Al-Furqan 25:21
The Criterion · Juz 19 · Page 362
۞ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوۡ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَاۗ لَقَدِ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَعَتَوۡ عُتُوّٗا كَبِيرٗا ٢١
And those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Why were not angels sent down to us, or [why] do we [not] see our Lord?" They have certainly become arrogant within themselves1 and [become] insolent with great insolence.
1 translator’s note
- Additional meanings are "among themselves" and "over [the matter of] themselves." ↩
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 25:21–24
Those who demand, as a precondition, the physical appearance of God and His angels, before they accept a missionary’s message, are not really sincere about it. Frivolous in their attitude, they do not know the implication or meaning of the appearance of God and His angels. The fact is that it is only when the Truth is revealed through a preacher of truth that they will have an opportunity to accept it. The moment Truth shows itself by the appearance of God and His angels, it will be the time for reckoning and judgement, and not the time for acceptance. Many people labour under the misapprehension that on Judgement Day, when God asks them about their deeds, they will escape His verdict by showing off some good deed of theirs and by saying that they have the patronage of some saint or the other. But, on Judgement Day, all this wishful thinking will vanish into thin air, as if a drop of water had fallen on a red hot iron sheet and disappeared. On that Day, only righteous deeds will be of avail, and not false hopes.
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25:21
۞ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوۡ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَاۗ لَقَدِ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَعَتَوۡ عُتُوّٗا كَبِيرٗا ٢١
And those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Why were not angels sent down to us, or [why] do we [not] see our Lord?" They have certainly become arrogant within themselves1 and [become] insolent with great insolence.
1 translator’s note
- Additional meanings are "among themselves" and "over [the matter of] themselves." ↩
25:22
يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ لَا بُشۡرَىٰ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لِّلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجۡرٗا مَّحۡجُورٗا ٢٢
The day they see the angels1 - no good tidings will there be that day for the criminals, and [the angels] will say, "Prevented and inaccessible."2
25:23
وَقَدِمۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنۡ عَمَلٖ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هَبَآءٗ مَّنثُورًا ٢٣
And We will approach [i.e., regard]1 what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.
1 translator’s note
- On the Day of Judgement. ↩
25:24
أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ يَوۡمَئِذٍ خَيۡرٞ مُّسۡتَقَرّٗا وَأَحۡسَنُ مَقِيلٗا ٢٤
The companions of Paradise, that Day, are [in] a better settlement and better resting place.
25:25
وَيَوۡمَ تَشَقَّقُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِٱلۡغَمَٰمِ وَنُزِّلَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ تَنزِيلًا ٢٥
And [mention] the Day when the heaven will split open with [emerging] clouds,1 and the angels will be sent down in successive descent.
1 translator’s note
- Within which are the angels. ↩
25:26
ٱلۡمُلۡكُ يَوۡمَئِذٍ ٱلۡحَقُّ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِۚ وَكَانَ يَوۡمًا عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَسِيرٗا ٢٦
True sovereignty, that Day, is for the Most Merciful. And it will be upon the disbelievers a difficult Day.
25:27
وَيَوۡمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيۡهِ يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي ٱتَّخَذۡتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلٗا ٢٧
And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., followed the Prophet (ﷺ) on a path of guidance. ↩
25:28
يَٰوَيۡلَتَىٰ لَيۡتَنِي لَمۡ أَتَّخِذۡ فُلَانًا خَلِيلٗا ٢٨
Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one1 as a friend.
1 translator’s note
- The person who misguided him. ↩
25:29
لَّقَدۡ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ ٱلذِّكۡرِ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ جَآءَنِيۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ خَذُولٗا ٢٩
He led me away from the remembrance1 after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter."2
25:30
وَقَالَ ٱلرَّسُولُ يَٰرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوۡمِي ٱتَّخَذُواْ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ مَهۡجُورٗا ٣٠
And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur’ān as [a thing] abandoned."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., avoiding it, not listening to or understanding it, not living by it, or preferring something else to it. ↩
25:31
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلۡنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوّٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ هَادِيٗا وَنَصِيرٗا ٣١
And thus have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper.
25:32
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ جُمۡلَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَۖ وَرَتَّلۡنَٰهُ تَرۡتِيلٗا ٣٢
And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur’ān not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.1
1 translator’s note
- Also, "recited it with distinct recitation." ↩