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Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Hud 11:31

Word by word

وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِى خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ إِنِّى مَلَكٌ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِىٓ أَعْيُنُكُمْ لَن يُؤْتِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ خَيْرًا ۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ إِنِّىٓ إِذًا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allāh or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel, nor do I say of those upon whom your eyes look down that Allāh will never grant them any good. Allāh is most knowing of what is within their souls. Indeed, I would then be among the wrongdoers [i.e., the unjust]."

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

وَمَآ أَنَاْ بِطَارِدِ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ(I am not going to drive away those who have believed.) This alludes to the fact that they (the disbelievers) requested Nuh to disassociate himself from the believers, because they were averse to them and felt themselves too important to sit with them. This is similar to the request of disbelievers to the seal of the Messengers ﷺ to disassociate himself from a group of the people who were considered weak in their social status. They wanted the Prophet to sit with them in a special gathering of the elite. Therefore, Allah revealed,وَلاَ تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِىِّ(And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon.) Allah also says,وَكَذلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِّيَقُولواْ أَهَـؤُلاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن بَيْنِنَآ أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّـكِرِينَ(Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: "Is it these (poor believers) whom Allah has favored from among us" Does not Allah know best those who are grateful)6:53

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

Reported in the fifth verse (31) there is an address that Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) gave before his people to announce some matters of principle after he had heard their objections. In this address it has been stressed that the mission of a prophet and messenger does not depend on things they think are necessary for it.

For instance, first it was said: وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّـهِ (And I do not say to you that with me are the treasures of Allah). This carries a refutation of their idea that someone coming from Allah as His messenger should have brought treasures with him giving it out to everyone freely. Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) put it out clearly that the mission of prophets has nothing to do with involving people into the mess of worldly enjoyments. What for would they need all those treasures?

It is also possible that the statement may be refuting the false thought nursed by some people that Allah has given all powers to prophets, even to Auliya'. Assuming this, it is surmised that they have the treasures of Allah's power in their hands and that they decide whom to give and whom not to give. So, this declaration of Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) makes it clear that Allah Ta'ala has not entrusted the total control of the treasures of His power not even with any prophet, not to say much about the Auliya' or men of Allah. However, when they pray or wish, Allah Ta'ala does answer their prayers and fulfills their wishes with His infinite power.

Secondly, it was said: وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ (nor do I have the knowledge of the unseen). Another false idea these people harbored was that a person who is a rasul of Allah Ta'-al-a should also be the one who knows what is unseen (` alim al-ghayb). This sentence clarifies that the mission of a prophet and messenger needs no knowledge of the unseen, and why should it when the knowledge of the unseen is an exclusive attribute of Allah Ta'-al-a which no prophet or angel can share with Him. However, Allah Ta'-al-a does inform whomever He wills from out of His prophets about the secrets of the unseen as much as He wills. But, because of this, it is not correct to call them ` alim al-ghayb (possessor of the knowledge of the unseen) - because, it is not in their power to find out something in the domain of the unseen at their choice.

Thirdly, it was said: وَلَا أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ (nor do I say that I am an angel). Here we have a refutation of their idea that a ras ul should be some angel.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

ولا أقول لكم: إني أملك التصرف في خزائن الله، ولا أعلم الغيب، ولست بمَلَك من الملائكة، ولا أقول لهؤلاء الذين تحتقرون من ضعفاء المؤمنين: لن يؤتيكم الله ثوابًا على أعمالكم، فالله وحده أعلم بما في صدورهم وقلوبهم، ولئن فعلتُ ذلك إني إذًا لمن الظالمين لأنفسهم ولغيرهم.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

يخبرهم أنه رسول من الله ، يدعو إلى عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له ، بإذن الله له في ذلك ، ولا يسألهم على ذلك أجرا ، بل هو يدعو من لقيه من شريف ووضيع ، فمن استجاب له فقد نجا . ويخبرهم أنه لا يقدر على التصرف في خزائن الله ، ولا يعلم من الغيب إلا ما أطلعه الله عليه ، وليس هو بملك من الملائكة ، بل بشر مرسل ، مؤيد بالمعجزات . ولا أقول عن هؤلاء الذين تحتقرونهم وتزدرونهم : إنه ليس لهم عند الله ثواب على إيمانهم الله أعلم بما في أنفسهم ، فإن كانوا مؤمنين باطنا ، كما هو الظاهر من حالهم ، فلهم جزاء الحسنى ، ولو قطع لهم أحد بشر بعد ما آمنوا ، لكان ظالما قائلا ما لا علم له به .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.