Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:61
Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will obtain like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life [but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented [for punishment in Hell]?
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: أَفَمَنْ وَعَدْنَاهُ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لاقِيهِ كَمَنْ مَتَّعْنَاهُ مَتَاعَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ (61) ("Is then one to whom We have made a goodly promise, and who will attain it, like one to whom We have granted the enjoyment of the life of this world and who then, on the Day of Resurrection, will be among those brought forth [for punishment]?") (28:61).
The Exalted, exalted is His mention, says: Is then one of Our creation whom We have promised the Garden because of his obedience to Us, and who believed in what We promised him and affirmed it and obeyed Us, so that by his obedience to Us he merited that We fulfill for him what We promised him — so he will attain what was promised to him and reach it — like one to whom We granted in the life of this world the worldly enjoyment, so that he enjoyed it and forgot the work which We promised [reward for] to the people of obedience, and neglected to seek it and preferred the perishable enjoyment over the future one? Then, on the Day of Resurrection, when he appears before Allah, he will be among those brought forth (al-muḥḍarīn), that is to say: among those who behold the punishment of Allah and His painful chastisement.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: أَفَمَنْ وَعَدْنَاهُ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لاقِيهِ ("Is then one to whom We have made a goodly promise, and who will attain it"); he said: that is the believer, who heard the Book of Allah and affirmed it and believed in what Allah promised therein; كَمَنْ مَتَّعْنَاهُ مَتَاعَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ("like one to whom We have granted the enjoyment of the life of this world"): that is this unbeliever; by Allah, he is not like the believer; ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ ("who then, on the Day of Resurrection, will be among those brought forth"): that is to say: in the punishment of Allah.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid. Ibn ʿAmr said in his narration concerning His saying: مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ ("among those brought forth"); he said: they were brought forth. And al-Ḥārith said in his narration: ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ ("who then, on the Day of Resurrection, will be among those brought forth"): the people of the Fire; they were brought forth to it.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ ("who then, on the Day of Resurrection, will be among those brought forth"); he said: the people of the Fire; they were brought forth to it.
And the exegetes differed concerning whom this āyah was revealed about. Some of them said: it was revealed concerning the Prophet ﷺ and concerning Abū Jahl ibn Hishām.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Abū al-Nuʿmān al-Ḥakam ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-ʿIjlī related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abān ibn Taghlib, on the authority of Mujāhid: أَفَمَنْ وَعَدْنَاهُ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لاقِيهِ كَمَنْ مَتَّعْنَاهُ مَتَاعَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ ; he said: it was revealed concerning the Prophet ﷺ and concerning Abū Jahl ibn Hishām.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj: أَفَمَنْ وَعَدْنَاهُ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لاقِيهِ ("Is then one to whom We have made a goodly promise, and who will attain it"); he said: the Prophet ﷺ.
And others said: it was revealed concerning Ḥamza and ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with them both, and Abū Jahl, may Allah curse him.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Badal ibn al-Muḥabbar al-Taghlibī related to us,(1) saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abān ibn Taghlib, on the authority of Mujāhid: أَفَمَنْ وَعَدْنَاهُ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لاقِيهِ كَمَنْ مَتَّعْنَاهُ مَتَاعَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ هُوَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ ; he said: it was revealed concerning Ḥamza and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, and Abū Jahl.
ʿAbd al-Ṣamad related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abān ibn Taghlib, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: it was revealed concerning Ḥamza and Abū Jahl.
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Footnotes:
(1) In al-Khulāṣa of al-Khazrajī: Badal ibn al-Muḥabbar, with ḍamma on the mīm and fatḥa on the undotted ḥāʾ and the bāʾ, al-Yarbūʿī, Abū al-Munīr (on the pattern of muṭīʿ) al-Baṣrī. Abū Ḥātim said: trustworthy (ṣadūq). He died around the year two hundred and fifteen.
