Quran Universe
17:86

وَلَئِن شِئۡنَا لَنَذۡهَبَنَّ بِٱلَّذِيٓ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ بِهِۦ عَلَيۡنَا وَكِيلًا

Walain shina lanathhabanna biallathee awhayna ilayka thumma la tajidu laka bihi AAalayna wakeelan

And if We willed, We could surely do away with that which We revealed to you. Then you would not find for yourself concerning it an advocate against Us.

Word by word
  1. وَلَئِنAnd if
  2. شِئۡنَاWe willed
  3. لَنَذۡهَبَنَّWe (would) have surely taken away
  4. بِٱلَّذِيٓthat which
  5. أَوۡحَيۡنَآWe have revealed
  6. إِلَيۡكَto you
  7. ثُمَّThen
  8. لَاnot
  9. تَجِدُyou would find
  10. لَكَfor you
  11. بِهِۦconcerning it
  12. عَلَيۡنَاagainst Us
  13. وَكِيلًاany advocate
Al-Isra · 17:86Makkah

If He willed, He could take back what He revealed.

The Quran is a gift that could be withdrawn

The gift
the Quranrevealed to you
if He willed
taken awayfrom page and heart
no protectoragainst Him
How I hold it
always on my shelfit will always be there
a gift to hold now

Ibn Kathir says this verse reminds of the great blessing of the Quran. Ibn Mas'ud said that at the end of time a wind will come and nothing will be left in a person's mushaf or heart, not even one verse, and he recited this verse.

The mushaf on your shelf. The app on your phone. The surahs you learned as a child. You assume they will always be there. What you have memorized and lived by is the part that stays with you.

The Quran will always be there whenever I get around to it.

The Quran is a gift I could lose, so I hold it close now.

Try this

Review one surah you memorized as a child, so it stays fresh in your heart.

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

And if We willed, We could surely take away that which We have revealed to you. Then you would find no protector for you against Us in that respect (86)Except as a mercy from your Lord. Verily, His grace unto you is ever great (87)Say: "If mankind and the Jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another. (88)And indeed We have fully explained to mankind, in this Qur'an, every kind of similitude, but most of mankind refuse (the truth and accept nothing) but disbelief (89)

If Allah willed, He could take away the Qur'an

Allah mentions the blessing and great bounty that He has bestowed upon His servant and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ by revealing to Him the Noble Qur'an to which falsehood cannot come, from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise. Ibn Mas'ud said, "A red wind will come to the people, meaning at the end of time, from the direction of Syria, and there will be nothing left in a man's Mushaf (copy of the Qur'an) or in his heart, not even one Ayah." Then Ibn Mas'ud recited:

وَلَئِن شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ

(And if We willed, We could surely take away that which We have revealed to you.)

Challenging by the Qur'an

Then Allah points out the great virtue of the Qur'an, and says that even if mankind and the Jinn were all to come together and agree to produce something like that which was revealed to His Messenger ﷺ, they would never be able to do it, even if they were to cooperate and support and help one another. This is something which is impossible. How could the words of created beings be like the Words of the Creator Who has no equal and peer, for there is none like unto Him?

وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا لِلنَّاسِ

(And indeed We have fully explained to mankind,) meaning, 'We have furnished them with evidence and definitive proof, and We have shown them the truth and explained it in detail, yet despite that most of mankind insist on disbelief, i.e., denying and rejecting the truth.'