27:91

إِنَّمَآ أُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَعۡبُدَ رَبَّ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡبَلۡدَةِ ٱلَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُۥ كُلُّ شَيۡءٖۖ وَأُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

Innama omirtu an aAAbuda rabba hathihi albaldati allathee harramaha walahu kullu shayin waomirtu an akoona mina almuslimeena

[Say, O Muhammad], "I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, who made it sacred and to whom [belongs] all things. And I am commanded to be of the Muslims [those who submit to Allah]

Word by word
  1. إِنَّمَآOnly
  2. أُمِرۡتُI am commanded
  3. أَنۡthat
  4. أَعۡبُدَI worship
  5. رَبَّ(the) Lord
  6. هَٰذِهِ(of) this
  7. ٱلۡبَلۡدَةِcity
  8. ٱلَّذِيthe One Who
  9. حَرَّمَهَاmade it sacred
  10. وَلَهُۥand to Him (belongs)
  11. كُلُّall
  12. شَيۡءٖۖthings
  13. وَأُمِرۡتُAnd I am commanded
  14. أَنۡthat
  15. أَكُونَI be
  16. مِنَof
  17. ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَthe Muslims
An-Naml · 27:91Makkah

I am only commanded to worship the Lord of this city.

The Prophet ﷺ states his mission


The command
worship the Lordof this city, Makkah
made it sacredsince creation
owns all thingsnot just the city
be a Muslimsincere, obedient
How big is the Lord
Lord of one placelocal, limited
Lord of everythingthis city included

Ibn Kathir says linking Lord to this city is a sign of honor and divine care for Makkah. He cites the Prophet ﷺ on the day of the conquest: this city was made sacred by Allah the day He created the heavens and the earth.

You face the qiblah five times a day, from your bedroom, your office, an airport corner. Your direction points to one sacred city, but the Lord of it owns everything. Your whole life is His.

Worship is for the mosque and special places.

The Lord of the sacred city owns everything, so every part of my life is for Him.

Try this

At your next prayer, pause as you face the qiblah and remember who owns everything.

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

I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city, Who has sanctified it and to Whom belongs everything. And I am commanded to be from among the Muslims (91)And that I should recite the Qur'an, then whosoever receives guidance, receives it for the good of himself; and whosoever goes astray, say (to him): "I am only one of the warners. (92)And say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah. He will show you His Ayat, and you shall recognize them. And your Lord is not unaware of what you do. (93)

The Command to worship Allah and to call People with the Qur'an

Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ to say:

إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَٰذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ ۖ 

(I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city, Who has sanctified it and to Whom belongs everything.) This is like the Ayah,

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْ دِينِي فَلَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنْ أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ ۖ 

(Say: "O you mankind! If you are in doubt as to my religion, then (know that) I will never worship those whom you worship besides Allah. But I worship Allah Who causes you to die.)(10:104) The fact that the word "Rabb" (Lord) is connected to the word city (in the phrase "the Lord of this city") is a sign of honor and divine care for that city. This is like the Ayah,

فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَٰذَا الْبَيْتِ - الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُمْ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُمْ مِنْ خَوْفٍ

(So let them worship the Lord of this House (the Ka'bah), Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear.)(106:3-4)

الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا

(Who has sanctified it) means, the One Who made it a sanctuary by His Law and by His decree, making it sanctified. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that Ibn 'Abbas said: "On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، لَا يُعْضَدُ شَوْكُهُ، وَلَا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهُ وَلَا يَلْتَقِطُ لُقَطَتَهُ إِلَّا مَنْ عَرَّفَهَا وَلَا يُخْتَلَى خَلَاهَا

(Verily, this city was made sacred by Allah the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is sacred by the sanctity of Allah until the Day of Resurrection. Its thorny bushes should not be cut, its game should not be chased, and its lost property should not be picked up except by one who would announce it publicly and none is allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs...)" This was reported in Sahih, Hasan, Musnad narrarations, through various routes, by such a large group that it is absolutely unquestionable, as has been explained in the appropriate place in the book Al-Ahkam, to Allah is the praise and thanks.

وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ

(and to Whom belongs everything.) This is a statement of general application following a specific statement, i.e., He is the Lord of this city, and the Lord and Sovereign of all things, there is no god worthy of worship besides Him.

وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

(And I am commanded to be from among the Muslims.) means, those who believe in Allah alone, who are sincere towards Him and who obediently follow His commands.

وَأَنْ أَتْلُوَ الْقُرْآنَ ۖ 

(And that I should recite the Qur'an,) means, to people, so as to convey it to them. This is like the Ayah,

ذَٰلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ

(This is what We recite to you of the Ayat and the Wise Reminder.)(3:58)

نَتْلُو عَلَيْكَ مِنْ نَبَإِ مُوسَىٰ وَفِرْعَوْنَ بِالْحَقِّ

(We recite to you some of the news of Musa and Fir'awn in truth.)(28:3) meaning, 'I am a conveyer and a warner.'

فَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ

(then whosoever receives guidance, receives it for the good of himself; and whosoever goes astray, say (to him): "I am only one of the warners.") meaning, 'I have an example to follow in the Messengers who warned their people, and did what they had to do in order to convey the Message to them and fulfil the covenant they had made.' Allah will judge their nations to whom they were sent, as He says:

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning)(13: 40).

 إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ نَذِيرٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ 

(But you are only a warner. And Allah is a Protector over all thing)(11:12).

وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا ۚ 

(And say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah. He will show you His Ayat (signs), and you shall recognize them.) means, praise be to Allah, Who does not punish anyone except after establishing plea against him, warning him [and leaving him with no excuse]. Allah says:

سَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا

(He will show you His Ayat (signs), and you shall recognize them.) This is like the Ayah,

سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ۗ 

(We will show them Our signs in the universe, and in themselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth)(41:53).

وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.) means, on the contrary, He witnesses and sees all things. It was recorded that Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy upon him, used to recite the following two lines of verse, whether they were written by him or someone else: "If you are alone one day, do not say, 'I am alone.' Rather say, 'Someone is watching me.' Do not think that Allah will let His attention wander for even an instant, or that anything is hidden from Him."

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat An-Naml. All praise and thanks be to Allah.