Tafseer of The Inner Apartments · Al-Hujuraat · 49:17
They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam. Say, "Do not consider your Islam a favor to me. Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful."
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 saying of the Exalted: يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا قُلْ لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلامَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ (49:17) (They deem it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam. Say: do not deem your Islam a favor to me; rather, Allah confers a favor upon you in that He has guided you to faith, if you are truthful).
The Exalted says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: these Bedouins deem it a favor to you, O Muḥammad, that they have accepted Islam. ( قُلْ لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلامَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلإيمَانِ ) (Say: do not deem your Islam a favor to me; rather, Allah confers a favor upon you in that He has guided you to faith): he says: rather, Allah confers a favor upon you, O community, in that He has granted you the capacity to believe in Him and in His Messenger. ( إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ) (If you are truthful): he says: if you are truthful in your saying "we believe," then it is Allah who has conferred the favor upon you by guiding you to Him; so do not deem your Islam a favor to me.
And it has been reported that these Bedouins, of the Banū Asad, supposed they could claim a favor over the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: we have believed without battle, and we have not fought against you as others have fought against you. Then Allah revealed concerning them these verses.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū Bishr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning this verse ( يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا ): are they the Banū Asad? He said: so it has been said.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Sahl ibn Yūsuf related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū Bishr, who said: I said to Saʿīd ibn Jubayr ( يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا ): are they the Banū Asad? He said: they claim that.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ḥabīb ibn Abī ʿAmra, who said: Bishr ibn Ghālib and Labīd ibn ʿUṭārid — or Bishr ibn ʿUṭārid and Labīd ibn Ghālib — were sitting with al-Ḥajjāj. Then Bishr ibn Ghālib said to Labīd ibn ʿUṭārid: concerning your people, the Banū Tamīm, was revealed إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُنَادُونَكَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحُجُرَاتِ (Indeed, those who call you from behind the chambers). I mentioned that to Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, and he said: had he known the end of the verse, he would have answered him ( يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا ) — they said: we have accepted Islam, and the Banū Asad have not fought against you.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda ( لا تَمُنُّوا ): we have accepted Islam without battle, we have not fought against you as the Banū so-and-so and the Banū so-and-so have fought against you. Then Allah said to His Prophet ﷺ: ( قُلْ ) (Say) to them ( لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلامَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلإيمَانِ ) (do not deem your Islam a favor to me; rather, Allah confers a favor upon you in that He has guided you to faith).
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying ( يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا قُلْ لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلامَكُمْ ): he said: these verses were revealed concerning the Bedouins.
