Qaf 50:29
The Letter "Qaf" · Juz 26 · Page 519
مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ لَدَيَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمٖ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ ٢٩
The word [i.e., decree] will not be changed with Me, and never will I be unjust to the servants."
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 50:23–29
The Angel will bear Witness; Allah commands that the Disbeliever be thrown into the Fire
Allah the Exalted states that the scribe angel, who is entrusted with recording the deeds of mankind, will testify against him or her about the deeds he or she did on the Day of Resurrection. He will say,
هَذَا مَا لَدَىَّ عَتِيدٌ
("Here is (his record) ready with me!"), here it is prepared and completed without addition or deletion. This is when Allah the Exalted will judge the creation with fairness, saying,
أَلْقِيَا فِى جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
(Both of you throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever.) It appears that Allah will say these words to the Sa'iq and Shahid angels; the Sa'iq drove him to the grounds where Reckoning is held and the Shahid testified. Allah the Exalted will order them to throw him in the fire of Jahannam, and worse it is as a destination,
أَلْقِيَا فِى جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
(Both of you throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever.) meaning, whose disbelief and denial of truth was horrendous, who used to stubbornly reject the truth, knowingly contradicting it with falsehood,
مَّنَّعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ
(Hinderer of good,) meaning for he did not fulfill the duties he was ordered, nor was he dutiful, keeping ties to kith and kin nor giving charity,
مُعْتَدٍ
(transgressor,) meaning, he transgresses the limits in spending. Qatadah commented, "He is a transgressor in his speech, behavior and affairs." Allah said,
مُرِيبٍ
(doubter,) meaning, he doubts and raises doubts in those who scrutinize his behavior,
الَّذِى جَعَلَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهاً ءَاخَرَ
(who set up another god with Allah.) meaning, he associated others with Allah and worshipped others besides Him,
فَأَلْقِيَهُ فِى الْعَذَابِ الشَّدِيدِ
(Then both of you cast him in the severe torment.) Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Prophet said,
«يَخْرُجُ عُنُقٌ مِنَ النَّارِ يَتَكَلَّمُ يَقُولُ: وُكِّلْتُ الْيَوْمَ بِثَلَاثَةٍ: بِكُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ، وَمَنْ جَعَلَ مَعَ اللهِ إِلهًا آخَرَ، وَمَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ، فَتَنْطَوِي عَلَيْهِمْ فَتَقْذِفُهُمْ فِي غَمَرَاتِ جَهَنَّم»
(A neck from the Fire will appear and will speak saying, "Today, I have been entrusted with three: Every obstinate tyrant, everyone who ascribed another god with Allah, and he who took a life without right." The neck will then close in on them and throw them in the midst of Jahannam.)"
Man and Devil dispute before Allah
Allah's saying;
قَالَ قرِينُهُ
(His companion will say), refers to the devil who is entrusted to every man, according to `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and several othes. He will say,
رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطْغَيْتُهُ
(Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression,) meaning, the devil will say this about the human who came on the Day of Resurrection as a disbeliever. The devil will disown him, saying,
رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطْغَيْتُهُ
(Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression) meaning, "I did not lead him astray,"
وَلَكِن كَانَ فِى ضَلَلٍ بَعِيدٍ
(but he was himself in error far astray.) meaning, he himself was misguided, accepting falsehood and stubborn to the truth. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said in another Ayah,
وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّن سُلْطَنٍ إِلاَّ أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِى فَلاَ تَلُومُونِى وَلُومُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ مَّآ أَنَاْ بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَآ أَنتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِىَّ إِنِّى كَفَرْتُ بِمَآ أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ إِنَّ الظَّلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
(And Shaytan will say when the matter has been decided: "Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me as a partner with Allah. Verily, there is a painful torment for the wrongdoers.") (14:22) Allah the Exalted said,
قَالَ لاَ تَخْتَصِمُواْ لَدَىَّ
((Allah) will say: "Dispute not in front of Me.") The Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored will say this to the man and his devil companion, who will be disputing before Him. The man will say, "O, Lord! This devil has misguided me away from the Remembrance after it came to me," while the devil will declare,
رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطْغَيْتُهُ وَلَكِن كَانَ فِى ضَلَلٍ بَعِيدٍ
(Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression, but he was himself in error far astray.) from the path of truth. The Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored will say to them,
لاَ تَخْتَصِمُواْ لَدَىَّ
(Dispute not in front of Me,) or `before Me,'
وَقَدْ قَدَّمْتُ إِلَيْكُم بِالْوَعِيدِ
(I had already in advance sent you the threat.) `I have given you sufficient proof by the words of the Messengers, and I have sent down the Divine Books; the evidences, signs and proofs have thus been established against you,'
مَا يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوْلُ لَدَىَّ
(The Sentence that comes from Me cannot be changed, ) "I have made My decision," according to the explanation of Mujahid,
وَمَآ أَنَاْ بِظَلَّمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
(And I am not unjust to the servants.) `I will not punish anyone, except on account of their sins after the proof has been established against them.'
Page 519
50:16
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ وَنَعۡلَمُ مَا تُوَسۡوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفۡسُهُۥۖ وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ ٱلۡوَرِيدِ ١٦
And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer1 to him than [his] jugular vein.
1 translator’s note
- In absolute knowledge of everything about him. "We" has also been interpreted to mean the angels who are mentioned in the following verse. ↩
50:17
إِذۡ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلۡمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٞ ١٧
When the two receivers [i.e., recording angels] receive,1 seated on the right and on the left.
1 translator’s note
- And record each word and deed. ↩
50:18
مَّا يَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيۡهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٞ ١٨
He [i.e., man] utters no word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
50:19
وَجَآءَتۡ سَكۡرَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنۡهُ تَحِيدُ ١٩
And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.
50:20
وَنُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡوَعِيدِ ٢٠
And the Horn will be blown. That is the Day of [carrying out] the threat.
50:21
وَجَآءَتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ مَّعَهَا سَآئِقٞ وَشَهِيدٞ ٢١
And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., one angel driving the soul to the Judgement and one to testify as to its deeds. ↩
50:22
لَّقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٞ ٢٢
[It will be said], "You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover,1 so your sight, this Day, is sharp."
1 translator’s note
- Of heedlessness, or that which had sealed your hearing, your vision and your heart from guidance. ↩
50:23
وَقَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ هَٰذَا مَا لَدَيَّ عَتِيدٌ ٢٣
And his companion, [the angel], will say, "This [record] is what is with me, prepared."
50:24
أَلۡقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٖ ٢٤
[Allāh will say], "Throw into Hell every obstinate disbeliever,
50:25
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٖ مُّرِيبٍ ٢٥
Preventer of good, aggressor, and doubter,
50:26
ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَأَلۡقِيَاهُ فِي ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلشَّدِيدِ ٢٦
Who made [as equal] with Allāh another deity; then throw him into the severe punishment."
50:27
۞ قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطۡغَيۡتُهُۥ وَلَٰكِن كَانَ فِي ضَلَٰلِۭ بَعِيدٖ ٢٧
His [devil] companion will say, "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error."
50:28
قَالَ لَا تَخۡتَصِمُواْ لَدَيَّ وَقَدۡ قَدَّمۡتُ إِلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡوَعِيدِ ٢٨
[Allāh] will say, "Do not dispute before Me, while I had already presented to you the threat [i.e., warning].
50:29
مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ لَدَيَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمٖ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ ٢٩
The word [i.e., decree] will not be changed with Me, and never will I be unjust to the servants."
50:30
يَوۡمَ نَقُولُ لِجَهَنَّمَ هَلِ ٱمۡتَلَأۡتِ وَتَقُولُ هَلۡ مِن مَّزِيدٖ ٣٠
On the Day We will say to Hell, "Have you been filled?" and it will say, "Are there some more,"
50:31
وَأُزۡلِفَتِ ٱلۡجَنَّةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ غَيۡرَ بَعِيدٍ ٣١
And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far,
50:32
هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٖ ٣٢
[It will be said], "This is what you were promised - for every returner [to Allāh] and keeper [of His covenant].
50:33
مَّنۡ خَشِيَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَجَآءَ بِقَلۡبٖ مُّنِيبٍ ٣٣
Who feared the Most Merciful in the unseen and came with a heart returning [in repentance].
50:34
ٱدۡخُلُوهَا بِسَلَٰمٖۖ ذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡخُلُودِ ٣٤
Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity."
50:35
لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيۡنَا مَزِيدٞ ٣٥
They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy