Surah 51

Surah 51:55

"but remind (them). Surely the Reminder will benefit the believers."
All Messengers met the Same Type of Denial from Their Nations Verses 51:52-60
Show Full Scripture Context (51:52-60) — 9 Verses
Verse 52

كَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَتَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُواْ سَاحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٌ

(Even) so, not a messenger came to those who were before them, except they said, ‘A magician or a man possessed!’

Verse 53

أَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِهِۦۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٞ طَاغُونَ

Have they bequeathed it to each other? No! They are a people who transgress insolently.

Verse 54

فَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ فَمَآ أَنتَ بِمَلُومٖ

So turn away from them, (for) you are not to be blamed,

Verse 55

وَذَكِّرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

but remind (them). Surely the Reminder will benefit the believers.

Verse 56

وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ

I did not create the jinn and humankind except to serve Me.

Verse 57

مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنۡهُم مِّن رِّزۡقٖ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطۡعِمُونِ

I do not desire any provision from them, nor do I desire that they should feed Me.

Verse 58

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلۡقُوَّةِ ٱلۡمَتِينُ

Surely God – He is the Provider, One full of power, the Firm.

Verse 59

فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ ذَنُوبٗا مِّثۡلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصۡحَٰبِهِمۡ فَلَا يَسۡتَعۡجِلُونِ

Surely for the ones who do evil (there will be) a portion like the portion of their companions. Let them not seek to hurry Me!

Verse 60

فَوَيۡلٞ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن يَوۡمِهِمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ

Woe to those who disbelieve on account of their Day which they are promised!

Allah comforts His Prophet by saying to Him, just as these idolaters denied you, the disbelievers of old used the same words with their Messengers, {Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them but they said: "A sorcerer or a madman!"} Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, {Have they transmitted this saying to these?}, meaning, have those of the past taught these words to the people of the present? {Nay, they are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds!} They are tyrannical people whose hearts are the same. Therefore, the latter said the same as those before them have said. Allah the Exalted said, {So turn away from them,} meaning, 'O Muhammad, turn away from the Quraysh idolaters,' {you are not blameworthy.} meaning, 'We blame you not if you turn away from them,' {And remind, for verily, the reminding profits the believers.} meaning, for only the believing hearts benefit from being reminded.

Allah Only created Mankind and Jinns to worship Him Alone

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, {And I created not the Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.} meaning, 'I, Allah, only created them so that I order them to worship Me, not that I need them.' 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas commented on the Ayah, {... except that they should worship Me.} meaning, "So that they worship Me, willingly or unwillingly." Allah the Exalted said, {I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong.} Imam Ahmad recorded that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said, "The Messenger of Allah taught the following: 'Verily, I am the Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong.'" Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih." The meaning of this Ayah (51:56) is that, Allah the Exalted, the Blessed created the creatures so that they worship Him Alone without partners. Those who obey Him will be rewarded with the best rewards, while those who disobey Him will receive the worst punishment from Him. Allah stated that He does not need creatures, but rather, they are in need of Him in all conditions. He is alone their Creator and Provider. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, "Allah the Exalted said, 'O Son of Adam! Busy yourself in worshipping Me, and I will fill your chest with riches and dissipate your meekness. Otherwise, I will fill your chest with distracting affairs and will not do away with your meekness.'" At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib." The statement of Allah the Exalted, {And verily, for those who do wrong, there is a portion}, indicates that they will receive their due share of the torment, {like the evil portion (which came for) their likes (of old); so let them not ask Me to hasten on!} let them not ask that the punishment is rushed to them, for it will surely come, {Then woe to those who disbelieve from their Day which they have been promised.} meaning, the Day of Resurrection. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Adh-Dhariyat, all praise is due to Allah and all the favors come from Him Alone.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (274-278)

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.