Islamicstudies.info
Tafheem.net | About |
Zoom Page: Ctrl+, Ctrl-, Ctrl0
Font | Contact us
Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah Sad 38:27-28 [3/5]
  
|
Intro
 
Display
 
Recite
|
Display Options [
V1 /
V2 /
V3 /
Book /
S1 /
S2 /
En /
Ar |
W
]
Section
Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَمَاAnd not
خَلَقْنَاWe created
ٱلسَّمَآءَthe heaven
وَٱلْأَرْضَand the earth
وَمَاand whatever
بَيْنَهُمَا(is) between them
بَـٰطِلاً‌ۚwithout purpose.
ذَٲلِكَThat
ظَنُّ(is the) assumption
ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
كَفَرُواْ‌ۚdisbelieve.
فَوَيْلٌSo woe
لِّلَّذِينَto those
كَفَرُواْwho disbelieve,
مِنَfrom
ٱلنَّارِthe Fire.
﴿٢٧﴾
أَمْOr
نَجْعَلُshould We treat
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
ءَامَنُواْbelieve
وَعَمِلُواْand do
ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِrighteous deeds
كَٱلْمُفْسِدِينَlike those who spread corruption
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِthe earth?
أَمْOr
نَجْعَلُshould We treat
ٱلْمُتَّقِينَthe pious
كَٱلْفُجَّارِlike the wicked?
﴿٢٨﴾


وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالۡاَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا ​ؕ ذٰ لِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا​ۚ فَوَيۡلٌ لِّلَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا مِنَ النَّارِؕ‏  اَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ كَالۡمُفۡسِدِيۡنَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ اَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ الۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ كَالۡفُجَّارِ‏ 

Translation
(38:27) We did not create this heaven and earth and all that lies between them in vain. That is the fancy of those who denied the Truth.29 So woe from the Fire to all who deny the Truth. (38:28) Shall We then treat alike those that believe and act righteously and those that create mischief on earth? Or treat alike the God-fearing and the wicked?30

Commentary

29. That is, We have not created anything in the world merely in sport and fun so that it may be without any wisdom and purpose and justice, and there may occur no result from any act, good or bad. This is the conclusion of the preceding discourse as well as an introduction to the following theme. The object of this statement as a conclusion to the discourse is to impress the following truth: Man has not been left to wander about at will in the world, nor is this world a lawless kingdom that one may do here whatever he likes with impunity. As an introduction to the following theme, the sentence is meant to say: The person who does not believe in the meting out of the rewards and punishments, and thinks that both the good and the evil people will ultimately end up in the dust after death and that nobody will be called to account, nor will anyone be rewarded for good or punished for evil, in fact, regards the world as a plaything and its Creator a senseless player, and thinks that by creating the world and man in it, the Creator of the Universe has committed a useless thing. The same thing has been stated in different ways at several places in the Quran, e.g. Did you think that We created you without any purpose, and that you would never be brought back to Us? (Surah Al-Muminun, Ayat 115).

We have not created the heavens and the earth and whatever lies between them merely in sport: We have created them with the truth, but most of them do not know. For the resurrection of them all the appointed time is the Day of Decision. (Surah Ad-Dukhan, Ayat 38-40).

30. That is, do you think it is reasonable and fair that both the pious and the wicked should be treated alike in the end? Do you regard this concept as satisfying that the pious man should not get any reward for his piety and the wrongdoer should not receive any punishment for his sins? Obviously, if there is to be no Hereafter, and there is to be no accountability and no rewards and no punishments for human acts, it negates both Allah’s wisdom and His justice, and the entire order of the Universe becomes a blind order. On this assumption there remains no motive for doing good and no deterrent against evil. God forbid, if the Godhead of God should be such a lawless kingdom, the one who leads a pious life in the face of all kinds of hardships in the world and endeavors to reform the people, would be a foolish person, and the one who gains benefits by committing all kinds of excesses and enjoys sinful pleasures of life, would be a wise man.