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Al-A'raf (The Heights)

Verse 188of 206

قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى نَفْعًۭا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌۭ وَبَشِيرٌۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴿١٨٨

Translation (Sahih International)

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."

Word-by-word meaning

قُلqulSay
لَّآNot
أَمْلِكُamlikuI have power
لِنَفْسِىlinafsīfor myself
نَفْعًۭاnafʿan(to) benefit
وَلَاwalāand no
ضَرًّاḍarran(power to) harm
إِلَّاillāexcept
مَاwhat
شَآءَshāawills
ٱللَّهُ ۚl-lahuAllah
وَلَوْwalawAnd if
كُنتُkuntuI would
أَعْلَمُaʿlamuknow
ٱلْغَيْبَl-ghayba(of) the unseen
لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُla-is'takthartusurely I could have multiplied
مِنَminaof
ٱلْخَيْرِl-khayrithe good
وَمَاwamāand not
مَسَّنِىَmassaniya(could) have touched me
ٱلسُّوٓءُ ۚl-sūuthe evil
إِنْinNot
أَنَا۠anā(am) I
إِلَّاillāexcept
نَذِيرٌۭnadhīruna warner
وَبَشِيرٌۭwabashīrunand a bearer of good tidings
لِّقَوْمٍۢliqawminto a people
يُؤْمِنُونَyu'minūnawho believe

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Messenger does not know the Unseen, and He cannot bring Benefit or Harm even to HimselfAllah 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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