Tafseer of The Ant · An-Naml · 27:91
[Say, O Muhammad], "I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, who made it sacred and to whom [belongs] all things. And I am commanded to be of the Muslims [those who submit to Allah]
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 Most High addresses His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: O Muḥammad, say: إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ ('I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city') — and that city is Mecca — الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا ('Who has made it sacred') for His creation: the prohibition of shedding unlawful blood therein, of wronging anyone therein, of hunting game therein, or of cutting its grass — in contrast to the idols that you worship, O polytheists (mushrikīn).
What we have said concerning this, the exegetes also said.
Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his explanation of إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا : he means thereby Mecca.
As for وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ ('and to Him belongs everything'): the Lord of this city possesses all things. It is He whom I have been commanded to worship, not the one who possesses nothing. And Allah — exalted be His praise — said رَبَّ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا , and therein this city is mentioned specifically above all other cities, even though He is the Lord of all cities; the reason for that is that He wished to point out to the polytheists among the people of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — who are indeed the inhabitants of Mecca — by this, His favor toward them and His benefaction to them: that the One whom they ought to worship is the same One Who made their city sacred and held people back from them, while in all other cities they are devoured and killed by one another, without resistance — and not the one who has bestowed no favor upon them and has no power over them for any benefit or harm.
As for وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ('and I have been commanded to be among the Muslims'): my Lord has commanded me to turn my face toward Him, devoted in religion (ḥanīf), and to be among the Muslims who profess the religion of His friend Ibrāhīm and your forefather, O polytheists — not among the one who rejected the religion of his righteous forefather and embraced the religion of Iblīs, the enemy of Allah.
