إِنِّى تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رَبِّى وَرَبِّكُم ۚ مَّا مِن دَآبَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ ءَاخِذٌۢ بِنَاصِيَتِهَآ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
11:7.
Important Words:
بناصیتھا (by its forelock). ناصیة is derived from نصا. They say نصا الرجل i.e. he caught hold of the man by his forelock. انتصی الشعرmeans, the hair grew long. ناصیة means, the fore part of the head; the long hair over the fore part of the head; forelock. نواصی الناس means, the chiefs or nobles among men. The Arabs say اذل فلان ناصیة فلان i.e. such a one has humbled and disgraced the other. The Quranic expression ما من دابة الاھو آخذ بناصیتھا signifies that God holds all creatures in absolute power (Aqrab & Mufradat).
Commentary:
By the words, my Lord and your Lord, Hud means that when God, Who is your Lord and Master is also my Friend and Helper, then how can I fear you who are only His servants, for servants can do no harm to the friend of their master.
The words, but He holds it by the forelock, refer to an ancient custom of the Arabs. When vanquished people were brought as captives before their victor, he often caught hold of their forelock and shook it in token of victory. Another custom among them was that when the victor desired to show mercy to the vanquished, he sometimes shaved their forelocks and then set them free. So the clause may mean both these things. It may mean that every human being is in the power and under the control of God; or it may mean that as an act of grace God has created man free. Thus the Quran reminds him that he is completely in the power of God and that it is only through His bounty and favour that he is permitted a free life; otherwise by his sinful deeds he forfeits his title to it.
11:7.
The words refer to an ancient custom of the Arabs. When a vanquished people were brought as captives before their victor, he would catch hold of their forelocks or got them shaved in token of victory.