سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 96
وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَوٰةٍ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۚ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿96﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And verily, you will find them (the Jews) the greediest of mankind for life and (even greedier) than those who ascribe partners to Allâh (and do not believe in Resurrection - Majûs, pagans, and idolaters). Everyone of them wishes that he could be given a life of a thousand years. But the grant of such life will not save him even a little from (due) punishment. And Allâh is All-Seer of what they do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ
walatajidannahum
And surely you will find them
أَحْرَصَ
aḥraṣa
(the) most greedy
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
(of) [the] mankind
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
for
حَيَوٰةٍۢ
ḥayatin
life
وَمِنَ
wamina
and (greedier) than
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۚ
ashrakū
associate[d] partners (with Allah)
يَوَدُّ
yawaddu
Loves
أَحَدُهُمْ
aḥaduhum
(each) one of them
لَوْ
law
if
يُعَمَّرُ
yuʿammaru
he could be granted a life
أَلْفَ
alfa
(of) a thousand
سَنَةٍۢ
sanatin
year(s)
وَمَا
wamā
But not
هُوَ
huwa
it
بِمُزَحْزِحِهِۦ
bimuzaḥziḥihi
(will) remove him
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْعَذَابِ
l-ʿadhābi
the punishment
أَن
an
that
يُعَمَّرَ ۗ
yuʿammara
he should be granted life
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
بَصِيرٌۢ
baṣīrun
(is) All-Seer
بِمَا
bimā
of what
يَعْمَلُونَ
yaʿmalūna
they do
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
96. 1. The desire for death is far from them; rather, they are more covetous of worldly life than all other people, even more than the polytheists. But this length of life will not save them from the punishment of Allah. From these verses, it is understood that the Jews were utterly false in their claims that they are the beloved and favored ones of Allah, or that only they are deserving of Paradise and others are destined for Hell. Because in reality, if this were so, or at least if they were fully convinced of the truth of their claims, then surely they would have been willing to engage in Mubahala, so that their truth would become clear and the errors of the Muslims would be exposed. The Jews’ avoidance of Mubahala beforehand indicates that, although they would say pleasing things about themselves with their tongues, their hearts were aware of the real truth and knew that after appearing before Allah, their fate would be exactly as Allah has decreed for His disobedient ones.
