As-Sajdah 32:21
The Prostration · Juz 21 · Page 417
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢١
And We will surely let them taste the nearer punishment1 short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will return [i.e., repent].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the disasters and calamities of this world. ↩
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Commentary on 32:18–22
The Believer and the Rebellious are not equal
Allah tells us that in His justice and generosity, on the Day of Judgement He will not judge those who believed in His signs and followed His Messengers, in the same way as He will judge those who rebelled, disobeyed Him and rejected the Messengers sent by Allah to them. This is like the Ayat:
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُواْ السَّيِّئَتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ سَوَآءً مَّحْيَهُمْ وَمَمَتُهُمْ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
(Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous good deeds, in their present life and after their death Worst is the judgement that they make.) (45:21),
أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ
(Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous good deeds as corruptors on earth Or shall We treat those who have Taqwa as the wicked) (38:28)
لاَ يَسْتَوِى أَصْحَبُ النَّارِ وَأَصْحَبُ الْجَنَّةِ
(Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise...) (59:20). Allah says:
أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤْمِناً كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقاً لاَّ يَسْتَوُونَ
(Is then he who is a believer like him who is a rebellious Not equal are they. ) i.e., before Allah on the Day of Resurrection. `Ata' bin Yasar, As-Suddi and others mentioned that this was revealed concerning `Ali bin Abi Talib and `Uqbah bin Abi Mu`it. Hence Allah has judged between them when He said:
أَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ
(As for those who believe and do righteous good deeds,) meaning, their hearts believed in the signs of Allah, and they did as the signs of Allah dictate, i.e. righteous good deeds.
فَلَهُمْ جَنَّتُ الْمَأْوَى
(for them are Gardens of Abode) i.e., in which there are dwellings and houses and lofty apartments.
نُزُلاً
(as an entertainment) means, something to welcome and honor a guest,
بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَوَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فَسَقُواْ
(for what they used to do. And as for those who rebel,) means, those who disobeyed Allah, their dwelling place will be the Fire, and every time they want to escape from it, they will be thrown back in, as Allah says:
كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُواْ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُواْ فِيهَا
(Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein) (22:22). Al-Fudayl bin `Iyad said: "By Allah, their hands will be tied, their feet will be chained, the flames will lift them up and the angels will strike them.
وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّذِي كُنتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ
(and it will be said to them: "Taste you the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.")" means, this will be said to them by way of rebuke and chastisement.
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الاٌّدْنَى دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الاٌّكْبَرِ
(And verily, We will make them taste of the near lighter torment prior to the greater torment,) Ibn `Abbas said, "The near torment means diseases and problems in this world, and the things that happen to its people as a test from Allah to His servants so that they will repent to Him." Something similar was also narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Al-Hasan, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, `Alqamah, `Atiyah, Mujahid, Qatadah, `Abd Al-Karim Al-Jazari and Khusayf.
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بَِايَتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَآ
(And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat of his Lord, then turns aside therefrom) means, there is no one who does more wrong than the one whom Allah reminds of His signs and explains them to him clearly, then after that he neglects and ignores them, and turns away from them, forgetting them as if he does not know them. Qatadah said: "Beware of turning away from the remembrance of Allah, for whoever turns away from remembering Him will be the most misguided and the most in need, and the most guilty of sin." Allah says, warning the one who does that:
إِنَّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ
(Verily, We shall exact retribution from the criminals.) meaning, `We shall avenge Ourselves on those who do that in the strongest possible terms.'
Page 417
32:21
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢١
And We will surely let them taste the nearer punishment1 short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will return [i.e., repent].
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the disasters and calamities of this world. ↩
32:22
وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ ثُمَّ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهَآۚ إِنَّا مِنَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ ٢٢
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.
32:23
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ فَلَا تَكُن فِي مِرۡيَةٖ مِّن لِّقَآئِهِۦۖ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هُدٗى لِّبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٢٣
And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture, so do not be in doubt over his meeting.1 And We made it [i.e., the Torah] guidance for the Children of Israel.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Muḥammad's meeting Moses on the night of al-Miʿrāj (ascent). ↩
32:24
وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَئِمَّةٗ يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْۖ وَكَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ ٢٤
And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.
32:25
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفۡصِلُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٢٥
Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
32:26
أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لَهُمۡ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ يَمۡشُونَ فِي مَسَٰكِنِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٍۚ أَفَلَا يَسۡمَعُونَ ٢٦
Has it not become clear to them how many generations We destroyed before them, [as] they walk among their dwellings? Indeed in that are signs; then do they not hear?
32:27
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلۡمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡجُرُزِ فَنُخۡرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرۡعٗا تَأۡكُلُ مِنۡهُ أَنۡعَٰمُهُمۡ وَأَنفُسُهُمۡۚ أَفَلَا يُبۡصِرُونَ ٢٧
Have they not seen that We drive water [in clouds] to barren land and bring forth thereby crops from which their livestock eat and [they] themselves? Then do they not see?
32:28
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡفَتۡحُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٢٨
And they say, "When will be this conquest,1 if you should be truthful?"
1 translator’s note
- Or "decision," i.e., judgement. ↩
32:29
قُلۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَتۡحِ لَا يَنفَعُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنُهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنظَرُونَ ٢٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "On the Day of Conquest the belief of those who had disbelieved will not benefit them, nor will they be reprieved."
32:30
فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ وَٱنتَظِرۡ إِنَّهُم مُّنتَظِرُونَ ٣٠
So turn away from them and wait. Indeed, they are waiting.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy