Tafsir of Surah As-Saf (61) — The Ranks · الصف

Medinan surah, 14 ayat. Read the whole surah

Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. QuranEnc.com (english_mokhtasar), 2026-10-30.

As-Saf 61:1

سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ

Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth exalts Allah, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise

Tafsir 61:1

Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth declares the transcendence and purity of Allah (may He be glorified) from everything that is not appropriate for Him. He is the Mighty whom none can overpower, Wise in His creating, decrees and laws.

As-Saf 61:2

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ

O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do

Tafsir 61:2

O you who have faith in Allah, why do you say: ‘We did something,’ when in reality you did not do it?! Like the statement of one of you: “I fought and struck with my sword,’ whereas he did not fight and strike with his sword.

As-Saf 61:3

كَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ

Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do

Tafsir 61:3

It is a most detested thing to Allah that you say what you do not do. It is only appropriate for a believer to be truthful with Allah, and for his actions to confirm his statements.

As-Saf 61:4

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِۦ صَفّٗا كَأَنَّهُم بُنۡيَٰنٞ مَّرۡصُوصٞ

Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly

Tafsir 61:4

Allah loves the believers who fight in His path seeking His pleasure, in rows alongside one another as if they are a structure that it tightly compacted.

As-Saf 61:5

وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦ يَٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تُؤۡذُونَنِي وَقَد تَّعۡلَمُونَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَلَمَّا زَاغُوٓاْ أَزَاغَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَٰسِقِينَ

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Moses said to his people, "O my people, why do you harm me while you certainly know that I am the messenger of Allah to you?" And when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people

Tafsir 61:5

After Allah mentioned fighting and praised the believers who stand tightly together in fighting in His path, He mentioned the opposition that the people of Moses and Jesus displayed towards their messengers, as a warning to the believers against opposing their prophet, and He said: Remember, O Messenger, when Moses said to his people: O my people! Why do you hurt me by going against my instruction when you know that I am Allah’s messenger to you?! When they moved away and deviated from the truth that he brought to them, Allah caused their hearts to move away from the truth and steadfastness. Allah does not guide to the truth a people who go against His obedience.

As-Saf 61:6

وَإِذۡ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ يَٰبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيۡكُم مُّصَدِّقٗا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِ وَمُبَشِّرَۢا بِرَسُولٖ يَأۡتِي مِنۢ بَعۡدِي ٱسۡمُهُۥٓ أَحۡمَدُۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا سِحۡرٞ مُّبِينٞ

And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic

Tafsir 61:6

Remember, O Messenger, when Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) said: O Israelites, I am Allah’s messenger. He has sent me to you to confirm the Torah that was revealed before me. I am nothing new among the messengers. I have come to give the good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad. When Jesus brought the evidence indicating his truthfulness to them, they said: ‘This is clear magic, and we will never follow you.’

As-Saf 61:7

وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡكَذِبَ وَهُوَ يُدۡعَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمِۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah untruth while he is being invited to Islam. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people

Tafsir 61:7

There is none who is more wrong than the one who makes up lies about Allah when he makes rivals for Him that he worships besides Him, whilst he is called to Islam, the religion of pure monotheism for Allah. Allah does not guide a people who wrong themselves by committing idolatry and sins to that in which lies their rectitude and righteousness.

As-Saf 61:8

يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطۡفِـُٔواْ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفۡوَٰهِهِمۡ وَٱللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِۦ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ

They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it

Tafsir 61:8

These deniers want to extinguish Allah’s light with the false statements and distortion of the truth that proceed from them. Allah will perfect His light despite them by making His religion triumph in the east and the west of the earth and by raising His word.

As-Saf 61:9

هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَرۡسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلۡحَقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكُونَ

It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it

Tafsir 61:9

Allah is the One Who sent His messenger, Muhammad (peace be on him) with the religion of Islam, the religion of guidance and direction to good, the religion of beneficial knowledge and righteous action, so that He makes it prevail over all other religions despite the idolaters who hate for it to be established on earth.

As-Saf 61:10

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ تِجَٰرَةٖ تُنجِيكُم مِّنۡ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ

O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment

Tafsir 61:10

O you who have faith in Allah, and act on what He has ordained for you, shall I show and guide you to a profitable trade, that will rescue you from a painful punishment.

As-Saf 61:11

تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتُجَٰهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمۡوَٰلِكُمۡ وَأَنفُسِكُمۡۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ

[It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know

Tafsir 61:11

This profitable trade is that you have faith in Allah and His messenger, and you strive in His path (may He be glorified) by spending your wealth and giving your lives to seek His pleasure. That action is better for you if you know, so rush towards it.

As-Saf 61:12

يَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلۡكُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ وَمَسَٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةٗ فِي جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٖۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment

Tafsir 61:12

The profit of this trade is that Allah will forgive your sins and enter you into gardens under the palaces and trees of which rivers flow and He will enter you into pleasant homes in gardens of permanence from which you will not be transferred. That mentioned recompense is the supreme success to which no other success can come close.

As-Saf 61:13

وَأُخۡرَىٰ تُحِبُّونَهَاۖ نَصۡرٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَتۡحٞ قَرِيبٞۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

And [you will obtain] another [favor] that you love - victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers

Tafsir 61:13

Part of the profit of this trade is another feature that you love, which is immediate in this world, that Allah will assist you against your enemy, and He will give you an imminent victory which is the conquest of Makkah and other places. O Messengers, tell the believers about the victory that will please them in the world and the attainment of Paradise in the afterlife.

As-Saf 61:14

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُوٓاْ أَنصَارَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ لِلۡحَوَارِيِّـۧنَ مَنۡ أَنصَارِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۖ قَالَ ٱلۡحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحۡنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِۖ فَـَٔامَنَت طَّآئِفَةٞ مِّنۢ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ وَكَفَرَت طَّآئِفَةٞۖ فَأَيَّدۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ عَلَىٰ عَدُوِّهِمۡ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ ظَٰهِرِينَ

O you who have believed, be supporters of Allah, as when Jesus, the son of Mary, said to the disciples, "Who are my supporters for Allah?" The disciples said, "We are supporters of Allah." And a faction of the Children of Israel believed and a faction disbelieved. So We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant

Tafsir 61:14

O you who have faith in Allah, and who act on what He has ordained for you, become Allah’s helpers by helping His religion that was brought by your messenger, just as the disciples provided their help when Jesus (peace be upon him) told them: ‘Who will be my helpers to Allah?’ They replied to him at once: ‘We are Allah’s helpers.’ So a group of the Israelites believed in Jesus (peace be upon him) and another group disbelieved. Then We supported those who believed in Jesus against those who rejected him and they became dominant.

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Arabic: Uthmani text, Tanzil Project (tanzil.net) · English: Saheeh International · Bosnian: Besim Korkut