67:28

قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِنۡ أَهۡلَكَنِيَ ٱللَّهُ وَمَن مَّعِيَ أَوۡ رَحِمَنَا فَمَن يُجِيرُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ مِنۡ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ

Qul araaytum in ahlakaniya Allahu waman maAAiya aw rahimana faman yujeeru alkafireena min AAathabin aleemin

Say, [O Muhammad], "Have you considered: whether Allah should cause my death and those with me or have mercy upon us, who can protect the disbelievers from a painful punishment?"

Word by word
  1. قُلۡSay
  2. أَرَءَيۡتُمۡHave you seen
  3. إِنۡif
  4. أَهۡلَكَنِيَdestroys me
  5. ٱللَّهُAllah
  6. وَمَنand whoever
  7. مَّعِيَ(is) with me
  8. أَوۡor
  9. رَحِمَنَاhas mercy upon us
  10. فَمَنthen who
  11. يُجِيرُ(can) protect
  12. ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَthe disbelievers
  13. مِنۡfrom
  14. عَذَابٍa punishment
  15. أَلِيمٖpainful
Al-Mulk · 67:28Makkah

Whether we die or are shown mercy, who saves you?

Hoping for others' downfall does not rescue you


Their hope
the Prophet ﷺand those with him
"may they perish"their enemies' hope
but either way
who saves you?only turning to Allah
What rescues you
others failingtheir downfall
your own repentanceturning back to Him

Some Makkans hoped the Prophet ﷺ and his followers would be destroyed. Ibn Kathir paraphrases the reply: save yourselves, for nothing can rescue you from Allah except repentance and returning to Him. Whatever happens to us, your own escape is your own matter.

You wait for the colleague you dislike to mess up. You enjoy hearing a rival family's bad news. None of it improves your own standing with Allah. Your rescue only comes from your own turning back.

If they fail, I will feel better about myself.

Someone else's downfall does nothing for me. Only my own return to Allah does.

Try this

Make a dua today for good for someone you have secretly hoped would fail.

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

Say: "Tell me! If Allah destroys me, and those with me, or He bestows His mercy on us - who can save the disbelievers from a painful torment? (28)Say: "He is the Most Gracious, in Him we believe, and upon Him we rely. So, you will come to know who it is that is in manifest error. (29)Say: "Tell me! If (all) your water were to sink away, who then can supply you with flowing water? (30)

The Death of the Believer will not save the Disbeliever, so let Him reflect upon His Deliverance

Allah says,

قُلْ 

(say) 'O Muhammad to these idolators who are associating partners with Allah and denying His favors,'

أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَهْلَكَنِيَ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ مَعِيَ أَوْ رَحِمَنَا فَمَنْ يُجِيرُ الْكَافِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

(Tell me! If Allah destroys me, and those with me, or He bestows His mercy on us - who can save the disbelievers from a painful torment?) meaning, 'save yourselves, for verily, there is nothing that can rescue you from Allah except repentance, turning to Him for forgiveness and returning to His religion. Your hopes that torment and exemplary punishment will strike us, will not benefit you. Whether Allah punishes us or has mercy on us, there is no escaping from Allah's punishment and painful torment that you will suffer.' Then Allah says,

قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ آمَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا ۖ 

(Say: "He is the Most Gracious, in Him we believe, and upon Him we rely.) meaning, 'we believe in the Lord of all that exists, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and upon Him we rely in all of our affairs.' This is as Allah says,

 فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ

(So worship Him and rely upon Him.)(11:123) Thus, Allah continues saying,

فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ

(So, you will come to know who it is that is in manifest error.) meaning, 'between Us and you, and to whom the final end (ultimate victory) will be for in this life and in the Hereafter.'

Reminding of Allah's Blessing by the springing of Water and the Threat of It being taken away

Allah says;

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا 

(Say: "Tell me! If your water were to sink away...") meaning, if it were to go away, disappearing into the lowest depths of the earth, then it would not be reachable with iron axes nor strong arms. 'Gha'ir' (sinking) as used here in the Ayah, is the opposite of springing forth. This is why Allah says,

فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ

(who then can supply you with flowing water?) meaning, springing forth, flowing, running upon the face of the earth. This means that no one is able to do this except Allah. So, it is merely out of His favor and His grace that He causes water to spring forth for you, and He makes it run to the various regions of the earth in an amount that is suitable for the needs of servants, be it little or abundant. So Allah's is all the praise and thanks.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Mulk and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.