قQuranulKareem

Surah Al-Qasas, Ayah 68 (28:68)

ٱلْقَصَص

وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ …

Quran 28:68 is ayah 68 of Surah Al-Qasas (“The Stories”), a Meccan surah of 88 ayahs. It is in Juz 20, on page 393 of the Madani Mushaf.

28:68
وَرَبُّكَيَخْلُقُمَايَشَآءُوَيَخْتَارُ ۗمَاكَانَلَهُمُٱلْخِيَرَةُ ۚسُبْحَٰنَٱللَّهِوَتَعَٰلَىٰعَمَّايُشْرِكُونَ٦٨
warabbuka yakhluqu mā yashāu wayakhtāru mā kāna lahumu l-khiyaratu sub'ḥāna l-lahi wataʿālā ʿammā yush'rikūna

And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses; not for them was the choice. Exalted is Allāh and high above what they associate with Him.(68)

Word by word

  1. وَرَبُّكَwarabbukaAnd your Lord
  2. يَخْلُقُyakhluqucreates
  3. مَاmāwhat
  4. يَشَآءُyashāuHe wills
  5. وَيَخْتَارُ ۗwayakhtāruand chooses
  6. مَاmāNot
  7. كَانَkānathey have
  8. لَهُمُlahumufor them
  9. ٱلْخِيَرَةُ ۚl-khiyaratuthe choice
  10. سُبْحَٰنَsub'ḥānaGlory be
  11. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(to) Allah
  12. وَتَعَٰلَىٰwataʿālāand High is He
  13. عَمَّاʿammāabove what
  14. يُشْرِكُونَyush'rikūnathey associate (with Him)

Tafsir (commentary) of 28:68

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 28:68–70 together.

Allah Alone is the One Who has the Power of Creation, Knowledge and Choice

Allah tells us that He is the only One Who has the power to create and make decisions, and there is no one who can dispute with Him in that or reverse His judgement. His saying:

وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخْتَارُ

(And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses,) means, whatever He wills, for what He wills, happens; and what He does not will, does not happen. All things, good and bad alike, are in His Hands and will return to Him.

مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ

(no choice have they.) is a negation, according to the correct view. This is like the Ayah,

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْراً أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ

(It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision) (33:36). Then Allah says:

وَرَبُّكَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they reveal.) He knows what is hidden in their hearts, just as He knows what they do openly.

سَوَآءٌ مِّنْكُمْ مَّنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍ بِالَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ

(It is the same whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly, whether he be hid by night or goes forth freely by day.) (13:10).

وَهُوَ اللَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ

(And He is Allah; La ilaha illa Huwa,) meaning, He is unique in His divinity, for none is to be worshipped besides Him, and there is no lord who can create what he wills and chooses besides Him.

لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِى الاٍّولَى وَالاٌّخِرَةِ

(His is the praise, in the first and in the last,) in all that He does, He is to be praised for His justice and wisdom.

وَلَهُ الْحُكْمُ

(His is the decision,) that none can put back, because of His might, power, wisdom and mercy.

وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

(and to Him shall you be returned.) means, all of you on the Day of Resurrection, and everyone will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds, good and evil alike, and absolutely none of their deeds will be concealed from Him.

Read the full Surah Al-Qasas