Tafseer of The Romans · Ar-Room · 30:44
Whoever disbelieves - upon him is [the consequence of] his disbelief. And whoever does righteousness - they are for themselves preparing,
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 words of the Exalted: مَنْ كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلأَنْفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ (44) (Whoever disbelieves, his disbelief falls back upon himself; and whoever does good, they prepare a resting place for themselves.) (44)
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: Whoever disbelieves in Allāh, upon him rest the burdens of his disbelief and the sins of his denial of the favors of his Lord. وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا (and whoever does good). He says: and whoever obeys Allāh, and acts according to what He has commanded him in the worldly life, and refrains from what He has forbidden him therein, فَلأنْفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدونَ (they prepare a resting place for themselves). He says: they make ready and smooth out the sleeping place for themselves, so that they may remain safeguarded from the punishment of their Lord and escape His torment, as the poet said:
Prepare for yourself a resting place, for sickness and perdition are near, And do not squander a soul for which there is no replacement. (1)
And similar to what we have said in the explanation thereof, the exegetes have said.
* Mention of who said that:
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 — فَلأنْفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ (they prepare a resting place for themselves), he said: they smooth out the sleeping places.
Ibn al-Muthannā, al-Ḥusayn ibn Yazīd al-Ṭaḥḥān, Ibn Wakīʿ, and Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-ʿAlāʾī related to us, they said: Yaḥyā ibn Sulaym related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, فَلأنْفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ (they prepare a resting place for themselves), he said: in the grave.
Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿīd al-Jawharī related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Sulaym related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, فَلأنْفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ (they prepare a resting place for themselves), he said: for the grave.
Naṣr ibn ʿAlī related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Sulaym related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Najīḥ related to us, saying: I heard Mujāhid say concerning His word فَلأنْفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ (they prepare a resting place for themselves), he said: in the grave.
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Footnotes:
(1) The verse is by Sulaymān ibn Yazīd al-ʿAdawī (Majāz al-Qurʾān of Abū ʿUbayda, folio 189-a). He said in the explanation of the words of the Exalted فلأنفسهم يمهدون (they prepare a resting place for themselves): man (with fatḥa on the mīm) applies to the singular, the dual, and the plural; and the figurative meaning here is that of the plural. And yamhadu means: he acquires, acts, and makes himself ready. Sulaymān ibn Yazīd al-ʿAdawī said: "Prepare for yourself a resting place ..." — the verse. And ḥāna means: it has drawn near. And at-talaf means: death. And in al-Lisān (mahd): mahada li-nafsihi yamhadu mahdan (like fataḥa) — to acquire and to act.
