English Translation of Surah Al-Mursalat Ayah 41-50
Recompense of the Believers
77:41 Indeed, the God-fearing shall be in amid shades and springs,
77:42 and fruits, such as they desire.
77:43 ‘Eat and drink wholesomely for what you used to do.’
77:44 Indeed, thus We recompense the good-doers.
77:45 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
77:46 ‘Eat and enjoy yourselves a little; truly, you are wicked.’
77:47 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
77:48 And when it is said to them, ‘Prostrate yourselves!’ They do not prostrate.
77:49 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
77:50 Then, in what discourse after this will they believe?
Relationship with the Previous Part
The previous part mentions some types of severe punishments that Allah has prepared for the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment. Then, this part refers to some types of bliss that Allah has prepared for the pious believers in Hereafter, which agrees with the unique characteristic of the style of the Quran. It mentions something, and then it mentions its opposite to make the concept clear and bring home the intended meaning.
Moreover, the disbelievers are warned and told that the pleasures of life of this world will soon vanish. They are also rebuked for their failure to obey Allah and perform righteous deeds for His sake.
Tafsir
77:41 Indeed, the God-fearing shall be in amid shades and springs,
77:42 and fruits, such as they desire.
The pious believers, who fear Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions in worldly life, shall be admitted into Paradise. They shall be enjoying its gardens, shades, springs, and fruits. They shall enjoy eating different kinds of fruits that they desire.
77:43 ‘Eat and drink wholesomely for what you used to do.’
It will be said to the God-fearing in the Hereafter, ‘Eat and drink wholesomely from the tasty food and drink of Paradise for the righteous deeds that you used to do in the worldly life.’
The command in the ayah is not an order that must be carried out; rather, it is a statement for honoring.
77:44 Indeed, thus We recompense the good-doers.
This is the recompense that Allah has prepared for the good-doers, who obey His commands, avoid His prohibitions, and perform righteous deeds for His sake. Allah will never make the righteous deeds of the believers fruitless.
77:45 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Grievous torment and disgrace are for the deniers, who disbelieve in the Oneness of Allah and disobey His commands.
77:46 ‘Eat and enjoy yourselves a little; truly, you are wicked.’
Threateningly, it will be said to the disbelievers, ‘Eat from the food of this world and enjoy its pleasures for a little while, which will end when you die. Then, you shall be humiliatingly driven into Hell, where you shall suffer painful punishment. Truly, you are wicked as you disbelieve in the Oneness of Allah and disobey His commands.’
77:47 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Woe to the deniers, who disbelieve in the Oneness of Allah and disobey His commands, on the Day of Judgment.
77:48 And when it is said to them, ‘Prostrate yourselves!’ They do not prostrate.
When the disbelievers are commanded to pray and prostrate themselves before Allah, they arrogantly refuse to do so in the life of this world. Likewise, they shall be unable to prostrate themselves before Allah in the Hereafter just as they refused to do so in the worldly life.
Qatada, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘ 77:48 And when it is said to them, ‘Prostrate yourselves!’ They do not prostrate. You should bow well in the prayer for the prayer has a great rank with Allah.’ He also reported that Abdul Allah Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, saw a man praying without bowing, and he saw another man wearing a very long garment that reached the floor. Thus, he laughed. He was asked, ‘Why are you laughing?’ He said, ‘Two men made me laugh. One of them, ‘Allah will not accept his prayer.’ And the other, ‘Allah will not look at him.’
77:49 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Woe to the deniers, who deny the Oneness of Allah and disbelieve in His Messengers. They will suffer severe torment on the Day of Judgment.
77:50 Then, in what discourse after this will they believe?
Then, in what discourse after this Quran will the disbelievers believe? Though the Quran is clear and contains irrefutable evidence confirming the Oneness of Allah and the truthfulness of His Prophets and Messengers, the disbelievers reject believing in it. What discourse after it they will believe? They will not believe because their refusal is out of arrogance and not because of not finding clear and strong evidence.
Imam Muhammad Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said, ‘Allah, Exalted be He, informs that if the disbelievers refuse to believe in the news mentioned in the Quran, whose proofs are truthful, they will not able to believe in any news that they do not see its source. Likewise, if they believe in anything that they do not see its sources because of the presence of supporting proof, they must believe in the news of the Quran. And Allah knows best.’
Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Mursalat Ayah 41-50
• Allah has prepared a great reward for the God-fearing in Paradise. They will enjoy its lasting pleasures.
• The God-fearing believers will be delighted under the shades of the trees and palaces of Paradise, and enjoy eating from its tasty fruits.
• No matter how long the disbelievers enjoy the pleasures of this world, its duration is short in comparison to the lasting life of the Hereafter.
• The disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah are wicked as they refuse to follow the right path and favor the fleeting life of this world over the lasting world of the Hereafter.
• Just as the disbelievers refuse to prostrate themselves before Allah in the life of this world, they will be unable to prostrate themselves before Him in the Hereafter, which is a fitting punishment for their wickedness.
• The disbelievers reject believing in the Quran, which is the inimitable evidence confirming the truthfulness of Messenger Muhammad. Thus, their rejection was out of stubbornness and arrogance. Then, in which discourse will they believe?
