Tafsir of Al-Ghashiyah 88:22

Al-Ghāshiyah (The Overwhelming Event): (22)

لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ (You are not over them a controller/compeller.)

The author of Al-Kashshāf said:

• بِمُصَيْطِرٍ (bi-muṣayṭirin) means "a controller" or "one who has authority/dominion" (بمسلط - bi-musalliṭ), similar to His saying:

  "They say, 'Are you going to force people until they become believers?'" (Qāf: 45) "Then is it that you will compel the people until they become believers?" (Yūnus: 99)

• It is also said that in the dialect of Tamīm, the ṭāʼ (ط) is pronounced with a fatḥah (open vowel) because sayṭara (سيطر) is transitive (takes a direct object) for them.

• The meaning is: You have only been commanded to remind/admonish. As for being a controller over them such that you kill them or compel them to believe—no.

• They say that this verse was later abrogated (naskh) by the verse of fighting (Qitāl). This is the view of all the exegetes. The discussion regarding the interpretation of this word (muṣayṭir) has already preceded this, near His saying: {Am hum...} (At-Ṭūr: 37).

As for His saying, Exalted is He:

! 7 < { إِلَّا مَن تَوَلَّىٰ وَكَفَرَ * فَيُعَذِّبُهُ اللَّهُ الْعَذَابَ الْأَكْبَرَ } . > 7 ! (Except for one who turns away and disbelieves, then Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment.)