What Does This Verse Mean? “Allah Does Not Require of Any Soul More than What It Can Afford.” [Quran 2:286]

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Samee al-Yakti

Question

What does this verse mean? “Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford.” [Quran 2:286]

Answer

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the Master of the messengers and his family and all of his companions.

The intended meaning of this verse – according to the scholars of tafsir – is that Allah Almighty does not hold a soul accountable or impose upon it to worship except within its capacity, and what it can do without difficulty or hardship. He does not burden or exhaust it with what it cannot endure of obedience and worship, and Allah knows best.

Detailed Explanation

Before delving into the elucidation of this noble verse, it is imperative to grasp the significance of the terms “accountability” (taklif) and “capacity” (wus‘).

Accountability, in essence, denotes the solemn obligation and the act of being held responsible for a given matter. It embodies the inherent duty and the subsequent scrutiny that follows.

On the other hand, capacity refers to the inherent ability and empowerment to undertake a task without encountering undue hardship or constraint. It signifies the aptitude and potency to execute a task smoothly without being burdened by adverse circumstances.

The Meaning of the Noble Verse

The meaning of this verse, as expounded by Imam Tabari (Allah have mercy on him) in his interpretation and echoed by other commentators, is, as Allah knows best, that He does not burden a soul with the obligation of worship beyond its capacity.

Thus, Allah, in His infinite wisdom, refrains from constraining or exhausting individuals in their pursuit of devotion.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) sheds further light on this, noting that the beneficiaries of this divine consideration are the believers, for whom Allah has facilitated the aspects of their religion.

This facilitation is underscored in other Quranic verses, such as “and He laid upon you no hardship in the religion” (Quran, 22:78), “Allah intends ease for you, not hardship” (Quran 2:185), and “So be mindful of Allah to the best of your ability” (Quran, 64:16). In essence, the divine intent is to ensure ease and flexibility in religious practices, demonstrating a compassionate and understanding approach toward believers.

The Occasion of Revelation

The scholars mention the occasion for which this verse was revealed: When Allah the Exalted revealed, “To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Whether you reveal what is in your hearts or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. He forgives whoever He wills, and punishes whoever He wills. And Allah is Most Capable of everything,” [Quran, 2:284]; this was very hard on the companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).

This meant that they were accountable for what thoughts occurred to them and what they considered in their minds or what their souls whispered to them—this is something beyond human capacity to repel. So Allah revealed the verse to relieve them from the burden and sin of what they could not endure. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “When it was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace): ‘To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Whether you reveal what is in your hearts or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. He forgives whoever He wills, and punishes whoever He wills and Allah is Most Capable of everything,’ [Quran, 2:284].

This was very hard on the companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). So they came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and kneeled down, saying: ‘Messenger of Allah, we have been tasked with deeds that we have the strength for, prayer, fasting, jihad, and charity. And now this verse has been revealed to you, and we cannot bear it.’

“The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Do you want to say as the people of the two Scriptures before you said: “We hear and we disobey”? Rather say: “We hear and obey. ˹We seek˺ Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You ˹alone˺ is the final return.”’

They said: ‘We hear and obey. ˹We seek˺ Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You ˹alone˺ is the final return.’ When the people recited it, their tongues softened with it, and then Allah revealed after it: ‘The Messenger ˹firmly˺ believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers.

They ˹all˺ believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. ˹They proclaim,˺ “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. ˹We seek˺ Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You ˹alone˺ is the final return.”

“When they did that, Allah abrogated it and revealed: ‘Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be for its own loss. ˹The believers pray,˺ “Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake.’ He (meaning Allah) said, ‘Yes’ (in another narration: ‘I have done so’).

‘Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us.’ He said, ‘Yes, I have done so.’ ‘Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear.’ He said, ‘Yes, I have done so.’ ‘Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So grant us victory over the disbelieving people.’ He said, ‘Yes, I have done so.’” [Muslim’]

Imam Muslim (Allah have mercy on him) has dedicated a separate chapter in his Sahih collection called “Chapter on Allah’s Pardoning of the Thoughts That Occur to the Self and the Whispers in the Heart If They Do Not Settle,” based on the occasion for this verse’s revelation, and then he reported the following hadith from Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him)

“The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Indeed, Allah has overlooked for my nation what their souls talk to them about, as long as they do not speak or act upon it.” [Muslim]

A Gem from This Verse

I once had the privilege of hearing our esteemed teacher, Shaykh Dr. Nur al-Din ‘Itr (Allah have mercy on him), articulate a profound insight: “(He, glorified and exalted be He), has graciously confined His expectations to the limits of our utmost capacity. While it is within His Divine right to impose obligations beyond our endurance, He, in His mercy, has chosen not to burden us excessively. Imagine if He so willed, assigning us continuous worship and adherence to Sharia obligations around the clock. This concept, termed ‘enabling capacity’ by scholars of Usul, delineates the outermost limits of human endurance.

The shaykh emphasized, ‘This is indeed feasible but arduous. However, He, in His infinite wisdom, has been content with demands far less than the maximum.’ To illustrate, he cited examples such as zakat amounting to a quarter of a tenth and other concessions. He went on to quote the scholars of spirituality, who praise the Lord of the Worlds, saying, ‘And that You have accepted from my capacity less than my ability,’ highlighting the acceptance of the least conceivable level of capability.

This enlightening discourse occurred during my wedding ceremony, as the shaykh offered insights while expounding on the Prophetic dua to commence the prayer: ‘And with that, I was commanded…’ The entire speech, for those desiring further enlightenment, is available on my page to benefit all interested individuals.

Conclusion

I remind you, my brother, and myself that we should always and forever praise Allah (Most High), for He has not burdened us with what we cannot bear, or with what is too difficult for us.

We should also be keen on what He has commanded us of: acts of obedience, worship, duties, and Sharia laws; they are within our capacity and our means. And we ask Him to help us with them, accept them from us, and all praise is to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.