Tafsir of Az-Zumar 39:36

"Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?"

This is an interrogation in the form of a denial of His insufficiency—a rhetorical device utilized in the most eloquent manner. It is as if this sufficiency is so established and manifest that no one is capable of speaking of its absence or stammering in response to its existence.

As for "His servant," it refers either to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as narrated by As-Suddi, and supported by His saying: "And they threaten you with those other than Him,"—meaning the idols they have taken as gods. For the address, whether the sentence is an incipit or a state-descriptor for him (peace be upon him), relates to the account that the Quraish said to him: "We fear that our gods will afflict you with madness and their harm will touch you because you disparage them," so this was revealed. In another narration, they said: "Cease reviling our gods, or else they will afflict you with madness," and this was revealed.

Or, "His servant" refers to the generic category, including him (peace be upon him) primarily. This is supported by the reading of Abu Ja’far, Mujahid, Ibn Waththab, Talha, Al-A’mash, Hamza, and Al-Kisa’i as ‘ibadihi (His servants) in the plural, interpreted as the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the believers. In the first interpretation, it also encompasses the followers, as you heard regarding His saying: "And the one who brought the truth and believed in it." The phrase "And they threaten you" also includes them, as previously stated.

The coherence of the speech from His saying: "So who is more unjust..." to this point lies in its indication that He (Exalted be He) suffices His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the important matters of his religion and worldly life, and likewise suffices his believing followers in their important matters. In this, it is understood that He (Glorified be He) suffices them against the evil of the disbelievers from two perspectives: from the path of opposition, and from the fact that it is included within the sufficiency provided for the important matters of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his followers. This is what Quranic rhetoric demands, and it aligns with what the noble Surah is built upon—mentioning the two groups and their conditions—as an emphasis on what was commanded initially regarding worship and sincerity.

It was read as bikafi ‘ibadihi (in the construct state) and yukafi ‘ibadahu as the imperfect tense of kafa, with ‘ibadahu in the accusative case. It is possible that it is the mufa’ala form derived from kifayah (sufficiency), similar to saying yujari (he competes) in the sense of yajri (he runs), and this is more eloquent than kafa because it is built upon the verbal noun of intensity. This is the most apparent view, given the frequency of this meaning recurring in the Quran, such as: "So Allah will suffice you against them." It is also possible that it is hamzated, derived from mukafa’a, which is recompense.

The aspect of connection is that when He (Exalted be He) mentioned the condition of those who lied about Allah and denied the truth, and their recompense, and the condition of their opposite—the one who brought the truth and believed in it—and his recompense, and hinted with His saying: "That is the recompense of the doers of good" that what preceded is the recompense of the disbelievers and the doers of evil (as is known from the benefit of building upon the demonstrative pronoun), He followed it with His saying (Exalted and Majestic be He): "That He may expiate..." to mean that He may expiate for them and recompense them, distinguishing them by that which He specified. Thus, He signaled the counterpart as well, out of the necessity of specification and causality.

In this, there is also that which indicates the judgment of the counterpart, considering the object of attachment to be different from what was mentioned, as appears with the slightest turning of attention. He followed it with His saying: "Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?" Since the focus of the gaze from the servants was the Master, the Beloved (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the meaning is: Allah (Exalted be He) will recompense His servant and Prophet (peace be upon him) with this aforementioned recompense. In this is that He is the One who surely recompenses him, and this is aligned with His saying: "And they threaten you." For when it was in opposition to the disparagement of their gods—as you heard in the reason for revelation—it was a warning regarding the recompense of the gods, so there is no fault to be found in the lack of alignment. Yes, we do not deny that the meaning of "sufficiency" (kifayah) is more eloquent, as is the requirement of the well-known reading. Know this, and may Allah (Exalted be He) take charge of your guidance.

"And whoever Allah leads astray"—to the point that he becomes heedless of His (Exalted be He) sufficiency for His servant and threatens with that which neither benefits nor harms at all—"for him there is no guide to guide him to what is best."