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Surah At-Tawbah, Ayah 115 (9:115)

ٱلتَّوْبَة

وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًۢا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا يَتَّقُونَ ۚ …

Quran 9:115 is ayah 115 of Surah At-Tawbah (“The Repentance”), a Medinan surah of 129 ayahs. It is in Juz 11, on page 205 of the Madani Mushaf.

9:115
وَمَاكَانَٱللَّهُلِيُضِلَّقَوْمًۢابَعْدَإِذْهَدَىٰهُمْحَتَّىٰيُبَيِّنَلَهُممَّايَتَّقُونَ ۚإِنَّٱللَّهَبِكُلِّشَىْءٍعَلِيمٌ١١٥
wamā kāna l-lahu liyuḍilla qawman baʿda idh hadāhum ḥattā yubayyina lahum mā yattaqūna inna l-laha bikulli shayin ʿalīmun

And Allāh would not let a people stray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them what they should avoid. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of all things.(115)

Word by word

  1. وَمَاwamāAnd not
  2. كَانَkānais
  3. ٱللَّهُl-lahu(for) Allah
  4. لِيُضِلَّliyuḍillathat He lets go astray
  5. قَوْمًۢاqawmana people
  6. بَعْدَbaʿdaafter
  7. إِذْidh[when]
  8. هَدَىٰهُمْhadāhumHe has guided them
  9. حَتَّىٰḥattāuntil
  10. يُبَيِّنَyubayyinaHe makes clear
  11. لَهُمlahumto them
  12. مَّاmāwhat
  13. يَتَّقُونَ ۚyattaqūnathey should fear
  14. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  15. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  16. بِكُلِّbikulli(of) every
  17. شَىْءٍshayinthing
  18. عَلِيمٌʿalīmun(is) All-Knower

Tafsir (commentary) of 9:115

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 9:115–116 together.

Recompense comes after Proof is established

Allah describes His Honorable Self and just judgment in that He does not lead a people astray but after the Message comes to them, so that the proof is established against them. For instance, Allah said,

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ

(And as for Thamud, We showed and made clear to them the path of truth ...) 41:17. Mujahid commented on Allah's saying;

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْماً بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَاهُمْ

(And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them) "Allah the Mighty and Sublime is clarifying to the believers about not seeking forgiveness for the idolators in particular, and in general, it is an exhortation to beware of disobeying Him, and encouragement to obey Him. So either do or suffer." Ibn Jarir commented, "Allah says that He would not direct you to misguidance, so that you invoke Him for forgiveness for your dead idolators, after He gave you guidance and directed you to believe in Him and in His Messenger ! First, He will inform you of what you should avoid, so that you avoid it. Before He informs you that this action is not allowed, you would not have disobeyed Him and fallen into what He prohibited for you if you indulge in this action. Therefore, in this case, He will not allow you to be misguided. Verily, guidance or misguidance occurs after commands and prohibitions are established. As for those who were neither commanded nor prohibited, they can neither be obedient nor disobedient in doing what they were neither ordered nor prohibited from doing." Allah said,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ يُحْىِ وَيُمِيتُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ

(Indeed to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, He gives life and He causes death. And besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper.) Ibn Jarir commented, "This is an encouragement from Allah for His believing servants to fight the idolators and chiefs of disbelief. It is also a command for them to trust in Allah's aid, for He is the Owner of the heavens and earth, and not to fear His enemies. Verily, they have no protector besides Allah, nor a supporter other than Him."

Read the full Surah At-Tawbah