6:17

وَإِن يَمۡسَسۡكَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرّٖ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُۥٓ إِلَّا هُوَۖ وَإِن يَمۡسَسۡكَ بِخَيۡرٖ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ

Wain yamsaska Allahu bidurrin fala kashifa lahu illa huwa wain yamsaska bikhayrin fahuwa AAala kulli shayin qadeerun

And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good - then He is over all things competent.

Word by word
  1. وَإِنAnd if
  2. يَمۡسَسۡكَtouches you
  3. ٱللَّهُAllah
  4. بِضُرّٖwith affliction
  5. فَلَاthen no
  6. كَاشِفَremover
  7. لَهُۥٓof it
  8. إِلَّاexcept
  9. هُوَۖHim
  10. وَإِنAnd if
  11. يَمۡسَسۡكَHe touches you
  12. بِخَيۡرٖwith good
  13. فَهُوَthen He
  14. عَلَىٰ(is) on
  15. كُلِّevery
  16. شَيۡءٖthing
  17. قَدِيرٞAll-Powerful
Al-An'am · 6:17Makkah

Only He can lift the harm He lets touch you.

Harm and good both come from one hand


Who holds what
a harmtouches you
removed only by
Himno one else
a goodHe can do all things
Where to knock
the right personcan fix this
the Onenone withholds what He gives

Ibn Kathir says Allah alone brings benefit or harm, and none can resist what He decrees. He cites the Prophet's ﷺ supplication from the Sahih: O Allah, none can withhold what You give, nor give what You withhold. The Makkans looked to idols for both.

You are in the hospital corridor waiting for the scan result. Or refreshing your inbox for the visa decision. Your whole hope sits on one doctor, one officer, one email. They are doors. The key is with Him. Knock there first.

This problem will be solved by the right contact.

Only Allah removes harm. People are the means He may use.

Try this

Before you make the next call about your problem, make a short dua first.

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

And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is able to do all things (17)And He is the Irresistible, above His servants, and He is the All-Wise, Well-Acquainted with all things (18)Say: "What thing is the most great in witness?" Say: "Allah is Witness between you and I; this Qur'an has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. Can you verily bear witness that besides Allah there are other gods?" Say "I bear no (such) witness!" Say: "Only He is God, alone, and truly I am innocent of what you join in worship with Him. (19)Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize him, as they recognize their own children. Those who have lost (destroyed) themselves will not believe (20)And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat? Verily, the wrongdoers shall never be successful (21)

Allah is the Irresistible, Able to Bring Benefit and Protect from Harm

Allah states that He Alone brings benefit or harm, and that He does what He wills with His creatures, none can resist His judgment or prevent what He decrees,

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is able to do all things.) Similarly, Allah said,

مَّا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ

(Whatever mercy, Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter)[35:2].

It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate,

اللَّهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ

(O Allah, there is none Who can avert what You grant or give what You deprive, and no fortune ever helps the fortunate against You.) This is why Allah said,

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ

(And He is the Irresistible, above His servants,) meaning, to Him the necks are subservient, the tyrants humble before Him and He has complete control over all things. The creatures have all bowed to Allah and are humbled before His grace, honor, pride, greatness, highness and ability over all things. The creatures are insignificant before Him, for they are all under His irresistible decision and power,

 وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ

(and He is the All-Wise,) in all His actions,

الْخَبِيرُ

(Well-Acquainted with all things.) Who places everything in its rightful place, grants and favors whomever deserves His favor. Allah said next,

قُلْ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً

(Say: "What thing is the most great in witness") or what is the greatest witness,

قُلِ اللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ

(Say: "Allah (the Most Great!) is Witness between you and I") for He knows what I brought you and what you will answer me with,

وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ

(this Qur'an has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.)

Therefore, this Qur'an is a warner for all those who hear of it. In another Ayah, Allah said,

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ

(But those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place.)[11:17] Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said, "Those who follow the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ought to call to what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called to and warn against what he warned against." Allah said next,

أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ

("Can you verily bear witness...") O idolators,

أَنَّ مَعَ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَىٰ قُل لَّا أَشْهَدُ

("that besides Allah there are other gods" Say, "I bear no (such) witness!") Similarly, in another Ayah, Allah said;

فَإِن شَهِدُوا فَلَا تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ

(Then if they testify, testify not you with them.)[6:150] Allah said next,

قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

(Say: "Only He is God, alone, and truly I am innocent of what you join in worship with Him.")

People of the Book Recognize the Prophet (ﷺ) Just as They Recognize Their Own Children

Allah says, the People of the Book know what you brought them, O Muhammad ﷺ, as they know their own children. This is because they received good news from the previous Messengers and Prophets about the coming of Muhammad ﷺ, his attributes, homeland, his migration, and the description of his Ummah. Allah said next,

الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ

(Those who have lost (destroyed) themselves) and thus incurred the ultimate loss,

فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(will not believe.) in this clear matter. A matter about which the previous Prophets gave good news, and a matter extolled about in ancient and modern times. Allah said next,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ

(And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat?) meaning, there is no person more unjust than he who lies about Allah and claims that Allah has sent him, while Allah did not send him. There is no person more unjust than he who denies Allah's proofs, signs and evidences,

إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ

(Verily, the wrongdoers shall never be successful.)

Surely, both of these people will never acquire success, whoever falsely (claims that Allah sent him) and whoever refuses [Allah's Ayat].