بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Fajr 89:19
The Dawn · Juz 30 · Page 593
وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا ١٩
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,1
1 translator’s note
- Not caring whether it is lawful or unlawful. ↩
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Commentary on 89:19
وَتَأْكُلُونَ التُّرَاثَ أَكْلًا لَّمًّا (And you devour the inheritance with a sweeping gulp...89:19). The word lamm means to 'gather, amass, concentrate the thing'. This is the third evil trait of the unbelievers, and the verse signifies that they devour inheritance with voracious appetites however they can get it, whether by lawful means or unlawful means. They gather them all together to make a sweeping gulp. When someone passes away, they take their own shares, together with the shares of others, regardless of whether the shares belong to orphans, widows or people who are absent. [ As a matter of principle,] it is not permitted to mix up lawful and forbidden wealth in any transaction. Here, however, 'inheritance' has been particularly mentioned, probably because having a greedy eye on it and pursuing it are a proof of man's greed and voracity for wealth. He stares at it like a beast of prey waiting for the person to die, and looking for the opportunity to distribute the estate. But an honourable man of principle and a noble person would not look at the wealth of the deceased with greedy eyes.
Page 593
سورة الفجر
Al-Fajr
The Dawn · Meccan · 30 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
89:1
وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ ١
By the dawn
89:2
وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٖ ٢
And [by] ten nights1
1 translator’s note
- Usually interpreted as the first ten nights of the month of Dhul-Ḥijjah. ↩
89:3
وَٱلشَّفۡعِ وَٱلۡوَتۡرِ ٣
And [by] the even [number] and the odd
89:4
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا يَسۡرِ ٤
And [by] the night when it passes,
89:5
هَلۡ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٞ لِّذِي حِجۡرٍ ٥
Is there [not] in [all] that an oath [sufficient] for one of perception?1
1 translator’s note
- Based upon the following verses, what has been sworn to by Allāh is that He will certainly punish the disbelievers. ↩
89:6
أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ ٦
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ʿAad -
89:7
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلۡعِمَادِ ٧
89:8
ٱلَّتِي لَمۡ يُخۡلَقۡ مِثۡلُهَا فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ ٨
The likes of whom had never been created in the land?
89:9
وَثَمُودَ ٱلَّذِينَ جَابُواْ ٱلصَّخۡرَ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٩
And [with] Thamūd, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
89:10
وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ ذِي ٱلۡأَوۡتَادِ ١٠
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes?1
1 translator’s note
- By which he tortured people. ↩
89:11
ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡبِلَٰدِ ١١
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
89:12
فَأَكۡثَرُواْ فِيهَا ٱلۡفَسَادَ ١٢
And increased therein the corruption.
89:13
فَصَبَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ رَبُّكَ سَوۡطَ عَذَابٍ ١٣
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
89:14
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِٱلۡمِرۡصَادِ ١٤
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
89:15
فَأَمَّا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكۡرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَكۡرَمَنِ ١٥
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."1
1 translator’s note
- He is proud rather than grateful, attributing the favor to his own merit. ↩
89:16
وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبۡتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيٓ أَهَٰنَنِ ١٦
But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."
89:17
كـَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا تُكۡرِمُونَ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ ١٧
No!1 But you do not honor the orphan
1 translator’s note
- It is not like you imagine. Rather, Allāh tries people through prosperity and hardship and rewards both gratitude and patience with honor in the Hereafter. ↩
89:18
وَلَا تَحَٰٓضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ ١٨
And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.
89:19
وَتَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلتُّرَاثَ أَكۡلٗا لَّمّٗا ١٩
And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,1
1 translator’s note
- Not caring whether it is lawful or unlawful. ↩
89:20
وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡمَالَ حُبّٗا جَمّٗا ٢٠
And you love wealth with immense love.
89:21
كـَلَّآۖ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ دَكّٗا دَكّٗا ٢١
No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed
89:22
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلۡمَلَكُ صَفّٗا صَفّٗا ٢٢
And your Lord has come1 and the angels, rank upon rank,
1 translator’s note
- To pass judgement. See footnote to 2:19. ↩
89:23
وَجِاْيٓءَ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِجَهَنَّمَۚ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ ٢٣
And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but how [i.e., what good] to him will be the remembrance?