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Ayah
Word by Word
وَلَوۡ
And if
يُؤَاخِذُ
Allah (were to) punish
ٱللَّهُ
Allah (were to) punish
ٱلنَّاسَ
the people
بِمَا
for what
كَسَبُواْ
they have earned
مَا
not
تَرَكَ
He would leave
عَلَىٰ
on
ظَهۡرِهَا
its back
مِن
any
دَآبَّةٖ
creature
وَلَٰكِن
But
يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡ
He gives them respite
إِلَىٰٓ
till
أَجَلٖ
a term
مُّسَمّٗىۖ
appointed
فَإِذَا
And when
جَآءَ
comes
أَجَلُهُمۡ
their term
فَإِنَّ
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
كَانَ
is
بِعِبَادِهِۦ
of His slaves
بَصِيرَۢا
All-Seer
وَلَوۡ
And if
يُؤَاخِذُ
Allah (were to) punish
ٱللَّهُ
Allah (were to) punish
ٱلنَّاسَ
the people
بِمَا
for what
كَسَبُواْ
they have earned
مَا
not
تَرَكَ
He would leave
عَلَىٰ
on
ظَهۡرِهَا
its back
مِن
any
دَآبَّةٖ
creature
وَلَٰكِن
But
يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡ
He gives them respite
إِلَىٰٓ
till
أَجَلٖ
a term
مُّسَمّٗىۖ
appointed
فَإِذَا
And when
جَآءَ
comes
أَجَلُهُمۡ
their term
فَإِنَّ
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
كَانَ
is
بِعِبَادِهِۦ
of His slaves
بَصِيرَۢا
All-Seer
Translation
If Allah were to punish men according to what they deserve. He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His Servants.
Tafsir
Were God to take mankind to task for what they have acquired, of acts of disobedience, He would not leave on its surface, that is, the earth's, a single creature, a single living thing moving thereon. But He reprieves them to an appointed term, namely, [to] the Day of Resurrection. And when their term comes - then truly [they will know that] God is ever Seer of His servants, and so He will requite them according to [the nature of] their deeds, rewarding the believers and punishing the disbelievers.
The Punishment of the Disbeliever and what Their State will be in Hell
Having told us how the blessed will be (in Paradise), Allah now starts to tell us what the state of doomed will be.
He says:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمۡ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لَاا يُقۡضَى عَلَيۡهِمۡ فَيَمُوتُوا
But those who disbelieve, for them will be the fire of Hell. Neither will it have a complete killing effect on them so that they die,
This is like the Ayah:
لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَى
Wherein he will neither die nor live. (20:74)
It was reported in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah said:
أَمَّا أَهۡلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمۡ أَهۡلُهَا فَلَ يَمُوتُونَ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَوۡن
As for the people of Hell who will dwell therein, they will neither live nor die there.
And Allah says:
وَنَادَوۡاۡ يمَـلِكُ لِيَقۡضِ عَلَيۡنَا رَبُّكَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمۡ مَّـكِثُونَ
And they will cry (to the keeper of Hell):O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us.
He will say:Verily, you shall abide forever. (43:77)
When they are in this state, they will think that if only they could die, it would be a time of rest for them, but that can never happen to them.
Allah says:
لَاا يُقۡضَى عَلَيۡهِمۡ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلَاا يُخَفَّفُ عَنۡهُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِهَا
Neither will it have a complete killing effect on them so that they die nor shall its torment be lightened for them.
This is like the Ayat:
إِنَّ الۡمُجۡرِمِينَ فِى عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدُونَ
لَا يُفَتَّرُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَهُمۡ فِيهِ مُبۡلِسُونَ
Verily, the criminals will be in the torment of Hell to abide therein forever. (That) will not be lightened for them, and they will be plunged into destruction with deep regrets, sorrows and in despair therein. (43:74-75)
كُلَّمَا خَبَتۡ زِدۡنَاهُمۡ سَعِيرًا
whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire. (17:97)
and,
فَذُوقُواۡ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمۡ إِلاَّ عَذَاباً
So taste you. No increase shall We give you, except in torment. (78:30)
Then Allah says:
كَذَلِكَ نَجۡزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ
Thus do We requite every disbeliever!
meaning, this is the recompense of everyone who disbelieved in his Lord and denied the truth
وَهُمۡ يَصۡطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا
Therein they will cry,
means, they will call out in the Fire, beseeching Allah with their voices:
رَبَّنَا أَخۡرِجۡنَا نَعۡمَلۡ صَالِحًا غَيۡرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ
Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not that we used to do.
which means, they will ask to go back to the worldly life so that they can do something different to the first deeds they did. But Allah, may He be glorified, knows that if He sent them back to this world, they would go back to what they had been forbidden to do, and He knows that they are lying, so He will not respond to their plea.
This is like the Ayah where Allah tells us that they will say:
فَهَلۡ إِلَى خُرُوجٍ مِّن سَبِيلٍذَلِكُم
بِأَنَّهُ إِذَا دُعِىَ اللَّهُ وَحۡدَهُ كَـفَرۡتُمۡ وَإِن يُشۡرَكۡ بِهِ تُوۡمِنُواۡ
Then is there any way to get out (of the Fire).
(It will be said):This is because, when Allah Alone was invoked you disbelieved (denied), but when partners were joined to Him, you believed! (40:11-12)
i.e., `there will be no response for you because you were like that; if you were to return to this world, you would just go back to that which you had been forbidden to do.'
Allah says here:
أَوَلَمۡ نُعَمِّرۡكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءكُمُ النَّذِيرُ
Did We not give you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition could receive it. And the warner came to you.
meaning, `did you not live for long enough in the world that if you were to be among those who would benefit from the truth, you would have benefited from it during your lifetimes'
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet said:
لَقَدۡ أَعۡذَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَى عَبۡدٍ أَحۡيَاهُ حَتۡى بَلَغَ سِتِّينَ أَوۡ سَبۡعِينَ سَنَةً لَقَدۡ أَعۡذَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيۡهِ لَقَدۡ أَعۡذَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيۡه
Allah has left no excuse for the person who lives to be sixty or seventy years old; Allah has left no excuse for him; Allah has left no excuse for him.
Imam Al-Bukhari also recorded, in the Book of Riqaq in his Sahih, that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, The Messenger of Allah said:
أَعۡذَرَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَى امۡرِىءٍ أَخَّرَ عُمۡرَهُ حَتۡى بَلَغَ سِتِّينَ سَنَة
Allah has left no excuse for a man who reaches the age of sixty.
Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, The Messenger of Allah said:
مَنۡ عَمَّرَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى سِتِّينَ سَنَةً فَقَدۡ أَعۡذَرَ إِلَيۡهِ فِي الۡعُمۡر
Whoever is granted a long life until the age of sixty, Allah has left no excuse for him.
This was also recorded by Imam Ahmad and An-Nasa'i in Ar-Riqaq.
Because this is the age at which Allah removes any excuse from His servants, this is the usual age of people in this Ummah, as was reported in the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, The Messenger of Allah said:
أَعۡمَارُ أُمَّتِي مَا بَيۡنَ السِّتِّينَ إِلَى السَّبۡعِينَ وَأَقَلُّهُمۡ مَنۡ يَجُوزُ ذَلِك
The usual life span in my Ummah is between sixty and seventy years, and only a few pass this age.
This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah in the Book of Zuhd (of his Sunan).
وَجَاءكُمُ النَّذِيرُ
And the warner came to you.
It was reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Ikrimah, Abu Ja`far Al-Baqir, may Allah be pleased with him, Qatadah and Sufyan bin Uyaynah said,
This means grey hair.
As-Suddi and Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,
This means the Messenger of Allah
and Ibn Zayd recited,
هَـذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الاٍّوۡلَى
This is a warner of the (series of) warners of old. (53:56)
This is the correct view according to Shayban who narrated that Qatadah said,
Proof will be established against them by the fact that they lived long enough and that Messengers came to them.
This is also the view favored by Ibn Jarir, and it is the apparent meaning of the Ayah:
وَنَادَوۡاۡ يمَـلِكُ لِيَقۡضِ عَلَيۡنَا رَبُّكَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمۡ مَّـكِثُونَ
لَقَدۡ جِيۡنَـكُم بِالۡحَقِّ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَكُمۡ لِلۡحَقِّ كَـرِهُونَ
And they will cry (to the keeper of Hell):O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us.
He will say:Verily, you shall abide forever.
Indeed We have brought the truth to you, but most of you have a hatred for the truth. (43:77-78)
meaning:`We showed you the truth clearly through the Messengers, but you rejected it and opposed it.'
And Allah says:
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبۡعَثَ رَسُولاً
And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. (17:15)
تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الغَيۡظِ كُلَّمَا أُلۡقِىَ فِيهَا فَوۡجٌ سَأَلَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَأ أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَذِيرٌ
قَالُواۡ بَلَى قَدۡ جَأءَنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبۡنَا وَقُلۡنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِن شَىۡءٍ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلاَّ فِى ضَلَـلٍ كَبِيرٍ
Every time a group is cast therein, its keepers will ask:Did no warner come to you?
They will say:Yes, indeed a warner did come to us, but we denied him and said:`Allah never sent down anything; you are only in great error'. (67:8-9)
فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ
So taste you. For the wrongdoers there is no helper.
means, `taste the punishment of the Fire, as a recompense for your going against the Prophets in all your deeds, for today you will have no helper to save you from your fate of punishment and chains.
Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَالِمُ غَيۡبِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ
إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of the Unseen of the heavens and the earth. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that is in the breasts.
Here Allah tells us that He knows the unseen in the heavens and earth, and that He knows all that is hidden and the secrets of the hearts.
And He tells us that He will reward or punish everyone according to his deeds.
Then Allah says
هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمۡ خَلَيِفَ فِي الاَۡرۡضِ
He it is Who has made you successors generations after generations in the earth,
meaning, all people succeed one another, generation after generation.
This is like the Ayah:
وَيَجۡعَلُكُمۡ حُلَفَأءَ الاٌّرۡضِ
and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations. (27:62)
فَمَن كَفَرَ فَعَلَيۡهِ كُفۡرُهُ
so whosoever disbelieves, on him will be his disbelief.
means, he and no one else will have to bear the consequences of that.
وَلَا يَزِيدُ الۡكَافِرِينَ كُفۡرُهُمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلاَّ مَقۡتًا
And the disbelief of the disbelievers adds nothing but hatred of their Lord.
means, the longer they persist in their disbelief, the more Allah hates them, and the longer they persist in it, the more they and their families will lose on the Day of Resurrection.
وَلَا يَزِيدُ الۡكَافِرِينَ كُفۡرُهُمۡ إِلاَّ خَسَارًا
And the disbelief of the disbelievers adds nothing but loss.
This is in contrast to the believers, for the longer they live and do good deeds, the higher their status in Paradise will be, the greater their reward, and the more beloved they will be to their Creator
The Helplessness of the false gods and the Power of Allah
Allah tells His Messenger to say to the idolators:
قُلۡ أَرَأَيۡتُمۡ شُرَكَاءكُمُ الَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ
Say:Have you considered your partners whom you call upon besides Allah,
i.e. the idols and rivals.
أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الاَۡرۡضِ أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شِرۡكٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ
Show Me what they have created of the earth. Or have they any share in the heavens!
meaning, they have nothing at all of that, they do not possess even the membrane covering the stone of a date.
أَمۡ اتَيۡنَاهُمۡ كِتَابًا فَهُمۡ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنۡهُ
Or have We given them a Book, so that they act on clear proof therefrom!
meaning, `have We revealed to them a Book on which they base their Shirk and disbelief?'
This is not the case at all.
بَلۡ إِن يَعِدُ الظَّالِمُونَ بَعۡضُهُم بَعۡضًا إِلاَّ غُرُورًا
Nay, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusions.
means, they are merely following their own whims, opinions and wishes which are their personal desires, and they are no more than misguidance and falsehood.
Then Allah tells us of His mighty power, by which the heavens and the earth stand by His command, and the forces that He has placed between them to hold them.
He says
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمۡسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضَ أَن تَزُولَا
Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places,
means, lest they should shift from where they are.
This is like the Ayat:
وَيُمۡسِكُ السَّمَأءَ أَن تَقَعَ عَلَى الاٌّرۡضِ إِلاَّ بِإِذۡنِهِ
He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except by His leave. (22:65)
and,
وَمِنۡ ءَايَـتِهِ أَن تَقُومَ السَّمَأءُ وَالاٌّرۡضُ بِأَمۡرِهِ
And among His signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His command. (30:25)
وَلَيِن زَالَتَا إِنۡ أَمۡسَكَهُمَا مِنۡ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعۡدِهِ
and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him.
means, no one can make them stay and preserve them except Him.
He is Ever Most Forbearing and Oft-Forgiving because He sees His servants disbelieving in Him and disobeying Him, yet He is patient and gives them time, He waits and does not hasten the punishment, and He conceals the faults of others and forgives them.
He says:
إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving
They longed for a Warner to come, but when He came, They disbelieved in Him
Allah tells;
وَأَقۡسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَانِهِمۡ
And they swore by Allah their most binding oath
Allah tells us how Quraysh and the Arabs swore by Allah their most binding oath before the Messenger came to them,
لَيِن جَاءهُمۡ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهۡدَى مِنۡ إِحۡدَى الاُۡمَمِ
that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations;
i.e., than any of the nations to whom Messengers had been sent.
This was the view of Ad-Dahhak and others.
This is like the Ayat:
أَن تَقُولُواۡ إِنَّمَأ أُنزِلَ الۡكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَأيِفَتَيۡنِ مِن قَبۡلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمۡ لَغَـفِلِينَ
أَوۡ تَقُولُواۡ لَوۡ أَنَّأ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا الۡكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّأ أَهۡدَى مِنۡهُمۡ فَقَدۡ جَأءَكُمۡ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَهُدًى وَرَحۡمَةٌ فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِأيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنۡهَا
Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say:The Book was sent down only to two sects before us, and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied.
Or lest you should say:If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they.
So, now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy. Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat of Allah and turns away therefrom! (6:156-157)
وَإِن كَانُواۡ لَيَقُولُونَ
لَوۡ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكۡراً مِّنَ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الۡمُخۡلَصِينَ
فَكَفَرُواۡ بِهِ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ
And indeed they (Arab pagans) used to say:If we had a reminder as had the men of old, We would have indeed been the chosen servants of Allah! But they disbelieve therein, so they will come to know! (37:167-170)
Allah says:
فَلَمَّا جَاءهُمۡ نَذِيرٌ
yet when a warner came to them, --
meaning, Muhammad with the Book revealed to him, i.e., the Clear Qur'an,
مَّا زَادَهُمۡ إِلاَّا نُفُورًا
it increased in them nothing but flight (from the truth).
means, they only increased in their disbelief.
Then Allah explains this further
اسۡتِكۡبَارًا فِي الاَۡرۡضِ
(They took to flight because of their) arrogance in the land,
means, they were too arrogant to follow the signs of Allah.
وَمَكۡرَ السَّيِّيِ
and their plotting of evil.
means, they plotted to prevent people from following the path of Allah.
وَلَا يَحِيقُ الۡمَكۡرُ السَّيِّيُ إِلاَّ بِأَهۡلِهِ
But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it.
means, the evil consequences of that will come back upon them and not on others.
فَهَلۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ سُنَّتَ الاَۡوَّلِينَ
Then, can they expect anything (else) but the Sunnah (way of dealing) of the peoples of old,
meaning, the punishment of Allah for disbelieving in His Messengers and going against His command.
فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبۡدِيلً
and no turning off will you find in Allah's Sunnah.
means, it does not change or alter, and this is what happens to every disbeliever.
وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحۡوِيلً
and no turning off will you find in Allah's Sunnah.
means,
وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوۡمٍ سُوءًا فَلَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ
But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it. (13:11)
This means, no one can remove that from them or ward it off from them.
And Allah knows best
Remember the Bad Consequences of disbelieving in the Prophets
Allah says:
أَوَلَمۡ يَسِيرُوا فِي الاَۡرۡضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ وَكَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنۡهُمۡ قُوَّةً
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعۡجِزَهُ مِن شَيۡءٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الاَۡرۡضِ
Have they not traveled in the land, and seen what was the end of those before them -- though they were superior to them in power! Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or in the earth escapes Him.
Allah says:`say, O Muhammad, to these people who disbelieve the Message you have brought:
travel in the land and see what was the punishment of those who disbelieved the Messengers, how Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (end awaits) the disbelievers. See how their homes were emptied of them and how they lost everything after living in luxury and being so numerous and so well equipped, and having so much wealth and so many children. All of that was of no avail to them and could not protect them in the slightest from the punishment of Allah when the command of the Lord came. Nothing is impossible for Him when He wants it to happen in the heavens or on earth.'
إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيمًا قَدِيرًا
Verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Able.
means, He knows all that exists and is able to do all things.
The Wisdom behind delaying the Punishment
Then Allah says
وَلَوۡ يُوَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَى ظَهۡرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ
And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth;
meaning, if He were to punish them for all of their sins, He would destroy all the people of the earth and all that they own of livestock and crops.
Sa`id bin Jubayr and As-Suddi commented on the Ayah:
مَا تَرَكَ عَلَى ظَهۡرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ
(He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth),
This means, He would have stopped sending rain to them, and all the animals would have died as a result.
وَلَكِن يُوَخِّرُهُمۡ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى
but He gives them respite to an appointed term,
means, but He is delaying until the Day of Resurrection, when He will bring them to account and will reward or punish each one according to his deeds:He will reward those who obeyed Him and will punish those who disobeyed Him.
He says:
فَإِذَا جَاء أَجَلُهُمۡ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًا
and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His servants.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Fatir. All praise and gratitude is due to Allah.
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