14:11

قَالَتۡ لَهُمۡ رُسُلُهُمۡ إِن نَّحۡنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦۖ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأۡتِيَكُم بِسُلۡطَٰنٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ

Qalat lahum rusuluhum in nahnu illa basharun mithlukum walakinna Allaha yamunnu AAala man yashao min AAibadihi wama kana lana an natiyakum bisultanin illa biithni Allahi waAAala Allahi falyatawakkali almuminoona

Their messengers said to them, "We are only men like you, but Allah confers favor upon whom He wills of His servants. It has never been for us to bring you evidence except by permission of Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely.

Word by word
  1. قَالَتۡSaid
  2. لَهُمۡto them
  3. رُسُلُهُمۡtheir Messengers
  4. إِنNot
  5. نَّحۡنُwe (are)
  6. إِلَّاbut
  7. بَشَرٞa human
  8. مِّثۡلُكُمۡlike you
  9. وَلَٰكِنَّbut
  10. ٱللَّهَAllah
  11. يَمُنُّbestows His Grace
  12. عَلَىٰon
  13. مَنwhom
  14. يَشَآءُHe wills
  15. مِنۡof
  16. عِبَادِهِۦۖHis slaves
  17. وَمَاAnd not
  18. كَانَis
  19. لَنَآfor us
  20. أَنthat
  21. نَّأۡتِيَكُمwe bring you
  22. بِسُلۡطَٰنٍan authority
  23. إِلَّاexcept
  24. بِإِذۡنِby the permission of Allah
  25. ٱللَّهِۚby the permission of Allah
  26. وَعَلَىAnd upon
  27. ٱللَّهِAllah
  28. فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِso let put (their) trust
  29. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَthe believers
Ibrahim · 14:11Makkah

We are only human, but Allah chooses whom He favours.

The messengers did not claim more than they were


The messengers say
only men like youwe agree
but
Allah's favouron whom He wills
signsonly by His permission
Where to rely
on the messengermake him perform
on Allahlet believers rely on Him

Ibn Kathir notes the messengers agreed: we are human like you. But Allah gives prophethood to whom He chooses. They could not produce signs on demand, only by Allah's permission. Then they turned to their own: let the believers rely on Allah.

Someone says you are no better than them, so who are you to talk about faith. You can agree and stay humble. You never claimed to be special. You just rely on Allah and keep going.

To speak about faith, I have to prove I am better than others.

I can admit I am ordinary and still rely fully on Allah.

Try this

If you are challenged about your faith today, answer humbly and say inside: on Allah I rely.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 14:10)

Their Messengers said: "(What!) Can there be a doubt about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He calls you that He may forgive you of your sins and give you respite for a term appointed." They said: "You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then bring us a clear authority. (10)Their Messengers said to them: "We are no more than human beings like you, but Allah bestows His grace to whom He wills of His servants. It is not ours to bring you an authority (proof) except by the permission of Allah. And in Allah (alone) let the believers put their trust. (11)"And why should we not put our trust in Allah while He indeed has guided us in our ways? And we shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt you may cause us, and in Allah (alone) let those who trust, put their trust. (12)

The Argument between the Prophets and the Disbelievers

Allah narrates to us the arguments that ensued between the disbelievers and their Messengers. When their nations doubted the Message of worshipping Allah alone without partners, the Messengers said,

أَفِي اللَّهِ شَكٌّ

((What!) Can there be a doubt about Allah...?)

about His Lordship and having the exclusive right to be worshipped alone, being the only Creator of all creatures Verily, none besides Allah is worthy of worship, alone without partners with Him.

Most nations were, and still are, affirming the existence of the Creator, but they call upon intermediaries besides Him whom they think will benefit them or bring them closer to Allah. Their Messengers said to them,

يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ

(He calls you that He may forgive you of your sins) in the Hereafter,

وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى

(and give you respite for a term appointed.), in this worldly life. Allah said in other Ayat,

وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ

(Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace to every owner of grace.)[11:3]

However, their nations went on arguing against their prophethood, after they had to submit to the first evidence (that Allah Alone created everything).

Disbelievers reject Prophethood because the Messengers were Humans!

Their nations said,

إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا

(You are no more than human beings like us!) so why should we follow you just because you say so, even though we did not witness a miracle by your hands,

فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

(Then bring us a clear authority.), a miracle of our choice.

قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ

(Their Messengers said to them: "We are no more than human beings like you...") affirming that truly, they were only human being like their nations,

وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ

(but Allah bestows His grace to whom He wills of His servants.), with prophethood and messengership which is His choice,

وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَانٍ

(It is not ours to bring you an authority) according to your choice,

إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

((except by the permission of Allah.), after we beg Him and He provides us with a miracle,

وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(And in Allah (alone) let the believers put their trust.) in all their affairs. Their Messengers said to them next,

وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ

(And why should we not put our trust in Allah), after He had guided us to the best, most clear and plain way,

وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَىٰ مَا آذَيْتُمُونَا

(And we shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt you may cause us), such as foolish actions and abusive statements,

وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ

(and in Allah (alone) let those who trust, put their trust.)