سُوْرَةُ مَرْيَمَ
Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 75
قُلْ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ مَدًّا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوْا۟ مَا يُوعَدُونَ إِمَّا ٱلْعَذَابَ وَإِمَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضْعَفُ جُندًا ﴿75﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) whoever is in error, the Most Gracious (Allâh) will extend (the rope) to him, until, when they see that which they were promised, either the torment or the Hour, they will come to know who is worst in position, and who is weaker in forces. [This is the answer to the question in Verse No.19:73]
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
مَن
man
Whoever
كَانَ
kāna
is
فِى
fī
in
ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةِ
l-ḍalālati
[the] error
فَلْيَمْدُدْ
falyamdud
then surely will extend
لَهُ
lahu
for him
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ
l-raḥmānu
the Most Gracious
مَدًّا ۚ
maddan
an extension
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
until
إِذَا
idhā
when
رَأَوْا۟
ra-aw
they see
مَا
mā
what
يُوعَدُونَ
yūʿadūna
they were promised
إِمَّا
immā
either
ٱلْعَذَابَ
l-ʿadhāba
the punishment
وَإِمَّا
wa-immā
or
ٱلسَّاعَةَ
l-sāʿata
the Hour
فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ
fasayaʿlamūna
then they will know
مَنْ
man
who
هُوَ
huwa
[he]
شَرٌّۭ
sharrun
(is) worst
مَّكَانًۭا
makānan
(in) position
وَأَضْعَفُ
wa-aḍʿafu
and weaker
جُندًۭا
jundan
(in) forces
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 75) ➊ {قُلْ مَنْ كَانَ فِي الضَّلٰلَةِ …:} In response to the question of what we should say to the disbelievers, it was commanded to say to them: Come! Let us engage in Mubahalah (mutual invocation of Allah’s curse), and both of us together will pray to Allah that whichever of the two parties is upon misguidance, Allah grants them respite for a period and keeps them in that state, so that when the disbelievers die in the state of disbelief due to this gradual reprieve and respite, they will come to know whose abode is worse and whose army and group is the weakest. In this exegesis, {’’فَلْيَمْدُدْ ‘‘ } is kept on its original meaning of “command.” Ibn Kathir and Ibn Jarir have only given this interpretation. An example of this in the Qur’an is in Surah Al-Imran, verse (61), and Surah Al-Baqarah, verse (94). (Shanqiti)
➋ The second interpretation of this verse is that, in response to the question of what answer we should give to the argument of the disbelievers, it was commanded to say to them that those who are involved in misguidance, Allah has decreed that He will grant them some respite, so that the proof is established against them. They cannot say that they did not get time to reflect. Then, when they are humiliated and disgraced at the hands of the Muslims in this world, or when they see the punishment at the time of death which they were promised, they themselves will thoroughly assess whose abode is worse and whose group and army is weaker. The wisdom in the word {’’ الرَّحْمٰنُ ‘‘} in the verse is that granting respite to the misguided is a demand of Allah’s immense mercy, so that they may benefit from this respite and repent from disbelief. In several verses of the Qur’an, this matter has been mentioned in different ways. See Surah Al-Imran (178), Al-An’am (44), Saba (17), and Qalam (44, 45). In this interpretation, in {’’ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ الرَّحْمٰنُ ‘‘}, “command” is in the meaning of “information.” This meaning is stronger, because in the next verse: «{ وَ يَزِيْدُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدًى }», it is stated that just as Allah grants respite to the disbelievers in their misguidance, likewise He keeps increasing the guidance of those who are rightly guided.
➋ The second interpretation of this verse is that, in response to the question of what answer we should give to the argument of the disbelievers, it was commanded to say to them that those who are involved in misguidance, Allah has decreed that He will grant them some respite, so that the proof is established against them. They cannot say that they did not get time to reflect. Then, when they are humiliated and disgraced at the hands of the Muslims in this world, or when they see the punishment at the time of death which they were promised, they themselves will thoroughly assess whose abode is worse and whose group and army is weaker. The wisdom in the word {’’ الرَّحْمٰنُ ‘‘} in the verse is that granting respite to the misguided is a demand of Allah’s immense mercy, so that they may benefit from this respite and repent from disbelief. In several verses of the Qur’an, this matter has been mentioned in different ways. See Surah Al-Imran (178), Al-An’am (44), Saba (17), and Qalam (44, 45). In this interpretation, in {’’ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ الرَّحْمٰنُ ‘‘}, “command” is in the meaning of “information.” This meaning is stronger, because in the next verse: «{ وَ يَزِيْدُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدًى }», it is stated that just as Allah grants respite to the disbelievers in their misguidance, likewise He keeps increasing the guidance of those who are rightly guided.
