Quran Universe
33:1

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ ٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا

Ya ayyuha alnnabiyyu ittaqi Allaha wala tutiAAi alkafireena waalmunafiqeena inna Allaha kana AAaleeman hakeeman

O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.

Word by word
  1. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO Prophet
  2. ٱلنَّبِيُّO Prophet
  3. ٱتَّقِFear
  4. ٱللَّهَAllah
  5. وَلَاand (do) not
  6. تُطِعِobey
  7. ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَthe disbelievers
  8. وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَۚand the hypocrites
  9. إِنَّIndeed
  10. ٱللَّهَAllah
  11. كَانَis
  12. عَلِيمًاAll-Knower
  13. حَكِيمٗاAll-Wise
Al-Ahzab · 33:1Madinah

Fear Allah, and do not take orders from those against Him.

Whose voice gets to steer you

The command
the Prophet ﷺand all who follow
told to
have taqwaobey Allah, hope, fear
not obey themdisbelievers, hypocrites
Whose advice to take
the loudest voicespressure, mockery
the All-Knowing, All-Wiseknows every outcome

Ibn Kathir says when Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ, the command is even more for those below him. Talq bin Habib defined taqwa as obeying Allah by His guidance, hoping for His reward. Do not listen to or consult those working against the message.

The group chat that mocks your choices. The voice at work that says everyone bends the rules. You do not have to take direction from them. Allah knows where each path ends.

I go with whatever the people around me say.

The One who knows every outcome gets the final say in my choices.

Try this

Before your next big decision, ask yourself whose approval you are really seeking.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلَا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا - وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا - وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلًا

(1. O Prophet! Have Taqwa of Allah, and obey not the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.)(2. And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Verily, Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.)(3. And put your trust in Allah, and sufficient is Allah as a Trustee.)

The Command to defy the Disbelievers and Hypocrites by following the Revelation of Allah and putting One's Trust in Him

Here Allah points out something lower by referring to something higher. When He commands His servant and Messenger to do this, He is also commanding those who are lower than him, and the command is addressed to them more so. Talq bin Habib said: "Taqwa means obeying Allah in the light of the guidance of Allah and in hope of earning the reward of Allah, and refraining from disobeying Allah in the light of the guidance of Allah and fearing the punishment of Allah."

وَلَا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ

(and obey not the disbelievers and the hypocrites.) means, do not listen to what they say and do not consult them.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

(Verily, Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise) means, He is more deserving of your following His commandments and obeying Him, for He knows the consequences of all things and is Wise in all that He says and does. Allah says:

وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۚ 

(And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord.) meaning, of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

(Verily, Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.) means, nothing at all is hidden from Him, and put your trust in Allah, i.e., in all your affairs and situations.

وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلًا

(and sufficient is Allah as a Wakil.) means, sufficient is He as a Trustee for the one who puts his trust in Him and turns to Him.