Quran 21:42 — Surah Al-Anbiyaa Ayah 42 | Arabic, Translation & Tafsir

وَلَقَدِ ٱسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَا...

21:42

Al-Anbiyaa

أَمْ لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌۭ تَمْنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَا ۚ...

قُلْ مَن يَكْلَؤُكُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ۗ بَلْ هُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ

Qul mai yakla 'ukum billaili wannahaari minar Rahmaan; bal hum 'an zikri Rabbihim mu'ridoon

Say, "Who can protect you at night or by day from the Most Merciful?" But they are, from the remembrance of their Lord, turning away.

Related Tafsir

Ibn Kathir

The Lessons to be learned from Those Who mocked the Messengers in the Past

Allah says consoling His Messenger for the pain and insult caused by the mockery and disbelief of the idolators,

وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِىءَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

(Indeed (many) Messengers were mocked before you, but the scoffers were surrounded by what they used to mock.) meaning, the punishment which they thought would never come to pass. This is like the Ayah:

وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُواْ عَلَى مَا كُذِّبُواْ وَأُوذُواْ حَتَّى أَتَـهُمْ نَصْرُنَا وَلاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـتِ اللَّهِ وَلَقدْ جَآءَكَ مِن نَّبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(Verily, Messengers were denied before you, but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt; till Our help reached them, and none can alter the Words of Allah. Surely, there has reached you the information (news) about the Messengers (before you)) 6:34. Then Allah menitons His favor for His creatures; He protects them by night and by day, taking care of them and watching over them with His Eye that never sleeps.

قُلْ مَن يَكْلَؤُكُم بِالَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ

(Say: "Who can guard and protect you in the night or in the day from the Most Gracious") means, other than the Most Gracious Himself

بَلْ هُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّعْرِضُونَ

(Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord.) means, they do not recognize the blessings and favor of Allah towards them; they turn away from His signs and blessings.

أَمْ لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ تَمْنَعُهُمْ مِّن دُونِنَا

(Or have they gods who can guard them from Us) This is a rhetorical question aimed at denouncing and rebuking. The meaning is, do they have any gods who can protect them and take care of them other than Us It is not as they imagine or as they claim. Allah says:

لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ

(They have no power to help themselves,) these gods on whom they rely instead of Allah cannot even help themselves.

وَلاَ هُمْ مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُونَ

(nor can they be protected from Us.) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas,"Nor can they be guarded from Us."

View Full Tafsir: The Lessons to be learned from Those Who mocked the Messengers in the PastAyahs 41–43

“Khalid bin Al-Walid al Makhzumi complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not sleep at night due to insomnia.’ So Allah’s Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘When you go to your bed, say: O Allah, Lord of the Seven Heavens and what they have shaded, Lord of the earths and what they carry, Lord of the Shayatin and those they have misguided, be for me a Protector against the evil of Your creation, all of them together, so that none of them should transgress against me, or oppress me, mighty is the one who seeks protection in You, and glorified is Your praise, and there is none worthy of worship other than You, and there is none worthy of worship except You. (Allāhumma rabbas-samāwātis-sab`i wa mā aẓallat, wa rabbal-arḍīna wa mā aqallat, wa rabbash-shayāṭīni wa mā aḍallat, kun lī jāran min sharri khalqika kullihim jamī`an an yafruṭa `alayya aḥadun minhum, aw an yabghiya `alayya, `azza jāruka wa jalla thanā’uka, wa lā ilāha ghairuka wa lā ilāha illā anta).”

Sahih Muslim #1783'Uqba b. 'Amir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

What wonderful verses have been sent down today. the like of which has never been seen! They are:" Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the dawn," and" Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of men."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #2962Narrated Abu Hurairah:

that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever recites Ha Mim Al-Mu'min - up to - To Him is the return (40:1-3) and Ayat Al-Kursi when he reaches (gets up in) the morning, he will be protected by them until the evening. And whoever recites them when he reaches the evening, he will be protected by them until the morning."

Sahih al-Bukhari #5617Narrated Um Salama:

One night the Prophet (ﷺ) woke up, saying, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah! How many afflictions have been sent down tonight, and how many treasures have been sent down (disclosed)! Who will go and wake up (for prayers) the lady dwellers of these rooms? Many well dressed soul (people) in this world, will be naked on the Day of Resurrection."