سُوْرَةُ فُصِّلَتۡ
Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 23
وَذَٰلِكُمْ ظَنُّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى ظَنَنتُم بِرَبِّكُمْ أَرْدَىٰكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And that thought of yours which you thought about your Lord, has brought you to destruction; and you have become (this Day) of those utterly lost!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَذَٰلِكُمْ
wadhālikum
And that
ظَنُّكُمُ
ẓannukumu
(was) your assumption
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
which
ظَنَنتُم
ẓanantum
you assumed
بِرَبِّكُمْ
birabbikum
about your Lord
أَرْدَىٰكُمْ
ardākum
It has ruined you
فَأَصْبَحْتُم
fa-aṣbaḥtum
and you have become
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
l-khāsirīna
the losers
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.
Because {وَ ذٰلِكُمْ ظَنُّكُمُ الَّذِيْ ظَنَنْتُمْ بِرَبِّكُمْ …:’’ ذٰلِكُمْ ‘‘} is definite, the translation is “this was your assumption” for {’’ ظَنُّكُمْ ‘‘}. {’’أَرْدٰي يُرْدِيْ‘‘} (Form IV) means to destroy. That is, this very false assumption and wrong belief of yours—that Allah does not know many of your deeds—destroyed you, because it made you bold in disobeying Him, and you became among the losers.
Remember that one of the greatest causes of misguidance is not reflecting properly and merely following assumptions. The root misguidance of the polytheists was also this, as He said: « اِنْ يَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ» [ الأنعام : ۱۱۶ ] “They follow nothing but assumption.” And He said: « يَظُنُّوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ » [ آل عمران : ۱۵۴ ] “They were assuming about Allah the unjust assumption of ignorance.”
Remember that one of the greatest causes of misguidance is not reflecting properly and merely following assumptions. The root misguidance of the polytheists was also this, as He said: « اِنْ يَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ» [ الأنعام : ۱۱۶ ] “They follow nothing but assumption.” And He said: « يَظُنُّوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ » [ آل عمران : ۱۵۴ ] “They were assuming about Allah the unjust assumption of ignorance.”
