Tafsir of Saba' 34:50

Recitations: It is recited as ḍalaltu aḍillu (with a fatḥa on the ‘ayn in the past tense and a kasra in the present), and ḍaliltu aḍallu (with a kasra in the past and a fatḥa in the present). These are two linguistic dialects, similar to ẓaliltu aẓallu. It is also recited as iḍlil (with a kasra on the hamza and a fatḥa on the ‘ayn).

The Question: If you ask: Where is the parallelism between His saying, "If I err, I err only against myself," and His saying, "by what my Lord reveals to me"? It would have been more consistent to say: "If I err, I err against myself, and if I am guided, I am guided for myself," as in the Almighty’s saying: "Whoever does righteousness, it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil, it is against it" (Fussilat: 46), or to say: "I err by my own self."

The Response: I say: They are parallel in meaning. For whatever is "against" the soul is "by" the soul—meaning that whatever is a burden and harm to it is because of it and by its own cause, because the soul is prone to evil. As for what benefits it, that is by the guidance and success granted by its Lord. This is a general rule for every morally responsible person (mukallaf). The Messenger (peace be upon him) was commanded to attribute this to his own self so that, if the Messenger—despite his exalted status and the rectitude of his path—is included under this rule, then others are even more deserving of it.

"Indeed, He is Hearing, Near": He perceives the speech and actions of every person who strays and every person who is guided; nothing of either of them is hidden from Him.