أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
Alam ta'lam annal laaha lahoo mulkus samaawaati wal ardi yu'az zibu many-yashaa'u wa yaghfiru limany-yashaaa'; wallaahu 'alaa kulli shai'in Qadeer
Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? He punishes whom He wills and forgives whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.

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Tafsir

74%37%46%Al-JalalaynIbn AbbasIbn Kathir
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Do you not know the interrogative here is meant as an affirmative that to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth? He chastises him for whom He wills chastisement for and forgives him for whom He wills forgiveness and God has power over all things including chastising and forgiving.

Related Hadiths

Sahih Muslim #236It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that when it was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ):Sahih
To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and whether you disclose that which is in your mind or conceal it, Allah will call you to account according to it. Then He forgives whom He pleases and chastises whom He Pleases; and Allah is over everything Potent" (ii. 284). the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) felt it hard and severe and they came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and sat down on their knees and said: Messenger of Allah, we were assigned some duties which were within our power to perform, such as prayer, fasting, struggling (in the cause of Allah), charity. Then this (the above-mentioned) verse was revealed unto you and it is beyond our power to live up to it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do you intend to say what the people of two books (Jews and Christians) said before you:" We hear and disobey"? You should rather say:" We hear and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord! and unto Thee is the return." And they said:" We hear and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, Our Lord! and unto Thee is the return." When the people recited it and it smoothly flowed on their tongues, then Allah revealed immediately afterwards:" The Apostle believes in that which is sent down unto him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each one believes in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Apostles, saying: We differentiate not between any of His Apostles and they say: We hearken and we obey: (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord! and unto Thee is the return" (ii. 285). When they did that, Allah abrogated this (verse) and the Great, Majestic Allah revealed:" Allah burdens not a soul beyond its capacity. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. Our Lord, punish us not if we forget or make a mistake." (The Prophet said: ) Yes, our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us. (The Prophet said: ) Yes, our Lord, impose not on us (burdens) which we have not the strength to bear (The Prophet said: ) Yes, and pardon us and grant us protection! and have mercy on us. Thou art our Patron, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people" (ii. 286). He (the Lord) said: Yes.
Sahih Muslim #6419Abu Musa reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Sahih
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, grants respite to the oppessor. But when He lays Hand upon him, He does not then let him off. Re (the Holy Prophet) then recited this verse:" Such is the chastisement of thy Lord when He chastises the towns (inhabited by) wrongdoing persons. Surely, His punishment is painful, severe" (xi. 103).
Sahih Muslim #52It is narrated on the authority of Mu'adh b. Jabal that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Sahih
Mu'adh, do you know the right of Allah over His bondsmen? He (Mu'adh) said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Messenger of Allah) said: That Allah alone should be worshipped and nothing should be associated with Him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: What right have they (bondsmen) upon Him in case they do it? He (Mu'adh) said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That He would not punish them.

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