Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahqaf Verse 9

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say, “I am not something unprecedented among the messengers, and I do not know what will be done to me or to you. I do not follow anything but what is revealed to me, and I am only a clear warner.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, “I am not the first messenger ever sent, nor do I know what will happen to me or you. I only follow what is revealed to me. And I am only sent with a clear warning.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “I am not the first of the messengers, nor do I know what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner.”

A. J. Arberry

Say: 'I am not an innovation among the Messengers, and I know not what shall be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me; I am only a clear warner.'

Abdul Haleem

Say, ‘I am nothing new among God’s messengers. I do not know what will be done with me or you; I only follow what is revealed to me; I only warn plainly.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou: I am not an innovator among the apostles, nor I know whatsoever shall be done with me or with you; I only follow that which is revealed Unto me, and am but a warner manifest.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say; "I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear."

Abul Ala Maududi

Tell them: “I am not the first of the Messengers; and I do not know what shall be done with me or with you. I follow only what is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain warner.”

Ahmed Ali

Say: "I am not a new Messenger to come, nor do I know what is to be done to me or you. I only follow what is revealed to me. My duty is only to warn you clearly."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Say, “I am not something new* among the Noble Messengers, nor do I know (on my own) what will happen to me** or with you; I only follow that which is divinely revealed to me, and I am purely a Herald of clear warning. (* I am like the earlier ones. ** My knowledge comes due to divine revelations.)

Ali Quli Qarai

Say, ‘I am not a novelty among the apostles, nor do I know what will be done with me, or with you. I just follow whatever is revealed to me, and I am just a manifest warner.’

Ali Ünal

"I am no novelty (either in my person or in the message I have brought) among the Messengers, and (being human) I do not know (unless God informs me) what (will happen in the future in the world and therefore what will) be done to me and to you. I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am only a plain warner."

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `I am no novel (Apostle) among the Messengers nor do I know what will be done to me (on your behalf) or to you. I simply follow what is revealed to me and I am nought but a plain Warner.´

English Literal

Say: "I was not (a) new invention/unprecedented from the messengers, and I do not know what will be made/done with me, nor with you, that I follow except what is being inspired/transmitted to me, and I am not except a clear/evident warner/giver of notice."

Faridul Haque

Say, “I am not something new* among the Noble Messengers, nor do I know (on my own) what will happen to me** or with you; I only follow that which is divinely revealed to me, and I am purely a Herald of clear warning. (* I am like the earlier ones. ** My knowledge comes due to divine revelations.)

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "I am not the first of (or new thing among) the Messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you: I do not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain Warner."

Hilali & Khan

Say (O Muhammad SAW):"I am not a new thing among the Messengers (of Allah) (i.e. I am not the first Messenger) nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Nay, they say: He has forged it. Say: If I have forged it, you control naught for me from Allah. He knows best what you utter concerning it. He is enough as a witness between me and you. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say: I am not the first of the apostles, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you: I do not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain warner.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Say: I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah), nor know I what will be done with me or with you. I do but follow that which is inspired in me, and I am but a plain warner.

Muhammad Sarwar

Say, "I am not the first Messenger. I do not know what will be done to me or to you. I follow only what has been revealed to me and my duty is only to give clear warning".

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say: 'I am not an innovation among the Messengers; nor know what will be done with me or you. I follow only what is revealed to me; I am only a clearwarner'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say: "I am not a new thing among the Messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner."

Wahiduddin Khan

Say, "I am not the first of God's messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you: I do not follow anything but what is revealed to me, and I am merely a plain warner."

Talal Itani

Say, “I am not different from the other messengers; and I do not know what will be done with me, or with you. I only follow what is inspired in me, and I am only a clear warner.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Say; `I am not a novelty, unprecedented, among the messengers, that is to say, [I am not] the first to be sent [by God as His Messenger]. Already many of them have come before me, so how can you deny me? Nor do I know what will be done with me or with you, in this world; will I be made to leave my [native] land, or will I be slain as was done with [some] prophets before me, or will you stone me to death, or will the earth be made to swallow you as [it did] deniers before you? I only follow what is revealed to me, that is, the Qur'n, and I do not invent anything myself. And I am only a plain warner', one whose warning is plain.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنْ الرُّسُلِ

Say;"I am not a new thing among the Messengers..."

which means, `I am not the first Messenger who ever came to the world. Rather, Messengers came before me. Therefore, I am not an unprecedented incident that should cause you all to reject me and doubt my being sent to you. Indeed, Allah has sent before me all of the Prophets to various nations.'

Allah then says,

وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ

nor do I know what will be done with me or with you.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn Abbas that he said,

"It (this Ayah) was followed in revelation by,
لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ
(That Allah may forgive for you your sins of the past and future). (48;2)

Similarly, Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said that

this Ayah was abrogated by the Ayah;
لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ
(That Allah may forgive for you your sins of the past and future). (48;2)

They said that when the latter Ayah was revealed, one of the Muslims said to Allah's Messenger, "Allah has declared what He will do for you. But what will He do for us?' Then Allah revealed;
لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ وَالْمُوْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الاَْنْهَارُ
(That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow). (48;5) This is what they said. That which has been confirmed in the Sahih is that the believers said, "May you enjoy that, O Allah's Messenger! But what do we get" So Allah revealed this Ayah.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Kharijah bin Zayd bin Thabit, reported that Umm Al-`Ala' -- a woman from the Ansar who had given her pledge of loyalty to Allah's Messenger -- said,

"When the Ansar drew lots regarding taking in the Muhajirun to dwell with them, our lot was to have `Uthman bin Maz`un. Later, `Uthman fell sick in our house, so we nursed him until he died, and we wrapped him in his garments (for burial). Allah's Messenger then came in, and I said, `O Abu As-Sa'ib! May Allah have mercy on you. I bear witness that Allah has indeed honored you.'

Allah's Messenger asked,

وَمَا يُدْرِيكِ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى أَكْرَمَه

How do you know that Allah has honored him?

I said, `I do not know -- may my father and mother both be ransoms for you!'

Allah's Messenger then said,

أَمَّا هُوَ فَقَدْ جَاءَهُ الْيَقِينُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَإِنِّي لَاَرْجُو لَهُ الْخَيْرَ وَاللهِ مَا أَدْرِي وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي


As for him, certainty (death) has reached him from his Lord, and I surely wish well for him. But by Allah, even though I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will happen to me (after death).

I then said,

`Never will I claim a person to be pious after this.'

This incident caused me some distress, and I went to sleep thereafter. I saw in my dream that `Uthman owned a running water spring. I went to Allah's Messenger and told him about that. Allah's Messenger said,

ذَاكِ عَمَلُه

That was his (good) deeds."

Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith but Muslim did not.

In one of the narrations, Allah's Messenger said,

مَا أَدْرِي وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِه

Even though I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will happen to him.

This and similar texts indicate that it is not allowed to declare that a specific person will enter Jannah except for those who were distinctly indicated by Allah or his Messenger. Examples of those are the Ten,

Ibn Sallam,

Al-Ghumaysa',

Bilal,

Suraqah,

Abdullah bin `Amr bin Haram (Jabir's father),

the Seventy Recitors (of Qur'an) who were assassinated near the Well of Ma`unah,

Zayd bin Harithah,

Ja`far,

Ibn Rawahah,

and other similar individuals,

may Allah be pleased with them.

Allah then says,

إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ

I only follow that which is revealed to me,

which means, `I only follow what Allah has revealed to me of the revelation.'

وَمَا أَنَا إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ



and I am but a plain warner.

meaning, `my warnings are obvious to every person with sound intellect and reason.' And Allah knows best