سُوْرَةُ الرُّوْمِ
Surah Ar-Room (30) — Ayah 7
يَعْلَمُونَ ظَـٰهِرًا مِّنَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ غَـٰفِلُونَ ﴿7﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood, like irrigating or sowing or reaping, etc.), and they are heedless of the Hereafter.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
They know
ظَـٰهِرًۭا
ẓāhiran
(the) apparent
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
وَهُمْ
wahum
but they
عَنِ
ʿani
about
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ
l-ākhirati
the Hereafter
هُمْ
hum
[they]
غَـٰفِلُونَ
ghāfilūna
(are) heedless
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 7) ➊ The tanween on { يَعْلَمُوْنَ ظَاهِرًا مِّنَ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا … : ’’ ظَاهِرًا ‘‘} is for diminution and disparagement, meaning they know only the outward aspect of the worldly life, and that too just a little. Their knowledge is limited to this. All their efforts are for eating and drinking, wearing, and for attaining as many pleasures, comforts, and adornments of the world as possible. They do not pay attention to the inner reality of worldly life, that it is short-lived and a place of trial. As for the Hereafter, they are completely heedless of it, meaning they do not even care that they will have to present themselves before their Creator there.
➋ Here is a question: Allah Almighty said that most people know only some parts of the outward aspect of worldly life, whereas we see that the disbelievers have made astonishing inventions, such as land, sea, and air vehicles, countless types of machines running on oil, gas, air, and water, electricity, and atoms, etc. So how is all this just a little? The answer is that just as the worldly progress in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is absolutely insignificant compared to today, similarly, the current progress is absolutely insignificant compared to what will come in the future. But the disbelievers are only after this progress and do not pay any attention to matters of the Hereafter.
➌ An example of the disbelievers having some knowledge of the outward aspect of the world and being completely heedless of the Hereafter is that they have achieved such excellence in arithmetic and geometry that they invented calculators and computers, through which they can calculate the largest and smallest numbers with complete accuracy, but they are so ignorant of matters of the Hereafter that some of them even deny the very Creator. Whereas even the most ignorant person knows that nothing is made without a maker. Then, being of the highest order of creation, some are worshipping stones, and some, instead of believing in one Lord, believe in three lords: the Messiah as God, Mary as God, and the Holy Spirit as God, which results in one plus one plus one becoming three gods, but they insist that here one plus one plus one does not become three but becomes one God. Tell me, what could be greater ignorance than this? Can one, one, and one ever become one? Then some of them say that we believe in the unity in trinity because it is above reason, whereas this too is their ignorance. If someone concludes that two plus two equals five, this would not be above reason, but clearly against reason. The same is the case with three gods being one God.
➋ Here is a question: Allah Almighty said that most people know only some parts of the outward aspect of worldly life, whereas we see that the disbelievers have made astonishing inventions, such as land, sea, and air vehicles, countless types of machines running on oil, gas, air, and water, electricity, and atoms, etc. So how is all this just a little? The answer is that just as the worldly progress in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is absolutely insignificant compared to today, similarly, the current progress is absolutely insignificant compared to what will come in the future. But the disbelievers are only after this progress and do not pay any attention to matters of the Hereafter.
➌ An example of the disbelievers having some knowledge of the outward aspect of the world and being completely heedless of the Hereafter is that they have achieved such excellence in arithmetic and geometry that they invented calculators and computers, through which they can calculate the largest and smallest numbers with complete accuracy, but they are so ignorant of matters of the Hereafter that some of them even deny the very Creator. Whereas even the most ignorant person knows that nothing is made without a maker. Then, being of the highest order of creation, some are worshipping stones, and some, instead of believing in one Lord, believe in three lords: the Messiah as God, Mary as God, and the Holy Spirit as God, which results in one plus one plus one becoming three gods, but they insist that here one plus one plus one does not become three but becomes one God. Tell me, what could be greater ignorance than this? Can one, one, and one ever become one? Then some of them say that we believe in the unity in trinity because it is above reason, whereas this too is their ignorance. If someone concludes that two plus two equals five, this would not be above reason, but clearly against reason. The same is the case with three gods being one God.
