Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 188

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say, “I have no power to bring a benefit or a harm to myself, except that which Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Unseen, I would have accumulated a lot of good things, and no evil would have ever touched me. I am but a warner, and a herald of good news for a people who believe.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Say, “I have no power to benefit or protect myself, except by the Will of Allah. If I had known the unknown, I would have benefited myself enormously, and no harm would have ever touched me. I am only a warner and deliverer of good news for those who believe.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “I have no power to benefit or harm myself, except what Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and bearer of glad tidings for people who believe.”

A. J. Arberry

Say: 'I have no power to profit for myself; or hurt, but as God will. Had I knowledge of the Unseen I would have acquired much good, and evil would not have touched me. I am only a warner, and a bearer of good tidings, to a people believing.'

Abdul Haleem

Say [Prophet], ‘I have no control over benefit or harm, [even] to myself, except as God may please: if I had knowledge of what is hidden, I would have abundant good things and no harm could touch me. I am no more than a bearer of warning, and good news to those who believe.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou: I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself save as Allah willeth; and had I knowledge of the unseen I would have amassed ample good, and evil would not have touched me. I am naught but a warner and a bringer of tidings unto a people who believe.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say; "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah willeth. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me; I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith."

Abul Ala Maududi

Tell them [O Muhammad]: 'I have no power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah may please. And had I knowledge of the unseen, I should have amassed all kinds of good, and no evil would have ever touched me. I am merely a warner and the herald of glad tidings to those who have faith.'

Ahmed Ali

Tell them: "I am not master of my own gain or loss but as God may please. If I had the knowledge of the Unknown I would have enjoyed abundance of the good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a bearer of warnings and bringer of happy news for those who believe."

Ahmed Raza Khan

Say, “I have no autonomy to benefit or hurt myself, except what Allah wills; and were I to procure knowledge of the hidden on my own, it would be that I had accumulated a lot of good; and no misfortune would touch me; I am purely a Herald of Warning and Glad Tidings to the people who believe.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Say, ‘I have no control over any benefit for myself, nor [over] any harm except what Allah may wish. Had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no ill would have befallen me. I am only a warner and bearer of good news to a people who have faith.’

Ali Ünal

Say: ""It is not within my power (to deal benefit and harm so) that unless God wills (and allows me to), I can neither bring benefit to, nor avert harm from, even myself. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I would always be in profit (with no loss at all), and no adversity would ever touch me. I am only a warner (against the evil consequences of misguidance) and a bearer of glad tidings (of prosperity in return for faith and righteousness) for people who will believe and who have already believed."

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `I have no power over (bringing) any gain or (avoiding) any harm to myself save to the extent that Allâh will. And had I known the unseen I would surely have secured a great deal of good (for myself) and no harm would ever have come to me. I am only a Warner (to the wicked) and a Bearer of good tidings (to the people who believe).

English Literal

Say: "I do not own/possess benefit/usefulness and nor harm to myself, except what God willed/wanted, and if I were (to) know the unseen/absent/supernatural , I would have increased from the good/wealth , and the bad/evil/harm would not (have) touched me, that I am except (a) warner/giver of notice and (an) announcer of good news to a nation believing."

Faridul Haque

Say, "I have no autonomy to benefit or hurt myself, except what Allah wills; and were I to procure knowledge of the hidden on my own, it would be that I had accumulated a lot of good; and no misfortune would touch me; I am purely a Herald of Warning and Glad Tidings to the people who believe."

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to harm, save what Allah will. Had I knowledge of the Unseen I should surely have multiplied all that is good, and no adversity would touch me; I am but a Warner and a herald of good tidings unto a people who have faith."

Hilali & Khan

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

They ask thee about the Hour, when will it come to pass? Say: The knowledge thereof is with my Lord only. None but He will manifest it at its time. It is momentous in the heavens and the earth. It will not come to you but of a sudden. They ask thee as if thou wert solicitous about it. Say: Its knowledge is with Allah only, but most people know not.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say: I do not control any benefit or harm for my own soul except as Allah please; and had I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Say: For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to hurt, save that which Allah willeth. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I should have abundance of wealth, and adversity would not touch me. I am but a warner, and a bearer of good tidings unto folk who believe.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), say, "I have no control over my benefits or sufferings, without the will of God. Had I known about the unseen, I would have gained much good and would have faced no suffering. I am only a warner and I preach the glad news to the believing people."

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say: 'I do not have the power to acquire benefits or to avert harm from myself, except by the Will of Allah. Had I possessed knowledge of the unseen, I would have availed myself of much that is good, and no harm would have touched me. But I am only a warner and a bearer of glad tidings for a nation who believe.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say: "I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."

Wahiduddin Khan

Say, "I myself have no power to benefit or do harm, save as God pleases. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would have availed myself of an abundance of good, and no harm would have touched me. I am but a warner and a bearer of good tidings for those who will believe."

Talal Itani

Say, “I have no control over any benefit or harm to myself, except as God wills. Had I known the future, I would have acquired much good, and no harm would have touched me. I am only a warner, and a herald of good news to a people who believe.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Say; `I have no power to bring benefit, to attract it to, myself, or hurt, to repel it, except as God wills. Had I knowledge of the Unseen -- that which is hidden from me, I would have acquired much good, and adversity, in the way of impoverishment and otherwise, would not touch me, since I would take precautions against such [adversity] by avoiding what is harmful. I am but a warner, to disbelievers, of the Fire, and a bearer of good tidings, of Paradise, to a people who believe'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Messenger does not know the Unseen, and He cannot bring Benefit or Harm even to Himself

Allah

قُل لاَّ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلاَّ مَا شَاء اللّهُ

Say ;"I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allah wills.

Allah commanded His Prophet to entrust all matters to Him and to inform, about himself, that he does not know the unseen future, but he knows of it only what Allah informs him.

Allah said in another Ayah,

عَـلِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَ يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَداً

(He Alone is) the All-Knower of the Ghayb (Unseen), and He reveals to none His Ghayb. (72;26)

وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ

If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth.

Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said that,

refers to money.

In another narration, Ibn Abbas commented,

"I would have knowledge of how much profit I would make with what I buy, and I would always sell what I would make profit from,
وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ
("and no evil should have touched me)." and poverty would never touch me."

Ibn Jarir said,

"And others said, `This means that if I know the Unseen then I would prepare for the years of famine during the prosperous years, and in the time of high cost, I would have prepared for it."'

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam also commented on this Ayah;
وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ
(and no evil should have touched me),

"I would have avoided and saved myself from any type of harm before it comes."

The Prophet then stated that;

إِنْ أَنَاْ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُوْمِنُونَ



"I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."

Allah tells that the Prophet is a warner and bearer of good news. He warns against the torment and brings good news of Paradise for the believers,

فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَـهُ بِلَسَانِكَ لِتُبَشِّرَ بِهِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَتُنْذِرَ بِهِ قَوْماً لُّدّاً

So We have made this (the Qur'an) easy on your tongue, only that you may give glad tidings to the pious, and warn with it the most quarrelsome of people. (19;97