Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 39

(Ayah39){وَ لِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا اَنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا كٰذِبِيْنَ :} That is, those disbelievers will realize that they were liars, who used to swear oaths repeatedly saying that there is no life after death, and that reckoning, Paradise, and Hell are all baseless things. The meaning is that since not all matters are decided in this world, then to resolve all differences, the existence of the Hereafter, that is, the next world, is “indispensable” (without which there is no alternative), so that the distinction between truth and falsehood becomes clear and the deniers receive what they have done. {’’ كَانُوْا كٰذِبِيْنَ ‘‘} In the word { ’’ كَانُوْا ‘‘ }, that is, in the past tense, there is a sense of permanence and continuity, whereas this meaning is not conveyed by {’’اِنَّهُمْ كَذَبُوْا‘‘} or {’’ إِنَّهُمْ كَاذِبُوْنَ ‘‘}.

39. 1. Here, the wisdom and reason for the occurrence of the Day of Judgment is being explained: on that day, Allah will decide regarding those matters in which people used to differ in the world, and He will grant a good reward to the people of truth and piety, and will punish the disbelievers and sinners for their evil deeds. Also, on that day, it will become clear to the disbelievers as well that they were lying in the oaths they used to swear regarding the non-occurrence of the Day of Judgment.

39. This resurrection is so that Allah may make clear to them that about which they differ, and so that those who disbelieved may know that they were [40] liars.

[40]
Two Reasons for the Necessity of the Establishment of the Day of Hereafter:

Allah Almighty gave a transmitted answer to the claim of the polytheists of Makkah that this is the promise of Allah, which He will surely fulfill. And this promise has been conveyed to people through the tongues of previous prophets and is present in all revealed books, and the polytheists of Makkah were also well aware of this belief of the People of the Book. And a rational answer was given that the Being who has already brought this vast system of the universe into existence for the first time—how can it be difficult for Him to create you again or to bring about a similar system of the universe once more? Therefore, He has full power over this matter. Then, there are two more reasons for resurrection after death. One is that, due to freedom and difference of opinion, countless disagreements have arisen in the world, and ever-new ideologies, religions, and systems of life have continued to emerge. Some are devotees of nationalism, some of patriotism, some of atheism, some of socialism, some of communism, some of capitalism, and some of caliphate. There have been clashes among them. Wars have occurred. On both sides, thousands and millions of people have been killed. But it could not be decided whether any of them was actually truthful or not. Or, if there was any truthful group, which one was it, and which one was false? And since this universe is based on truth, it was necessary that this matter be decided, that Allah clarify the true situation for such people, and that the disbelievers, in particular, come to know that they were indeed the false ones.

Clarification of Disagreements and Retribution for Deeds:

And the second is that those people who spent their entire lives committing oppression and excesses, and the duration of worldly life was very insufficient for the punishment of their crimes. Similarly, those who made sacrifices in the path of truth and continued to perform righteous deeds, and the duration of this worldly life was insufficient for their reward. Therefore, the establishment of the Day of Hereafter is in complete accordance with reason, justice, and wisdom.