قُل إِنّي لا أَملِكُ لَكُم ضَرًّا وَلا رَشَدًا
Say: ‘I have no power to bring you any harm or good [of my own accord].’
EXEGESIS
Amliku is the imperfect tense of the verb malaka, which means to take possession of something, to own it, or to control it. Mulk means reign, power, and authority, whilst milk denotes property and possession. Malik signifies king and ruler, whereas mālik means the owner of a property. According to Muṣṭafawī, the common meaning in all the derivatives of the verb malaka is to have control over something such that all affairs related to it would be in the hands of the one who has taken possession of it. Negated by the negative particle lā, the verb amliku in the verse would lexically signify lack of possession which, in the context of this verse, has been interpreted as lack of power and ability.
Ḍarr is a noun that lexically means harm. A similar word to ḍarr in Arabic is ḍurr which is also used sometimes to imply harm or damage. However, ḍurr is more specific in meaning than the word ḍarr. As ḍarr denotes any kind of harm and is the opposite of nafʿ (good), ḍurr refers to the feebleness and unhealthy condition of a person, either due to lack of knowledge, bodily organ, or wealth and social status.
The terms ḍarr and ḍurr have both occurred in the Quran. While ḍarr has always appeared in contrast to nafʿ (5:76 and 22:13), there is no instance in the Quran where ḍurr may have occurred together with nafʿ, though it has appeared in contrast to raḥmah (mercy) and khayr (good), in 30:33 and 6:17 respectively. A study of these verses attests to the difference in meaning between the two terms as we have already explained. In the verse under discussion, the term ḍarr implies harm as opposed to good (nafʿ).
Rashad is a noun that, like the term rushd, signifies that which is in the interest of man. The term rashad here implies good (nafʿ) as opposed to harm, whether related to this world or the hereafter.
EXPOSITION
The context of verses 20-24 suggest that this verse is a divine command to the Prophet of Islam to illustrate for people his position in relation to God and to mankind.
Verse 20 represents the Prophet’s position in relation to God. The Prophet is the servant of God and God is his Lord, he worships Him alone and nobody else: I pray only to my Lord, and I do not ascribe any partner to Him. On the other hand, in the verse under discussion, the Holy Prophet is commanded to describe his position in relation to his opponents and the people in general, in that he is only a human being like them who possesses neither good nor evil. He has no power to bring good to anyone or to avert evil from him out of his own accord, rather it is God who holds the ultimate power to do so. He is only a messenger of God responsible to deliver God’s message to mankind, and that he has no choice but to obey his Lord. As such, no one can help him against God, nor is there any place of refuge he can go to were he to disobey His command. Similarly, it is required of mankind to obey God and His Prophet, for in other than this case the fire of hell shall await them.
This verse entails an implicit confession of servitude to God by the Holy Prophet and that power and strength lies only with God.
By negating power and ability from the Holy Prophet to harm or benefit anyone, the aim of this verse is to clarify that the Prophet’s influence and power is not independent of God, though he has an influential role to play in the lives of humankind and the believers as attested by the Quran in 4:64. Said differently, whatever power he holds is in fact an extension of divine power, and his influence on the lives of people is by God’s permission as explained by the Quran in the case of Prophet Jesus (a) in 3:49 and 5:110. In 7:188, the Prophet of God negates control over any benefit or harm for himself.
The climax of monotheism and sincerity in worshipping God is achieved when a servant of God is so absorbed in the divine essence that he acknowledges the influence of none other than God – not even himself: I have no power to bring you any harm or good [of my own accord].
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Ibn Kathīr is of the view that the terms ḍarr and rashad in the verse imply deviation and guidance respectively. The verse hence reads according to him as: I have no authority whatsoever in guiding you towards, or leading you away from, the right path.
[1] Hans Wehr, under malaka.
[2] Tahqiq, under m-l-k.
[3] Tibyan, 10/157; Qurtubi, 20/25; Sabzawari, 7/252; Alusi, 15/104; Shawkani, 5/371; Zamakhshari, 4/631; Tabrisi, 10/562.
[4] Hans Wehr, under ḍarra.
[5] Lisan, under ḍ-r-r.
[6] Raghib, under ḍ-r-r.
[7] Qamus, under ḍarar.
[8] Mizan, 20/51; Zamakhshari, 4/361; Alusi, 15/104; Tabrisi.J, 4/378; Kashif, 7/441.
[9] For more information on this word, see rushd under the Exegesis of verse 2.
[10] Fayyumi, under al-rushd; Bahrayn, under r-sh-d.
[11] Mizan, 20/51; Zamakhshari, 4/361; Alusi, 15/104; Tabrisi.J, 4/378; Kashif, 7/441.
[12] Shawkani, 5/371.
[13] Mizan, 20/51.
[14] Mizan, 20/51.
[15] Sabzawari, 7/252.
[16] Tabrisi, 10/562; Alusi, 15/104; Tibyan, 10/157; Kashif, 7/441; Sabzawari, 7/252.
[17] Mizan, 20/51.
[18] Tabrisi, 10/562.
[19] Nemuneh, 25/131.
[20] Qaraati, 10/253.
[21] Qaraati, 10/253.
[22] Ibn Kathir, 8/257.