Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 94-96
قُلۡ اِنۡ كَانَتۡ لَـکُمُ الدَّارُ الۡاٰخِرَةُ عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ خَالِصَةً مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الۡمَوۡتَ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ
﴿2:94﴾
وَ لَنۡ يَّتَمَنَّوۡهُ اَبَدًاۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡؕ وَاللّٰهُ عَلِيۡمٌۢ بِالظّٰلِمِيۡنَ
﴿2:95﴾
وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمۡ اَحۡرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلٰى حَيٰوةٍ ۛۚ وَ مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَشۡرَكُوۡا ۛۚ يَوَدُّ اَحَدُهُمۡ لَوۡ يُعَمَّرُ اَ لۡفَ سَنَةٍ ۚ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحۡزِحِهٖ مِنَ الۡعَذَابِ اَنۡ يُّعَمَّرَؕ وَاللّٰهُ بَصِيۡرٌۢ بِمَا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ
﴿2:96﴾
(2:94) Say to them: “If indeed the Last Abode with Allah is yours, in exclusion
of other people, then long for death98 if you are truthful.”
(2:95) But they shall never long for it because of the (evil) deeds they
have committed; Allah is well aware of the wrong-doers. (2:96) You will certainly find them most eager to cling on to life,99
indeed even more eager than those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity.
Each one of them wishes to live a thousand years although the bestowal of long
life cannot remove him from chastisement. Allah sees whatever they do.
Notes
98. This is a subtle, satirical reference to their excessive worldliness.
Those who really care for the Hereafter neither set their hearts on earthly
life, nor are they unduly frightened of death. The condition of the Jews was
the reverse of this.
99. The Arabic text implies that the Jews were so frightened of death and
so keen to remain alive that they did not mind whether they led an honourable
and dignified existence, or whether their life was one of indignity and humiliation.