Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:38
And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allah." Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allah; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers."
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 explanation of the words of the Exalted: And if you were to ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth? — they would surely say: Allah. Say: Have you then considered that which you call upon besides Allah? If Allah willed to afflict me with adversity, could they remove His adversity? Or if He willed to touch me with mercy, could they withhold His mercy? Say: Allah is sufficient for me; upon Him do those who trust place their trust (39:38).
The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says to His prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: And if you, O Muḥammad, were to ask these polytheists — who set up idols and false gods as equals to Allah — Who created the heavens and the earth? — then they would surely say: The One who created them is Allah. And when they say that, then say: Have you then considered, O people, that which you worship besides Allah of the idols and gods? If Allah willed to afflict me with adversity, he says: with hardship in my provision — could they then remove from me that adversity which my Lord inflicts upon me? Or if He willed to touch me with mercy, he says: if He willed to touch me with mercy, namely that He would grant me ampleness in my provision, abundance of wealth, relief and well-being in my body — could they then withhold from me that mercy which He wills to bestow upon me? The answer is omitted, because the hearer can suffice with the knowledge of it and because what is apparent of the statement indicates it. The meaning is: indeed, they will say "no," so say: Allah is sufficient for me against everything else; Him I worship, and to Him I take refuge in my affairs, to the exclusion of all else, for He is the Sufficient One, and in His hand lie harm and benefit, not with the idols and false images, which cause neither harm nor benefit. Upon Him do those who trust place their trust, he says: upon Allah does everyone who trusts place his trust, and upon Him must he rely, not upon any other than Him. And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words And if you were to ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth? — they would surely say: Allah, up to Zijn tegenspoed wegnemen, that is to say: the idols; Or if He willed to touch me with mercy, could they then withhold His mercy.
The reciters differed concerning the reading of kāshifātu ḍurrihi (those who remove His adversity) and mumsikātu raḥmatihi (those who withhold His mercy). Some read it in the genitive construct (iḍāfa), with the genitive case for "al-ḍurr" and "al-raḥma"; and some of the reciters of Medina and the majority of the reciters of Basra read it with nunation (tanwīn), with the accusative case for "al-ḍurr" and "al-raḥma".
The correct view concerning this is, in our judgment, that they are two well-known readings, which are close to one another in meaning; whichever of the two the reciter recites, he hits upon what is correct. It is comparable to His words kayda al-kāfirīn (the plot of the disbelievers) in the cases of iḍāfa and tanwīn.
