# “We sent thee…”

> Every verse in which God says what the messenger was sent as, and three where He says what he was not.

- **Source:** https://quran.so/topics/we-sent-thee
- **Translation:** Sam Gerrans — The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

The word is arsalnāka, “We sent thee”. In all 13 verses that carry it the sentence does the same work: it names the office and stops there.

What he was sent as: a bearer of good news and a warner (2:119, 17:105, 25:56, 35:24), a witness alongside those two (33:45, 48:8), a messenger to the people with God as witness (4:79), to a nation before which nations have passed (13:30), to all mankind together (34:28), and, once, as a mercy to all peoples (21:107).

Four of them narrow it with illā, only. We sent thee only as a bearer of good news and a warner (17:105, 25:56), only as a mercy to all peoples (21:107), only to mankind entire (34:28). The other nine state the office without shutting anything out.

Two of them are the same sentence word for word, witness and bearer of good news and warner, but they open differently: 33:45 addresses him as al-nabī, and 48:8 addresses no one. Where the set names the office instead, the word is rasūl (4:79, 4:80).

Three of the 13 say what he was not. “We did not send thee as a keeper over them” (4:80, 17:54, 42:48). The same sentence, three times, in three different sūras.

## How this list was made

Every verse containing أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ (arsalnāka), in muṣḥaf order.

## 13 verses

### Al-Baqarah 2:119

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-baqarah/verse-119

**Arabic:** اِنَّٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَش۪يراً وَنَذ۪يراًۙ وَلَا تُسْـَٔلُ عَنْ اَصْحَابِ الْجَح۪يمِ

**Transcription:** Inna arsalnaka bilhaqqibasheeran wanatheeran wala tus-alu Aaan as-habialjaheem

We sent thee with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and thou wilt not be questioned about the companions of Hell.

### An-Nisa 4:79

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-an-nisa/verse-79

**Arabic:** مَٓا اَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللّٰهِۘ وَمَٓا اَصَابَكَ مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِنْ نَفْسِكَۜ وَاَرْسَلْنَاكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولاًۜ  وَكَفٰى بِاللّٰهِ شَه۪يداً

**Transcription:** Ma asabaka min hasanatinfamina Allahi wama asabaka min sayyi-atinfamin nafsika waarsalnaka linnasi rasoolanwakafa billahi shaheedan

What befalls thee of good, it is from God; and what befalls thee of evil, it is from thyself. And We have sent thee to mankind as a messenger; and sufficient is God as witness.

### An-Nisa 4:80

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-an-nisa/verse-80

**Arabic:** مَنْ يُطِـعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ اَطَاعَ اللّٰهَۚ وَمَنْ تَوَلّٰى فَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَف۪يظاًۜ

**Transcription:** Man yutiAAi arrasoola faqad ataAAaAllaha waman tawalla fama arsalnakaAAalayhim hafeetha

Whoso obeys the Messenger, he has obeyed God; and whoso turns away: We sent thee not as a custodian over them.

### Ar-Ra'd 13:30

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-ar-rad/verse-30

**Arabic:** كَذٰلِكَ اَرْسَلْنَاكَ ف۪ٓي اُمَّةٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهَٓا اُمَمٌ لِتَتْلُوَ۬ا عَلَيْهِمُ الَّـذ۪ٓي اَوْحَيْنَٓا اِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِالرَّحْمٰنِۜ قُلْ هُوَ رَبّ۪ي لَٓا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَاِلَيْهِ مَتَابِ

**Transcription:** Kathalika arsalnaka feeommatin qad khalat min qabliha omamun litatluwa AAalayhimuallathee awhayna ilayka wahum yakfuroona birrahmaniqul huwa rabbee la ilaha illa huwa AAalayhitawakkaltu wa-ilayhi matab

Thus have We sent thee among a community — communities have passed away before it — that thou recite to them what We have revealed to thee; but they deny the Almighty. Say thou: “He is my Lord: — there is no god save He — in Him have I placed my trust, and to Him is my return.”

### Al-Isra 17:54

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-isra/verse-54

**Arabic:** رَبُّكُمْ اَعْلَمُ بِكُمْۜ اِنْ يَشَأْ يَرْحَمْكُمْ اَوْ اِنْ يَشَأْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْۜ وَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَك۪يلاً

**Transcription:** Rabbukum aAAlamu bikum in yasha/ yarhamkumaw in yasha/ yuAAaththibkum wama arsalnakaAAalayhim wakeela

Your Lord knows you best; if He wills, He will have mercy on you or, if He wills, He will punish you. And We have not sent thee as a guardian over them.

### Al-Isra 17:105

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-isra/verse-105

**Arabic:** وَبِالْحَقِّ اَنْزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَۜ وَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ اِلَّا مُبَشِّراً وَنَذ۪يراًۢ

**Transcription:** Wabilhaqqi anzalnahuwabilhaqqi nazala wama arsalnaka illamubashshiran wanatheera

And with the truth have We sent it down, and with the truth has it come down — and We sent thee only as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner —

### Al-Anbiya 21:107

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-anbiya/verse-107

**Arabic:** وَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ اِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَم۪ينَ

**Transcription:** Wama arsalnaka illa rahmatanlilAAalameen

And We sent thee only as a mercy for all mankind.

### Al-Furqan 25:56

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-furqan/verse-56

**Arabic:** وَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ اِلَّا مُبَشِّراً وَنَذ۪يراً

**Transcription:** Wama arsalnaka illamubashshiran wanatheera

And We sent thee only as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.

### Al-Ahzab 33:45

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-ahzab/verse-45

**Arabic:** يَٓا اَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اِنَّٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِداً وَمُبَشِّراً وَنَذ۪يراًۙ

**Transcription:** Ya ayyuha annabiyyuinna arsalnaka shahidan wamubashshiran wanatheera

O Prophet: we have sent thee as a witness, and a bringer of glad tidings, and a warner,

### Saba 34:28

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-saba/verse-28

**Arabic:** وَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ اِلَّا كَٓافَّةً لِلنَّاسِ بَش۪يراً وَنَذ۪يراً وَلٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

**Transcription:** Wama arsalnaka illa kaffatanlinnasi basheeran wanatheeran walakinnaakthara annasi la yaAAlamoon

And We sent thee only as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most men know not.

### Fatir 35:24

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-fatir/verse-24

**Arabic:** اِنَّٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَش۪يراً وَنَذ۪يراًۜ وَاِنْ مِنْ اُمَّةٍ اِلَّا خَلَا ف۪يهَا نَذ۪يرٌ

**Transcription:** Inna arsalnaka bilhaqqibasheeran wanatheeran wa-in min ommatin illa khalafeeha natheer

We have sent thee with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner. And there was no community save a warner passed among it.

### Ash-Shuraa 42:48

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-ash-shuraa/verse-48

**Arabic:** فَاِنْ اَعْرَضُوا فَمَٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَف۪يظاًۜ اِنْ عَلَيْكَ اِلَّا الْبَلَاغُۜ وَاِنَّٓا اِذَٓا اَذَقْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً فَرِحَ بِهَاۜ وَاِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ اَيْد۪يهِمْ فَاِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ كَفُورٌ

**Transcription:** Fa-in aAAradoo fama arsalnakaAAalayhim hafeethan in AAalayka illaalbalaghu wa-inna itha athaqnaal-insana minna rahmatan fariha bihawa-in tusibhum sayyi-atun bima qaddamat aydeehimfa-inna al-insana kafoor

And if they turn away — We sent thee not as a custodian over them; upon thee is only the notification. And when We let man taste mercy from Us, he exults thereat; but if evil befalls them because of what their hands sent ahead, then is man ungrateful.

### Al-Fath 48:8

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-fath/verse-8

**Arabic:** اِنَّٓا اَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِداً وَمُبَشِّراً وَنَذ۪يراًۙ

**Transcription:** Inna arsalnaka shahidanwamubashshiran wanatheera

We have sent thee as a witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,

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Retrieved: 2026-10-13
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