Tafseer of Hud · Hud · 11:88
He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with a good provision from Him...? And I do not intend to differ from you in that which I have forbidden you; I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of the words of Allah, the Exalted: قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلا الإِصْلاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ (He said: "O my people, tell me: if I stand upon a clear proof from my Lord and He has granted me from Himself a good provision — and I do not wish to oppose you by doing what I forbid you — then I desire only reform, as far as I am able. My success is only through Allah; upon Him I rely and to Him I turn back") (88).
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah, exalted be His mention, says: Shuʿayb said to his people: "O my people, tell me: if I stand upon an explanation and a proof from my Lord regarding that to which I call you — the worship of Allah and the liberation from the worship of idols and graven images — and regarding what I forbid you of the corrupting of wealth" — وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا — by which he means: lawful and pure.
وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ — that is to say: "I do not wish to forbid you from doing something and then do the opposite of it myself; rather, I only do what I command you, and I only abstain from what I forbid you." As in:
18496 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ — that is to say: "I would not forbid you from doing something and then commit it myself or undertake it."
إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلا الإِصْلاحَ — that is to say: "By what I command you and forbid you I desire nothing but your reform and the setting right of your affair" — مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ — that is to say: "as far as I am able to bring about its reform — so that you may not be struck by a severe punishment from Allah on account of your opposition to His command and your disobedience to His messenger" — وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلا بِاللَّهِ — that is to say: "My attaining of what is right in my striving for your reform and the setting right of your affair is only through Allah — for He is the Helper therein; if He does not help me with it, I will not attain what is right therein."
And His word: عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ — that is to say: "I commit my affair to Allah, for He is my trust and upon Him I rely in my affairs."
And His word: وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ — "And to Him I turn back in obedience and repentance." As in:
18497 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Ibn Numayr related to us, on the authority of Warqāʾ, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ — he said: "I turn back."
18498 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — the same.
18499 — Al-Muthanā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, who said —
18500 — [...] and Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Warqāʾ, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ — he said: "I turn back."
18501 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ — he said: "I turn back."