سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 47
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لَٱفْتَدَوْا۟ بِهِۦ مِن سُوٓءِ ٱلْعَذَابِ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ وَبَدَا لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا۟ يَحْتَسِبُونَ ﴿47﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those who did wrong (the polytheists and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh), if they had all that is in earth and therewith as much again, they verily, would offer it to ransom themselves therewith on the Day of Resurrection from the evil torment; and there will become apparent to them from Allâh what they had not been reckoning.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
أَنَّ
anna
And if
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
those who
ظَلَمُوا۟
ẓalamū
did wrong
مَا
mā
(had) whatever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
جَمِيعًۭا
jamīʿan
all
وَمِثْلَهُۥ
wamith'lahu
and (the) like of it
مَعَهُۥ
maʿahu
with it
لَٱفْتَدَوْا۟
la-if'tadaw
they would ransom
بِهِۦ
bihi
with it
مِن
min
from
سُوٓءِ
sūi
(the) evil
ٱلْعَذَابِ
l-ʿadhābi
(of) the punishment
يَوْمَ
yawma
(on the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ
l-qiyāmati
(of) the Resurrection
وَبَدَا
wabadā
And (will) appear
لَهُم
lahum
to them
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
مَا
mā
what
لَمْ
lam
not
يَكُونُوا۟
yakūnū
they had
يَحْتَسِبُونَ
yaḥtasibūna
taken into account
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 47) ➊ {وَ لَوْ اَنَّ لِلَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوْا … :} By "the wrongdoers" are meant the polytheists; it is they who have been continuously mentioned. After mentioning the statements and conditions of the polytheists and refuting them, their end is described: that on the Day of Resurrection, if they had all that is in the earth and as much again with it, they would surely offer it as ransom to save themselves from the terrible punishment of the Day of Resurrection, and they would wish that by giving all this, their lives would be saved from the punishment. (See Yunus: 54) But this wish of theirs will never be fulfilled. See Surah Baqarah (48 and 123), Aal-e-Imran (91), Ma'idah (36, 37), An'am (70), Ra'd (18), and Surah Hadid (15).
➋ { وَ بَدَا لَهُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ … :} That is, just as the people of Paradise will be given such blessings as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever imagined (see Sajdah: 17), likewise, before the disbelievers, there will come from Allah such punishments as they could never have imagined. Another explanation is that on the Day of Resurrection, the false hopes they had about themselves and the assumptions they had regarding the help of their intercessors and problem-solvers, on that day, from Allah, the exact opposite will be presented before them, which they could never have imagined, and the deeds they considered as good will appear before them in the form of evils. It is narrated from Sufyan Thawri that he recited this verse and said: {’’وَيْلٌ لِأَهْلِ الرِّيَاءِ، وَيْلٌ لِأَهْلِ الرِّيَاءِ‘‘} "Woe to those who show off, woe to those who show off." (Al-Wasit) Because on the Day of Resurrection, they will face a situation contrary to their hopes, as is mentioned in the hadith about the ostentatious scholar, martyr, and generous person.
➋ { وَ بَدَا لَهُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ … :} That is, just as the people of Paradise will be given such blessings as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever imagined (see Sajdah: 17), likewise, before the disbelievers, there will come from Allah such punishments as they could never have imagined. Another explanation is that on the Day of Resurrection, the false hopes they had about themselves and the assumptions they had regarding the help of their intercessors and problem-solvers, on that day, from Allah, the exact opposite will be presented before them, which they could never have imagined, and the deeds they considered as good will appear before them in the form of evils. It is narrated from Sufyan Thawri that he recited this verse and said: {’’وَيْلٌ لِأَهْلِ الرِّيَاءِ، وَيْلٌ لِأَهْلِ الرِّيَاءِ‘‘} "Woe to those who show off, woe to those who show off." (Al-Wasit) Because on the Day of Resurrection, they will face a situation contrary to their hopes, as is mentioned in the hadith about the ostentatious scholar, martyr, and generous person.
