Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:132
And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.
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 interpretation of His word: وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا ("And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and Allah is sufficient as a Guardian") (132).
Abū Jaʿfar said: He, exalted is His praise, means thereby: to Allah belongs the dominion over all that the heavens and the earth contain; He is the Sustainer of all that and its Keeper in its entirety. No knowledge of any part of it escapes Him, and the keeping and governing of it is not burdensome to Him — as in:
10675 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: Hishām related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of Saʿīd, on the authority of Qatāda concerning His word: "and Allah is sufficient as a Guardian (wakīl)": he said: as a Keeper.
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If someone were to say: What is the reason for the repetition of His word "And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth" in two verses, the one immediately after the other?
The answer is: This was repeated on account of the difference in meaning between the two statements about what is in the heavens and on the earth in the two verses. For the statement about that in one of the two verses is: the mention of its need for its Creator, and the independence of its Creator from it — and in the other: the keeping by its Creator of it, His knowledge of it, and His governing of it.
If he were to say: Why then was it not said: "And Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy, and Allah is sufficient as a Guardian"?
The answer is: That which is in the verse in which He says: وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَنِيًّا حَمِيدًا ("And Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy") belongs to what was suitable to be concluded with that with which it was concluded — namely the description of Allah as Self-Sufficient and as Praised — and in it nothing was mentioned that was suitable to be concluded with the description of Him as the Keeper and Governor. Therefore He repeated His word: "And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth".
