Al-Mu'minun 23:100
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 348
لَعَلِّيٓ أَعۡمَلُ صَٰلِحٗا فِيمَا تَرَكۡتُۚ كـَلَّآۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَاۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرۡزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ١٠٠
That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."1 No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.
1 translator’s note
- Or "in that which I neglected." ↩
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Commentary on 23:100
كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
Never! It is just a word he has to utter. And in front of them there is a barrier till the day when they will be resurrected. (23:100)
The word بَرْزَخٌ (Barzakh) means "barrier" and implies anything which intervenes between two conditions or two objects. For this reason it also means the intervening period between death and the Day of Judgment. The meaning of this verse is that the wish of the infidel who has died to be returned to this world is fruitless, because he has reached the Barzakh from which no return is possible and a second life cannot be given until the Day of Resurrection, when all the dead will rise and be brought back to life.
Page 348
23:90
بَلۡ أَتَيۡنَٰهُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ ٩٠
Rather, We have brought them the truth, and indeed they are liars.
23:91
مَا ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٖ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُۥ مِنۡ إِلَٰهٍۚ إِذٗا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَٰهِۭ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖۚ سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ٩١
Allāh has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. [If there had been], then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have [sought to] overcome others. Exalted is Allāh above what they describe [concerning Him].
23:92
عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٩٢
[He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, so high is He above what they associate [with Him].
23:93
قُل رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّي مَا يُوعَدُونَ ٩٣
Say, [O Muḥammad], "My Lord, if You should show me that which they are promised,
23:94
رَبِّ فَلَا تَجۡعَلۡنِي فِي ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٩٤
My Lord, then do not place me among the wrongdoing people."
23:95
وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمۡ لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٩٥
And indeed, We are Able to show you what We have promised them.
23:96
ٱدۡفَعۡ بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَۚ نَحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ ٩٦
Repel, by [means of] what is best, [their] evil. We are most knowing of what they describe.
23:97
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنۡ هَمَزَٰتِ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ ٩٧
And say, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils,
23:98
وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحۡضُرُونِ ٩٨
And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they be present with me."
23:99
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرۡجِعُونِ ٩٩
[For such is the state of the disbelievers] until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back
23:100
لَعَلِّيٓ أَعۡمَلُ صَٰلِحٗا فِيمَا تَرَكۡتُۚ كـَلَّآۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَاۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرۡزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ١٠٠
That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."1 No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.
1 translator’s note
- Or "in that which I neglected." ↩
23:101
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَلَآ أَنسَابَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَلَا يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ١٠١
So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another.
23:102
فَمَن ثَقُلَتۡ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ١٠٢
And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] - it is they who are the successful.
23:103
وَمَنۡ خَفَّتۡ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدُونَ ١٠٣
But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally.
23:104
تَلۡفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ وَهُمۡ فِيهَا كَٰلِحُونَ ١٠٤
The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles.1
1 translator’s note
- Their lips having been contracted by scorching until the teeth are exposed. ↩