Tafseer of The Romans · Ar-Room · 30:56
But those who were given knowledge and faith will say, "You remained the extent of Allah 's decree until the Day of Resurrection, and this is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not used to know."
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: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَالإِيمَانَ لَقَدْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْبَعْثِ فَهَذَا يَوْمُ الْبَعْثِ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ (56) ("But those to whom knowledge and faith were given will say: 'Indeed you have remained, according to the Book of Allah, until the Day of Resurrection; so this is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know it'") (30:56).
Qatāda used to say: this belongs to that which is placed first while its meaning comes afterward (a case of inversion).
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda concerning his word: ( وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَالإيمَانَ لَقَدْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْبَعْثِ ), he said: this belongs to the words with advanced placement. And its explanation is: and those to whom faith and knowledge were given said: indeed you have remained according to the Book of Allah (1).
And it has been related from Ibn Jurayj that he used to say: the meaning of that is: and they said, those to whom the knowledge of the Book of Allah and faith in Allah and His Book were given.
And His word: ( فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ ) ("according to the Book of Allah"). He says: in what Allah has written down of that which preceded in His knowledge, namely that you would remain for that period. ( فَهَذَا يَوْمُ البَعْثِ ) ("so this is the Day of Resurrection"). He says: this is the day on which people are resurrected from their graves. ( وَلَكِنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ ) ("but you did not know it"). He says: but in the worldly life you did not know that it would take place, and that you would be resurrected after death; therefore you used to deny it.
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The footnotes:
(1) In Fatḥ al-Qadīr of al-Shawkānī (4:224) al-Wāḥidī says: the exegetes have understood this as a case of advancement and postponement, in the sense of: and those to whom knowledge was given said, according to the Book of Allah. And this differs from what Qatāda assumed in his narration which the author has rendered here.
