27:92

وَأَنۡ أَتۡلُوَاْ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَۖ فَمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهۡتَدِي لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَقُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنذِرِينَ

Waan atluwa alqurana famani ihtada fainnama yahtadee linafsihi waman dalla faqul innama ana mina almunthireena

And to recite the Qur'an." And whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] himself; and whoever strays - say, "I am only [one] of the warners."

Word by word
  1. وَأَنۡAnd that
  2. أَتۡلُوَاْI recite
  3. ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَۖthe Quran
  4. فَمَنِAnd whoever
  5. ٱهۡتَدَىٰaccepts guidance
  6. فَإِنَّمَاthen only
  7. يَهۡتَدِيhe accepts guidance
  8. لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖfor himself
  9. وَمَنand whoever
  10. ضَلَّgoes astray
  11. فَقُلۡthen say
  12. إِنَّمَآOnly
  13. أَنَا۠I am
  14. مِنَof
  15. ٱلۡمُنذِرِينَthe warners
An-Naml · 27:92Makkah

Recite it. Guidance helps the one who takes it.

The warner's job, and its limit


The task
recite the Quranconvey it to people
then
guidedfor their own good
astrayI am only a warner
Where my job ends
make them acceptforce results
convey and warnAllah does the reckoning

The Prophet ﷺ is told to recite the Quran to people so as to convey it. Ibn Kathir says he had an example in the Messengers who warned their people, and Allah would do the judging, as another verse says: your duty is only to convey.

You share a verse in the family group, give a gentle reminder at dinner. Some respond, some roll their eyes. Your part is to say it well. What they do with it is between them and Allah.

If people do not change after I remind them, I have failed.

My job is to convey kindly; guidance benefits whoever accepts it.

Try this

Share one verse you love with someone today, with no expectation.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 27:91)

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.