22:15

مَن كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَن لَّن يَنصُرَهُ ٱللَّهُ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ فَلۡيَمۡدُدۡ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ثُمَّ لۡيَقۡطَعۡ فَلۡيَنظُرۡ هَلۡ يُذۡهِبَنَّ كَيۡدُهُۥ مَا يَغِيظُ

Man kana yathunnu an lan yansurahu Allahu fee alddunya waalakhirati falyamdud bisababin ila alssamai thumma liyaqtaAA falyanthur hal yuthhibanna kayduhu ma yagheethu

Whoever should think that Allah will not support [Prophet Muhammad] in this world and the Hereafter - let him extend a rope to the ceiling, then cut off [his breath], and let him see: will his effort remove that which enrages [him]?

Word by word
  1. مَنWhoever
  2. كَانَ[is]
  3. يَظُنُّthinks
  4. أَنthat
  5. لَّنnot
  6. يَنصُرَهُAllah will help him
  7. ٱللَّهُAllah will help him
  8. فِيin
  9. ٱلدُّنۡيَاthe world
  10. وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِand the Hereafter
  11. فَلۡيَمۡدُدۡthen let him extend
  12. بِسَبَبٍa rope
  13. إِلَىto
  14. ٱلسَّمَآءِthe sky
  15. ثُمَّthen
  16. لۡيَقۡطَعۡlet him cut off
  17. فَلۡيَنظُرۡthen let him see
  18. هَلۡwhether
  19. يُذۡهِبَنَّwill remove
  20. كَيۡدُهُۥhis plan
  21. مَاwhat
  22. يَغِيظُenrages
Al-Hajj · 22:15Madinah

Rage all you like, His help still comes.

Anger at the truth succeeding changes nothing


The challenge
the one who thinksAllah will not help him ﷺ
let him try
any desperate plana rope to the ceiling
and see
his rage staysthe help still comes
What anger can do
stop itenough fury will win
nothingAllah supports His Messenger ﷺ

Ibn Abbas explained it as being about whoever thinks Allah will not support Muhammad ﷺ. If it annoys him so much, let him do his worst, then see if it cures the rage in his heart. Allah will certainly help His Messengers.

A colleague gets the promotion you wanted, and every success they have makes your chest tight. You replay it at night. Your fury does not move their path an inch; it only burns you.

If I stay angry enough, maybe what I hate will stop.

Rage at what Allah has decided harms only me; letting go is the real relief.

Try this

Name one thing you are angry about that you cannot change. Hand it over in a short dua.

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

Whoever thinks that Allah will not help him in this world and in the Hereafter, let him stretch out a rope to the ceiling and let him strangle himself. Then let him see whether his plan will remove that whereat he rages (15)Thus have We sent it down as clear Ayat, and surely, Allah guides whom He wills (16)

Allah will definitely help His Messenger ﷺ

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Whoever thinks that Allah will not help Muhammad ﷺ in this world and the Hereafter, let him stretch out a rope

إِلَى السَّمَاءِ

(to the ceiling) to the ceiling in his house,

ثُمَّ لْيَقْطَعْ

(and let him strangle himself.) let him hang himself with it." This was also the view of Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, 'Ata', Abu Al-Jawza', Qatadah and others. The meaning is: whoever thinks that Allah will not support Muhammad ﷺ and His Book and His Religion, let him go and kill himself if it annoys him so much. For Allah will most certainly help and support him. Allah says:

إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ 

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth.)(40:51). Allah says here:

فَلْيَنظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُ مَا يَغِيظُ

(Then let him see whether his plan will remove that whereat he rages!) As-Suddi said, "Meaning, in the case of Muhammad ﷺ" 'Ata' Al-Khurasani said, "Let him see whether that will cure the rage he feels in his heart."

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَاهُ

(Thus have We sent it down) the Qur'an.

آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ

(as clear Ayat,) clear in its wording and its meaning, evidence from Allah to mankind.

وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يُرِيدُ

(and surely, Allah guides whom He wills.) He sends astray whomsoever He wills and He guides whomsoever He wills, and He has complete wisdom and definitive proof in doing so.

لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ

(He cannot be questioned about what He does, while they will be questioned.)[21:23]. Because of His wisdom, mercy, justice, knowledge, dominion and might, no one can overturn His ruling, and He is swift in bringing to account.