Surah Saba Verse 21 - Read, Listen, Translation, English : And he had over them no authority except [it was…

Saba · 21/54

Translation Transliteration — Saba

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِالْآخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِي شَكٍّ ۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ ۝٢١

🔤 Transliteration

Wa maa kaana lahoo `alaihim min sultaanin illaa lina`lama mai yu minu bil Aakhirati mimman huwa minhaa fee shakk; wa Rabbuka `alaa kulli shai`in Hafeez

📖 Translation (English Meaning)

📖 English Meaning

And he had over them no authority except [it was decreed] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian.

🌐 Additional reference in Français

📖 Ayah 📜 Tafsir 📚 Al-Waseet 🔤 Ayah (I'rab)

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Translation — Tafsir

Word Meanings:

Sultān (سلطان): Authority, power, or compelling force.
Li-na‘lam (لنعلم): So that We may know — meaning, so that it becomes manifest and evident.
Shakk (شك): Doubt or uncertainty.
Hafīz (حفيظ): All-Preserver, All-Watcher, One who keeps account of everything.

Explanation of the Verse:

This noble verse clarifies a profound truth about the role of Iblis (Satan) in the lives of human beings. Allah informs us that Satan had no real power or authority over people to force them into disbelief or sin. He could not compel anyone to go astray — his role was limited to whispering, tempting, and beautifying evil suggestions. The permission Allah granted him to mislead was not a sign of weakness in Allah’s dominion, but rather a deliberate test within His infinite wisdom.

The divine wisdom behind allowing Satan’s whispers is to distinguish and make evident those who truly believe in the Hereafter — with its resurrection, reward, and punishment — from those who remain in doubt about it. This is not about Allah gaining new knowledge, for He knows all things eternally. Rather, it is about manifesting that knowledge in the visible world, so that faith and doubt become clear through people’s actions and choices. The believer, certain of the Hereafter, resists Satan’s temptations and remains steadfast. The doubter, uncertain of what awaits him, easily succumbs to whispers and follows his desires.

The verse concludes with a comforting and awe-inspiring statement: "And your Lord is, over all things, an All-Preserver." Allah preserves everything — every deed, every intention, every whisper of the heart, and every act of obedience or disobedience. Nothing escapes His watchful care, and He will bring all to account with perfect justice.

A Call to Reflection:

Dear reader, this verse carries a beautiful message of hope and responsibility. Satan has no grip over you unless you hand it to him. Your faith in the Hereafter is your shield — when you truly believe that you will stand before your Lord and be recompensed for every atom of good and evil, the whispers of Satan lose their power. Let this certainty fill your heart with tranquility and purpose. Know that your Lord is watching over you with mercy, preserving your efforts, and ready to reward your patience. So turn to Him with sincerity, strengthen your conviction in the Last Day, and let that conviction guide you to a life of righteousness and peace.

📜 Verse 19-23 — Saba

19فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا بَاعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَاهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ

But [insolently] they said, "Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys," and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

20وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And Iblees had already confirmed through them his assumption, so they followed him, except for a party of believers.

21وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِالْآخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِي شَكٍّ ۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ

And he had over them no authority except [it was decreed] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian.

22قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُ مِنْهُم مِّن ظَهِيرٍ

Say, [O Muhammad], "Invoke those you claim [as deities] besides Allah." They do not possess an atom's weight [of ability] in the heavens or on the earth, and they do not have therein any partnership [with Him], nor is there for Him from among them any assistant.

23وَلَا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ۚ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا الْحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ

And intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits. [And those wait] until, when terror is removed from their hearts, they will say [to one another], "What has your Lord said?" They will say, "The truth." And He is the Most High, the Grand.

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Translation — Saba 21

Surah Saba Verse 21 - Read, Listen, Translation, English : And he had over them no authority except [it was…

Surah Verse 21/54 — Saba سبأ (Meccan). Read Listen Translation (English). Listen: Saba Listen, Saba Translation, Saba mp3, Saba pdf. Verse 19–23. English Meaning: Français.

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