Quran Universe
35:2

مَّا يَفۡتَحِ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحۡمَةٖ فَلَا مُمۡسِكَ لَهَاۖ وَمَا يُمۡسِكۡ فَلَا مُرۡسِلَ لَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ

Ma yaftahi Allahu lilnnasi min rahmatin fala mumsika laha wama yumsik fala mursila lahu min baAAdihi wahuwa alAAazeezu alhakeemu

Whatever Allah grants to people of mercy - none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds - none can release it thereafter. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

Word by word
  1. مَّاWhat
  2. يَفۡتَحِAllah grants
  3. ٱللَّهُAllah grants
  4. لِلنَّاسِto mankind
  5. مِنof
  6. رَّحۡمَةٖMercy
  7. فَلَاthen none
  8. مُمۡسِكَ(can) withhold
  9. لَهَاۖit
  10. وَمَاAnd what
  11. يُمۡسِكۡHe withholds
  12. فَلَاthen none
  13. مُرۡسِلَ(can) release
  14. لَهُۥit
  15. مِنۢthereafter
  16. بَعۡدِهِۦۚthereafter
  17. وَهُوَAnd He
  18. ٱلۡعَزِيزُ(is) the All-Mighty
  19. ٱلۡحَكِيمُthe All-Wise
Fatir · 35:2Makkah

No door He opens can be shut by anyone.

Mercy given and held back by one hand

Who controls the door
mercy He opensnone can hold it back
what He holdsnone can release it
both from
the Mighty, the Wiseone decision maker
Where my outcome sits
the boss decidesor the market, or luck
Allah decidespeople are only doors

The Prophet ﷺ used to say after prayer: O Allah, none can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold. The verse gave the believers in Makkah, who were pressured from all sides, one place to look.

You are waiting for an email about the job. You refresh it again and again, as if the hiring manager holds your whole future. If it is written for you, no one can block it. If it is held back, no one can force it open.

If I do not please the right people, I will lose what I need.

People are only the doors. The One who opens and closes them is Allah.

Try this

After your next prayer, say the words: O Allah, none can withhold what You give. Mean one specific worry.

Related10:107
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Whatever of mercy, Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it; and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise (2)

None can withhold the Mercy of Allah

Allah tells us that what He wills, happens, and what He does not will, does not happen. None can give what He withholds, and none can withhold what He gives.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Warrad, the freed slave of Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah, said, "Mu'awiyah wrote to Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah, saying, 'Write for me what you heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' So Al-Mughirah called me and I wrote for him: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say when he finished praying,

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، اللّٰهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ

(There is no god (worthy of worship) except Allah alone, with no partner or associate. To Him be praise and dominion, and He is able to do all things. O Allah, there is none who can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and and good fortune and richness in anything cannot benefit one against Your will.)

And I heard him forbid gossiping, asking too many questions and wasting money, burying girls alive, disobeying one's mother, and withholding from others while asking from them.'" This was also recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, with several chain of narration.

It was recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his head from bowing, he would say:

سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، اللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءُ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، وَمِلْءُ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ بَعْدُ، اللّٰهُمَّ أَهْلَ الثَّنَاءِ وَالْمَجْدِ،أَحَقُّ مَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ وَكُلُّنَا لَكَ عَبْدٌ، اللّٰهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ

(Allah hears those who praise Him. O Allah, our Lord, to You be praise, filling the heavens and the earth, and filling whatever You wish besides. O Allah, the One deserving praise and glory. The truest words that any servant says – and all of us are Your servants – are: O Allah, there is none who can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone against Your will.)" This Ayah is like the Ayah:

وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِنْ يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ ۚ 

(And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His favor)(10:107). And there are many similar Ayat.