Quran Universe
44:42

إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Illa man rahima Allahu innahu huwa alAAazeezu alrraheemu

Except those [believers] on whom Allah has mercy. Indeed, He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

Word by word
  1. إِلَّاExcept
  2. مَن(on) whom
  3. رَّحِمَAllah has mercy
  4. ٱللَّهُۚAllah has mercy
  5. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,He
  6. هُوَ[He]
  7. ٱلۡعَزِيزُ(is) the All-Mighty
  8. ٱلرَّحِيمُthe Most Merciful
Ad-Dukhan · 44:42Makkah

Except those on whom Allah has mercy.

The one exception on that Day

The only help
no relativeno outside aid
except
Allah's mercythe only thing that avails
Who He is
All-Mightyno one can stop Him
Most Mercifulimmense mercy

After saying no one can help anyone, the verse opens one door. Ibn Kathir says nothing will be of any avail that Day except the mercy of Allah. He is the All-Mighty, with immense mercy.

The waiting room before a big result. Nobody can change it for you. Then one sentence lifts it: except whom Allah has mercy on. That door is open, and you can knock now.

If no one can help me then, the Day is only frightening.

When every other help is gone, His mercy is still there.

Try this

Ask Allah for His mercy today in your own words, for yourself and one other person.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 44:38)

This World was created for a Wisdom

Here Allah tells us of His justice, and that He is far above mere play, folly and falsehood. This is like the Ayah:

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالاٌّرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَـطِلاً ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ

(And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire!) (38:27)

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ عَبَثاً وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ تُرْجَعُونَ - فَتَعَـلَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ

(Did you think that We had created you in play, and that you would not be brought back to Us So Exalted be Allah, the True King: La ilaha illa Huwa, the Lord of the Supreme Throne!) (23:115-116) Then Allah says:

إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ مِيقَـتُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

(Verily, the Day of Judgement is the time appointed for all of them) This is the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will judge between all creatures, and He will punish the disbelievers and reward the believers.

مِيقَـتُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

(is the time appointed for all of them) means, He will gather all of them, the first and the last of them.

يَوْمَ لاَ يُغْنِى مَوْلًى عَن مَّوْلًى شَيْئاً

(The Day when a near relative cannot avail a near relative in aught,) means, no relative will be able to help another relative. This is like the Ayah:

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى الصُّورِ فَلاَ أَنسَـبَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلاَ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ

(Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another.) (23:101)

وَلاَ يَسْـَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيماً يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ

(And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition). Though they shall be made to see one another) (70:10-11) which means, he will not ask his brother about how he is, even though he can see him with his own eyes.

وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

(and no help can they receive,) means, no relative will help another, and no help will come to him from outside.

إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ اللَّهُ

(Except him on whom Allah has mercy.) means, and nothing will be of any avail that Day except the mercy of Allah towards His creation.

إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ

(Verily, He is the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.) means, he is the Almighty, with immense mercy.