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Quran 11:88, my success is only through Allah

Surah Hud, ayah 88: "He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with a good provision from Him...? And I do not intend..." Read it in Arabic with transliteration and the Sahih International translation, with the ayah before and after it, and listen to it recited.

11:87Before

قَالُوا۟ يَٰشُعَيْبُ أَصَلَوٰتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَآ أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِنَا مَا نَشَٰٓؤُا۟ ۖ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ ٱلْحَلِيمُ ٱلرَّشِيدُ ﴿٨٧﴾

Qaaloo yaa Shu'aybu asalaatuka taamuruka an natruka maa ya'budu aabaaa'unaaa aw an naf'ala feee amwaalinaa maa nashaaa'oo innaka la antal haleemur rasheed

They said, "O Shu'ayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our fathers worship or not do with our wealth what we please? Indeed, you are the forbearing, the discerning!"

11:88This ayah

قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّى وَرَزَقَنِى مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنْهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ ۚ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلْإِصْلَٰحَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِىٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ ﴿٨٨﴾

Qaala yaa qawmi ara'aitum in kuntu 'alaa baiyinatim mir Rabbee wa razaqanee minhu rizqan hasanaa; wa maaa ureedu an ukhaalifakum ilaa maaa anhaakum 'anh; in ureedu illal islaaha mastata't; wa maa tawfeeqeee illaa billaah; 'alaihi tawakkaltu wa ilaihi uneeb

He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with a good provision from Him...? And I do not intend to differ from you in that which I have forbidden you; I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.

11:89After

وَيَٰقَوْمِ لَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِىٓ أَن يُصِيبَكُم مِّثْلُ مَآ أَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ هُودٍ أَوْ قَوْمَ صَٰلِحٍۢ ۚ وَمَا قَوْمُ لُوطٍۢ مِّنكُم بِبَعِيدٍۢ ﴿٨٩﴾

Wa yaa qawmi laa yajri mannakum shiqaaqeee ai yuseebakum mislu maaa asaaba qawma Noohin aw qawma Hoodin aw qawma Saalih; wa maa qawmu Lootim minkum biba'eed

And O my people, let not [your] dissension from me cause you to be struck by that similar to what struck the people of Noah or the people of Hud or the people of Salih. And the people of Lot are not from you far away.

Arabic: Tanzil, Uthmani script. English: Sahih International. Audio: EveryAyah. Transliteration is a learning aid; read from the Arabic when you can.

Read it in Surah HudListen on repeat

Meaning and lessons

What Quran 11:88 means, in brief

These are the words of the prophet Shuayb to his people in Madyan, who cheated in weights and measures. He tells them he does not want to do himself what he forbids them, that he only wants to put things right as far as he can, and then: "My success is only through Allah. On Him I rely, and to Him I turn." (wa ma tawfiqi illa billah).

Ibn Kathir explains that Shuayb was saying he practised what he preached, and that the outcome of his efforts was in Allah's hands. The phrase has become a common dua of Muslims before any task.

Summarised in our own words from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Quran 11:88. Translation of the ayah: Sahih International.

Lessons from this ayah

  • Practise what you preach.
  • Reform as much as you are able, and leave the results to Allah.
  • Say "wa ma tawfiqi illa billah" before your work: success comes only from Him.

Where Quran 11:88 is in the mushaf

Ayah 88 of Surah Hud (هُودٍ), "Hud", surah 11 of the Quran, a Meccan surah of 123 ayat revealed in Makkah. It is in juz 12 (para 12), hizb 24, on page 231 of the standard Madinah mushaf. People search for it as 11/88, 11 88 or Quran 11 88.

More verses on this theme: Quran verses about trust in Allah (tawakkul).

Questions

Good to know

What does Quran 11:88 say?

He said, "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon clear evidence from my Lord and He has provided me with a good provision from Him...? And I do not intend to differ from you in that which I have forbidden you; I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return. (Sahih International)

What is Quran 11:88 about?

These are the words of the prophet Shuayb to his people in Madyan, who cheated in weights and measures. He tells them he does not want to do himself what he forbids them, that he only wants to put things right as far as he can, and then: "My success is only through Allah. On Him I rely, and to Him I turn." (wa ma tawfiqi illa billah).

Which surah and juz is 11:88 in?

It is in Surah Hud, surah 11 of the Quran, in juz 12 (para 12), on page 231 of the Madinah mushaf.

What comes before and after 11:88?

The ayah before, 11:87, says: "They said, "O Shu'ayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our fathers worship or not do with our wealth what we please? Indeed, you are the forbearing, the discerning!"" The ayah after, 11:89, says: "And O my people, let not [your] dissension from me cause you to be struck by that similar to what struck the people of Noah or the people of Hud or the people of Salih. And the people of Lot are not from you far away."