Az-Zumar 39:15
The Troops · Juz 23 · Page 460
فَٱعۡبُدُواْ مَا شِئۡتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيهِمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۗ أَلَا ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡخُسۡرَانُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٥
So worship what you will besides Him." Say, "Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss."
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 39:13–16
Creating Fear of the Punishment of Allah
Allah `says, say O Muhammad, even though you are the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:'
إِنِّى أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّى عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
(Verily, if I disobey my Lord, I am afraid of the torment of a great Day.) meaning the Day of Resurrection. This is a conditional sentence, and if what is referred to here applies to the Prophet , it applies even more so to others,
قُلِ اللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصاً لَّهُ دِينِى فَاعْبُدُواْ مَا شِئْتُمْ مِّن دُونِهِ
(Say: "Allah Alone I worship by doing religious deeds sincerely for His sake only. So, worship what you like besides Him.") This is also a threat, and a disowning of them.
قُلْ إِنَّ الْخَسِرِينَ
(Say: "The losers...") means, the greatest losers of all,
الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَمَةِ
(are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.) means, they will be separated and will never meet again, whether their families have gone to Paradise and they have gone to Hell, or all of them have gone to Hell, they will never meet or feel happiness again.
أَلاَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ
(Verily, that will be a manifest loss!) means, this is the clearest and most obvious loss. Then He describes their state in the Fire:
لَهُمْ مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِّنَ النَّارِ وَمِن تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ
(They shall have coverings of Fire, above them and covering (of Fire) beneath them.) This is like the Ayat:
لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الظَّلِمِينَ
(Theirs will be a bed of Hell (Fire), and over them coverings (of Hell-fire). Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers) (7:41)
يَوْمَ يَغْشَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ وَيِقُولُ ذُوقُواْ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
(On the Day when the torment (Hell-fire) shall cover them from above them and from underneath their feet, and it will be said: "Taste what you used to do.") (29:55)
ذَلِكَ يُخَوِّفُ اللَّهُ بِهِ عِبَادَهُ
(With this Allah frightens His servants:) means, Allah tells us about this, which will undoubtedly come to pass, to frighten His servants, so that they will keep away from unlawful things and from sin.
يعِبَادِ فَاتَّقُونِ
(O My servants, therefore have Taqwa of Me!) means, `fear My wrath, My anger, My punishment and My vengeance.'
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39:11
قُلۡ إِنِّيٓ أُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَعۡبُدَ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصٗا لَّهُ ٱلدِّينَ ١١
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Indeed, I have been commanded to worship Allāh, [being] sincere to Him in religion.
39:12
وَأُمِرۡتُ لِأَنۡ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ ١٢
And I have been commanded to be the first [among you] of the Muslims."
39:13
قُلۡ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ إِنۡ عَصَيۡتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٖ ١٣
Say, "Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day."
39:14
قُلِ ٱللَّهَ أَعۡبُدُ مُخۡلِصٗا لَّهُۥ دِينِي ١٤
Say, "Allāh [alone] do I worship, sincere to Him in my religion,
39:15
فَٱعۡبُدُواْ مَا شِئۡتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيهِمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۗ أَلَا ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡخُسۡرَانُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٥
So worship what you will besides Him." Say, "Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss."
39:16
لَهُم مِّن فَوۡقِهِمۡ ظُلَلٞ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمِن تَحۡتِهِمۡ ظُلَلٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ يُخَوِّفُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ عِبَادَهُۥۚ يَٰعِبَادِ فَٱتَّقُونِ ١٦
They will have canopies [i.e., layers] of fire above them and below them, canopies. By that Allāh threatens [i.e., warns] His servants. O My servants, then fear Me.
39:17
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَنَبُواْ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَ أَن يَعۡبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰۚ فَبَشِّرۡ عِبَادِ ١٧
But those who have avoided ṭāghūt,1 lest they worship it, and turned back to Allāh - for them are good tidings. So give good tidings to My servants
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Satan or any false object of worship. ↩
39:18
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَمِعُونَ ٱلۡقَوۡلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحۡسَنَهُۥٓۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمۡ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ١٨
Who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allāh has guided, and those are people of understanding.
39:19
أَفَمَنۡ حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِ كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ أَفَأَنتَ تُنقِذُ مَن فِي ٱلنَّارِ ١٩
Then, is one who has deserved the decree of punishment [to be guided]? Then, can you save one who is in the Fire?
39:20
لَٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ رَبَّهُمۡ لَهُمۡ غُرَفٞ مِّن فَوۡقِهَا غُرَفٞ مَّبۡنِيَّةٞ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ لَا يُخۡلِفُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ ٢٠
But those who have feared their Lord - for them are chambers,1 above them chambers built high, beneath which rivers flow. [This is] the promise of Allāh. Allāh does not fail in [His] promise.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., elevated rooms, dwellings or palaces. ↩
39:21
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَسَلَكَهُۥ يَنَٰبِيعَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ثُمَّ يُخۡرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرۡعٗا مُّخۡتَلِفًا أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصۡفَرّٗا ثُمَّ يَجۡعَلُهُۥ حُطَٰمًاۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكۡرَىٰ لِأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٢١
Do you not see that Allāh sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs [and rivers] in the earth; then He produces thereby crops of varying colors; then they dry and you see them turned yellow; then He makes them [scattered] debris. Indeed in that is a reminder for those of understanding.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy