Surah At-Tawbah, Ayah 69
Quran 9:69 · The Repentance · Madani · Para 10 · Page 198
كَالَّذِیْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوْۤا اَشَدَّ مِنْكُمْ قُوَّةً وَّاَكْثَرَ اَمْوَالًا وَّاَوْلَادًا ؕ فَاسْتَمْتَعُوْا بِخَلَاقِهِمْ فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِخَلَاقِكُمْ كَمَا اسْتَمْتَعَ الَّذِیْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ بِخَلَاقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِیْ خَاضُوْا ؕ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ حَبِطَتْ اَعْمَالُهُمْ فِی الدُّنْیَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِ ۚ وَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْخٰسِرُوْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Kallatheena min qablikum kanooashadda minkum quwwatan waakthara amwalan waawladanfastamtaAAoo bikhalaqihim fastamtaAAtumbikhalaqikum kama istamtaAAa allatheena minqablikum bikhalaqihim wakhudtum kallatheekhadoo ola-ika habitat aAAmaluhumfee addunya wal-akhirati waola-ikahumu alkhasiroon
Saheeh International
[You disbelievers are] like those before you; they were stronger than you in power and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their portion [of worldly enjoyment], and you have enjoyed your portion as those before you enjoyed their portion, and you have engaged [in vanities] like that in which they engaged. [It is] those whose deeds have become worthless in this world and in the Hereafter, and it is they who are the losers.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
O hypocrites, in your disbelief and mockery you are like the communities of disbelievers before you. They were greater than you in strength, and had more wealth and children, and they enjoyed their allotted share of the luxuries and pleasures of this world. You, O hypocrites, also enjoyed your allotted share of the world, just as the communities of the past did. You indulged in denying the truth and insulting the messenger just as they did. Those who have these shameful qualities will have their actions reduced to nothing by Allah due to their disbelief. They are the losers, whose own souls have brought them to the point of destruction.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Like those before you: they were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in wealth and children. They had enjoyed their portion (a while), so enjoy your portion (a while) as those before you enjoyed their portion (a while); and you indulged in play and pastime as they indulged in play and pastime. Such are they whose deeds are in vain in this world and in the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers (69)
بِخَلَاقِهِمْ
(their portion), means, [they mocked] their religion, according to Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Allah's statement,
وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُوا
(and you indulged in play and pastime as they indulged in play and pastime), indulged in lies and falsehood,
أُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ
(Such are they whose deeds are in vain), their deeds are annulled; they will not acquire any rewards for them because they are invalid,
فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
(in this world and in the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers.) because they will not acquire any rewards for their actions. Ibn 'Abbas commented, "How similar is this night to the last night,
كَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
(Like those before you...) These are the Children of Israel, with whom we were compared. The Prophet ﷺ said,
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّهُمْ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ جُحْرَ ضَبَ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ
(By He in Whose Hand is my life! You will imitate them, and even if a man of them entered the den of a lizard, you will enter it likewise!)"
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ، وَبَاعًا بِبَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ
قالوا: ومن هم يا رسول الله، أهل الكتاب؟ قال:
فَمَنْ؟
(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will follow the traditions of those who were before you a hand span for a hand-span and forearm's length for forearm's length, and an arm's length for an arm's length. And even if they enter the den of a lizard, you will also enter it.) They asked, "Who, O Allah's Messenger, the People of the Book?" He said, (Who else)?"
This Hadith is similar to another Hadith collected in the Sahih.