Surah As-Sajda (32) — Ayah 18

The word in (Ayah 18) { اَفَمَنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَنْ كَانَ فَاسِقًا …: ’’فِسْقٌ‘‘} is derived from {’’فَسَقَتِ الثَّمَرَةُ‘‘}, when the fruit bursts and comes out of its shell, then it began to be used in the sense of coming out of obedience. This word is used for a disobedient believer as well as for a disbeliever, as He said: «{ وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْفٰسِقُوْنَ }» [ النور : ۵۵ ] "Whoever disbelieves after that, then those are the defiantly disobedient." In this verse, by "fasiq" is meant the disbeliever and polytheist, because it is coming in contrast to the believer. When the warning of punishment for the disbelievers and the glad tidings of blessings for the believers was mentioned, some obstinate debater could have said that what shortage is there in Allah's treasures, if He wills, just as in this world He has given His blessings to both believers and disbelievers, in the Hereafter too He can grant both. It is said, this is against justice and wisdom; can a believer ever be like one who does not believe? Can an obedient and submissive person ever be like one who is disobedient and rebellious? Both can never be equal, neither is their way of life in this world the same, nor at the time of death, nor will it be the same in the Hereafter. For the verses on this subject, see Surah Sad (28), Hashr (20), and Jathiyah (21). This is a very excellent proof of reward and punishment in the Hereafter, because if there were no other life after this world, then the righteous and the wicked would all become equal, and the equality of the righteous and the wicked is absolutely against the wisdom of the Lord of the worlds.