Tafseer of The Heights · Al-A'raaf · 7:188
Say, "I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe."
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 His word: قُلْ لا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلا ضَرًّا إِلا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ أَنَا إِلا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ (188) ("Say: I have no power over benefit or harm for myself, except what Allāh wills. And had I known the unseen, I would have amassed much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe.")
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says to His prophet Muḥammad, the Prophet ﷺ: Say, O Muḥammad, to those who question you about the Hour: أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا ("When will it come to pass?") — "(I have no power over benefit or harm for myself)" — He says: I am not able to draw benefit toward myself, nor to ward off harm that befalls me, except what Allāh wills that I should possess thereof, by His strengthening me toward it and His aiding me — "(And had I known the unseen)" — He says: had I known what is to come to pass of that which has not yet come to pass — "(I would have amassed much good)" — He says: then I would have prepared much good.
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Then the exegetes differed concerning the meaning of "the good" (al-khayr) that Allāh intended by His word: "(I would have amassed much good)." Some of them said: its meaning is: then I would have performed many good deeds.
* Mention of who said that:
15494 — Al-Qāsim related to me, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, saying: Ibn Jurayj said: His word "(Say: I have no power over benefit or harm for myself)" — he said: guidance and misguidance — "(had I known the unseen, I would have amassed much good)" — he said: "I would know the unseen," when I shall die — "then I would have performed many good deeds."
15495 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, the like of it.
15496 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word: "(And had I known the unseen, I would have amassed much good, and no evil would have touched me)": he said: then I would have avoided what evil would come to pass, and I would have guarded myself against it.
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Others said: its meaning is: "And had I known the unseen," then I would have prepared for the barren year out of the fertile year, and I would have distinguished scarcity from abundance, and I would have prepared for it during times of abundance.
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And His word: "(and no evil would have touched me)" — He says: and harm would not have befallen me — "(I am only a warner and a bringer of good tidings)" — He says: I am only a messenger of Allāh who has sent me to you; I warn of His punishment whoever among you disobeys Him and transgresses His command, and I bring good tidings of His reward and His honoring to whoever among you believes in Him and obeys Him.
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And His word: "(to a people who believe)" — He says: those who affirm that I am a messenger of Allāh, and who acknowledge the truthfulness of that which I have brought them from His presence.
