Ma'arif al-Qur'an · Tafsir · in English
Yunus 10:51–56
10:51–56Page 214
أَثُمَّ إِذَا مَا وَقَعَ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦٓۚ ءَآلۡـَٰٔنَ وَقَدۡ كُنتُم بِهِۦ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ٥١
Then is it that when it has [actually] occurred you will believe in it? Now?1 And you were [once] for it impatient.2
ثُمَّ قِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ ٱلۡخُلۡدِ هَلۡ تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡسِبُونَ ٥٢
Then it will be said to those who had wronged, "Taste the punishment of eternity; are you being recompensed except for what you used to earn?"
۞ وَيَسۡتَنۢبِـُٔونَكَ أَحَقٌّ هُوَۖ قُلۡ إِي وَرَبِّيٓ إِنَّهُۥ لَحَقّٞۖ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعۡجِزِينَ ٥٣
And they ask information of you, [O Muḥammad], "Is it true?" Say, "Yes, by my Lord. Indeed, it is truth; and you will not cause failure [to Allāh]."
وَلَوۡ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفۡسٖ ظَلَمَتۡ مَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَٱفۡتَدَتۡ بِهِۦۗ وَأَسَرُّواْ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُاْ ٱلۡعَذَابَۖ وَقُضِيَ بَيۡنَهُم بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُونَ ٥٤
And if each soul that wronged had everything on earth, it would offer it in ransom. And they will confide regret when they see the punishment; and they will be judged in justice, and they will not be wronged.
أَلَآ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٥٥
Unquestionably, to Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Unquestionably, the promise of Allāh is truth, but most of them do not know.
هُوَ يُحۡيِۦ وَيُمِيتُ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ٥٦
He gives life and causes death, and to Him you will be returned.
It was said in verse أَثُمَّ إِذَا مَا وَقَعَ آمَنتُم بِهِ ۚ آلْآنَ. It means: ` Would you believe when Divine punishment actually descends down upon you - whether at the time of death, or even before it? But, at that time, the response to your believing will be: آلْآنَ ('al'an: now?) meaning: Is it now that you have come to believe while the time of believing has already passed? This is similar to what the Pharaoh said while drowning: آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿90﴾ ("I believe that there is no god except the One in whom the Children of Isra'il believe - 10:90). In answer, it was said: آلْآنَ ('al'an: now?) and this believing by him was not accepted. In Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said, ` Allah Ta` ala keeps accepting the repentance of His servant until he is seized by the agony of death.' It means that believing and repenting at the time of the agony of death is not credible in the sight of Allah. Similarly, in the mortal world, Taubah (repentance) could be accepted if done before the actual falling of the Divine punishment. Once the punishment strikes, Taubah is not accepted. The event related to the people of Sayyidna Yunus going to appear towards the end of the Surah in which their Taubah was accepted falls under this very rule. They had seen the punishment coming from a distance. Moved earnestly, weeping and wailing, they made their Taubah in all sincerity. Therefore, the punishment was withdrawn. Had it struck them, their Taubah would have remained unaccepted.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences