Surah 21

Surah 21:42

"Say: ‘Who will guard you in the night and the day from the Merciful?’ No! They (still) turn away from (any) reminder of their Lord."
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Verses 21:41-43
Show Full Scripture Context (21:41-43) — 3 Verses
Verse 41

وَلَقَدِ ٱسۡتُهۡزِئَ بِرُسُلٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ

Certainly messengers have been mocked before you, but those of them who ridiculed (were) overwhelmed (by) what they were mocking.

Verse 42

قُلۡ مَن يَكۡلَؤُكُم بِٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ رَبِّهِم مُّعۡرِضُونَ

Say: ‘Who will guard you in the night and the day from the Merciful?’ No! They (still) turn away from (any) reminder of their Lord.

Verse 43

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ ءَالِهَةٞ تَمۡنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَاۚ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ نَصۡرَ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا يُصۡحَبُونَ

Or do they have gods other than Us to protect them? They are not able to help themselves, nor will they have any companions (to shield them) from Us.

Quoted Scripture
"Indeed (many) Messengers were mocked before you, but their scoffers were surrounded by what they used to mock at."

This is meant to comfort the Prophet for the mockery of those among his people who opposed him, and contains a promise that Allah will help him and his religion and grant him victory over his enemies. This is like the Ayah:

{Verily, Messengers were denied before you, but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt ; till Our help reached than, and none can alter the Words of Allah. Surely, there has reached you the information (news) about the Messengers (before you)} [6:34].

Then Allah menitons His favor for His creatures; He protects them by night and by day, taking care of them and watching over them with His Eye that never sleeps.

{Say : "Wlw can guard and protect you in the night or it} the day from the Most Gracious?"}
means, other than the Most Gracious Himself?

Quoted Scripture
"Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord."

means, they do not recognize the blessings and favor of Allah towards them; they turn away from His signs and blessings.

Quoted Scripture
"Or have they gods wlw can guard them from Us?"

This is a rhetorical question aimed at denouncing and rebuking. The meaning is, do they have any gods who can protect them and take care of them other than Us? It is not as they imagine or as they claim. Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"They have no power to help themselves,"

these gods on whom they rely instead of Allah cannot even help themselves.

{nor can they be protected from Us.} Al-‘Awfi reported from Ibn ‘Abbas, “Nor can they be guarded from Us.”
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: “This means the victory of Islam over disbelief.” The meaning is: Do they not learn a lesson from the fact that Allah supported those (believers) against their enemies, He destroyed the disbelieving nations and the evil-doing townships, and He saved His believing servants? So Allah says:

{Is it then they who will overcome?} meaning, on the contrary, they are the ones who will be overcomed, who will be defeated, humiliated and brought low.

Quoted Scripture
"Say : “I warn you only by the revelation"

meaning, ‘I only convey to you the warning of Allah’s punishment and vengeance, and this is no more than that which Allah reveals to me.’ But this is of no benefit to the one whom Allah has made blind and has put a seal over his hearing and his heart. He says:

Quoted Scripture
"But the deaf will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned."
About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.