Transliteration:( Qadif tarainaa 'alal laahi kaziban in 'udnaa fee millatikum ba'da iz najjaanal laahu minhaa; wa maa yakoonu lanaaa an na'ooda feehaaa illaaa ai yashaaa'al laahu Rabbunaa; wasi'a Rabbunaa kulla shai'in 'ilmaa; 'alal laahi tawakkalnaa; Rabbanaf tah bainanaa wa baina qawminaa bilhaqqi wa Anta khairul faatiheen )
"Certainly we shall forge a lie against Allah if we return to your faith after Allah has delivered us from it [215]. And if it is not for us Muslims that we should come back in your faith, but that Allah Who is our Lord so willed [216]. The knowledge of our Lord comprehends everything [217]. We put our trust in Allah. O our Lord! Decide between us and our people with truth [218]. And Your decision is the best [219]."
(Kanzul Imaan Translation)
By saying they would be forging a lie against Allah if they returned to the former faith, Hazrat Shu’ayb (عليه السلام) highlights that leaving Islam after accepting it would be not just misguidance but slander against divine truth.
Allah had rescued him and his followers from disbelief. Since Prophets are infallible, they are free from sin, let alone shirk or kufr. They are divinely protected from all forms of falsehood and are incapable of backtracking in faith.
Hazrat Shu’ayb affirms that Muslims cannot return to disbelief unless Allah wills. However, this will of Allah is not about His pleasure, rather it refers to His divine wisdom and decree.
Prophets are ma'soom (innocent) —they are immune to being deceived by Satan or falling prey to nafs-e-ammarah (the evil self). They possess only nafs-e-mutma’innah (the contented soul).
This verse also hints that disbelievers fall into kufr due to Allah’s will, but not because He desires evil for them—rather, He allows free will and tests them.
The declaration that “the knowledge of our Lord comprehends everything” means that Allah is fully aware of their intentions, actions, and trust in Him.
He knows who is sincere, who seeks truth, and who is obstinate. His knowledge and power are not limited in any way, and nothing escapes His divine understanding.
They make a heartfelt du’a (supplication) for divine intervention:
“O our Lord, decide between us and our people with truth.” This reflects their confidence that Allah’s judgment is the most accurate, beyond any ruler or human decision.
While earthly kings may judge wrongly, Allah’s decree is perfect and will eventually bring justice—destroying the disbelievers and granting salvation to the believers.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 89 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 88 which provides the complete commentary from verse 88 through 89.
(7:89) If we return to your faith after Allah has delivered us from it we would be fabricating a lie against Allah. nor can we return to it again unless it be by, the will of Allah, our Lord.[73] Our Lord has knowledge of all things, and in Allah we put our trust. Our Lord! Judge rightly between us and our people, for You are the best of those who judge.’
73. This phrase signifies substantively what is meant by the commonly used Islamic formula In-sha’ Allah (‘If Allah so wills’). Its meaning is evident from( al-Kahf 18: 23-4), in which the believers are directed not to make definitive statements about what they will do without making such actions contingent on God’s will. This is understandable since a believer firmly believes in God’s power and is ever conscious that his destiny is inalienably tied to God’s will. It is impossible for such a person to make foolish statements about what he will do and what he will not do. He is bound to make it clear that he will accomplish what he intends only, if ‘God so wills’.
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