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Arafah

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Surah Al-A'raf

Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 37

Quran 7:37 · The Heights · Makki · Para 8 · Page 154

Read in contextPage 154

Translations

Tafsir

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فَمَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرٰی عَلَی اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا اَوْ كَذَّبَ بِاٰیٰتِهٖ ؕ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ یَنَالُهُمْ نَصِیْبُهُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتٰبِ ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا یَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ ۙ قَالُوْۤا اَیْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ؕ قَالُوْا ضَلُّوْا عَنَّا وَشَهِدُوْا عَلٰۤی اَنْفُسِهِمْ اَنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا كٰفِرِیْنَ ۟

Transliteration

Faman athlamu mimmani iftaraAAala Allahi kathiban aw kaththababi-ayatihi ola-ika yanaluhum naseebuhummina alkitabi hatta itha jaat-humrusuluna yatawaffawnahum qaloo ayna makuntum tadAAoona min dooni Allahi qaloo dallooAAanna washahidoo AAala anfusihim annahum kanookafireen

Saheeh International

And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh a lie or denies His verses? Those will attain their portion of the decree until, when Our messengers [i.e., angels] come to them to take them in death, they will say, "Where are those you used to invoke besides Allāh?" They will say, "They have departed from us," and will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir

The greatest wrongdoer is the person who: invents a lie about Allah, considering Him to have a partner; or says He is deficient in some way; or says something about Him that He has not said; or rejects His clear signs and verses which guide to the correct way of life. Those who do such things will receive the portion of worldly pleasure that is destined for them in the Preserved Tablet, until the angel of death and his helpers come to them to take their souls, and they are asked: 'Where are the gods you used to worship besides Allah, claiming they would help you? Call on those idols if they can benefit you! The idolaters will say to the angels: 'The gods we used to worship have gone, and that we do not know where they are!' Then they will admit that they were disbelievers, but their admission at that time will be a proof against them and will not benefit them.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat? For such their appointed portion will reach them from the Book (of Decrees) until Our messengers (the angel of death and his assistants) come to them to take their souls, they (the angels) will say: "Where are those whom you used to invoke and worship besides Allah," they will reply, "They have vanished and deserted us." And they will bear witness against themselves, that they were disbelievers (37)

Idolators enjoy Their destined Share in This Life, but will lose Their Supporters upon Death

Allah said,

فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ

(Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat?) meaning, none is more unjust than whoever invents a lie about Allah or rejects the Ayat that He has revealed. Muhammad bin Ka'b Al-Qurazi said that,

أُولَٰئِكَ يَنَالُهُمْ نَصِيبُهُم مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ

(For such their appointed portion will reach them from the Book) refers to each person's deeds, alloted provisions and age. Similar was said by Ar-Rabi' bin Anas and 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Allah said in similar statements,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ - مَتَاعٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ الْعَذَابَ الشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ

(Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah, will never be successful. (A brief) enjoyment in this world! And then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve.)[10:69-70] and,

وَمَن كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ كُفْرُهُ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ - نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا

(And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men). We let them enjoy for a little while.)[31:23-24].

Allah said next,

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ

(until when Our messengers come to them to take their souls.) Allah states that when death comes to the idolators and the angels come to capture their souls to take them to Hellfire, the angels horrify them, saying, "Where are the so-called partners (of Allah) whom you used to call in the life of this world, invoking and worshipping them instead of Allah? Call them so that they save you from what you are suffering." However, the idolators will reply,

ضَلُّوا عَنَّا

("They have vanished and deserted us") meaning, we have lost them and thus, we do not hope in their benefit or aid,

وَشَهِدُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ

(And they will bear witness against themselves) they will admit and proclaim against themselves,

أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ

(that they were disbelievers.)

Mishari Rashid al-`Afasy0:00

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