Surah Araf ayat 188 Tafsir Quran 7:188

﴿قُل لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 188]

7:188 Say, "I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe."

Say ‘I have no power to bring benefit to attract it to myself or hurt to repel it except as God wills. Had I knowledge of the Unseen — that which is hidden from me I would have acquired much good and adversity in the way of impoverishment and otherwise would not touch me since I would take precautions against such adversity by avoiding what is harmful. I am but a warner to disbelievers of the Fire and a bearer of good tidings of Paradise to a people who believe’.

Say to them O Muhammad: I have no control over what will become nor of what will befall me, be it good or bad but as Allah wills. He is the Principle Power by Whom events are unalterably predetermined. If I indulged in prophecy and were able to foretell future events and realize the unseen I would have made all grace abound in me, and never would I have failed to be out of harms way. I am only a spectacle and a warning to people whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand

The Messenger does not know the Unseen, and He cannot bring Benefit or Harm even to Himself Allah commanded His Prophet to entrust all matters to Him and to inform, about himself, that he does not know the unseen future, but he knows of it only what Allah informs him.
Allah said in another Ayah, عَـلِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلاَ يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَداً ( (He Alone is ) the All-Knower of the Ghayb ( Unseen ), and He reveals to none His Ghayb.) 72:26 Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas said that, وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاَسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ ( If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen ), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth.) refers to money.
In another narration, Ibn `Abbas commented, "I would have knowledge of how much profit I would make with what I buy, and I would always sell what I would make profit from, وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ السُّوءُ ( "and no evil should have touched me." ) and poverty would never touch me." Ibn Jarir said, "And others said, `This means that if I know the Unseen then I would prepare for the years of famine during the prosperous years, and in the time of high cost, I would have prepared for it."' `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam also commented on this Ayah; وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ السُّوءُ ( "and no evil should have touched me.
" ), "I would have avoided and saved myself from any type of harm before it comes." Allah then stated that the Prophet is a warner and bearer of good news.
He warns against the torment and brings good news of Paradise for the believers, فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَـهُ بِلَسَانِكَ لِتُبَشِّرَ بِهِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَتُنْذِرَ بِهِ قَوْماً لُّدّاً ( So We have made this (the Qur'an ) easy on your tongue, only that you may give glad tidings to the pious, and warn with it the most quarrelsome of people.) 19:97 هُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلاً خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ فَلَمَّآ أَثْقَلَت دَّعَوَا اللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ ءَاتَيْتَنَا صَـلِحاً لَّنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّـكِرِينَ

(7:188) Tell them [O Muhammad]: 'I have no power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah may please. And had I knowledge of the unseen, I should have amassed all kinds of good, and no evil would have ever touched me. *145 I am merely a warner and the herald of glad tidings to those who have faith.'

Say, "I hold not for myself [the meaning

*145).
The time of the advent of the Last Day is known to God alone Who knows the Unseen which, in fact, is not known even to the Prophet ( peace be on him ).
Being human, he is not aware what the morrow has in store for him and his family.
Had his knowledge encompassed everything - even things that lie beyond the ken of sense-perception and events that lie hidden in the future - he would have accumulated immense benefit and would have been able to avoid a great deal of loss owing to such foreknowledge.
That being the case, it is sheer naivety to ask the Prophet about the actual time for the advent of the Last Day.

 

The Messenger does not know the Unseen, and He cannot bring Benefit or Harm even to Himself Allah commanded His Prophet to entrust all matters to Him and to inform, about himself, that he does not know the unseen future, but he knows of it only what Allah informs him.
Allah said in another Ayah, عَـلِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلاَ يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِهِ أَحَداً ( (He Alone is ) the All-Knower of the Ghayb ( Unseen ), and He reveals to none His Ghayb.) 72:26 Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas said that, وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاَسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ ( If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen ), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth.) refers to money.
In another narration, Ibn `Abbas commented, "I would have knowledge of how much profit I would make with what I buy, and I would always sell what I would make profit from, وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ السُّوءُ ( "and no evil should have touched me." ) and poverty would never touch me." Ibn Jarir said, "And others said, `This means that if I know the Unseen then I would prepare for the years of famine during the prosperous years, and in the time of high cost, I would have prepared for it."' `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam also commented on this Ayah; وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ السُّوءُ ( "and no evil should have touched me.
" ), "I would have avoided and saved myself from any type of harm before it comes." Allah then stated that the Prophet is a warner and bearer of good news.
He warns against the torment and brings good news of Paradise for the believers, فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَـهُ بِلَسَانِكَ لِتُبَشِّرَ بِهِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَتُنْذِرَ بِهِ قَوْماً لُّدّاً ( So We have made this (the Qur'an ) easy on your tongue, only that you may give glad tidings to the pious, and warn with it the most quarrelsome of people.) 19:97 هُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلاً خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ فَلَمَّآ أَثْقَلَت دَّعَوَا اللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ ءَاتَيْتَنَا صَـلِحاً لَّنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّـكِرِينَ

( Say ) O Muhammad, to the people of Mecca: ( For myself I have no power to benefit ) to bring benefit, ( nor power to hurt ) to drive away harm, ( save that which Allah willeth ) to do with me of benefit or harm. ( Had I knowledge of the Unseen ) benefit and harm, ( I should have abundance of wealth ) of benefit, ( and adversity ) harm ( would not touch me ) it is also said that this means: if I knew when punishment would descend upon you, I would do good in abundance out of gratitude and no grief or sadness for you would touch me because of it; it is also said that this means: If I knew when I was to die, I would do good and perform righteous works in abundance and hardship would not touch me; it is also said that this means: If I knew the timing of droughts, lack of harvest and of rises in prices, I would amass good in abundance and hardship would not touch me. ( I am but a warner ) of the Fire, ( and a bearer of good tidings ) of Paradise ( unto folk who believe ) in Paradise and hell.

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."

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