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Ayah
Word by Word
قَالُواْ
They (will) say
رَبَّنَا
Our Lord!
غَلَبَتۡ
Overcame
عَلَيۡنَا
[on] us
شِقۡوَتُنَا
our wretchedness
وَكُنَّا
and we were
قَوۡمٗا
a people
ضَآلِّينَ
astray
قَالُواْ
They (will) say
رَبَّنَا
Our Lord!
غَلَبَتۡ
Overcame
عَلَيۡنَا
[on] us
شِقۡوَتُنَا
our wretchedness
وَكُنَّا
and we were
قَوۡمٗا
a people
ضَآلِّينَ
astray
Translation
They will say: "our Lord! Our misfortune overwhelmed us, and we became a people astray!
Tafsir
They will say, 'Our Lord, our wretchedness (shiqwatunaa: a variant reading has shaqaawatunaa, both of which are verbal nouns with the same meaning) overcame us, and we were an erring folk, [astray] from guidance.
The sounding of the Trumpet and the weighing of Deeds in the Scales
Allah says:
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ
Then, when the Trumpet is blown,
Allah says that when the Trumpet is blown for the Resurrection, and the people rise from their graves,
فَلَ أَنسَابَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَيِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَاءلُون
there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another.
meaning that lineage will be of no avail on that Day, and a father will not ask about his son or care about him.
Allah says:
وَلَا يَسۡـَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيماً يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡ
And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition), though they shall be made to see one another. (70:10-11)
meaning, no relative will ask about another relative, even if he can see him and even if he is carrying a heavy burden. Even if he was the dearest of people to him in this world, he will not care about him or take even the slightest part of his burden from him.
Allah says:
يَوۡمَ يَفِرُّ الۡمَرۡءُ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ
وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ
وَصَـحِبَتِهُ وَبَنِيهِ
That Day shall a man flee from his brother. And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children. (80:34-36)
Ibn Mas`ud said,
On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will gather the first and the last, then a voice will call out, `Whoever is owed something by another, let him come forth and take it.' And a man will rejoice if he is owed something or had been mistreated by his father or child or wife, even if it is little.
This is confirmed in the Book of Allah, where Allah says:
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلَإ أَنسَابَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَيِذٍ وَلَاإ يَتَسَاءلُون
Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another.
This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim.
فَمَن ثَقُلَتۡ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوۡلَيِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُونَ
Then, those whose Scales are heavy, these! they are the successful.
means, the one whose good deeds outweigh his bad deeds, even by one.
This was the view of Ibn Abbas.
فَأُوۡلَيِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُونَ
they are the successful.
means, those who have attained victory and been saved from Hell and admitted to Paradise.
Ibn Abbas said,
These are the ones who have attained what they wanted and been saved from an evil from which there is no escape.
وَمَنۡ خَفَّتۡ مَوَازِينُهُ
And those whose Scales are light,
means, their evil deeds outweigh their good deeds.
فَأُوۡلَيِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمۡ
they are those who lose themselves,
means, they are doomed and have ended up with the worst deal.
Allah says:
فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ
in Hell will they abide.
meaning, they will stay there forever and will never leave
تَلۡفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ
The Fire will burn their faces,
This is like the Ayah:
وَتَغۡشَى وُجُوهَهُمۡ النَّارُ
and fire will cover their faces. (14:50)
and:
لَوۡ يَعۡلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمۡ
If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs. (21:39)
وَهُمۡ فِيهَا كَالِحُونَ
and therein they will grin, with displaced lips.
Ali bin Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn Abbas,
Frowning.
Rebuking the People of Hell, their admission of Their Wretchedness and their Request to be brought out of Hell
This is a rebuke from Allah to the people of Hell for the disbelief, sins, unlawful deeds and evil actions that they committed, because of which they were doomed.
Allah says:
أَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ ايَاتِي تُتۡلَى عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَكُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ
Were not My Ayat recited to you, and then you used to deny them!
meaning, `I sent Messengers to you, and revealed Books, and cleared the confusion for you, so you have no excuse.'
This is like the Ayat:
لِيَلَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعۡدَ الرُّسُلِ
in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. (4:165)
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبۡعَثَ رَسُولاً
And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. (17:15)
كُلَّمَا أُلۡقِىَ فِيهَا فَوۡجٌ سَأَلَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَأ أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَذِيرٌ
Every time a group is cast therein, its keeper will ask:Did no warner come to you Until His saying;
فَسُحۡقًا لاًّصۡحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ
(So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire!) (67:8-10)
قَالُوا
They will say:
رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتۡ عَلَيۡنَا شِقۡوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوۡمًا ضَالِّينَ
Our Lord! Our wretchedness overcame us, and we were (an) erring people.
meaning, evidence has been established against us, but we were so doomed that we could not follow it, so we went astray and were not guided.
Then they will say:
رَبَّنَا أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡهَا فَإِنۡ عُدۡنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ
Our Lord! Bring us out of this. If ever we return (to evil), then indeed we shall be wrongdoers.
meaning, send us back to the world, and if we go back to what we used to do before, then we will indeed be wrongdoers who deserve punishment.
This is like the Ayat:
فَاعۡتَرَفۡنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا فَهَلۡ إِلَى خُرُوجٍ مِّن سَبِيلٍ
Now we confess our sins, then is there any way to get out, Until His statement:
فَالۡحُكۡمُ للَّهِ الۡعَلِـىِّ الۡكَبِيرِ
(So the judgment is only with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great!). (40:11-12)
meaning, there will be no way out, because you used to associate partners in worship with Allah whereas the believers worshipped Him Alone.
Allah's Response and Rejection of the Disbelievers
This is the response of Allah to the disbelievers when they ask Him to bring them out of the Fire and send them back to this world.
قَالَ
He (Allah) will say:
اخۡسَوُوا فِيهَا
Remain you in it with ignominy!
meaning, abide therein, humiliated, despised and scorned.
وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ
And speak you not to Me!
means, `do not ask for this again, for I will not respond to you.
Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas concerning this Ayah,
اخۡسَوُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ
(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!)
These are the words of Ar-Rahman when silencing them.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abdullah bin `Amr said,
The people of Hell will call on Malik for forty years, and he will not answer them. Then he will respond and tell them that they are to abide therein. By Allah, their cries will mean nothing to Malik or to the Lord of Malik. Then they will call on their Lord and will say,
قَالُواۡ رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتۡ عَلَيۡنَا شِقۡوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوۡماً ضَألِّينَ
رَبَّنَأ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡهَا فَإِنۡ عُدۡنَا فَإِنَّا ظَـلِمُونَ
Our Lord! Our wretchedness overcame us, and we were (an) erring people. Our Lord! Bring us out of this. If ever we return (to evil), then indeed we shall be wrongdoers. (23:106-107)
Allah will not answer them for a time span equivalent to twice the duration of this world. Then He will reply:
اخۡسَوُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ
(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!)
By Allah, the people will not utter a single word after that, and they will merely be in the Fire of Hell, sighing in a high and low tone. Their voices are likened to those of donkeys, which start in a high tone and end in a low tone.
Then Allah will remind them of their sins in this world and how they used to make fun of His believing servants and close friends:
إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنۡ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا امَنَّا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَارۡحَمۡنَا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
فَاتَّخَذۡتُمُوهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا
Verily, there was a party of My servants who used to say:Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy! But you took them for a laughing stock,
meaning, `you made fun of them for calling on Me and praying to Me,'
حَتَّى أَنسَوۡكُمۡ ذِكۡرِي
so much so that they made you forget My remembrance,
means, your hatred for them made you forget what I would do to you.
وَكُنتُم مِّنۡهُمۡ تَضۡحَكُونَ
while you used to laugh at them!
means, at their deeds and worship.
This is like the Ayah:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أَجۡرَمُواۡ كَانُواۡ مِنَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواۡ يَضۡحَكُونَ
وَإِذَا مَرُّواۡ بِهِمۡ يَتَغَامَزُونَ
Verily, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And, whenever they passed by them, used to wink one to another. (83:29-30)
meaning, they used to slander them in mockery.
Then Allah tells us how He will reward His friends and righteous servants, and says
إِنِّي جَزَيۡتُهُمُ الۡيَوۡمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا
Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience;
meaning, `for the harm and mockery that you inflicted on them,
أَنَّهُمۡ هُمُ الۡفَايِزُونَ
they are indeed the ones that are successful.
I have caused them to attain the victory of joy, safety, Paradise and salvation from the Fire.
Allah tells them how much they wasted in their short lives in this world by failing to obey Allah and worship Him Alone. If they had been patient during their short stay in this world, they would have attained victory just like His pious close friends.
قَالَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِي الاۡاَرۡضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ
He will say:What number of years did you stay on earth!
means, how long did you stay in this world.
قَالُوا لَبِثۡنَا يَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٍ فَاسۡأَلۡ الۡعَادِّينَ
They will say:We stayed a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep account.
meaning, those who keep the records
قَالَ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلاَّ قَلِيلًا
He will say:You stayed not but a little...
meaning, it was only a short time, no matter how you look at it.
لَّوۡ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ
if you had only known!
means, you would not have preferred the transient to the eternal, and treated yourself in this bad way, and earned the wrath of Allah in this short period. If you had patiently obeyed Allah and worshipped Him as the believers did, you would have attained victory just as they did.
Allah did not create His Servants in vain
Allah tells
أَفَحَسِبۡتُمۡ أَنَّمَا خَلَقۡنَاكُمۡ عَبَثًا
Did you think that We had created you in play,
means, `did you think that you were created in vain, with no purpose, with nothing required of you and no wisdom on Our part!'
Or it was said that in play meant to play and amuse yourselves, like the animals were created, who have no reward or punishment. But you were created to worship Allah and carry out His commands.
وَأَنَّكُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَاأ تُرۡجَعُونَ
and that you would not be brought back to Us!
means, that you would not be brought back to the Hereafter.
This is like the Ayah:
أَيَحۡسَبُ الاِنسَـنُ أَن يُتۡرَكَ سُدًى
Does man think that he will be left neglected! (75:36
فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الۡمَلِكُ الۡحَقُّ
So Exalted be Allah, the True King.
means, sanctified be He above the idea that he should create anything in vain, for He is the True King Who is far above doing such a thing.
لَاا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الۡعَرۡشِ الۡكَرِيمِ
None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Lord of Al-`Arsh Al-Karim!
The Throne is mentioned because it is the highest point of all creation, and it is described as Karim, meaning beautiful in appearance and splendid in form, as Allah says elsewhere:
أَنبَتۡنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوۡجٍ كَرِيمٍ
every good kind We cause to grow therein. (26:7
Allah says:
وَمَن يَدۡعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا اخَرَ
And whoever invokes besides Allah, any other god,
Shirk is the Worst form of Wrong, its Practitioner shall never succeed. Allah threatens those who associate anything else with Him and worship anything with Him. He informs that those who associate others with Allah:
لَاا بُرۡهَانَ لَهُ
of whom he has no proof,
meaning no evidence for what he says.
Then Allah says:
وَمَن يَدۡعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا اخَرَ لَا بُرۡهَانَ لَهُ
بِهِ
And whoever invokes, besides Allah, any other god, of whom he has no proof;
this is a conditional sentence, whose fulfilling clause is:
فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ
then his reckoning is only with his Lord.
meaning, Allah will call him to account for that.
Then Allah tells us:
إِنَّهُ لَا يُفۡلِحُ الۡكَافِرُونَ
Surely, disbelievers will not be successful.
meaning, they will not be successful with Him on the Day of Resurrection; they will not prosper or be saved
وَقُل
And say:
رَّبِّ اغۡفِرۡ وَارۡحَمۡ وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
My Lord!
Forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of those who show mercy!
Here Allah is teaching us to recite this supplication, for forgiveness, in a general sense, means wiping away sins and concealing them from people, and mercy means guiding a person and helping him to say and do good things.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Mu'minun. All praise and thanks are due to Allah.
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