The End of the Righteous and the Wicked in the Hereafter

 

This article gives a clear English translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Fijr from Ayah 21 to 30. It speaks about the end of the righteous and the wicked in the Hereafter. 

89:21 No! When the earth is pounded, pounded and pounded, 

89:22 and your Lord comes, and the angels rank on rank, 

89:23 and Hell is brought, on that day man will remember, and how will the remembering avail him?

89:24 He will say, ‘O would that I had forwarded for my life?’

89:25 On that day, none will punish as He punishes, 

89:26 and none will bind as He binds.

89:27 O soul at peace, 

89:28 ‘Return to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing! 

89:29 Enter among My slaves, 

89:30 and enter My Paradise.’

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part reprimands those who covetously collect wealth and do not help the needy as they favor this world over the Hereafter. They also devour people’s rights, especially the orphan, without fearing the evil end of such an abominable act. Then this part mentions how the conditions of the believers and the disbelievers will be and what will be their recompense in the Hereafter. 

Tafsir  

89:21 No! When the earth is pounded, pounded and pounded, 

No! The matter must not be as mentioned earlier. The wicked will suffer the evil consequences of their sins on the Day of Judgment when regret will not be beneficial. It will be a horrible day. On that day, the earth will be pounded again and again so that everything on its surface will be dust. 

89:22 and your Lord comes, and the angels rank on rank, 

On the Day of Judgment, Allah will come and the angels will come rank on rank. 

The people of as-Sunnah believe that a believer must believe that Allah will come on the Day of Judgment, and the angels will come rank on rank. He must believe in this issue just as it is mentioned in the Quran and the authentic prophetic narrations without asking about the manner of coming nor likening it to the coming of human beings.

89:23 and Hell is brought, on that day man will remember, and how will the remembering avail him?

On the Day of Judgment, Hell will be brought before the disbelievers and the wicked. Abdul Allah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘Hell will be brought. It will have seventy-thousand bridles, each of which will be pulled by seventy-thousand angels.’

On the Day of Judgment, which will be a horrible and difficult day, man will remember his past in the worldly life. He will remember that he failed to obey Allah’s commands and follow the right path. He will also remember his sins and wrongdoings. 

Will this remembering avail him? No, it will not avail him in the least. The worldly life is the abode of work and preparation for the Hereafter, and the Day of Judgment is the day of recompensing the doers according to their deeds, good or evil. Regretting and hoping to return to the worldly life will never avail man. Only belief in Allah’s Oneness and righteous deeds that are done for Allah’s sake will be beneficial then. 

 89:24 He will say, ‘O would that I had forwarded for my life?’

When man experiences the horrors of the Day of Judgment and sees Hell, he will say, ‘O would that I had forwarded for my life? I hope that I did righteous deeds that will benefit me in the lasting life of the Hereafter. I wish I worshipped Allah alone and obeyed His commands so that I will be saved from His punishment. 

Indeed, the life of the Hereafter is the lasting life for which the prudent should be prepared. 

89:25 On that day, none will punish as He punishes, 

89:26 and none will bind as He binds.

On the Day of Judgment, none will punish as Allah punishes, and none will bind as Allah binds. There will be no escape from Allah’s punishment on the Day of Judgment. The only way to avoid such severe punishment is to perform righteous deeds for Allah’s sake in this world. 

89:27 O soul at peace, 

89:28 ‘Return to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing! 

89:29 Enter among My slaves, 

89:30 and enter My Paradise.’

Surah al-Fajr is concluded with giving good news to the believers. The soul that is at peace will not suffer fear or sadness on the Day of Judgment because it believes in Allah’s Oneness and performs righteous deeds in this world, which will make it enter Paradise by Allah’s bounty and generosity. 

It will be said to the soul of the believer, ‘O soul at peace! O soul that will never suffer whatsoever fear or sadness! O soul that is certain of Allah’s bounty and generosity! Return to your Lord, Allah, Who created you. Return to Allah and you will be pleased by the immense reward that He has prepared for you. Return to Allah, Who will be pleased with you because you believe in His Oneness and perform righteous deeds. O soul at peace! Enter among My righteous slaves and enter My Paradise, where you will enjoy lasting happiness. 

The scholars of Tafsir mention the following meanings for ‘O soul at peace’: 1) It is the soul of the believer. 2) It is the soul that is pleased with Allah’s decree. 3) it is the soul that is certain of Allah’s promise. They differ about when it will be said, [O soul at peace…]. The following are their opinions: 1) It will be said so when the soul dies in the worldly life and it leaves the body, which is the opinion of most scholars. 2) It will be said so when the soul will be resurrected for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. 

Learned Lessons from Surah al-Fajr Ayah 21-30 

• Severe reprimand to people for favoring this world over the Hereafter, which will lead them to regret and loss on the Day of Judgment.

• When the Day of Judgment takes place, the earth will be strongly pounded again and again so that it will become dust.

• On the Day of Judgment, Allah will come to judge between the creatures, and the angels will also come rank on rank. 

• On the Day of Judgment, Hell will be brought before people so that they will see it.

• On the Day of Judgment, the disbeliever will acknowledge his sins and hope that he believed in Allah’s Oneness and did righteous deeds in the worldly life to be saved from the severe punishment of Hell. However, this regret will not avail him at all since the Hereafter is the lasting abode of recompense and he will never be able to return to the worldly life. 

• On the Day of Judgment, none can punish as Allah punishes and none can bind as Allah binds. Complete authority will be only for Allah on that day. 

• The soul that believes in Allah’s Oneness and performs righteous deeds for His sake will suffer no fear nor sadness on the Day of Judgment. It will be admitted to Paradise where it will enjoy lasting happiness. Allah will be pleased with it and it will be pleased with the immense reward that Allah has prepared for it. 

The Noble Quran: English Translation of Surah al-Fajr

The Noble Quran: Tafsir ibn Kathir, Surah al-Fajr
Tafsir of Surah Al-Hijr Ayah 85- 89 Guidelines to Messenger Muhammad Salla Allah Alayhi wa-Sallam
The Noble Quran Surah Hud English Translation and Tafsir
The Noble Quran: English Translation and Tafsir of Surah al-Fajr Ayah 1-14 The Fate of the Disbelievers

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah al-Fajr Ayah 15-20 Reprimanding Man for Favoring This World over the Hereafter

 

89:15 As for man, when his Lord tests him by honoring him and bestowing blessings on him, he says, 'My Lord has honored me.'

89:16 But when He tests him by straitening his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’

89:17 No! But you honor not the orphan, 

89:18 and you urge not one another to feed the needy, 

89:19 and you devour the inheritance, greedily devouring it, 

89:20 and you love wealth, ardent love.

Relationship with the Previous Part  

The previous part mentions that Allah is ever watchful of people’s deeds and He will justly recompense them on the Day of Judgment. Then this part reprimands man for favoring this world over the Hereafter. It also reproves people for being neglectful of performing righteous deeds and being engrossed in pursuing their lust and whims. 

89:15 As for man, when his Lord tests him by honoring him and bestowing blessings on him, he says, 'My Lord has honored me.'

O man, Allah is watchful of His slaves’ deeds and statements and He will justly recompense them for what they do and say. The happy one is he who understands this fact, and complies with Allah’s commands, and avoids His prohibitions.

As for one who is heedless of obeying Allah’s commands, when his Lord, Allah, tests him by honoring him, bestowing blessings on him, and giving him sources of power and enjoyment, he says, ‘My Lord has honored me. He has given me these blessings because I deserve them.’ 

 89:16 But when He tests him by straitening his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’

This ayah mentions the attitude of man at times of affliction and hardship. When Allah tests man by straitening his provision, taking away some of His blessings on him, and afflicting him with hardship, he discontentedly says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me and afflicted me with adversity.’ 

Man’s attitude in both cases is blamable and indicates his weak understanding and viewpoint, and insensible perception. At times of prosperity, he is boastful and believes that he deserves the blessings that Allah has given him and that Allah has not given him these blessings out of His bounty and generosity. On the other hand, at times of hardship and adversity, he is discontent and refuses to be pleased with Allah’s decree. He does not think that Allah’s blessings are bounties that He gives him to test him as to whether he will be thankful or ungrateful. Similarly, he does not think that Allah afflicts him with hardship to test him as to whether he will be patient or not, and that He does not afflict him to humiliate him. 

In sum, Allah tests people by giving them of His bounties and afflicting them with hardship to see how their attitude will be, i.e. will they be thankful at times of blessings and patient at times of afflictions or not? 

The ayah mentions straitening man’s provision and does not mention other kinds of affliction that may befall man to show that the ungrateful believe that wealth is the most important thing in life. He is happy only when he owns wealth and he is miserable when he loses it. His criterion for happiness is wealth and only wealth. 

Qatada, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘[89:16 But when He tests him by straitening his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’] How quickly man disbelieves! Allah says, ‘No! I do not honor man by giving him much wealth of this world, nor I humiliate him by giving him a little of its wealth, but I honor those whom I honor by guiding them to obey My commands and I humiliate those whom I humiliate by letting them disobey My commands.’ 

89:17 No! But you honor not the orphan, 

89:18 and you urge not one another to feed the needy, 

No! O man, do not say that Allah has honored you when He gives you some of His blessings, nor say that He has humiliated you when He afflicts you with some afflictions. Allah, the Wise, may make the disbeliever rich though he has no value with Allah because he disbelieves in Allah’s Oneness. On the other hand, Allah may make the believer poor though He loves him. Both cases happen for wisdom that Allah knows and man does not know. The believer will be thankful and the disbeliever will be ungrateful. 

No! You do not only say that having wealth is a sign of honoring and being deprived of it is a sign of humiliation, but you also do not honor the orphan. You leave him suffering poverty without trying to help him. Furthermore, you do not urge one another to feed the needy though Allah has given you great wealth. You spend it on satisfying your whims, but you are greedy when it comes to helping the needy and the weak. 

The ayah negates that they do not urge one another to feed the needy, so it is logically understood that they do not provide the needy with food, which is an abominable act that indicates mercilessness. 

89:19 and you devour the inheritance, greedily devouring it, 

89:20 and you love wealth, ardent love. 

Another vice of the wicked is that they devour the inheritance greedily without distinguishing between that which is lawful and unlawful and they illegally consume the rights of the weak, such as women and children. They also ardently love wealth with a great desire to collect it from any source whether it is lawful or unlawful and to accumulate it, as if they will not die or take it with them when they die. 

In sum, the wicked are characterized by some evil attributes that combine verbal with non-verbal vices, namely, not taking care of the orphan, not urging one another to help and feed the needy, collecting inheritance without distinguishing between the lawful and the unlawful, and ardent love for wealth and acquiring it from any source and by any means. 

Learned Lessons from Surah al-Fajr 15-20  

• Man does not understand the rationale behind being rich and poor. He mistakenly believes that being wealthy is a sign of Allah’s love for him and being poor is a sign of humiliating Allah to him. However, the truth is that having wealth is not a sign of honoring, and being poor is not a sign of humiliation.

• The true sign for honoring Allah to his slave is that He guides him to obey His commands and follow the path of guidance.

• Wicked people do not honor the orphan and consume his wealth unlawfully, they ardently love wealth and strive to collect it from any source and by any means, they devour inheritance greedily to the extent that they may consume the inheritance of the weak illegally. All these attributes are vices that cause loss in this world and the Hereafter.    

The Noble Quran English Translation of Surah al-Fajr

The Noble Quran Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah al-Fajr

The Noble Quran: English Translation and Tafsir of Surah al-Fajr Ayah 1-14 The Fate of the Disbelievers 

The Noble Quran Surah ar-Ra'd English Translation and Tafsir

The Noble Quran: English Translation and Tafsir of Surah al-Fajr Ayah 1-14 The Fate of the Disbelievers

 

89:1 By the dawn, 

89:2 by the ten nights, 

89:3 by the even and the odd, 

89:4 and by the night when it passes! 

89:5 Is there in that a solemn oath for one who is mindful? 

89:6 Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Ad, 

89:7 Iram of the pillars, 

89:8 the like of which was never created in the land, 

89:9 and Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley, 

89:10 and Pharaoh, of the stakes, 

89:11 who all transgressed in the lands, 

89:12 and made much mischief therein? 

89:13 So your Lord poured on them a scourge of punishment. 

89:14 Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful.

Tafsir 

89:1 By the dawn, 

89:2 by the ten nights, 

89:3 by the even and the odd, 

89:4 and by the night when it passes! 

89:5 Is there in that a solemn oath for one who is mindful? 

Allah swears by some beneficial things that indicate His perfect ability at the beginning of surah al-Fajr.

First, Allah swears by the dawn, which is the time of the day when light first appears in the sky, just before the sun rises. The scholars mention the following six opinions about the meaning of the dawn: 1) It refers to the dawn of any day. 2) It refers to the al-Fajr prayer ‘dawn prayer.’ 3) It refers to the entire day and the dawn is mentioned because it is the beginning of the day. 4) It refers to the dawn of the tenth day of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah. 5) It refers to the first day of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah. 6) It refers to the first day of the month of al-Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. 

Second, Allah swears by the ten nights. The scholars mention the following four meanings for the ten nights. 1) They are the first ten nights of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah. 2) They are the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. 3) They are the first ten nights of the month of Ramadan. 4) they are the first ten nights of the month of al-Muharram.  After mentioning the opinions of the scholars, Imam Muhammad bin Jarir at-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘The correct opinion is that the ten nights refer to the first ten nights of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah because the eminent scholars unanimously have this opinion. In addition, Abdul Allah bin Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘[ By the dawn, by the ten nights…] [89:1-2] The ten nights are the ten nights of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah.’ 

Third, Allah swears by the even and the odd. The scholars differ about the meaning of the even and the odd. Some of their opinions are as follows: 1) The even refers to the ten-day of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah and the odd refers to the night of the ninth day of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah. 2) The even and the odd refer to the prayer as some prayers consist of even units; whereas, other prayers consist of odd units. 3) The even refers to all things that Allah has created and the odd refers to Allah, Exalted be He. 4) The even refers to Prophet Adam and his wife Eve and the odd refers to Allah, Exalted be He. 5) The even refers to the ranks of Paradise as they are eight ranks; whereas, the odd refers to the ranks of Hell as they are seven ranks.  After mentioning the opinions of the scholars, Imam Muhammad bin Jarir at-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said, the correct opinion is that Allah swears by the even and the odd. He has not specified a particular kind of the even nor the odd. There is also neither authentic narration nor intellectual evidence that specifies their meanings. Thus, every even and odd is of the things that Allah swears by because the oath is general.’ 

Fourth, Allah swears by the night when it passes, namely, I swear by the night when it passes and leaves with its darkness so that the day with its light and brightness comes after it. The scholars of Tafsir maintain that the night refers to every night, which is the apparent meaning; that it refers to the night before the tenth day of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah; and that it refers to the night of the Decree in the month of Ramadan. 

89:5 Is there in that a solemn oath for one who is mindful? 

The interrogation is for confirmation and showing honor to the creatures by which Allah, Exalted be He, swears. 

Is there in the things by which Allah swears a solemn oath that can convince a mindful person? Undoubtedly, any person, who is endowed with a sound mind, will certainly know that the things by which Allah swears deserve to be sworn by, as they are great things. 

The intended meaning is as follows: ‘O disbelievers, you will be punished just as the former disbelievers were punished.’ 

89:6 Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Ad, 

89:7 Iram of the pillars, 

89:8 the like of which was never created in the land, 

The interrogation is to confirm the viewing (knowledge) since the disbelievers of Mecca know news about the former destroyed nations. Therefore, their certain knowledge is likened to seeing by the eyes with regard to clarity and clearness. The viewing may refer to seeing by the eyes since some of the disbelievers saw the remains of the destroyed nations. 

Ad refers to a tribe that used to live in an area called al-Ahqaf, a place in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. The people of Mecca used to pass by it when traveling. The tribe is named after its great father Ad. Allah sent Prophet Hud to invite its people to worship Him alone; however, most of them rejected his invitation and only a few numbers accepted it. Thus, Allah punished the disbelievers and saved Prophet Hud and the believers. 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Ad?  Have you known what happened to the tribe of Ad whose members were descendants of Ad son of Iram son of Shem son of Prophet Noah? Those people were tall and had strong and bulky bodies. They were the strongest among their contemporaries. Their dwellings had high pillars. No tribe was like Ad in terms of strength and no city was like their city in terms of having strong and secure structures. 

89:9 and Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley, 

Thamud refers to the tribe of Prophet Saleh. It was named after its great father Thamud. Allah sent Prophet Saleh to invite its people to worship Him alone and avoid worshiping false gods besides Him. They rejected to believe in his message. Therefore, Allah saved Prophet Saleh and the believers and punished the disbelievers.

The tribe of Thamud used to live in an area between ash-Sham and al-Hejaz, nowadays in Saudi Arabia, it is called Mada’in Saleh, and it is also called the valley of al-Qura. The people of Thamud used to carve the rocks in the mountains to make their houses. 

89:10 and Pharaoh, of the stakes, 

Pharaoh used to have soldiers, who used to strengthen his authority, and he had stakes. The scholars of Tafsir have different opinions about the meaning of the stakes. 1) Pharaoh used to have stakes to which he would tie people to torment them. 2) The stakes refer to strong and stable buildings. 3) The stakes refer to Pharaoh’s soldiers, who used to support and strengthen his kingdom. 4) The stakes refer to high buildings that Pharaoh used to build and then he would slaughter people on them [Zad al-Masir fi Ilm at-Tafsir].

O noble Messenger Muhammad, you have known how Allah dealt with the tribe of Ad that is a descendant of Shem son of Prophet Noah. It used to have great pillars for raising their dwellings and no tribe was created that resembled it in terms of strength and power. You have also known how Allah dealt with the tribe of Thamud that used to carve the rocks in the mountains to build their houses therein. You have also known how Allah dealt with Pharaoh, who had great buildings and many soldiers who strengthened his kingdom. 

89:11 who all transgressed in the lands, 

89:12 and made much mischief therein? 

Those people transgressed in the lands and spread much mischief therein. They disobeyed Allah’s commands and went beyond all bounds of disobedience and wrongdoing. 

89:13 So your Lord poured on them a scourge of punishment. 

89:14 Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful. 

Those wrongdoers transgressed in the lands and spread corruption, so Allah’s severe punishment befell them. 

Allah’s punishment might be in the form of a violent wind that destroyed them, or a terrible earthquake that swallowed them, or a great flood that overwhelmed them. They will also suffer severe punishment in the Hereafter. 

The ayah used the verb ‘poured’ to show that the punishment that befell the disbelievers was violent and ceaseless. It was like rain that falls relentlessly and forcefully. 

O noble Messenger Muhammad, your Lord, Allah, is ever watchful. He closely watches people’s deeds and counts them and He will recompense them on the Day of Judgment according to their deeds, good or evil. 

The ayah implies a warning to the disbelievers and wrongdoers. If they insist on disbelieving in Allah’s Oneness and transgressing limits that Allah has prescribed, His punishment will befall them just as it befell the former disbelievers and wrongdoers. Thus, they should repent of their sins before it is too late. 

Learned Lessons from Surah al-Fajr Ayah 1-14   

• The disbelievers will inevitably be punished for their disbelief in Allah’s Oneness. Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the dawn, the first ten nights of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah, the even and the odd, and the night when it passes that the disbelievers will certainly be punished. Allah’s swearing by these things indicates their honorable ranks as they are beneficial for religious and worldly matters. They also clear proofs confirming Allah’s Oneness and ability.

• Allah can swear by whatever things of His creatures, but the created beings can only swear by Allah.  

• Allah is able. Just as He destroyed the former disbelievers when they insisted on disbelieving in His Oneness and transgression, He will resurrect people for reckoning on the Day of Judgment.

• Allah’s punishment is severe. Those who disobey His commands should fear His punishment.

The Noble Quran: English Translation of Surah al-Fajr

The Noble Quran: English Translation of Tafsir ibn Kathir

The Holy Quran, Tafsir of Surah al-Inshiqaq Ayah 1-15 Some Horrors of the Day of Judgment

The Noble Quran Surah Hud English Translation and Tafisr

 

 

The Noble Quran: Introduction to Tafsir of Surah al-Fajr

 

Name of Surah al-Fajr 

This surah is called ‘al-Fajr’ because it begins by [By al-Fajr ‘the dawn’.] By the dawn is an oath in which Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the dawn when it starts. 

Relationship between Surah al-Ghashiyah and Surah al-Fajr

According to the written copy of the Quran, surah al-Ghashiyah comes before surah al-Fajr. Both surahs were revealed in Mecca. The relationship between these surahs is as follows: 

1. Surah al-Fajr begins by swearing: [By the dawn, by the ten nights…] The oath is evidence that confirms the veracity of the conclusion of the previous surah, al-Ghashiyah: [Surely, to Us is their return, then surely upon Us will be their reckoning.] That is because Allah swears by the dawn, by the ten nights… to confirm that people will be resurrected for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. 

2. Surah al-Ghashiyah mentions that people will be divided into two groups, the wicked disbelievers and the happy believers on the Day of Judgment. Surah al-Fajr mentions examples of the first group, e.g. the people of Ad and Pharaoh. It also mentions an example of the believers, i.e. those who thank Allah for His blessings. 

Main Theme of Surah al-Fajr  

Surah al-Fajr refers to some aspects of Allah’s greatness and ability in the universe, people’s conditions in this world, the end of wicked, and the end of the believers on the Day of Judgment.  

Topics Discussed in Surah al-Fajr

• The surah begins by swearing by the dawn, the first ten days of the month of Dhu al-Hjjah, the even, the odd, and the night when it passes that Allah’s punishment will certainly befall the disbelievers. 

• Surah al-Fajr refers to some wrongful, destroyed nations that disbelieved in their messengers and mentions that Allah punished them because of their transgression.  [Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Ad, Iram of the pillars…] [89: 6-7]

• The surah refers to the fact that life in this world is a test. People are tested by attaining what they like and suffering from hardship, and being wealthy and poor. It also mentions that man by nature extremely loves wealth. 

• Surah al-Fajr refers to the fact that giving many blessings to a person is not proof that Allah honors him, nor straitening his provision is not proof that Allah humiliates him. [As for man, when his Lord tests him by honoring him and bestowing blessings on him, he says, ‘My Lord has honored me.’ But when He tests him…] [89: 15-16]

• Surah al-Fajr mentions some of the horrors of the Day of Judgment. [No! When the earth is pounded, pounded and pounded…] [89:21]

• Surah al-Fajr mentions that people will be divided into two parties on the Day of Judgment, the happy and the loser. It also mentions that the loser will hope to return to the worldly life to believe in Allah’s Oneness and perform righteous deeds. [He will say, ‘O would that I had forwarded for my life?’ On that day, none will punish as He punishes.] [89:24-25]

• The surah mentions that the believers will be successful in the Hereafter as Allah will be pleased with them and make them enter Paradise, wherein they will enjoy lasting happiness. [O soul at peace, ‘Return to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing…[89:27-28] 

English Translation and Tafsir of  the Quran: Surah al-Fajr

English Translation and Tafsir of the Quran: Tafsir ibn Kathir

The Noble Quran, Tafsir of Surah Hud, Allah Will Certainly Give Victory to the Believers 

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