Which Surah and Juz is Quran 39:38 from?

This ayah is from Surah Az-Zumar (The Groups), the 39th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 24.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 39:38?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sahih al-Bukhari.

What tafsir is available for Quran 39:38?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Kathir, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 39:38 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Allah, Tawhid, Trust in Allah (Tawakkul), Divine Power, Idolatry.

Ayah 37

وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّضِلٍّ ۗ أَ...

39:38Az-Zumar

Q: What does Quran 39:38 mean?

Quran 39:38 (Surah Az-Zumar, Ayah 38) translates to: "And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allah." Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allah; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers.""

Ayah 39

قُلْ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِن...

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَٰشِفَٰتُ ضُرِّهِۦٓ أَوْ أَرَادَنِى بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَٰتُ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ قُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ

Wa la'in sa altahum man khalaqas samaawaati wal arda la yaqoolunal laah; qul afara'aitum maa tad'oona min doonil laahi in araadaniyal laahu bidurrin hal hunna kaashi faatu durriheee aw araadanee birahmatin hal hunna mumsikaatu rahmatih; qul hasbiyal laahu 'alaihi tatawakkalul mutawakkiloon

And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allah." Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allah; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers."

Themes in this ayah

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Trust in Allah99 Oneness of Allah95 Mercy & forgiveness90 Knowledge & reflection64 The Prophet ﷺ62 Signs in creation60 Qualities of the believers56

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

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39:38Ayah 175

2 ayahs in Az-Zumar are strongly about trust in Allah. This is one of them.

← Previous on Trust in Allah39:36Is not Allah sufficient for His Servant [Prophet Muhammad]? And [yet], they threaten you with those [they worship] other than Him.

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 39:38→

And if wa-la-in the lām is for oaths you ask them ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they will surely say ‘God.’ Say ‘Have you considered then those on whom you call those whom you worship besides God namely the idols if God should desire some harm to befall me would they be able to remove the harm imposed by Him? No! Or if He should desire some mercy for me would they be able to withhold His mercy?’ No! a variant reading for the two clauses kāshifātun durrahu and mumsikātun rahmatahu has the genitive construction kāshifātu durrihi and mumsikātu rahmatihi. Say ‘God is sufficient for me. In Him do all the trusting put their trust’.

Men will continue to question one another till this is propounded: Allah created all things but who created Allah? He who found himself confronted with such a situation should say: I affirm my faith in Allah.

Sunan Abu Dawud #4723Abu Hurairah reported to the Messenger of Allah( may peace be upon him) as sayings:Hasan Sahih

People will continue to ask one another(questions) till this is pronounced: Allah created all things, but who created Allah ? Whoever comes across anything of that, he should say: I believe in Allah.

Sahih Muslim #256Abu Huraira reported:Sahih

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: they (the people) till constantly ask you, Abu Huraira, (about different things pertaining to religion) the they would say: Well, there is Allah, but after all who created Allah? He (Abu Huraira) narrated: Once we were in the mosque that some of the Bedouins came there and said: Well, there is Allah, but who created Allah? He (the narrator) said: I took hold of the pebbles in my fist and flung at them and remarked: Stand up, stand up (go away) my friend (the Holy Prophet) told the truth.

Sahih al-Bukhari #4616Narrated `Abdullah:Sahih

It is a sign of having knowledge that, when you do not know something, you say: 'Allah knows better.' Allah said to his Prophet: 'Say: No wage do I ask of you for this (Qur'an), nor am I one of the pretenders (a person who pretends things which do not exist)' (38.86) When the Quraish troubled and stood against the Prophet (ﷺ) he said, "O Allah! Help me against them by afflicting them with seven years of famine like the seven years of Joseph." So they were stricken with a year of famine during which they ate bones and dead animals because of too much suffering, and one of them would see something like smoke between him and the sky because of hunger. Then they said: Our Lord! Remove the torment from us, really we are believers. (44.12) And then it was said to the Prophet (by Allah), "If we remove it from them. they will revert to their ways (of heathenism)." So the Prophet (ﷺ) invoked his Lord, who removed the punishment from them, but later they reverted (to heathenism), whereupon Allah punished them on the day of the Battle of Badr, and that is what Allah's Statement indicates: 'Then watch for the day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible...we will indeed (then) exact retribution.' (44.10).

Sahih al-Bukhari #7019Narrated Anas bin Malik:Sahih

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "People will not stop asking questions till they say, 'This is Allah, the Creator of everything, then who created Allah?' "