سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 18
وَلَيْسَتِ ٱلتَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّى تُبْتُ ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ وَلَا ٱلَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: "Now I repent;" nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَيْسَتِ
walaysati
And not
ٱلتَّوْبَةُ
l-tawbatu
(is) the acceptance of repentance
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
for those who
يَعْمَلُونَ
yaʿmalūna
do
ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ
l-sayiāti
the evil deeds
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
until
إِذَا
idhā
when
حَضَرَ
ḥaḍara
approaches
أَحَدَهُمُ
aḥadahumu
one of them
ٱلْمَوْتُ
l-mawtu
[the] death
قَالَ
qāla
he says
إِنِّى
innī
Indeed I
تُبْتُ
tub'tu
repent
ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ
l-āna
now
وَلَا
walā
and not
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يَمُوتُونَ
yamūtūna
die
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
كُفَّارٌ ۚ
kuffārun
(are) disbelievers
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
Those
أَعْتَدْنَا
aʿtadnā
We have prepared
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
عَذَابًا
ʿadhāban
a punishment
أَلِيمًۭا
alīman
painful
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 18) ➊ {وَ لَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ … :} That is, the repentance of such people is not accepted. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah accepts the repentance of His servant until his soul reaches his throat at the time of death." [ ترمذی، الدعوات، باب إن اللہ یقبل… : ۳۵۳۷ ، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنہما وقال الألبانی حسن ] Even at the last moment, Pharaoh repented, but Allah said: «آٰلْـٰٔنَ وَ قَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِيْن» [ یونس : ۹۱ ] "Now? Whereas surely you disobeyed before and you were among the corrupters."
➋ {وَ لَا الَّذِيْنَ يَمُوْتُوْنَ وَ هُمْ كُفَّارٌ:} That is, those people who remain involved in disbelief and polytheism until death and wish to repent upon seeing the signs of death, their repentance is also not accepted. Allah said: «فَلَمَّا رَاَوْا بَاْسَنَا قَالُوْۤا اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَحْدَهٗ وَ كَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهٖ مُشْرِكِيْنَ(84) فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ اِيْمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَاَوْا بَاْسَنَا سُنَّتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِيْ قَدْ خَلَتْ فِيْ عِبَادِهٖ وَ خَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ» [ المؤمن : ۸۴، ۸۵ ] "Then when they saw Our punishment, they said, 'We believe in Allah alone and we disbelieve in what we used to associate with Him.' But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our punishment. This is Allah's way which has passed among His servants, and at that moment the disbelievers were in loss." Also see Surah Al-An'am (158).
➋ {وَ لَا الَّذِيْنَ يَمُوْتُوْنَ وَ هُمْ كُفَّارٌ:} That is, those people who remain involved in disbelief and polytheism until death and wish to repent upon seeing the signs of death, their repentance is also not accepted. Allah said: «فَلَمَّا رَاَوْا بَاْسَنَا قَالُوْۤا اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَحْدَهٗ وَ كَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهٖ مُشْرِكِيْنَ(84) فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ اِيْمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَاَوْا بَاْسَنَا سُنَّتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِيْ قَدْ خَلَتْ فِيْ عِبَادِهٖ وَ خَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ» [ المؤمن : ۸۴، ۸۵ ] "Then when they saw Our punishment, they said, 'We believe in Allah alone and we disbelieve in what we used to associate with Him.' But their faith was of no benefit to them when they saw Our punishment. This is Allah's way which has passed among His servants, and at that moment the disbelievers were in loss." Also see Surah Al-An'am (158).
