Verse. 2179

١٨ - ٱلْكَهْف

18 - Al-Kahf

وَلَوْلَاۗ اِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاۗءَ اؙ۝۰ۙ لَا قُوَّۃَ اِلَّا بِاؘ۝۰ۚ اِنْ تَرَنِ اَنَا اَقَلَّ مِنْكَ مَالًا وَّوَلَدًا۝۳۹ۚ
Walawla ith dakhalta jannataka qulta ma shaa Allahu la quwwata illa biAllahi in tarani ana aqalla minka malan wawaladan

English

Ahmed Ali

When you entered your garden, why did you not say: 'As God may please;' for no one has power except given by God? Though you see me poorer in wealth and children than you,

39

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (if only, when thou enteredst thy garden, thou hadst said: that which allah willeth (will come to pass)!) this is from allah and not from me. (there is no strength save in allah!) this is only through allah's power, not through my own power. (though thou seest me as less than you in wealth and children) and servants in the life of this world.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : and if only when you entered your garden, you had said, upon admiring it, ‘this is “what god has willed. there is no power except in god”. in a hadīth [it is stated that]: ‘whoever is given something good in the way of family or wealth and upon receiving it says, “what god wills [comes to pass]; there is no power except in god” (mā shā’a’llāh lā quwwata illā bi’llāh), he will never experience any ill therefrom’. if you see me (anā is a pronoun separating two direct objects) as less than you in wealth and children,

Sahl al-Tustari

تفسير : …what god has willed. there is no power except in god...that is, whatever god has willed in his prior knowledge, with which no one is acquainted except god, exalted is he. there is no power except with god means, ‘we have no power (quwwa) to perform what you commanded us in principle (fī’l-aṣl), nor do we have success in its practical application (farʿ), nor [can we be sure of having] a praiseworthy end, except with your aid (maʿūna). this is also a commentary on the words of the prophet, ‘there is neither power nor strength except in god’, — that is: ‘there is no means of security against ignorance concerning the principle, or against persistence [in transgression] resulting from that [ignorance], save through your protection. likewise, we have no power to perform what you have commanded us in principle (aṣl), nor security in putting that into practice (fī’l-farʿ), nor of a praiseworthy end except through your aid’.sahl was asked, ‘what is the best thing that a servant can be given?’ he said:knowledge by which he increases in his sense of utter neediness (iftiqār) for god, mighty and majestic is he.his words: