بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Hijr 15:1
The Rocky Tract · Juz 14 · Page 262
الٓرۚ تِلۡكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَقُرۡءَانٖ مُّبِينٖ ١
Alif, Lām, Rā.1 These are the verses of the Book and a clear Qur’ān [i.e., recitation].
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
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Commentary on 15:1–3
Al-Hijr was revealed in Makkah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Disbelievers will someday wish that They had been Muslims
We have already discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs. Allah said:
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
(How much would those who disbelieved wish) Here Allah tells us that they will regret having lived in disbelief, and will wish that they had been Muslims in this world. Regarding Allah's saying,
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ كَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ
(How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims.) Sufyan Ath-Thawri reported from Salamah bin Kuhayl, who reported from Abi Az-Za`ra', from `Abdullah, who said: "This is about the Jahannamiyyun (the sinners among the believers who will stay in Hell for some time), when they the disbelievers see them being brought out of Hell."
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ كَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ
(How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims.) Ibn Jarir reported that Ibn `Abbas and Anas bin Malik explained that this Ayah refers to the Day when Allah will detain the sinful Muslims in Hell along with the idolators. He said: "The idolators will say to them, `What you used to worship on earth has not helped you.' Then by virtue of His mercy, Allah will be angry for their sake, and He will remove them from it. That is when
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ كَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ
(How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims)."
ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُواْ وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ
(Leave them to eat and enjoy) this is a stern and definitive threat for them, like His saying,
قُلْ تَمَتَّعُواْ فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ
(Say: "Enjoy your brief life! But certainly, your destination is the Fire!") 14:30
كُلُواْ وَتَمَتَّعُواْ قَلِيلاً إِنَّكُمْ مُّجْرِمُونَ
((O disbelievers!) Eat and enjoy yourselves (in this worldly life) for a little while. Verily, you are the guilty.)77:46 Allah says:
وَيُلْهِهِمُ الاٌّمَلُ
(let them be preoccupied with false hope.) i.e., distracted from repentance and turning to Allah, for
فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
(They will soon come to know!) that is, their punishment.
Page 262
15:1
الٓرۚ تِلۡكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَقُرۡءَانٖ مُّبِينٖ ١
Alif, Lām, Rā.1 These are the verses of the Book and a clear Qur’ān [i.e., recitation].
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
15:2
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡ كَانُواْ مُسۡلِمِينَ ٢
Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish1 that they had been Muslims.
1 translator’s note
- On the Day of Judgement or at the time of death. ↩
15:3
ذَرۡهُمۡ يَأۡكُلُواْ وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ وَيُلۡهِهِمُ ٱلۡأَمَلُۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣
Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know.
15:4
وَمَآ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَرۡيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ٤
And We did not destroy any city but that for it was a known decree.
15:5
مَّا تَسۡبِقُ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسۡتَـٔۡخِرُونَ ٥
No nation will precede its term, nor will they remain thereafter.
15:6
وَقَالُواْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلذِّكۡرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجۡنُونٞ ٦
And they say, "O you upon whom the message has been sent down, indeed you are mad.1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "possessed by jinn." ↩
15:7
لَّوۡمَا تَأۡتِينَا بِٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ ٧
Why do you not bring us the angels, if you should be among the truthful?"
15:8
مَا نُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوٓاْ إِذٗا مُّنظَرِينَ ٨
We do not send down the angels except with truth;1 and they [i.e., the disbelievers] would not then be reprieved.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., with a message or, as the conclusion of the verse suggests, to carry out a promised punishment. ↩
15:9
إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ ٩
Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur’ān], and indeed, We will be its guardian.
15:10
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٠
And We had certainly sent [messengers] before you, [O Muḥammad], among the sects of the former peoples.
15:11
وَمَا يَأۡتِيهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ١١
And no messenger would come to them except that they ridiculed him.
15:12
كَذَٰلِكَ نَسۡلُكُهُۥ فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ١٢
Thus do We insert it [i.e., denial] into the hearts of the criminals.
15:13
لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَقَدۡ خَلَتۡ سُنَّةُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٣
They will not believe in it, while there has already occurred the precedent of the former peoples.
15:14
وَلَوۡ فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم بَابٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَظَلُّواْ فِيهِ يَعۡرُجُونَ ١٤
And [even] if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they continued therein to ascend,
15:15
لَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتۡ أَبۡصَٰرُنَا بَلۡ نَحۡنُ قَوۡمٞ مَّسۡحُورُونَ ١٥
They would say, "Our eyes have only been dazzled. Rather, we are a people affected by magic."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy