Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 58

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say, “If what you demand to be hastened were up to me, the matter between me and you would have been over. Allah well knows who the wrongdoers are.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say ˹also˺, “If what you seek to hasten were within my power, the matter between us would have already been settled. But Allah knows the wrongdoers best.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “If that which you seek to hasten were within my power, the matter would have already been decided between me and you. But Allah knows best the wrongdoers.”

A. J. Arberry

Say: 'If what you seek to hasten were with me, the matter between you and me would be decided; and God knows very well the evildoers.'

Abdul Haleem

Say, ‘If what you seek to hasten were within my power, the matter would be settled between you and me, but God knows best who does wrong.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou: if that which ye fain would hasten on be with me, the affair would have been decided between me and you; and Allah is the Best Knower of you the wrong-doers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say; "If what ye would see hastened were in my power, the matter would be settled at once between you and me. But Allah knoweth best those who do wrong."

Abul Ala Maududi

Say: 'If what you demand so hastily were in my power, the matter between me and you would have been long decided. But Allah knows best how to judge the wrong-doers.

Ahmed Ali

Say: "If what you wish to be hastened were in my power, all matters between you and me would have been settled; God is cognisant of those who are unjust."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Say, “If I had the thing for which you are impatient, then the matter between me and you would have already been decided”; and Allah is Well Aware of the unjust.

Ali Quli Qarai

Say, ‘If what you seek to hasten were with me, the matter would surely have been decided between you and me, and Allah knows best the wrongdoers.’

Ali Ünal

Say: "If it were within my power (to bring) what you ask to be hastened, the matter between me and you would have been decided." God best knows the wrongdoers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `If I had power over that which you seek to hasten before its (appointed) time, the matter would have been decided between you and me. And Allâh knows best the unjust (and He also knows when to punish them).´

English Literal

Say: "If that at me (is) what you hurry/urge with it, the matter/affair would have been executed/carried out between me and between you, and God (is) more knowing with the unjust/oppressors."

Faridul Haque

Say, “If I had the thing for which you are impatient, then the matter between me and you would have already been decided”; and Allah is Well Aware of the unjust.

Hamid S. Aziz

With Him are the keys (and treasures) of the unseen. None knows them save He; He knows what is in the land and in the sea; and there falls not a leaf save that He knows it; nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor aught that is moist, nor aught that is dry, but it is inscribed in a clear Record.

Hilali & Khan

Say: "If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between me and you, but Allah knows best the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: Surely I have manifest proof from my Lord and you call it a lie. I have not with me that which you would hasten. The judgment is only Allah’s. He relates the truth and He is the Best of deciders.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say: If that which you desire to hasten were with me, the matter would have certainly been decided between you and me; and Allah best knows the unjust.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Say: If I had that for which ye are impatient, then would the case (ere this) have been decided between me and you. Allah is Best Aware of the wrong-doers.

Muhammad Sarwar

Say, "If I had in my hands what you demand to experience without delay, the matter would have been ended all together. God knows best about the unjust."

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say: 'If what you seek to hasten were with me, the matter between you and me would be decided, and Allah knows very well the harmdoers'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say: "If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I, but Allah knows best the wrongdoers."

Wahiduddin Khan

Say, "If what you seek to hasten were within my power, the matter would be settled between you and me. God best knows the evil-doers."

Talal Itani

Say, “If I possessed what you seek me to hasten, the matter between you and me would have been settled. God is well aware of the unjust.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Say, to them; `If I did have what you seek to hasten, the matter between you and me would have been decided, by my hastening it for you, so that I might find rest; but God has it; and God knows best the evildoers', and when to punish them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِي مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ لَقُضِيَ الَامْرُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ

Say;"If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I,"

means, if I have what you ask for, I will surely send down what you deserve of it,

وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّالِمِينَ



but Allah knows best the wrongdoers.

Someone might ask about the meaning of this Ayah compared to the Hadith in the Two Sahihs, from Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that;

she said to the Messenger, "O Allah's Messenger ! Have you encountered a day harder than the day (of the battle) of Uhud?"

The Prophet replied,

لَقَدْ لَقِيتُ مِنْ قَوْمِكِ وَكَانَ أَشَدَّ مَا لَقِيتُ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْعَقَبَةِ إِذْ عَرَضْتُ نَفْسِي عَلَى ابْنِ عَبْدِيَالِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِكُلَلٍ فَلَمْ يُجِبْنِي إِلَى مَا أَرَدْتُ فَانْطَلَقْتُ وَأَنَا مَهْمُومٌ عَلَى وَجْهِي فَلَمْ أَسْتَفِقْ إِلاَّ بِقَرْنِ الثَّعَالِبِ فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي فَإِذَا أَنَا بِسَحَاَبَةٍ قَدْ ظَلَّلَتْنِي


Your people have troubled me a lot and the worst trouble was on the day of Aqabah when I presented myself to Ibn Abd Yalil bin Abd Kulal, who did not respond to my call. So I departed, overwhelmed with severe sorrow, proceeded on and could not relax until I found myself at Qarn Ath-Tha`alib where I raised my head towards the sky to see a cloud unexpectedly shading me.

فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا فِيهَا جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ فَنَادَانِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ وَمَا رَدُّوا عَلَيْكَ وَقَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْكَ مَلَكَ الْجِبَالِ لِتَأْمُرَهُ بِمَا شِيْتَ فِيهِمْ


I looked up and saw Jibril in it and he called me saying, `Indeed Allah has heard what you said to the people and what they have responded to you. Therefore, Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.'

فَنَادَانِي مَلَكُ الْجِبَالِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ وَقَدْ بَعَثَنِي رَبُّكَ إِلَيْكَ لِتَأْمُرَنِي بِأَمْرِكَ فِيمَا شِيْتَ إِنْ شِيْتَ أَطْبَقْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ الاَْخْشَبَيْن


The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, `O Muhammad! verily, Allah has heard how your people responded to you and He has sent me to you so that you could order me to do what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akhshabayn (two mountains to the north and south of Makkah) fall on them.'

فَقَالَ

رَسُولَُ

اللهَ


بَلْ أَرْجُو أَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللهُ مِنْ أَصْلَبِهِمْ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللهَ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْيًا

The Prophet said, No, but I hope that Allah will let them generate offspring who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship none besides Him.

This is the wording of Muslim.

Tormenting the disbelievers of Quraysh was offered to the Prophet, but he chose patience and asked Allah for respite for them, so that Allah might let them generate offspring who will not associate anything with Him in worship.

Therefore, how can we combine the meaning of this Hadith and the honorable Ayah,

قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِي مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ لَقُضِيَ الَامْرُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّالِمِينَ


Say;"If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I, but Allah knows best the wrongdoers."

The answer to this question is, Allah knows the best, that the Ayah states that if the punishment that they asked for was in the Prophet's hand at the time, he would have sent it on them as they asked.

As for the Hadith, the disbelievers did not ask the Prophet to send the torment down on them. Rather, the angel responsible for the mountains offered him the choice to let the two mountains to the north and south of Makkah close in on the disbelievers and crush them. The Prophet did not wish that and asked for respite out of compassion for them.
Only Allah Knows the Unseen

Allah said next