Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:41
Indeed, We sent down to you the Book for the people in truth. So whoever is guided - it is for [the benefit of] his soul; and whoever goes astray only goes astray to its detriment. And you are not a manager over them.
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 discourse on the explanation of His statement, the Exalted: Innā anzalnā ʿalayka al-kitāba li-al-nāsi bi-al-ḥaqqi fa-mani ihtadā fa-li-nafsihi wa-man ḍalla fa-innamā yaḍillu ʿalayhā wa-mā anta ʿalayhim bi-wakīl ("Truly, We have sent down to you the Book for mankind, in truth. So whoever is guided, it is for himself; and whoever strays, strays only to his own detriment, and you are not over them a guardian") (41).
The Exalted, whose praise is worthy of remembrance, says to His prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Truly, We have sent down to you, O Muḥammad, the Book as a clarification for mankind, in truth. Fa-mani ihtadā fa-li-nafsih ("So whoever is guided, it is for himself") — He says: whoever acts according to what is in the Book that We have sent down to him, and follows it, it is for himself. He says: he has only acted thereby for the benefit of himself, and for it he has sought the good and for no other, for he has thereby attained the good pleasure of Allah, the success of the Garden (janna), and deliverance from the Fire (al-nār). Wa-man ḍalla ("and whoever strays") — He says: and whoever deviates from the Book that We have sent down to you and the exposition that We have made clear for you, and thus strays from the direction of the straight path and deviates from the correct path, he only wrongs himself, and toward it he drives ruin and destruction, for he thereby earns the wrath of Allah, His painful punishment, and lasting disgrace. Wa-mā anta ʿalayhim bi-wakīl ("and you are not over them a guardian") — the Exalted, whose praise is worthy of remembrance, says: and you, O Muḥammad, are not over those to whom I have sent you among mankind a keeper who watches over their deeds and holds their actions against them; you are only a messenger, and upon you rests only the conveyance, and upon Us rests the reckoning.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his statement: Wa-mā anta ʿalayhim bi-wakīl ("and you are not over them a guardian") — that is: no keeper.
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning his statement: Wa-mā anta ʿalayhim bi-wakīl ("and you are not over them a guardian") — he said: no keeper.
