ﱑ ﱒ ﱓ ﱔ ﱕ ﱖ ﱗ ﱘ ﱙ ﱚ ﱛ ﱜ ﱝ ﱞ ﱟ ﱠ ﱡ ﱢ ﱣ ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ
Say, "Who is it that can protect you from Allah if He intends for you an ill or intends for you a mercy?" And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or any helper.
Tafsir
Verse range: 33:17
If you ask: How is "mercy" made a parallel to "evil" in the context of protection (ʿiṣmah), when there is no protection except from evil?
I say: Its meaning is: "Or [if] He intends mercy for you, [He prevents it from reaching you]," or "He inflicts evil upon you if He intends mercy for you [to be withheld]." The speech is abbreviated, following the pattern of the verse: “Girded with a sword and a spear” (implying: and carrying a spear).
Alternatively, the second [term] is linked to the first because of the sense of "prevention" inherent in the word ʿiṣmah (protection/withholding).
Being stingy toward you. Then, when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes rolling like one who is fainting from death. But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, being stingy toward [all] good. Those have not believed, so God has rendered their deeds worthless, and that is ever easy for God.
They think the Confederates have not gone; and if the Confederates should come, they would wish they were Bedouins in the desert, asking for news of you. And if they were among you, they would not fight except for a little.}
