And We have already sent messengers before you and assigned to them wives and descendants. And it was not for a messenger to come with a sign except by permission of Allāh. For every term is a decree.
Verse 38 of Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:38), a Medinan surah, is in juz 13, on page 254 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
Listen to verse 38 of Surah Ar-Ra’d
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Tafsir of verse 38
Al-Mukhtasar
We sent messengers before you, O Messenger, who were human - so you are nothing new among the messengers. We gave them wives and children like other human beings. We did not make them angels who do not marry and have children. You are one of these messengers who marry and have children. Why then are these idolaters surprised at this? No messenger can bring a miracle except if Allah gives permission for him to do so. For every matter decreed by Allah there is a Book in which it is mentioned and a time which will neither come too early nor too late.
We have sent messengers before you and gave them wives and offspring30. It was not for any messenger to bring a sign except with Allah’s permission. Every matter has a destined time.
Notes
[30] These are the basic human needs, for Messengers are human beings, not angelic beings.
And indeed We sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) and made for them wives and offspring. And it was not for a Messenger to bring a sign except by Allâh’s Leave. (For) every matter there is a Decree (from Allâh). [Tafsir Al-Tabari]
And verily We sent messengers (to mankind) before thee, and We appointed for them wives and offspring, and it was not (given) to any messenger that he should bring a portent save by Allah's leave. For everything there is a time prescribed.
We did send messengers before thee, and appointed for them wives and children: and it was never the part of a messenger to bring a sign except as Allah permitted (or commanded). For each period is a Book (revealed).
And certainly We sent messengers before you and gave them wives and children, and it is not in (the power of) an messenger to bring a sign except by Allah's permission; for every term there is an appointment.
And indeed We have already sent Messengers even before you, and We made for them spouses and offspring; and in no way was it for a Messenger to come up with a sign except by the permission of Allah. Every term has a Book.
Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."
To Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allāh will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and Allāh is over all things competent.
We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allāh is over all things competent?
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
And We have already sent messengers before you. Among them are those [whose stories] We have related to you, and among them are those [whose stories] We have not related to you. And it was not for any messenger to bring a sign [or verse] except by permission of Allāh. So when the command of Allāh comes, it will be concluded [i.e., judged] in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all].
