they are unjust.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

It is no concern at all of thee (Muhammad) whether He relent toward them or punish them; for they are evil-doers.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), it is not your concern whether He forgives them or punishes them for they are unjust.

Qaribullah & Darwish

No part of the matter is yours whether He turns towards them or punishes them. They are harmdoers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers.

Wahiduddin Khan

You have no say in this affair to decide whether He will relent towards them or He will punish them: they are wrongdoers.

Talal Itani

It is no concern of yours whether He redeems them or punishes them. They are wrongdoers.

Tafsir jalalayn

When, on the Day of Uhud, the Prophet received a head wound and his front tooth was broken, and he said, `How does a people who have drenched the face of their Prophet in blood [expect to] prosper?', the following was revealed; It is no concern at all of yours, nay, it is God's concern, so be patient, whether, meaning, until such time as, He relents to them, through [their acceptance of] Islam, or chastises them; for they are indeed evildoers, by [virtue of their] disbelief.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah then mentions a statement that testifies that the decision in this life and the Hereafter is for Him Alone without partners,

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذَّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers.


لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ
(Not for you is the decision),

meaning, "The matter is all in My Hand."

Allah also said,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

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

and,

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَأءُ

Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. (2;272)

and,

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَأءُ

Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. (28;56)

Muhammad bin Ishaq said that Allah's statement,
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ
(Not for you is the decision),

means, "No part of the decision regarding My servants is yours, except what I command you."

Allah then mentions the rest of the consequences of Jihad,

...
أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ

whether He pardons them,

concerning the acts of disbelief that they commit, thus delivering them from misguidance to the guidance.

...
أَوْ يُعَذَّبَهُمْ

or punishes them;

in this life and the Hereafter because of their disbelief and errors.

...
فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

verily, they are the wrongdoers.

and thus, they deserve such a fate.

Al-Bukhari recorded that, Salim bin Abdullah said that his father said that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying -- when he raised his head from bowing in the second unit of the Fajr prayer --

"O Allah! Curse so-and-so," after saying; Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-Hamd. Thereafter, Allah revealed this Ayah,
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ
(Not for you is the decision).

This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Salim bin Abdullah said that his father said that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ فُلَنًا

اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنِ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ

اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ سُهَيْلَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو

اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنَ أُمَيَّة

O Allah! Curse so-and-so.

O Allah! Curse Al-Harith bin Hisham.

O Allah! Curse Suhayl bin Amr.

O Allah! Curse Safwan bin Umayyah.

Thereafter, this Ayah was revealed;
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذَّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ
(Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers).

All these persons were pardoned (after they embraced Islam later on).

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that;

when Allah's Messenger would supplicate against or for someone, he would do so when he was finished bowing and saying; Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-Hamd.

He would then say, (the Qunut)

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ وَسَلَمَةَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ وَعَيَّاشَ بْنَ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ

اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلى مُضَرَ وَاجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ كَسِنِي يُوسُف

O Allah! Save Al-Walid bin Al-Walid, Salamah bin Hisham, Ayyash bin Abi Rabiah and the weak and the helpless people among the faithful believers.

O Allah! Be hard on the tribe of Mudar and let them suffer from years of famine like that of the time of Yusuf.

He would say this supplication aloud.

He sometimes would supplicate during the Dawn prayer, "O Allah! Curse so-and-so (persons)," mentioning some Arab tribes. Thereafter, Allah revealed,
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ
(Not for you is the decision).

Al-Bukhari recorded that Hamid and Thabit said that,

Anas bin Malik said that the Prophet was injured during the battle of Uhud and said,

كَيْفَ يُفْلِحُ قَوْمٌ شَجُّوا نَبِيَّهُمْ

How can a people achieve success after having injured their Prophet?

Thereafter,
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ
(Not for you is the decision), was revealed.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that,

the Prophet's front tooth was broken during the battle of Uhud and he also sustained injuries on his forehead until blood dripped on his face. The Prophet said,

كَيْفَ يُفْلِحُ قَوْمٌ فَعَلُوا هذَا بِنَبِيِّهِمْ وَهُوَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

How can a people achieve success after having done this to their Prophet who is calling them to their Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored? Allah revealed,
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذَّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ
(Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardons) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers).

Muslim also collected this Hadith.

Allah then said,