Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كُلُّkulluEvery
نَفْسٍۢnafsinsoul
ذَآئِقَةُdhāiqatu(will) taste
ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗl-mawti[the] death
وَنَبْلُوكُمwanablūkumAnd We test you
بِٱلشَّرِّbil-shariwith [the] bad
وَٱلْخَيْرِwal-khayriand [the] good
فِتْنَةًۭ ۖfit'natan(as) a trial
وَإِلَيْنَاwa-ilaynāand to Us
تُرْجَعُونَtur'jaʿūnayou will be returned
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
35. Every soul shall taste death, and We test you with good and bad circumstances [33]; and ultimately, to Us you will return.
[33] The Meaning of Fitnah:
Fitnah refers to such a trial that a person is not even aware of, and it continues to affect him inwardly. For example, the love of wealth, children, and other desirable things proves to be a fitnah for a person. In this verse, "khair" refers to abundance of wealth and times of prosperity, and "sharr" refers to periods of poverty and hardship. And Allah Almighty continues to test man in every condition. A believer, by expressing gratitude to Allah during times of prosperity and by being patient in times of hardship, succeeds in this trial and becomes deserving of Allah’s worldly and hereafter rewards. But when a worldly person experiences abundance of wealth and prosperity, he loses his senses, becomes Pharaonic arrogance and pride, and begins to look down upon others. And if bad times come, instead of being patient, he turns to the paths of disbelief and polytheism and begins to grovel at every doorstep. In this way, he becomes deserving of Allah’s wrath in this world and the hereafter.