Tafsir Surah Ar-Rum ayah 59 | Learn Quran Tafsir

The Ignorance of the Disbelievers in this World and in the Hereafter

Allah says:

وَيَوۡمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقۡسِمُ الۡمُجۡرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا غَيۡرَ سَاعَةٍ

And on the Day that the Hour will be established, the criminals will swear that they stayed not but an hour --

Here Allah tells us of the ignorance of the disbelievers in this world and in the Hereafter. In this world they worship idols, and in the Hereafter they will also display great ignorance. They will swear by Allah that they did not even stay for one hour in this world. They will mean that there was not enough time given to establish proof against them which would leave them with no excuse.

Allah says:

كَذَلِكَ كَانُوا يُوۡفَكُونَ

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ وَالاِۡيمَانَ لَقَدۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلَى يَوۡمِ الۡبَعۡثِ

thus were they ever deluded. And those who have been bestowed with knowledge and Faith will say:Indeed you have stayed according to the decree of Allah, until the Day of Resurrection...

The believers who have knowledge of the Hereafter will respond to them, just as they established the proof of Allah against them in this world. When they swear that they did not stay even one hour in this world, they will say to them:

لَقَدۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ

Indeed you have stayed according to the decree of Allah,

meaning, the Book of deeds,

إِلَى يَوۡمِ الۡبَعۡثِ

until the Day of Resurrection;

means, `from the day when you were created until the day you were resurrected. '

فَهَذَا يَوۡمُ الۡبَعۡثِ

so this is the Day of Resurrection,

وَلَكِنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

but you knew not.

Allah says

فَيَوۡمَيِذٍ

So, on that Day,

meaning, the Day of Resurrection,

لاَّا يَنفَعُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَعۡذِرَتُهُمۡ

no excuse of theirs will avail those who did wrong,

means, their excuses for what they did.

وَلَا هُمۡ يُسۡتَعۡتَبُونَ

nor will they be allowed (then) to return to seek (Allah's) pleasure.

means, they will not be allowed to return to this world.

This is like the Ayah,

وَإِن يَسۡتَعۡتِبُواۡ فَمَا هُم مِّنَ الۡمُعۡتَبِينَ

and if they seek to please (Allah), yet they are not of those who will ever be allowed to please (Allah). (41:24)

Parables in the Qur'an and how the Disbelievers do not learn from them

Allah says:

وَلَقَدۡ ضَرَبۡنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي هَذَا الۡقُرۡانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ

And indeed We have set forth for mankind, in this Qur'an every kind of parable.

means, `We have explained the truth to them and have made it clear to them, and have set forth for them parables so that they may understand the truth and follow it.'

وَلَيِن جِيۡتَهُم بِأيَةٍ لَيَقُولَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلاَّ مُبۡطِلُونَ

But if you bring to them any sign or proof, the disbelievers are sure to say (to the believers):You follow nothing but falsehood and magic.

If they were to see any kind of sign, whether it was at their own direction or otherwise, they would not believe in it and they would think that it was magic and falsehood, as they said when the moon was cleft asunder, etc., as Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُوۡمِنُونَ

وَلَوۡ جَأءَتۡهُمۡ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاۡ الۡعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ

Truly, those, against whom the Word of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment. (10:96-97)

Allah says here:

كَذَلِكَ يَطۡبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

فَاصۡبِرۡ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ

Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of those who know not. So be patient. Verily, the promise of Allah is true;

meaning, `bear their stubborn opposition with patience, for Allah will fulfill His promise to grant you victory over them and cause you and those who follow you to prevail in this world and in the Hereafter.'

وَلَا يَسۡتَخِفَّنَّكَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوقِنُونَ

and let not those who have no certainty of faith discourage you (from conveying Allah's Message).

`Remain steadfast in the mission with which Allah has sent you, for it is truth in which there is no doubt. Do not turn away from it, for nowhere else is there truth which is to be followed; the truth rests exclusively in the Message with which you have been sent.'

Reports concerning the Virtues of this Surah and that it is recommended to recite it during Fajr

Imam Ahmad recorded from a man among the Companions of the Prophet that the Messenger of Allah led them in Fajr prayer and recited Ar-Rum in the prayer, but he became confused in his recitation.

He said:

إِنَّهُ يَلۡبِسُ عَلَيۡنَا الۡقُرۡانَ فَإِنَّ أَقۡوَامًا مِنۡكُمۡ يُصَلُّونَ مَعَنَا لَا يُحۡسِنُونَ الۡوُضُوءَ فَمَنۡ شَهِدَ مِنۡكُمُ الصَّلَةَ مَعَنَا فَلۡيُحۡسِنِ الۡوُضُوء

We have become confused in our recitation of Qur'an, because some people among you are praying with us but they have not performed Wudu' properly. Whoever attends the prayer with us, let him perform Wudu' properly.

This has a Hasan chain of narration, the text itself is Hasan.

It contains amazing information, that the Prophet was affected by the faulty Wudu' of some of those whom he was leading in prayer. This indicates that the prayer of the person who is praying in the congregation is connected to the prayer of the Imam.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Rum. Allah's is the praise and thanks.

Ar-Rum: 59

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Ar-Rum: 59