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 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 96) {عَلٰى حَيٰوةٍ:} Here, the tanween is for indefiniteness, so the translation is “in any way of living,” meaning you will find the Jews more eager for life than all other people, even if they have to live in any way, whether as slaves or with the loss of honor and dignity. The polytheists also desire to live very much, because for them only the pleasures of this world exist; they have no belief in the Hereafter, nor any fear or hope regarding it. But the Jews are even more eager for life than the polytheists, because the polytheists do not believe in resurrection after death, so they do not fear death as much as the Jews do, who know very well what disgrace they will face as a result of their disbelief in him, even after recognizing the Last Prophet. Therefore, each of them wishes to live a thousand years, no matter how humiliating that life may be, because it is still better than the punishment of the Hereafter. Allah Almighty has said that even if any of them is granted a long life, it will never save him from the punishment.
