Study the Quran

Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Al-Qasas 28:61

Word by word

أَفَمَن وَعَدْنَـٰهُ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لَـٰقِيهِ كَمَن مَّتَّعْنَـٰهُ مَتَـٰعَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْضَرِينَ

Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will meet [i.e., obtain] like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life [but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented [for punishment in Hell]?

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This World is transient and the One Whose concern is this World is not equal to the One Whose concern is the Hereafter

Allah tells us about the insignificance of this world and its contemptible adornments which are nothing in comparison to the great and lasting delights which Allah prepared for His righteous servants in the Hereafter. As Allah says:مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ(Whatever is with you, will be exhausted, and whatever is with Allah will remain) (16:96).وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّلأَبْرَارِ(and that which is with Allah is the best for the most righteous.) (3:198)وَمَا الْحَيَوةُ الدُّنْيَا فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ إِلاَّ مَتَـعٌ(whereas the life of this world as compared with the Hereafter is but a brief passing enjoyment.) (13:26)بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا - وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى(Nay, you prefer the life of this world. Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.) (87:16-17).

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:«وَاللهِ مَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا كَمَا يَغْمِسُ أَحَدُكُمْ إِصْبَعَهُ فِي الْيَمِّ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْه»(By Allah, the life of this world in comparison to the Hereafter is as if one of you were to dip his finger in the sea; let him see what comes back to him.

) Allah's saying:أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ(Have you then no sense) means, do those who prefer this world to the Hereafter have no senseأَفَمَن وَعَدْنَـهُ وَعْداً حَسَناً فَهُوَ لاَقِيهِ كَمَن مَّتَّعْنَاهُ مَتَـعَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ(Is he whom We have promised an excellent promise -- which he will find true -- like him whom We have made to enjoy the luxuries of the life of the world, then on the Day of Resurrection, he will be among those brought up) Is the one who believes in the reward which Allah has promised in return for righteous deeds, which he will undoubtedly attain, like one who disbelieves in the meeting with Allah and in His promises and threats He is only enjoying a few days in this life,ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ(then on the Day of Resurrection, he will be among those brought up.) Mujahid and Qatadah said: "He will be among those who are punished." It was said that this was revealed concerning the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Jahl, or that it was revealed concerning Hamzah and Ali, and Abu Jahl.

Both views were narrated from Mujahid. The apparent meaning is that it is more general than that. This is like the Ayah where Allah describes a believer in Paradise looking out at his companion who is in Hell, and saying:وَلَوْلاَ نِعْمَةُ رَبِّى لَكُنتُ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ(Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).) (37:57) And Allah says:وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ(but the Jinn know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him)) (37:158).

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

Commentary

The very first question infidels and disbelievers will be asked at the Tumultuous Place (mahshar) will be about shirk (associating someone else with Allah), that is, ` where are those Shaitans today whom you used to associate with Us? Can they provide you any help today?' In response to these queries the disbelievers would say that it was not a fault of theirs, as they did not associate them with Allah on their own. It was the Shaitan who deluded them. Then Allah Ta’ ala would ask the Shaitans to say if they had anything in their defense; who, while accepting their role of deceit, would plead that they had only misled them but did not force them to act upon the same. Thus, the Shaitans would confess that they did commit the crime, but the infidels too were not free from its commission. Because just as they led them astray, similarly at the same time, the prophets and their deputies also guided them towards the Right Path with sound arguments; making the Truth crystal clear to them .

They rejected the Truth presented by the prophets and instead listened to us using their free will and discretion. So, how could they be free from the blame? It proves that if someone chooses to follow those who wish to put him on the wrong path on his own good will, despite the fact that he has before him clear cut arguments against them and the righteous way to follow, then he has no excuse-to offer.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

أفمَن وعدناه مِن خَلْقنا على طاعته إيانا الجنة، فهو ملاقٍ ما وُعِدَ، وصائر إليه، كمن متعناه في الحياة الدنيا متاعها، فتمتع به، وآثر لذة عاجلة على آجلة، ثم هو يوم القيامة من المحضرين للحساب والجزاء؟ لا يستوي الفريقان، فليختر العاقل لنفسه ما هو أولى بالاختيار، وهو طاعة الله وابتغاء مرضاته.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

وقوله : ( أفمن وعدناه وعدا حسنا فهو لاقيه كمن متعناه متاع الحياة الدنيا ثم هو يوم القيامة من المحضرين ) : يقول : أفمن هو مؤمن مصدق بما وعده الله على صالح أعماله من الثواب الذي هو صائر إليه لا محالة ، كمن هو كافر مكذب بلقاء الله ووعده ووعيده ، فهو ممتع في الحياة الدنيا أياما قلائل ، ( ثم هو يوم القيامة من المحضرين ) قال مجاهد ، وقتادة : من المعذبين .ثم قد قيل : إنها نزلت في رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وفي أبي جهل . وقيل : في حمزة وعلي وأبي جهل ، وكلاهما عن مجاهد . والظاهر أنها عامة ، وهذا كقوله تعالى إخبارا عن ذلك المؤمن حين أشرف على صاحبه ، وهو في الدرجات وذاك في الدركات : ( ولولا نعمة ربي لكنت من المحضرين ) [ الصافات : 57 ] ، وقال تعالى : ( ولقد علمت الجنة إنهم لمحضرون ) [ الصافات : 158 ] .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.