Quran Universe
2:38

قُلۡنَا ٱهۡبِطُواْ مِنۡهَا جَمِيعٗاۖ فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدٗى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ

Qulna ihbitoo minha jameeAAan faimma yatiyannakum minnee hudan faman tabiAAa hudaya fala khawfun AAalayhim wala hum yahzanoona

We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

Word by word
  1. قُلۡنَاWe said
  2. ٱهۡبِطُواْGo down
  3. مِنۡهَاfrom it
  4. جَمِيعٗاۖall (of you)
  5. فَإِمَّاand when
  6. يَأۡتِيَنَّكُمcomes to you
  7. مِّنِّيfrom Me
  8. هُدٗىGuidance
  9. فَمَنthen whoever
  10. تَبِعَfollows
  11. هُدَايَMy Guidance
  12. فَلَا[then] no
  13. خَوۡفٌfear
  14. عَلَيۡهِمۡ(will be) on them
  15. وَلَاand not
  16. هُمۡthey
  17. يَحۡزَنُونَwill grieve
Al-Baqarah · 2:38Madinah

Guidance will come; follow it, and fear and grief lose their grip.

The promise given at the start of human life

The promise
guidance from Mebooks, messengers
whoever follows
no fearabout the Hereafter
no griefabout this life
Where safety comes from
getting everything rightcontrol
following His guidanceHe handles the rest

As Adam, his wife and Satan were sent down, Allah promised to send books and messengers. Abu Al-'Aliyah said guidance means the prophets, messengers, clear signs and plain explanation. No fear about the Hereafter, no grief over this world.

You lie awake replaying a conversation and worrying about next month. Fear about what is coming, grief over what is gone. This verse makes a promise to people who follow His guidance: both lose their grip.

Feeling safe depends on how my plans turn out.

Following Allah's guidance is what frees me from fear and grief.

Try this

When a worry comes today, answer it with one line of guidance you already know.

Related20:12320:124
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

We said: "Get down all of you from this place (the Paradise), then whenever there comes to you Hudan (guidance) from Me, and whoever follows My guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve (38)But those who disbelieve and belie Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) ـ such are the dwellers of the Fire. They shall abide therein forever. (39)

Allah stated that when He sent Adam, Hawwa', and Shaytan to earth from Paradise, He warned them that He will reveal Books and send Prophets and Messengers to them, i.e., to their offspring. Abu Al-'Aliyah said, "Al-Huda, refers to the Prophets, Messengers, the clear signs and plain explanation."

فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ

(And whoever follows My guidance) meaning, whoever accepts what is contained in My Books and what I send the Messengers with,

فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ

(There shall be no fear on them) regarding the Hereafter,

وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(nor shall they grieve) regarding the life of this world. Similarly, in Surat Ta Ha, Allah said,

قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَىٰ

(He (Allah) said: "Get you down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you, together, some of you are an enemy to some others. Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, he shall neither go astray, nor shall he be distressed.)(20:123)

Ibn 'Abbas commented, "He will not be misguided in this life or miserable in the Hereafter." The Ayah,

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ

(But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.)(20:124) is similar to what Allah stated here,

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

(But those who disbelieve and belie Our Ayat ـ such are the dwellers of the Fire. They shall abide therein forever), meaning, they will remain in Hell for eternity and will not find a way out of it.

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ - وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ