39:46

قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ عَٰلِمَ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ أَنتَ تَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَ عِبَادِكَ فِي مَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ

Quli allahumma fatira alssamawati waalardi AAalima alghaybi waalshshahadati anta tahkumu bayna AAibadika fee ma kanoo feehi yakhtalifoona

Say, "O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You will judge between your servants concerning that over which they used to differ."

Word by word
  1. قُلِSay
  2. ٱللَّهُمَّO Allah
  3. فَاطِرَCreator
  4. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ(of) the heavens
  5. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِand the earth
  6. عَٰلِمَKnower
  7. ٱلۡغَيۡبِ(of) the unseen
  8. وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِand the witnessed
  9. أَنتَYou
  10. تَحۡكُمُwill judge
  11. بَيۡنَbetween
  12. عِبَادِكَYour slaves
  13. فِيin
  14. مَاwhat
  15. كَانُواْthey used to
  16. فِيهِtherein
  17. يَخۡتَلِفُونَdiffer
Az-Zumar · 39:46Makkah

When arguments go nowhere, take them to the Judge.

A dua for when people disagree


The prayer
Creatorof heavens and earth
Knowerof unseen and seen
will judge
His servantsin what they differ
Where to take the dispute
win it myselfone more argument
hand it to Allahand ask to be guided

After the idolaters' aversion to Tawhid, the Prophet ﷺ is taught to call on Allah. Aishah reported he opened his night prayer with these words, asking: guide me to the truth in what they differ over.

The family group chat is at war again over something religious. Everyone is sure. You are tired. Step out of the argument and into this dua. Ask to be guided to the truth yourself.

I have to win this argument or the truth will lose.

Allah will judge between us; my part is to ask Him to guide me to the truth.

Try this

Before your night prayer, ask Allah to guide you to the truth in one matter people dispute.

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

Say: "O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! All-Knower of the unseen and the seen! You will judge between your servants about that wherein they used to differ. (46)And those who did wrong, if they had all that is on the earth and therewith as much again, they verily, would offer it to ransom themselves therewith on the Day of Resurrection from the evil torment; and there will become apparent to them from Allah what they had not been reckoning (47)And the evils of that which they earned will become apparent to them, and that which they used to mock at will encircle them (48)

How to supplicate

After condemning the idolators for their love of Shirk and their hatred of Tawhid, Allah then says:

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ

(Say: "O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! All-Knower of the unseen and the seen!...") meaning, 'call you upon Allah Alone with no partner or associate, Who has created the heavens and the earth and originated them,' i.e., made them like nothing that ever before existed.

عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ

(All-Knower of the unseen and the seen!) means, what is secret and what is open.

أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِي مَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

(You will judge between your servants about that wherein they used to differ.) means, in this world; 'You will judge between them on the Day when they are resurrected and brought forth from their graves.' In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Abu Salamah bin 'Abdur-Rahman said, "I asked 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ started his prayer when he stood up to pray at night. She said, may Allah be pleased with her: 'When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up to pray at night, he would start his prayer with the words:

اللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ، فَاطِرَ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ، اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ، إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

(O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You will judge between Your servants concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me with regard to that wherein there is dispute concerning the truth by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to the straight path.)"

No Ransom will be accepted on the Day of Resurrection

وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا

(And those who did wrong,) means, the idolators.

مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ

(if they had all that is in earth and therewith as much again,)

لَافْتَدَوْا بِهِ مِنْ سُوءِ الْعَذَابِ

(they verily, would offer it to ransom themselves therewith from the evil torment;) means, that which Allah has decreed for them on the Day of Resurrection. But the ransom will not be accepted from them, even if it were to be an earth-full of gold as He mentioned elswhere (3:91). Then Allah says:

وَبَدَا لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَحْتَسِبُونَ

(and there will become apparent to them from Allah what they had not been reckoning.) which means, when they come to realize what Allah's punishment for them will be, which they had never before imagined.

وَبَدَا لَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَسَبُوا

(And the evils of that which they earned will become apparent to them,) means, they will see the punishment for the forbidden actions and sins which they committed in this world.

وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

(and that which they used to mock at will encircle them.) means, the punishment which they used to make fun of in this world will encompass them.