Towards Understanding the Quran
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Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear
Surah Al-Furqan 25:26-29   Chapters ↕   Word for Word
Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-34 [3], 35-44 [4], 45-60 [5], 61-77 [6]
اَلْمُلْكُThe Sovereigntyیَوْمَىِٕذِthat Dayلْحَقُّ(will be) trulyلِلرَّحْمٰنِ ؕfor the Most Graciousوَ كَانَAnd (it will) beیَوْمًاa Dayعَلَیforالْكٰفِرِیْنَthe disbelieversعَسِیْرًا difficult وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayیَعَضُّwill biteالظَّالِمُthe wrongdoerعَلٰی[on]یَدَیْهِhis handsیَقُوْلُhe will sayیٰلَیْتَنِیO I wish!اتَّخَذْتُI had takenمَعَwithالرَّسُوْلِthe Messengerسَبِیْلًا a way یٰوَیْلَتٰیO woe to me!لَیْتَنِیْI wishلَمْnotاَتَّخِذْI had takenفُلَانًاthat oneخَلِیْلًا (as) a friend لَقَدْVerilyاَضَلَّنِیْhe led me astrayعَنِfromالذِّكْرِthe Reminderبَعْدَafterاِذْ[when]جَآءَنِیْ ؕit (had) come to meوَ كَانَAnd isالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanلِلْاِنْسَانِto the manخَذُوْلًا a deserter

Translation

(25:26) On that Day the true kingdom will belong only to the Merciful Lord.39 That will be a hard day for those that deny the Truth;

(25:27) a Day when the wrong-doer will bite his hands, saying: "Would that I had stood by the Messenger!

(25:28) Woe is me! Would that I had not taken such a one for a friend!

(25:29) He led me astray from the Admonition that had come to me. Satan proved to be a great betrayer of man."40

Commentary

39. In the Next Life, all the pomp and glory, and power and wealth which delude people in the present life will come to an end. There, only one kingdom will endure and that will be the kingdom of God, the true Sovereign of the entire Universe. It has been stated in Surah al-Mu'min: "On that Day they will stand exposed and nothing will be hidden from Allah. (It will then be asked): "Whose is sovereignty today?" (The response from everywhere will be:] "Allah's, the One, the Omnipotent" (40:16).

One hadith further elucidates this point. The Prophet (peace be on him) said: "God will hold the heavens in one Hand and the earth in the Other, and say: I am the Sovereign, I am the Dominant Ruler. Where are the sovereigns of the earth? Where are the tyrants? Where are the vainglorious?" (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Da'ud Bukhari, and Muslim have all reported this with slight variations in wording.) (K. Tafstr Surah al-Zumar'. 'Bab Qawlihi: wa mã qadara Allah haqqa qadrihi': Muslim. 'K. Şifat al-Munafiqin wa Ahkāmihim'; 'K. Şifat al- Qiyāmah wa al-Jannah wa al-Nar'. Abu Da'ud, 'K. al-Sunnah, Bab Fi al- Radd 'ala al-Jahmiyah", Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 2, p. 72.)

40. Maybe this is a part of the unbeliever's lament. Alternatively, it may be God's response to the unbeliever's statement in which case the appropriate translation would be: "Satan is indeed a betrayer of man."