Surah Ahqaf ayat 9 Tafsir Quran 46:9

﴿قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ﴾
[ الأحقاف: 9]

46:9 Say, "I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner."

Say ‘I am not a novelty unprecedented among the messengers that is to say I am not the first to be sent by God as His Messenger. Already many of them have come before me so how can you deny me? Nor do I know what will be done with me or with you in this world will I be made to leave my native land or will I be slain as was done with some prophets before me or will you stone me to death or will the earth be made to swallow you as it did deniers before you? I only follow what is revealed to me that is the Qur’ān and I do not invent anything myself. And I am only a plain warner’ one whose warning is plain.

Say to them: I am not a novelty of Apostleship hither to unknown to you nor do I know what is to be or will be, nor what is in store for me or for you . I only submit to what is inspired to me by Allah and do what I am commanded to do, and I am only a spectacle and a warning

Refuting Claims of the Idolators about the Qur'an and the Messenger Concerning the disbelief and rebellion of the idolators, Allah says that when the clear Ayat of Allah are recited to them they say; هَـذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ ( This is plain magic! ) meaning, simple magic.
In this statement of theirs, they have lied, invented a falsehood, went astray and disbelieved. أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ( Or they say: "He has fabricated it." ) They are referring to Muhammad .
Allah responds saying, قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَلاَ تَمْلِكُونَ لِى مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً ( Say: "If I have fabricated it, you have no power to support me against Allah..." ) which means, `if I lie against Allah and falsely claim that He sent me when He actually had not, then He would punish me with a severe punishment.
No one on the earth -- you or anyone else -- would then be able to protect me from Him.' It is similar to Allah's saying, قُلْ إِنِّى لَن يُجِيرَنِى مِنَ اللَّهِ أَحَدٌ وَلَنْ أَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَداً إِلاَّ بَلاَغاً مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِسَـلَـتِهِ ( Say: "None can protect me from Allah, nor would I find a refuge except in Him.
(My duty ) is only to convey from Allah and ( deliver ) His Messages.
") ( 72:22-23 ) Allah says, وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الاٌّقَاوِيلِ - لأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ - ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ - فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَـجِزِينَ ( And if he made up a false saying concerning Us, We surely would have seized him by the right hand.
Then we would have cut off his life artery.
And none of you could withhold Us from (punishing ) him.) ( 69:44-47 ) Thus, Allah says here, قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَلاَ تَمْلِكُونَ لِى مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ كَفَى بِهِ شَهِيداً بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ ( Say: "If I have fabricated it, still you have no power to support me against Allah.
He knows best of what you say among yourselves concerning it (i.e.
this Qur'an )! Sufficient is He as a witness between me and you!...") This is a severe threat, intimidation and warning for them.
Allah then says, وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ( And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. ) This is an encouragement for them to repent and turn to Allah.
It means, `despite all of this, if you turn back and repent, Allah will accept your repentance, pardon you, forgive you, and have mercy upon on.' This is similar to Allah's saying in Surat Al-Furqan, وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً - قُلْ أَنزَلَهُ الَّذِى يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً ( And they say: "(This Book is ) legends of the ancients that he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." Say: "It has been sent down by the One Who knows every secret within the heavens and the earth.
Truly, He is ever Forgiving and Merciful.") ( 25:5-6 ) Allah then says, قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعاً مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ ( Say: "I am not a new thing among the Messengers..." ) which means, `I am not the first Messenger who ever came to the world.
Rather, Messengers came before me.
Therefore, I am not an unprecedented incident that should cause you all to reject me and doubt my being sent to you.
Indeed, Allah has sent before me all of the Prophets to various nations.' Allah then says, وَمَآ أَدْرِى مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلاَ بِكُمْ ( nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. ) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "It ( this Ayah ) was followed in revelation by, لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ ( That Allah may forgive for you your sins of the past and future ).
Similarly, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said that this Ayah was abrogated by the Ayah; لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ ( That Allah may forgive for you your sins of the past and future ).
They said that when the latter Ayah was revealed, one of the Muslims said to Allah's Messenger , "Allah has declared what He will do for you.
But what will He do for us" Then Allah revealed; لِّيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَـتِ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ ( That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow ).
This is what they said.
That which has been confirmed in the Sahih is that the believers said, "May you enjoy that, O Allah's Messenger! But what do we get" So Allah revealed this Ayah.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Kharijah bin Zayd bin Thabit, reported that Umm Al-`Ala' -- a woman from the Ansar who had given her pledge of loyalty to Allah's Messenger -- said, "When the Ansar drew lots regarding taking in the Muhajirun to dwell with them, our lot was to have `Uthman bin Maz`un.
Later, `Uthman fell sick in our house, so we nursed him until he died, and we wrapped him in his garments ( for burial ).
Allah's Messenger then came in, and I said, `O Abu As-Sa'ib! May Allah have mercy on you.
I bear witness that Allah has indeed honored you.' Allah's Messenger asked,
«وَمَا يُدْرِيكِ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى أَكْرَمَه»
( How do you know that Allah has honored him ) I said, `I do not know -- may my father and mother both be ransoms for you!' Allah's Messenger then said,
«أَمَّا هُوَ فَقَدْ جَاءَهُ الْيَقِينُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ،وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو لَهُ الْخَيْرَ.
وَاللهِ مَا أَدْرِي وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي»
( As for him, certainty (death ) has reached him from his Lord, and I surely wish well for him.
But by Allah, even though I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will happen to me ( after death ).) I then said, `Never will I claim a person to be pious after this.' This incident caused me some distress, and I went to sleep thereafter.
I saw in my dream that `Uthman owned a running water spring.
I went to Allah's Messenger and told him about that.
Allah's Messenger said,
«ذَاكِ عَمَلُه»
( That was his (good ) deeds.)" Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith but Muslim did not.
In one of the narrations, Allah's Messenger said,
«مَا أَدْرِي وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِه»
( Even though I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will happen to him. ) This and similar texts indicate that it is not allowed to declare that a specific person will enter Jannah except for those who were distinctly indicated by Allah or his Messenger .
Examples of those are the Ten, Ibn Sallam, Al-Ghumaysa', Bilal, Suraqah, `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Haram ( Jabir's father ), the Seventy Recitors ( of Qur'an ) who were assassinated near the Well of Ma`unah, Zayd bin Harithah, Ja`far, Ibn Rawahah, and other similar individuals, may Allah be pleased with them.
Allah then says, إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَىَّ ( I only follow that which is revealed to me, ) which means, `I only follow what Allah has revealed to me of the revelation.' وَمَآ أَنَاْ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ( and I am but a plain warner. ) meaning, `my warnings are obvious to every person with sound intellect and reason.' And Allah knows best.

(46:9) Tell them: 'I am not the first of the Messengers; and I do not know what shall be done with me or with you. I follow only what is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain warner.' *12

Say, "I am not something original among meaning

*12) Its background is this: When the Holy Prophet presented himself as Allah's Messenger, the people of Makkah raised different kinds of objections against it.
They said: " what kind of a Messenger he is who has a family, who moves about in the streets, eats and drinks and lives a common man's life.
There is nothing special about him, which might distinguish him above the other people and therefore we may know that Allah has specially made this man His Messenger.
" Then they said: " Had he ban appointed a Messenger by God, He would have sent an angel as an attendant with him who would have announced that he was God's Messenger, and would have punished with a scourge every such person who had behaved insolently Towards him.
How strange that God should appoint a person as His Messenger and then should leave him alone to roam the streets of Makkah and suffer every kind of humiliation.
If nothing else Allah should at Ieast have created a magnificent palace and a blooming garden for His Messenger.
He should not have been left to depend on his wife's resources so that 'when they exhausted the Messenger should be forced to go without food and should not even afford a conveyance to Ta'if. " Besides, these people demanded different kinds of miracles from him and asked news of the unseen.
They thought that a person's being God's Mcsscngcr meant that he should possess supernatural powers so that mountains should move at his bidding and deserts at once turn into green fields; he should have the knowledge of the past and the future events and of everything hidden from others.

An answer to the same has been given in these sentences, and each sentence contains a world of meaning.

First, it is said: 'Tell them: I am not a novel Messenger.
" That is, "My being appointed as a Messenger is not a novel event of its kind in the world so that you may have some confusion about the characteristics of a Messenger.
Many Messengers have come to the world before me, and I am not any different from them.
Never has a Messenger come, who did not have a family, who did not eat and drink, or who did not live a common man's life.
Never has an angel descended as an attendant with a Mcsscngcr, heralding his prophethood and carrying a whip before him.
Never have gardens and palaces been created for a Messenger and never has a Messenger ban spared of the hardships which I am suffering.
Never has a Messenger shown a miracle by his own power, or known everything by his own knowledge.
Then, how is it that you are bringing forth these strange criteria only to judge my Prophethood?"
Then it is said: Tell them also : "I do not know what shall befall you tomorrow nor what shall befall me.
I only follow that which is revealed to me." That is, "I am not a knower of the unseen so that everything of the past and present and future should be known to me, and I should have the knowledge of everything in the world.
Not to speak of your future, I do not even know my own future.
I only know that of which I am given knowledge by revelation.
More than that I have never claimed to know, nor has there ever been a Messenger in the world, who made that claim.
It is not a Messenger's job to tell the whereabouts of the lost articles, or tell whether a pregnant woman will deliver a boy or a girl, or whether a sick patient will live or die." In conclusion, it is said: "Say to them: I am no more than a plain warner." That is, "I do not possess Divine powers so that I may show you the wonderful miracles that you demand from me every next day.
My only mission is that I should present the right way before the people, and should warn of an evil end those who do not accept it.
"
 

Refuting Claims of the Idolators about the Qur'an and the Messenger Concerning the disbelief and rebellion of the idolators, Allah says that when the clear Ayat of Allah are recited to them they say; هَـذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ ( This is plain magic! ) meaning, simple magic.
In this statement of theirs, they have lied, invented a falsehood, went astray and disbelieved. أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ( Or they say: "He has fabricated it." ) They are referring to Muhammad .
Allah responds saying, قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَلاَ تَمْلِكُونَ لِى مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً ( Say: "If I have fabricated it, you have no power to support me against Allah..." ) which means, `if I lie against Allah and falsely claim that He sent me when He actually had not, then He would punish me with a severe punishment.
No one on the earth -- you or anyone else -- would then be able to protect me from Him.' It is similar to Allah's saying, قُلْ إِنِّى لَن يُجِيرَنِى مِنَ اللَّهِ أَحَدٌ وَلَنْ أَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَداً إِلاَّ بَلاَغاً مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِسَـلَـتِهِ ( Say: "None can protect me from Allah, nor would I find a refuge except in Him.
(My duty ) is only to convey from Allah and ( deliver ) His Messages.
") ( 72:22-23 ) Allah says, وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الاٌّقَاوِيلِ - لأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ - ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ - فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَـجِزِينَ ( And if he made up a false saying concerning Us, We surely would have seized him by the right hand.
Then we would have cut off his life artery.
And none of you could withhold Us from (punishing ) him.) ( 69:44-47 ) Thus, Allah says here, قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَلاَ تَمْلِكُونَ لِى مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ كَفَى بِهِ شَهِيداً بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ ( Say: "If I have fabricated it, still you have no power to support me against Allah.
He knows best of what you say among yourselves concerning it (i.e.
this Qur'an )! Sufficient is He as a witness between me and you!...") This is a severe threat, intimidation and warning for them.
Allah then says, وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ( And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. ) This is an encouragement for them to repent and turn to Allah.
It means, `despite all of this, if you turn back and repent, Allah will accept your repentance, pardon you, forgive you, and have mercy upon on.' This is similar to Allah's saying in Surat Al-Furqan, وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً - قُلْ أَنزَلَهُ الَّذِى يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً ( And they say: "(This Book is ) legends of the ancients that he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." Say: "It has been sent down by the One Who knows every secret within the heavens and the earth.
Truly, He is ever Forgiving and Merciful.") ( 25:5-6 ) Allah then says, قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعاً مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ ( Say: "I am not a new thing among the Messengers..." ) which means, `I am not the first Messenger who ever came to the world.
Rather, Messengers came before me.
Therefore, I am not an unprecedented incident that should cause you all to reject me and doubt my being sent to you.
Indeed, Allah has sent before me all of the Prophets to various nations.' Allah then says, وَمَآ أَدْرِى مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلاَ بِكُمْ ( nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. ) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "It ( this Ayah ) was followed in revelation by, لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ ( That Allah may forgive for you your sins of the past and future ).
Similarly, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said that this Ayah was abrogated by the Ayah; لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ ( That Allah may forgive for you your sins of the past and future ).
They said that when the latter Ayah was revealed, one of the Muslims said to Allah's Messenger , "Allah has declared what He will do for you.
But what will He do for us" Then Allah revealed; لِّيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَـتِ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ ( That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow ).
This is what they said.
That which has been confirmed in the Sahih is that the believers said, "May you enjoy that, O Allah's Messenger! But what do we get" So Allah revealed this Ayah.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Kharijah bin Zayd bin Thabit, reported that Umm Al-`Ala' -- a woman from the Ansar who had given her pledge of loyalty to Allah's Messenger -- said, "When the Ansar drew lots regarding taking in the Muhajirun to dwell with them, our lot was to have `Uthman bin Maz`un.
Later, `Uthman fell sick in our house, so we nursed him until he died, and we wrapped him in his garments ( for burial ).
Allah's Messenger then came in, and I said, `O Abu As-Sa'ib! May Allah have mercy on you.
I bear witness that Allah has indeed honored you.' Allah's Messenger asked, «وَمَا يُدْرِيكِ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى أَكْرَمَه» ( How do you know that Allah has honored him ) I said, `I do not know -- may my father and mother both be ransoms for you!' Allah's Messenger then said, «أَمَّا هُوَ فَقَدْ جَاءَهُ الْيَقِينُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ،وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو لَهُ الْخَيْرَ.
وَاللهِ مَا أَدْرِي وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي» ( As for him, certainty (death ) has reached him from his Lord, and I surely wish well for him.
But by Allah, even though I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will happen to me ( after death ).) I then said, `Never will I claim a person to be pious after this.' This incident caused me some distress, and I went to sleep thereafter.
I saw in my dream that `Uthman owned a running water spring.
I went to Allah's Messenger and told him about that.
Allah's Messenger said, «ذَاكِ عَمَلُه» ( That was his (good ) deeds.)" Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith but Muslim did not.
In one of the narrations, Allah's Messenger said, «مَا أَدْرِي وَأَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِه» ( Even though I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will happen to him. ) This and similar texts indicate that it is not allowed to declare that a specific person will enter Jannah except for those who were distinctly indicated by Allah or his Messenger .
Examples of those are the Ten, Ibn Sallam, Al-Ghumaysa', Bilal, Suraqah, `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Haram ( Jabir's father ), the Seventy Recitors ( of Qur'an ) who were assassinated near the Well of Ma`unah, Zayd bin Harithah, Ja`far, Ibn Rawahah, and other similar individuals, may Allah be pleased with them.
Allah then says, إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَىَّ ( I only follow that which is revealed to me, ) which means, `I only follow what Allah has revealed to me of the revelation.' وَمَآ أَنَاْ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ( and I am but a plain warner. ) meaning, `my warnings are obvious to every person with sound intellect and reason.' And Allah knows best.

( Say ) to them, O Muhammad: ( I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah )) I am not the first human being to be sent as Messenger, there were many messengers before me, ( nor know I what will be done with me or with you ) in relation to hardship, comfort and well-being; it is also said that this verse was revealed about some of the Companions of the Prophet ( pbuh ) who asked him about when to leave Mecca in order to escape from the persecution of the disbelievers. So the Prophet ( pbuh ) said: I do not know what will be done with me or with you; nor whether we should migrate from Mecca or not. ( I do but follow ) act upon ( that which is inspired in me ) that which I am commanded in the Qur’an, ( and I am but a plain warner ) a warning messenger who addresses you in a language that you understand.

Say (O Muhammad SAW):"I am not a new thing among the Messengers (of Allah) (i.e. I am not the first Messenger) nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner."

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