سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 53
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُۥ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا۟ لَنَآ أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿53﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Await they just for the final fullfilment of the event? On the Day the event is finally fulfilled (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), those who neglected it before will say: "Verily, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth, now are there any intercessors for us that they might intercede on our behalf? Or could we be sent back (to the first life of the world) so that we might do (good) deeds other than those (evil) deeds which we used to do?" Verily, they have lost their ownselves (i.e. destroyed themselves) and that which they used to fabricate (invoking and worshipping others besides Allâh) has gone away from them.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
هَلْ
hal
Do
يَنظُرُونَ
yanẓurūna
they wait
إِلَّا
illā
except
تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ
tawīlahu
(for) its fulfillment
يَوْمَ
yawma
(The) Day
يَأْتِى
yatī
(will) come
تَأْوِيلُهُۥ
tawīluhu
its fulfillment
يَقُولُ
yaqūlu
will say
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
نَسُوهُ
nasūhu
had forgotten it
مِن
min
from
قَبْلُ
qablu
before
قَدْ
qad
Verily
جَآءَتْ
jāat
had come
رُسُلُ
rusulu
(the) Messengers
رَبِّنَا
rabbinā
(of) our Lord
بِٱلْحَقِّ
bil-ḥaqi
with the truth
فَهَل
fahal
so are (there)
لَّنَا
lanā
for us
مِن
min
any
شُفَعَآءَ
shufaʿāa
intercessors
فَيَشْفَعُوا۟
fayashfaʿū
so (that) they intercede
لَنَآ
lanā
for us
أَوْ
aw
or
نُرَدُّ
nuraddu
we are sent back
فَنَعْمَلَ
fanaʿmala
so (that) we do (deeds)
غَيْرَ
ghayra
other than
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
that which
كُنَّا
kunnā
we used to
نَعْمَلُ ۚ
naʿmalu
do
قَدْ
qad
Verily
خَسِرُوٓا۟
khasirū
they lost
أَنفُسَهُمْ
anfusahum
themselves
وَضَلَّ
waḍalla
and strayed
عَنْهُم
ʿanhum
from them
مَّا
mā
what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they used to
يَفْتَرُونَ
yaftarūna
invent
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.
53. They are only waiting for the outcome (about which this Book informs them). On the Day when its outcome [52] comes before them, those who had previously neglected the Book will say, "Indeed, the messengers did come to us with the truth. So, are there any intercessors for us who could intercede on our behalf, or could we be sent back (to the world) so that we might do deeds different from those we used to do?" They will have ruined themselves, and all the falsehoods they used to invent will be forgotten by them.
[52]
The Request of the People of Hell to Return to the World and Its Response:
By "ta'wil" is meant the actualization of a report or the time of its occurrence, and here it refers to the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, that is, when the Day of Judgment takes place, at that time the disbelievers will say that what the Messenger used to say has turned out to be true. Now what should be done? Now we will certainly be punished. First, they will look for an intercessor to save them from the punishment; when they do not find one, they will request to return to the world and to be tested again, and they will say that this time we will certainly become obedient to Allah and will surely succeed in this test. Allah has not mentioned the answer to their request at this place; however, in some other places, they have been given two kinds of answers. One is that when they have witnessed the reality and the veils of the unseen have been lifted, then what is the point of faith and obedience now? Because the very quality of faith is to believe in the unseen, and even disbelievers believe in things they see with their own eyes, therefore, at that time, bringing faith has no meaning, nor can such faith be of any benefit. The second answer given is that even if they are sent back to the world, these wretched ones will again become engrossed in the allurements of the world in the same way and will become disobedient just as they were before, and they will not even remember this promise, just as today they do not remember any of the things they used to say in the world. In the same way, after returning to the world, they will forget the promise of that time as well.
[52]
The Request of the People of Hell to Return to the World and Its Response:
By "ta'wil" is meant the actualization of a report or the time of its occurrence, and here it refers to the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, that is, when the Day of Judgment takes place, at that time the disbelievers will say that what the Messenger used to say has turned out to be true. Now what should be done? Now we will certainly be punished. First, they will look for an intercessor to save them from the punishment; when they do not find one, they will request to return to the world and to be tested again, and they will say that this time we will certainly become obedient to Allah and will surely succeed in this test. Allah has not mentioned the answer to their request at this place; however, in some other places, they have been given two kinds of answers. One is that when they have witnessed the reality and the veils of the unseen have been lifted, then what is the point of faith and obedience now? Because the very quality of faith is to believe in the unseen, and even disbelievers believe in things they see with their own eyes, therefore, at that time, bringing faith has no meaning, nor can such faith be of any benefit. The second answer given is that even if they are sent back to the world, these wretched ones will again become engrossed in the allurements of the world in the same way and will become disobedient just as they were before, and they will not even remember this promise, just as today they do not remember any of the things they used to say in the world. In the same way, after returning to the world, they will forget the promise of that time as well.
