Al-Mu'minun 23:114
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 349
قَٰلَ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗاۖ لَّوۡ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ١١٤
He will say, "You stayed not but a little - if only you had known.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 23:112–116
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.
قَلَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ
(He will say: "What number of years did you stay on earth") means, how long did you stay in this world
قَالُواْ لَبِثْنَا يَوْماً أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَاسْأَلِ الْعَآدِّينَ
(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 لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً
(He will say: "You stayed not but a little...") meaning, it was only a short time, no matter how you look at it.
لَّوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
(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
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَكُمْ عَبَثاً
(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.
وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ تُرْجَعُونَ
(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:
أَيَحْسَبُ الإِنسَنُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى
(Does man think that he will be left neglected) 75:36
فَتَعَلَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ
(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.
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
(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:
أَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ
(every good kind We cause to grow therein) 26:7.
Page 349
23:105
أَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ ءَايَٰتِي تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَكُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ ١٠٥
[It will be said], "Were not My verses recited to you and you used to deny them?"
23:106
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتۡ عَلَيۡنَا شِقۡوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوۡمٗا ضَآلِّينَ ١٠٦
They will say, "Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray.
23:107
رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡهَا فَإِنۡ عُدۡنَا فَإِنَّا ظَٰلِمُونَ ١٠٧
Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers."
23:108
قَالَ ٱخۡسَـُٔواْ فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ ١٠٨
He will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.
23:109
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَرِيقٞ مِّنۡ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ١٠٩
Indeed, there was a party of My servants who said, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of the merciful.'
23:110
فَٱتَّخَذۡتُمُوهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا حَتَّىٰٓ أَنسَوۡكُمۡ ذِكۡرِي وَكُنتُم مِّنۡهُمۡ تَضۡحَكُونَ ١١٠
But you took them in mockery to the point that they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them.
23:111
إِنِّي جَزَيۡتُهُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ هُمُ ٱلۡفَآئِزُونَ ١١١
Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance - that they are the attainers [of success]."
23:112
قَٰلَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ ١١٢
[Allāh] will say, "How long did you remain on earth in number of years?"
23:113
قَالُواْ لَبِثۡنَا يَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٖ فَسۡـَٔلِ ٱلۡعَآدِّينَ ١١٣
They will say, "We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate."
23:114
قَٰلَ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗاۖ لَّوۡ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ١١٤
He will say, "You stayed not but a little - if only you had known.
23:115
أَفَحَسِبۡتُمۡ أَنَّمَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ عَبَثٗا وَأَنَّكُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَا تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١٥
Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?"
23:116
فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡحَقُّۖ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡكَرِيمِ ١١٦
So exalted is Allāh, the Sovereign,1 the Truth;2 there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.
23:117
وَمَن يَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرۡهَٰنَ لَهُۥ بِهِۦ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ ١١٧
And whoever invokes besides Allāh another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
23:118
وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ وَٱرۡحَمۡ وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ١١٨
And, [O Muḥammad], say, "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy