سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 69
كَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَٰلًا وَأَوْلَـٰدًا فَٱسْتَمْتَعُوا۟ بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ فَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِخَلَـٰقِكُمْ كَمَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُم بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَٱلَّذِى خَاضُوٓا۟ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ ﴿69﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Like those before you: they were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in wealth and children. They had enjoyed their portion (awhile), so enjoy your portion (awhile) as those before you enjoyed their portion (awhile); and you indulged in play and pastime (and in telling lies against Allâh and His Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) 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.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَٱلَّذِينَ
ka-alladhīna
Like those
مِن
min
before you
قَبْلِكُمْ
qablikum
before you
كَانُوٓا۟
kānū
they were
أَشَدَّ
ashadda
mightier
مِنكُمْ
minkum
than you
قُوَّةًۭ
quwwatan
(in) strength
وَأَكْثَرَ
wa-akthara
and more abundant
أَمْوَٰلًۭا
amwālan
(in) wealth
وَأَوْلَـٰدًۭا
wa-awlādan
and children
فَٱسْتَمْتَعُوا۟
fa-is'tamtaʿū
So they enjoyed
بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ
bikhalāqihim
their portion
فَٱسْتَمْتَعْتُم
fa-is'tamtaʿtum
and you have enjoyed
بِخَلَـٰقِكُمْ
bikhalāqikum
your portion
كَمَا
kamā
like
ٱسْتَمْتَعَ
is'tamtaʿa
enjoyed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those
مِن
min
before you
قَبْلِكُم
qablikum
before you
بِخَلَـٰقِهِمْ
bikhalāqihim
their portion
وَخُضْتُمْ
wakhuḍ'tum
and you indulge
كَٱلَّذِى
ka-alladhī
like the one who
خَاضُوٓا۟ ۚ
khāḍū
indulges (in idle talk)
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
Those
حَبِطَتْ
ḥabiṭat
worthless
أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ
aʿmāluhum
(are) their deeds
فِى
fī
in
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
the world
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ
wal-ākhirati
and (in) the Hereafter
وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
wa-ulāika
And those
هُمُ
humu
they
ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ
l-khāsirūna
(are) the losers
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.
69. 1. That is, your condition in terms of deeds and outcome is just like the disbelievers of the previous nations. Now, instead of speaking in the third person, the address is directed to the hypocrites.
69. 2. The second translation of "خلاق" is also "worldly share." That is, whatever portion of the world has been written in your destiny, enjoy it, just as those before you enjoyed their share and then met with death or punishment.
69. 3. That is, for the denial of the signs of Allah and His messengers. Or another meaning is that just as they were engrossed in worldly means and amusements, so are you. In the verse, "the people before" refers to the People of the Book, i.e., the Jews and Christians. As in a hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose hand is my soul, you will surely follow the ways of those before you, span by span, cubit by cubit, and hand by hand, to the extent that if they entered a lizard's hole, you would surely enter it too." The people asked, "Do you mean the People of the Book?" He said, "Who else?" (Sahih Bukhari). However, the words "hand by hand" (باعا بباع) are not in it; they are in a narration quoted in Tafsir Tabari.
(4) "اولٰئک" refers to those who possess the aforementioned qualities and habits—both those who are being likened and those to whom they are being likened. Just as they were losers and unsuccessful, so will you be, even though they were stronger than you in power and much greater in wealth and children. Despite that, they could not escape the punishment of Allah, so how can you, who are lesser than them in every respect, escape Allah's grasp?
69. 2. The second translation of "خلاق" is also "worldly share." That is, whatever portion of the world has been written in your destiny, enjoy it, just as those before you enjoyed their share and then met with death or punishment.
69. 3. That is, for the denial of the signs of Allah and His messengers. Or another meaning is that just as they were engrossed in worldly means and amusements, so are you. In the verse, "the people before" refers to the People of the Book, i.e., the Jews and Christians. As in a hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose hand is my soul, you will surely follow the ways of those before you, span by span, cubit by cubit, and hand by hand, to the extent that if they entered a lizard's hole, you would surely enter it too." The people asked, "Do you mean the People of the Book?" He said, "Who else?" (Sahih Bukhari). However, the words "hand by hand" (باعا بباع) are not in it; they are in a narration quoted in Tafsir Tabari.
(4) "اولٰئک" refers to those who possess the aforementioned qualities and habits—both those who are being likened and those to whom they are being likened. Just as they were losers and unsuccessful, so will you be, even though they were stronger than you in power and much greater in wealth and children. Despite that, they could not escape the punishment of Allah, so how can you, who are lesser than them in every respect, escape Allah's grasp?
