Az-Zumar 39:29
The Troops · Juz 23 · Page 461
ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا رَّجُلٗا فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُ مُتَشَٰكِسُونَ وَرَجُلٗا سَلَمٗا لِّرَجُلٍ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًاۚ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٩
Allāh presents an example: a man [i.e., slave] owned by quarreling partners and another belonging exclusively to one man - are they equal in comparison? Praise be to Allāh! But most of them do not know.
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 39:24–29
Commentary
Verse أَفَمَن يَتَّقِي بِوَجْهِهِ (Tell Me about the one who tries to save himself from the worst punishment with his face ...) carries a description of the terrifying scenario of Jahannam. If one faces something hurtful in his mortal life, he tries to fight it off by using his hands and feet as defensive shields to protect his face. But, refuge with Allah, the people of Jahannam will not be able to use even their hands and feet to defend themselves. The punishment that comes will fall directly on their faces. Even if he wished to ward off the punishment in defense, he would have no option but to use his very face as the shield, because he would have been thrown in Jahannam with his hands and feet tied. We seek refuge with Allah from such a fate.
Out of the authorities of Tafsir, ` Ata and Ibn Zayd said that a person condemned to Jahannam will have his hands and feet tied before being dragged in there. (Qurtubi)
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39:22
أَفَمَن شَرَحَ ٱللَّهُ صَدۡرَهُۥ لِلۡإِسۡلَٰمِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٖ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۚ فَوَيۡلٞ لِّلۡقَٰسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٍ ٢٢
So is one whose breast Allāh has expanded to [accept] Islām and he is upon [i.e., guided by] a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allāh. Those are in manifest error.
39:23
ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ كِتَٰبٗا مُّتَشَٰبِهٗا مَّثَانِيَ تَقۡشَعِرُّ مِنۡهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّهُمۡ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمۡ وَقُلُوبُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ يَهۡدِي بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنۡ هَادٍ ٢٣
Allāh has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance [i.e., mention] of Allāh. That is the guidance of Allāh by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allāh sends astray - for him there is no guide.
39:24
أَفَمَن يَتَّقِي بِوَجۡهِهِۦ سُوٓءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۚ وَقِيلَ لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ ذُوقُواْ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡسِبُونَ ٢٤
Then is he who will shield with his face1 the worst of the punishment on the Day of Resurrection [like one secure from it]? And it will be said to the wrongdoers, "Taste what you used to earn."
1 translator’s note
- Rather than his hands, which will be chained to his neck. ↩
39:25
كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٢٥
Those before them denied, and punishment came upon them from where they did not perceive.
39:26
فَأَذَاقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخِزۡيَ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٦
So Allāh made them taste disgrace in worldly life. But the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.
39:27
وَلَقَدۡ ضَرَبۡنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٖ لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٧
And We have certainly presented for the people in this Qur’ān from every [kind of] example - that they might remember.
39:28
قُرۡءَانًا عَرَبِيًّا غَيۡرَ ذِي عِوَجٖ لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ ٢٨
[It is] an Arabic Qur’ān, without any deviance1 that they might become righteous.2
39:29
ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا رَّجُلٗا فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُ مُتَشَٰكِسُونَ وَرَجُلٗا سَلَمٗا لِّرَجُلٍ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًاۚ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٩
Allāh presents an example: a man [i.e., slave] owned by quarreling partners and another belonging exclusively to one man - are they equal in comparison? Praise be to Allāh! But most of them do not know.
39:30
إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٞ وَإِنَّهُم مَّيِّتُونَ ٣٠
Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die.
39:31
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمۡ تَخۡتَصِمُونَ ٣١
Then indeed you, on the Day of Resurrection, before your Lord, will dispute.