وَمَا
كَانَ
لَهُۥ
عَلَيۡهِم
مِّن
سُلۡطَٰنٍ
إِلَّا
لِنَعۡلَمَ
مَن
يُؤۡمِنُ
بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ
مِمَّنۡ
هُوَ
مِنۡهَا
فِي
شَكّٖۗ
وَرَبُّكَ
عَلَىٰ
كُلِّ
شَيۡءٍ
حَفِيظٞ
٢١
And he had no warrant whatsoever against them, save that We would know him who believeth in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt thereof; and thy Lord (O Muhammad) taketh note of all things.
— M. Pickthall
And he had over them no authority except [it was decreed] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian.1
— Saheeh International
But he had no authority over them,- except that We might test the man who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it: and thy Lord doth watch over all things.
— A. Yusuf Ali
Read Tafsir
Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
How Iblis' thought about the Disbeliever proved True
Having mentioned Saba' and how they followed their desires, and the Shaytan, Allah tells us about their counterparts among those who follow Iblis and their own desires, and who go against wisdom and true guidance. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْ
…How Iblis' thought about the Disbeliever proved True
Having mentioned Saba' and how they followed their desires, and the Shaytan, Allah tells us about
…