Maryam Verse 64 | 19:64

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ اِلَّا بِاَمْرِ رَبِّكَۚ لَهٗ مَا بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْنَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذٰلِكَ وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا ۚ ( مريم: ٦٤ )

wamā

وَمَا

And not

natanazzalu

نَتَنَزَّلُ

we descend

illā

إِلَّا

except

bi-amri

بِأَمْرِ

by (the) Command

rabbika

رَبِّكَۖ

(of) your Lord

lahu

لَهُۥ

To Him (belongs)

mā

مَا

what

bayna

بَيْنَ

(is) before us

aydīnā

أَيْدِينَا

(is) before us

wamā

وَمَا

and what

khalfanā

خَلْفَنَا

(is) behind us

wamā

وَمَا

and what

bayna

بَيْنَ

(is) between

dhālika

ذَٰلِكَۚ

that

wamā

وَمَا

And not

kāna

كَانَ

rabbuka

رَبُّكَ

your Lord

nasiyyan

نَسِيًّا

forgetful

Wa maa natanazzalu illaa bi amri Rabbika lahoo maa baina aideenaa wa maa khalfanaa wa maa baina zaalik; wa maa kaana Rabbuka nasiyyaa (Maryam 19:64)

Sahih International:

[Gabriel said], "And we [angels] descend not except by the order of your Lord. To Him belongs that before us and that behind us and what is in between. And never is your Lord forgetful – (Maryam [19] : 64)

1 Mufti Taqi Usmani

(Jibra’īl X said to the Holy Prophet) “We do not descend but with the command of your Lord. To Him belongs what is in front of us and what is behind us and what is in between; and your Lord is not the One who forgets.

2 Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

3 Ruwwad Translation Center

4 A. J. Arberry

5 Abdul Haleem

6 Abdul Majid Daryabadi

7 Abdullah Yusuf Ali

8 Abul Ala Maududi

9 Ahmed Ali

10 Ahmed Raza Khan

11 Ali Quli Qarai

12 Ali Ünal

13 Amatul Rahman Omar

14 English Literal

15 Faridul Haque

16 Hamid S. Aziz

17 Hilali & Khan

18 Maulana Mohammad Ali

19 Mohammad Habib Shakir

20 Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

21 Muhammad Sarwar

22 Qaribullah & Darwish

23 Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

24 Wahiduddin Khan

25 Talal Itani

26 Tafsir jalalayn

When the Revelation did not come for a number of days, the Prophet (s) said to Gabriel, `What prevents you from visiting us more often than you do?' and so the following was revealed; And We do not descend except by the commandment of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us, namely, ahead of us, of the affairs of the Hereafter, and all that is behind us, of the affairs of this world, and all that is between those [two], namely, all that takes place from this [point in] time until the coming of the Hour, in other words, to Him belongs knowledge of all of those things. And your Lord is never forgetful, meaning that He is never neglectful of you [even] when the Revelation is postponed from [being sent to] you.

27 Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Angels do not descend, except by Allah's Command

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said to Jibril,

مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَزُورَنَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَزُورُنَا

What prevents you from visiting us more than you do?

Then this Ayah was revealed,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

And we descend not except by the command of your Lord.

Al-Bukhari was alone in recording it and he related it with the Tafsir of this Ayah.

Al-Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas that he said,

"Jibril was kept from visiting the Messenger of Allah, so he was disturbed and grieved because of this.

Then, Jibril came to him and said, `O Muhammad,
وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ
(And we descend not except by the command of your Lord)."'

Allah said,

لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا

To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us,

It has been said that the meaning of "what is before us" refers to that which is in this life and "what is behind us" refers to the Hereafter.

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ

and what is between those two;

This means what is between two blows of the Sur.

This is the opinion of Abu Al-Aliyah, Ikrimah and Mujahid.

This was also stated by Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah in one narration from them.

As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas held this opinion as well.

It has also been said,
مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا
(what is before us),

means the future matters of the Hereafter.

وَمَا خَلْفَنَا
(what is behind us),

means what has taken place in this life,

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ

what is between those two;

means what happens between this life and the Hereafter.

A statement like this explanation has been reported from Ibn Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and Ath-Thawri.

Ibn Jarir also preferred this latter interpretation.

And Allah knows best.

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا

and your Lord is never forgetful.

Mujahid said,

"This means that your Lord has not forgotten you."

Allah said