Tafseer of The Originator · Faatir · 35:39
It is He who has made you successors upon the earth. And whoever disbelieves - upon him will be [the consequence of] his disbelief. And the disbelief of the disbelievers does not increase them in the sight of their Lord except in hatred; and the disbelief of the disbelievers does not increase them except in loss.
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: هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلائِفَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُ وَلا يَزِيدُ الْكَافِرِينَ كُفْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِلا مَقْتًا وَلا يَزِيدُ الْكَافِرِينَ كُفْرُهُمْ إِلا خَسَارًا (35:39) (He it is who has made you successors on the earth. So whoever disbelieves, his disbelief is upon himself. And the disbelief of the disbelievers increases them in nothing with their Lord but detestation, and the disbelief of the disbelievers increases them in nothing but loss.)
The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: Allah it is who has made you, O people, successors on the earth after ʿĀd and Thamūd and the communities that passed away before you; He made you succeed them in their dwellings and abodes.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying "He it is who has made you successors on the earth": community after community, and generation after generation.
And His saying: "So whoever disbelieves, his disbelief is upon himself" — the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: whoever of you, O people, disbelieves in Allah (kāfir), upon himself rests the harm of his disbelief; he thereby harms no one but himself, for he is the one who will be punished for it and no one else. And His saying: "and the disbelief of the disbelievers increases them in nothing with their Lord but detestation" — the Exalted says: and the disbelief (kufr) of the disbelievers increases them with their Lord in nothing but removal from the mercy of Allah. "And the disbelief of the disbelievers increases them in nothing but loss" — He says: and the disbelief of the disbelievers in Allah increases them in nothing but ruin.
