Fussilat 41:21
Explained in Detail · Juz 24 · Page 479
وَقَالُواْ لِجُلُودِهِمۡ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمۡ عَلَيۡنَاۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَنطَقَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖۚ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمۡ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ٢١
And they will say to their skins, "Why have you testified against us?" They will say, "We were made to speak by Allāh, who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time, and to Him you are returned.
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Commentary on 41:19–24
It is stated in the Quran that on the Day of Judgement a man’s skin, ears, eyes and limbs will testify to his deeds. The theory of ‘skin speech’ of modern times has established the feasibility of such a happening. It has now been discovered that every utterance a man makes is recorded on the skin of his body and that it can be heard once again, just like a voice recorded by mechanical devices. Since God is not visible, man carries the impression that God does not see him. This misunderstanding gives rise to arrogance in man. But if a man realises that he is being observed by God at all times, his whole behaviour will change. In the Hereafter, when he finally stands before God, man will express sentiments of obedience, but this will be of no avail, because obedience or submission has value or credibility only if it is practised at the ‘unseen stage’ and not after reality has been unveiled for all to see.
Page 479
41:21
وَقَالُواْ لِجُلُودِهِمۡ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمۡ عَلَيۡنَاۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَنطَقَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖۚ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمۡ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ٢١
And they will say to their skins, "Why have you testified against us?" They will say, "We were made to speak by Allāh, who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time, and to Him you are returned.
41:22
وَمَا كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَتِرُونَ أَن يَشۡهَدَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ سَمۡعُكُمۡ وَلَآ أَبۡصَٰرُكُمۡ وَلَا جُلُودُكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن ظَنَنتُمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَعۡلَمُ كَثِيرٗا مِّمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٢
And you were not covering [i.e., protecting] yourselves,1 lest your hearing testify against you or your sight or your skins, but you assumed that Allāh does not know much of what you do.
1 translator’s note
- With righteousness or by fearing Allāh. ↩
41:23
وَذَٰلِكُمۡ ظَنُّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي ظَنَنتُم بِرَبِّكُمۡ أَرۡدَىٰكُمۡ فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٢٣
And that was your assumption which you assumed about your Lord. It has brought you to ruin, and you have become among the losers."
41:24
فَإِن يَصۡبِرُواْ فَٱلنَّارُ مَثۡوٗى لَّهُمۡۖ وَإِن يَسۡتَعۡتِبُواْ فَمَا هُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُعۡتَبِينَ ٢٤
So [even] if they are patient, the Fire is a residence for them; and if they ask to appease [Allāh], they will not be of those who are allowed to appease.
41:25
۞ وَقَيَّضۡنَا لَهُمۡ قُرَنَآءَ فَزَيَّنُواْ لَهُم مَّا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَحَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ فِيٓ أُمَمٖ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ خَٰسِرِينَ ٢٥
And We appointed for them companions1 who made attractive to them what was before them and what was behind them [of sin], and the word [i.e., decree] has come into effect upon them among nations which had passed on before them of jinn and men. Indeed, they [all] were losers.
1 translator’s note
- In this world among the evil jinn and men. ↩
41:26
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَا تَسۡمَعُواْ لِهَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ وَٱلۡغَوۡاْ فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَغۡلِبُونَ ٢٦
And those who disbelieve say, "Do not listen to this Qur’ān and speak noisily1 during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome."
1 translator’s note
- Other meanings include "speak improperly" and/or "make a clamor." The purpose of this was to prevent the hearing or understanding of the Qur’ān. ↩
41:27
فَلَنُذِيقَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ عَذَابٗا شَدِيدٗا وَلَنَجۡزِيَنَّهُمۡ أَسۡوَأَ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٧
But We will surely cause those who disbelieve to taste a severe punishment, and We will surely recompense them for the worst of what they had been doing.
41:28
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ أَعۡدَآءِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّارُۖ لَهُمۡ فِيهَا دَارُ ٱلۡخُلۡدِ جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجۡحَدُونَ ٢٨
That is the recompense of the enemies of Allāh - the Fire. For them therein is the home of eternity as recompense for what they, of Our verses, were rejecting.
41:29
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَرِنَا ٱلَّذَيۡنِ أَضَلَّانَا مِنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِ نَجۡعَلۡهُمَا تَحۡتَ أَقۡدَامِنَا لِيَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلۡأَسۡفَلِينَ ٢٩
And those who disbelieved will [then] say, "Our Lord, show us those who misled us of the jinn and men [so] we may put them under our feet1 that they will be among the lowest."
1 translator’s note
- In the lowest depths of Hell. Or "that we may step on them" in revenge. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy