Al-Jathiyah 45:21
The Crouching · Juz 25 · Page 500
أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَرَحُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن نَّجۡعَلَهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ سَوَآءٗ مَّحۡيَاهُمۡ وَمَمَاتُهُمۡۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ ٢١
Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death?1 Evil is that which they judge [i.e., assume].
1 translator’s note
- Another meaning is "...[the evildoers being] equal in their life and their death," i.e., unresponsive to guidance. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Al-Jalalayn
Brief · The traditional first tafsir: a few words per phrase.
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Commentary on 45:21
Or (am has the significance of the [rhetorical] hamza of denial) do those who have perpetrated evil acts, [such as] disbelief and disobedience, suppose that We shall treat them as those who believe and perform righteous deeds, equally (sawā’an is the predicate) in their life and in their death? (mahyāhum wa-mamātuhum, [this clause] constitutes the subject and a supplement; the sentence [itself] is a substitution for the kāf [of ka’lladhīna, ‘as those’], and both [suffixed] pronouns [-hum] refer to the disbelievers). The meaning is: do they suppose that in the Hereafter We will assign them [a] good [fate] like believers, [that they will enjoy] a life of plenty, one equal to their life in this world, as when they said to the believers: ‘Surely if we were to be resurrected, we will be given the same good things that you will be given!’ God, exalted be He, says, in accordance with His denial [implicit] in the [rhetorical interrogative] hamza: How evil is that judgement which they make! In other words, it will not be so, for in the Hereafter they will be [suffering] in the chastisement, in contrast to their lives in this world; the believers, on the other hand, will be [delighting] in the Reward in the Hereafter because of their righteous deeds in this world, such as [their observance of] prayers, [their] alms-giving, fasting and otherwise (the mā, ‘that … which’, relates to the verbal action, that is to say, ba’isa hukman hukmuhum hādhā, ‘awful as a judgement is this judgement of theirs’).
Page 500
45:14
قُل لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَغۡفِرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ أَيَّامَ ٱللَّهِ لِيَجۡزِيَ قَوۡمَۢا بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ١٤
Say, [O Muḥammad], to those who have believed that they [should] forgive those who expect not the days of Allāh [i.e., of His retribution] so that He may recompense a people1 for what they used to earn.
1 translator’s note
- In the Hereafter, where those who forgive will be rewarded and those who earned evil will be punished. This was at the outset of daʿwah (invitation to Allāh) before permission for jihād. ↩
45:15
مَنۡ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا فَلِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَنۡ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيۡهَاۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ ١٥
Whoever does a good deed - it is for himself; and whoever does evil - it is against it [i.e., the self or soul]. Then to your Lord you will be returned.
45:16
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحُكۡمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٦
And We did certainly give the Children of Israel the Scripture and judgement1 and prophethood, and We provided them with good things and preferred them over the worlds.
1 translator’s note
- Understanding of the law. ↩
45:17
وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُم بَيِّنَٰتٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِۖ فَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُوٓاْ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقۡضِي بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ١٧
And We gave them clear proofs of the matter [of religion]. And they did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
45:18
ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ فَٱتَّبِعۡهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٨
Then We put you, [O Muḥammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.
45:19
إِنَّهُمۡ لَن يُغۡنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٖۖ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ ١٩
Indeed, they will never avail you against Allāh at all. And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allāh is the protector of the righteous.
45:20
هَٰذَا بَصَٰٓئِرُ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُوقِنُونَ ٢٠
This [Qur’ān] is enlightenment for mankind and guidance and mercy for a people who are certain [in faith].
45:21
أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَرَحُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن نَّجۡعَلَهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ سَوَآءٗ مَّحۡيَاهُمۡ وَمَمَاتُهُمۡۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ ٢١
Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death?1 Evil is that which they judge [i.e., assume].
1 translator’s note
- Another meaning is "...[the evildoers being] equal in their life and their death," i.e., unresponsive to guidance. ↩
45:22
وَخَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلِتُجۡزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُونَ ٢٢
And Allāh created the heavens and earth in truth and so that every soul may be recompensed for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.