لٰكِنّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبّي وَلا أُشرِكُ بِرَبّي أَحَدًا

But I [say]: “He is Allah, my Lord,” and I do not ascribe any partner to my Lord.

EXEGESIS

Lākinna (but I) is a combination of lākinn (but) and anā (I);^{‎[1]Tibyan, 7/44-46; Tabrisi, 6/727.} in other words, anā is assimilated in lākinn. Here it delivers the meaning of ‘as for me, God is my Lord’.^{‎[2]There is some shuffling of the usual word order here, the effective meaning of which is lākinna anā, allāhu huwa rabbī (Thalabi, 6/171). Another possibility is that there is an omission here and it means lākinna qawlī huwa, allāhu rabbi (as for me, I say that God is my Lord) (Andulusi, 3/517). There are other suggestions for this as well, see for example Muhit, 7/178-179.}

This is the only place in the Quran where this occurs. When continuing it is read lākinna, when stopping on the word it is read lākinnā, just like the word ana. The word lākinna, without an alif is common enough and is an emphatic form of ‘but’.

EXPOSITION

The faithful friend continued the conversation with his friend, saying: He is Allah, my Lord, meaning: I do not disbelieve, nor have doubts in His lordship.^{‎[3]Tabari, 15/162; Zamakhshari, 2/723.} The usage of the portmanteau-like expression to omit the anā in lākinna is also a subtle literary tactic, that hints at the man’s humility, as if his own self (‘me’ or anā) is omitted. The only pronoun that is left is the He (huwa) of God. This is the true humility of the faithful, who see themselves as nothing before their Lord, not even worth mentioning. How contrary to the boastful claim of his friend, whose pride caused him to gloat with each statement, I have more wealth than you, and am stronger with respect to numbers (verse 34), pleased in his self-assuredness that God must think very highly of him, while he himself simultaneously doubted His existence!

And I do not ascribe any partner to my Lord: in other words: I do not see wealth or poverty as being from anything or anyone except Him. If He gives more, I should be thankful, if He gives less, I should be patient; nor does what I have make me proud and cause me to feel superior to others.^{‎[4]Razi, 21/464; Qurtubi, 10/406.}

Some have argued that I do not ascribe any partner to my Lord indicates that the wealthy man was a polytheist.^{‎[5]Razi, 21/464; Qurtubi, 10/406; Alusi, 8/263-265. Ālūsī also argues that shirk is used in a general sense here to mean kufr.} However, the more seeming understanding is that this is referring to the wealthy man’s ascription of success to himself and causes other than God, which is also a type of polytheism.

The dual repetition of my Lord is a subtle counterbalance to the earlier usage of the same expression by the wealthy man (verse 36). The Quran is hereby emphasising the faithful man’s closer relationship to God.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. From Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays: ‘The Messenger of God – peace and blessings be upon him – taught me certain words, which I say when faced with tribulations: “Allah, Allah is my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him.”’^{‎[6]Ibn Majah, 2/1277, h. 3882; Ibn Abī Shaybah al-Kūfī, al-Muṣannaf (Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1989), 7/22; Tabarani, 24/135.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ṭabrisī argues that But I is in reply to the rich man’s boasts. As if to say: when you wish to list your merits, you point to your wealth, whereas I point to my faith.^{‎[7]Tabrisi, 6/727.} Perhaps this could be construed as boasting with one’s faith, which would not be a very pious thing to do.

Rāzī proposes another meaning to also be possible for I do not ascribe any partner to my Lord, saying it could mean that by denying resurrection the wealthy man had compared God to human beings in His power (that He is incapable of it);^{‎[8]Razi, 21/464; Qurtubi, 10/406.} or perhaps that He acts without wisdom or purpose, like we sometimes do (that He has no plan for us). This could all be considered a type of polytheism as it reduces God to the level of others.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Certainly God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation.^{‎[9]Isaiah 12:2.}
2. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”^{‎[10]Psalms 91:2.}

[1] Tibyan, 7/44-46; Tabrisi, 6/727.
[2] There is some shuffling of the usual word order here, the effective meaning of which is lākinna anā, allāhu huwa rabbī (Thalabi, 6/171). Another possibility is that there is an omission here and it means lākinna qawlī huwa, allāhu rabbi (as for me, I say that God is my Lord) (Andulusi, 3/517). There are other suggestions for this as well, see for example Muhit, 7/178-179.
[3] Tabari, 15/162; Zamakhshari, 2/723.
[4] Razi, 21/464; Qurtubi, 10/406.
[5] Razi, 21/464; Qurtubi, 10/406; Alusi, 8/263-265. Ālūsī also argues that shirk is used in a general sense here to mean kufr.
[6] Ibn Majah, 2/1277, h. 3882; Ibn Abī Shaybah al-Kūfī, al-Muṣannaf (Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1989), 7/22; Tabarani, 24/135.
[7] Tabrisi, 6/727.
[8] Razi, 21/464; Qurtubi, 10/406.
[9] Isaiah 12:2.
[10] Psalms 91:2.