سُوْرَةُ فَاطِرٍ
Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 22
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nor are (alike) the living (i.e. the believers) and the dead (i.e. the disbelievers). Verily, Allâh makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَسْتَوِى
yastawī
equal
ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ
l-aḥyāu
(are) the living
وَلَا
walā
and not
ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ
l-amwātu
the dead
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يُسْمِعُ
yus'miʿu
causes to hear
مَن
man
whom
يَشَآءُ ۖ
yashāu
He wills
وَمَآ
wamā
and not
أَنتَ
anta
you
بِمُسْمِعٍۢ
bimus'miʿin
can make hear
مَّن
man
(those) who
فِى
fī
(are) in
ٱلْقُبُورِ
l-qubūri
the graves
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.
22. 1 By "the living" are meant the believers, and by "the dead" are meant the disbelievers; or scholars and the ignorant; or the intelligent and the unintelligent.
22. 2 That is, the one whom Allah intends to grant guidance and for whom Paradise is destined, He grants him the ability to listen to the argument or proof and then to accept it.
22. 3 That is, just as the dead in the graves cannot be made to hear anything, likewise, O Prophet, you cannot make those people hear the truth whose hearts have been brought to death by disbelief. The meaning is that just as after dying and being buried in the grave, the dead cannot benefit from anything, similarly, the disbelievers and polytheists for whom wretchedness is destined, do not benefit from invitation and preaching.
22. 2 That is, the one whom Allah intends to grant guidance and for whom Paradise is destined, He grants him the ability to listen to the argument or proof and then to accept it.
22. 3 That is, just as the dead in the graves cannot be made to hear anything, likewise, O Prophet, you cannot make those people hear the truth whose hearts have been brought to death by disbelief. The meaning is that just as after dying and being buried in the grave, the dead cannot benefit from anything, similarly, the disbelievers and polytheists for whom wretchedness is destined, do not benefit from invitation and preaching.
