01
What the Quran says
Meanings are our own plain-language paraphrases. Tap a reference to read the verse in full on Quran.com.
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
The verse is about fighting. Scholars draw from its final sentence a general principle about accepting what Allah decrees.
وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Revealed about the Muslims' defeat at the battle of Uhud.
إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُۥ ۚ وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَآءَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
02
From the Sunnah
Each reference includes its collection and number, and is awaiting review by a qualified reviewer.
Do your best, then let go of “if only”.
The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, and there is good in both. Strive for what benefits you, seek Allah's help, and do not give up. If something befalls you, do not say “If only I had done…”, but say “Allah decreed, and what He willed He did,” for “if only” opens the door to Shaytan's work.
- Reference
- Sahih Muslim 2664
- Narrator
- Abu Hurairah
- Book
- Book of Destiny
03
Surahs to read
Where to go next in the Quran itself.
04
Reflect and act
Try this week
0 of 2 doneReplace “if only” with “Allah decreed, and what He willed He did”, then plan the next step.
Sahih Muslim 2664Write down one thing a past failure taught you.
2:216(read on Quran.com, opens in a new tab)
Reflect
What would you try again if you weren't afraid of failing?