Az-Zumar · Makki · ayah 57 of 75

Az-Zumar 39:57

أَوْ تَقُولَ لَوْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هَدَىٰنِى لَكُنتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

“Or [lest] it say, "If only Allāh had guided me, I would have been among the righteous."”

Saheeh International

Essence

The second excuse on the Day blames decree, 'if only He had guided me'; the Quran replies that guidance came and was refused.

A reflection

Isn't the excuse a fair one?

The second regretful soul says: if only Allah had guided me, I would have been among the God-fearing. A modern summary names what this is. The soul is using decree as its argument.

The objection deserves to be taken seriously. If Allah guides whom He wills, is this not a fair complaint? How can anyone be blamed for lacking a guidance they were not given?

The Quran's answer comes two ayat later. Yes, it says, My signs did come to you. You denied them, you were arrogant, and you were among the deniers (39:59). The guidance was offered. It was turned down.

The Companions raised a version of this question directly. Sahih al-Bukhari records that the Prophet ﷺ sat at a funeral, tapping the ground with a stick. There is none of you, he said, whose place in the Fire and place in the Garden has not been written. They asked: then shall we not rely on what is written and leave our deeds? He said: act, for each person is eased towards what he was created for. Then he recited the ayat about the one who gives, fears Allah and affirms the best. For him, the path to ease is smoothed (92:5-7).

Notice what the Prophet ﷺ did not do. He did not unfold the full mystery of decree. He turned the question back into action. Whatever is written, you will meet it by walking.

What remains open is genuinely open: how Allah's knowledge and a person's real choice fit together. The commentaries discuss it in different ways. But the ayah's point does not depend on settling it. Nobody, on the Day, will be able to say that the road was never shown.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.