Surah Al-Baqarah 2:105
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 105 of 286
مَّا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَلَا ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Translation
Neither those People of the Book who disbelieve nor the idolaters would like anything good to be sent down to you from your Lord, but God chooses for His grace whoever He will: His bounty has no limits.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse, a powerful declaration from Allah to the believers, unveils the deep-seated envy and ill-will harbored by disbelievers from both the People of the Book and the polytheists. It assures us that despite their wishes, Allah's favor and mercy will reach whom He wills.
The Heart of Envy
The verse begins with مَّا يَوَدُّ (Ma yawaddu), meaning "they do not love" or "they do not wish." Ibn Ashur explains that *al-wudd* (love) naturally leads to wishing for that which one loves. So, this phrase conveys a profound absence of love and, by extension, a strong desire that no good should befall the believers. It is a deep-rooted aversion, not just indifference.
The wording then specifies الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا الْمُشْرِكِينَ (those who disbelieved among the People of the Book, nor the polytheists). Ibn Ashur highlights that Allah uses "those who disbelieved among the People of the Book" instead of just "People of the Book" to show that their animosity comes from their disbelief, not from adherence to their true scriptures, which would have guided them to the Prophet Muhammad. The inclusion of "nor the polytheists" ensures that this truth applies broadly to all disbelievers, not just a specific group, emphasizing the universal nature of this envy.
The Nature of "Good"
What is it that they do not wish for you? The verse says أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن خَيْرٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ (that any good should be sent down upon you from your Lord). The phrase مِّن خَيْرٍۢ (min khayr) uses the particle "min," which, as al-Jalalayn and Safi note, is an emphatic negative, signifying *any* good at all, even the slightest. This "good," according to Ibn Ashur, al-Razi, and al-Zamakhshari, encompasses great blessings like prophethood, divine revelation (the Quran), victory, and glad tidings. It is a comprehensive goodness.
Notice the word يُنَزَّلَ (yunazzala). Ibn Ashur points out that this form, *tanzeel*, implies a gradual, step-by-step sending down, rather than *inzaal*, which suggests a single, immediate descent. This choice of word subtly hints at the gradual revelation of the Quran, a process that made it easier for the early believers to memorize, understand, and apply its teachings. This gradual bestowal of good upon the Muslims was itself a mercy from Allah.
Allah's Exclusive Choice
The verse then shifts to a powerful declaration of Allah's sovereignty: وَٱللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ (And Allah singles out for His mercy whom He wills). The term يَخْتَصُّ (yakhtassu) means to specialize or choose exclusively. This is a direct answer to the disbelievers' envy. Their hatred and wishes have no bearing on Allah's divine plan. The "mercy" (رحمته), in this context, is parallel to the "good" mentioned earlier, especially prophethood and divine guidance.
Ibn Ashur explains that Allah's will (مَن يَشَآءُ) is always connected to His infinite knowledge and wisdom. He chooses those He knows are truly fit and prepared for such a weighty trust, like prophethood, creating them with pure hearts and sound dispositions for receiving revelation. This choice is not arbitrary; it is rooted in divine wisdom.
The Immense Bounty
The verse concludes with وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ (And Allah is the Possessor of immense bounty). This is a concluding statement, as Ibn Ashur notes, that reinforces the message. All the good and mercy that Allah bestows are simply manifestations of His vast and magnificent grace. This serves as both an assurance to believers that Allah's bounty is limitless and a reminder that their path to receiving more of His favor is to abandon disobedience and embrace virtues.
Sources: Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:105 is discussed in 11 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Baqarah 2:105 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.