The Quran

سورة الاٴعرَاف

Surah Al-A‘râf 7:188

The Elevated Places · Verse 188 of 206

قُلْ لَا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Abdul Mannan Omar

Say, `I have no power over (bringing) any gain or (avoiding) any harm to myself save to the extent that Allâh will. And had I known the unseen I would surely have secured a great deal of good (for myself) and no harm would ever have come to me. I am only a Warner (to the wicked) and a Bearer of good tidings (to the people who believe).

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say: "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah willeth. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me: I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith.

Ahmed Ali

Tell them: "I am not master of my own gain or loss but as God may please. If I had the knowledge of the Unknown I would have enjoyed abundance of the good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a bearer of warnings and bringer of happy news for those who believe."

12 more translations

Ali Unal

Say: ""It is not within my power (to deal benefit and harm so) that unless God wills (and allows me to), I can neither bring benefit to, nor avert harm from, even myself. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I would always be in profit (with no loss at all), and no adversity would ever touch me. I am only a warner (against the evil consequences of misguidance) and a bearer of glad tidings (of prosperity in return for faith and righteousness) for people who will believe and who have already believed."

Daryabadi

Say thou: I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself save as Allah willeth; and had I knowledge of the unseen I would have amassed ample good, and evil would not have touched me. I am naught but a warner and a bringer of tidings unto a people who believe.

Faridul Haque

Say, "I have no autonomy to benefit or hurt myself, except what Allah wills; and were I to procure knowledge of the hidden on my own, it would be that I had accumulated a lot of good; and no misfortune would touch me; I am purely a Herald of Warning and Glad Tidings to the people who believe."

Maulana Muhammad Ali

Say: I control not benefit or harm for myself except as Allah please. And had I known the unseen, I should have much of good, and no evil would touch me. I am but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe.

Maulvi Sher Ali

Say, `I have no power to do good or harm to myself save as ALLAH please. And if I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured abundance of good; and evil would not have touched me. I am only a Warner and a bearer of good tidings.'

Muhammad Asad

Say [O Prophet]: "It is not within my power to bring benefit to, or avert harm from, myself, except as God may please. And if I knew that which is beyond the reach of human perception, abundant good fortune - would surely have fallen to my lot, and no evil would ever have touched me. I am nothing but a warner, and a herald of glad tidings unto people who will believe."

Muhammad Musin Khan

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."

Muhammad Pickthall

Say: For myself I have no power to benefit, nor power to hurt, save that which Allah willeth. Had I knowledge of the Unseen, I should have abundance of wealth, and adversity would not touch me. I am but a warner, and a bearer of good tidings unto folk who believe.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), say, "I have no control over my benefits or sufferings, without the will of God. Had I known about the unseen, I would have gained much good and would have faced no suffering. I am only a warner and I preach the glad news to the believing people."

Muhammed ali Shakir

Say: I do not control any benefit or harm for my own soul except as Allah please; and had I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe.

Rashad Khalifa

Say, "I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what GOD wills happens to me. If I knew the future, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am no more than a warner, and a bearer of good news for those who believe."

Shabbir Ahmed

Say, "I do not even have the power to benefit myself or to avert harm from myself, contrary to the laws of God. If I had the knowledge of the Unseen, I would have amassed abundant fortune, and no adversity would have touched me. I am but a warner and a bearer of good news for those who have faith."

Commentary 7:188 “I have no power of bringing any gain or avoiding any harm to myself” (لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ) is a statement of high nobility…

قُل لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

7:188 “I have no power of bringing any gain or avoiding any harm to myself” (لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ) is a statement of high nobility that is unsurpassed for a king, as the Holy Prophet (pbuh) essentially became, with all powers in his hands. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) gives glad tidings of triumph to all who believe in his message and warns the evil doers of the consequences of their deeds in this life as well as in the Hereafter. At the same time he makes no claim to possess Divine powers (cf. 6:50)