Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:148
And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment [of life] for a time.
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.
And His saying فَآمَنُوا ("they then believed") means: they declared Allah, who had sent Yūnus to them, to be the One alone, and they believed in the truth of what Yūnus had brought them from Allah.
And His saying فَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ ("and We let them enjoy until an appointed time") means: and We deferred the punishment from them, and let them enjoy until an appointed time through their continued living, until the terms appointed for them by death were reached.
And in accordance with what we have said about that, 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 فَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ : death.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His saying فَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ , he said: death.
