Some men are seen pondering and debating the y why of the birth of a man and the grant of long life to many, while many in their you pass away. The answer may be long and complex for the philosophers, but for men who reflect deeply on the verses of the Divine Scriptures often find the answer. Through this post today will share a post from Al Qur'an and a Hadith related to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to those wandering for an answer for why do man is granted a long life.
Today we share a very deeply reflective verse from AL Qur'an which is later explained by a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
The Verse (Surah Fāṭir (35:37)
"And they will cry out therein, 'Our Lord! Take us out; we will do righteous deeds, not what we used to do.' (Allah will say:) 'Did We not give you a life long enough for whoever would reflect to take heed? And the warner had come to you. So taste (the punishment), for the wrongdoers will have no helper.'"
Context of the Verse
Surah Fāṭir is a Makkan surah whose central theme is Allah's absolute sovereignty, His creative power, human accountability, and the certainty of the Hereafter. The verses immediately preceding (35:32–36) describe two opposite destinies:
The believers inherit Paradise and praise Allah for removing all sorrow (35:32–35).The disbelievers are cast into Hell where neither death ends their suffering nor is the punishment lightened (35:36).
Verse 35:37 continues this scene. It depicts the desperate plea of the inhabitants of Hell after realizing that every opportunity to repent has passed.
Scholarly Tafsir / Explanation
1. Ibn Kathir explains the desperate plea of the disbelievers inside Hellfire. They beg Allah to let them return to the earthly life to do good deeds, but Allah reminds them that they were already given enough time, life, and clear warnings to take heed..
- Allah's response exposes the weakness of their excuse: "Did We not give you sufficient life?" That is Allah had already granted them enough years to recognize the truth, repent and reform.
- Ibn Kathir quotes narrations explaining that this "sufficient life" refers to the age at which a person has ample opportunity to understand guidance.
- The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah has left no excuse for a person whose life He has prolonged until sixty years of age." — Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
- This does not mean people younger than sixty are excused. Rather, sixty represents the completion of a long lifetime after abundant opportunities.
2. Al-Tabari Al-Tabari states that:
- Allah provided intellect and Allah provided time.
- Allah sent messengers and revealed scriptures.
- Allah showed signs throughout creation.
Therefore no one can say: "I never had a chance."
3. Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi
This implies every such age of life in which a person may be able to distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood, if he likes to, and turn to right guidance instead of deviation, if he wishes. If a person has died before attaining such an age, he will not be called to any account according to this verse. However, the one who has attained this age will certainly be held answerable for his actions. Then, as long as he lives after attaining this age and gets more and more opportunities for choosing and adopting the right path, his responsibility also will increase accordingly; so much so that the one who does not adopt right guidance even in old age will have no chance left for making any excuse. This same thing has been reported by Hadrat Abu Hurairah and Hadrat Sahl bin Sa'd as-Sa'idi in a Hadith, saying: "The one who lives a short life has an excuse to offer, but there is no room for making an excuse for him who lives for 60 years or more." (Bukhari Ahmad, Nasa'i, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim).
The gist of above scholarly explanation is that the verse establishes one of Allah's great principles:
- Accountability only comes after sufficient opportunity and clear warning.
- No punishment is arbitrary.
- Allah first: gives life, grants understanding, sends guidance, repeatedly reminds mankind.
- And then only persistent rejection results in punishment.
"The Warner had come to you"
Scholars explained this phrase in several complementary ways. The "warner" includes: Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. all previous prophets, the Qur'an itself, , sincere callers to truth, reminders from life. According to some early scholars, even old age, because grey hair warns a person that death is approaching. These meanings are not mutually exclusive; they all serve as reminders from Allah.
Why They Want to Return
Notice they do not ask: "Remove the punishment." - Instead they say: "We will do righteous deeds."
That is after seeing the punishment of theirs going astray in their worldly life by rejecting the Divine cautions and warning from the messengers, now they know: (1) faith was true, (2) resurrection was true, and (3) accountability was true.
But they did not know that repentance belongs only to worldly life. And when a person dies, all chances given to him to repent and seek forgiveness cease and Divine accountability will take over to teach them them that what they have been cautioned and warned about in the wordily life was true and resurrection was a reality which they mocked.
Connection with Other Qur'anic Verses
Since resurrection and accountability is a reality, man has been cautioned throughout the Qur'an to remind man time and again to take heed and follow the true faith. Following are some reference from Al Qur'an that echo the same theme:
1. Surah Al-Mu'minun (23:99–100) When death comes, the sinner says: "My Lord, send me back so that I may do righteousness." - But it is refused. That is when the angel of death finally knocks at the door then all doors of repentance are shut and even if the repentance is still made, itis denied.
2. Surah As-Sajdah (32:12) The criminals say: "Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so send us back." Again, no return is granted.
3. Surah Az-Zumar (39:58) The sinner says: "If only Allah had guided me." But guidance had already reached him and it that time they mocked it.
4. Surah Al-An'am (6:27–28) Allah says that even if they were returned, they would return to what they had been forbidden, because their hearts had not truly changed. This demonstrates that their request arises from the immediate reality of punishment, not necessarily from genuine inner transformation.
Lessons for Today
Verse 35:37 is not only about the Hereafter; it is a call to reflect on the present.
1. Time is one of Allah's greatest blessings Every additional day is another opportunity to repent, learn, forgive, and do good. We often ask for more time, yet this verse reminds us that the time we already have is itself a trust.
2. Do not postpone repentance People frequently think:
"I'll become religious after retirement."
"I'll change after achieving my goals."
The verse warns that death may arrive before those intentions become actions.
3. Guidance carries responsibility Many people today have unprecedented access to the Qur'an, authentic hadith, translations, lectures, and scholarship. Access to guidance increases responsibility to seek and respond to the truth.
4. Regret cannot replace action One of the recurring themes of the Qur'an is that remorse after certainty is no substitute for faith and righteous deeds during earthly life.
5. Listen to life's warnings Illness, aging, the loss of loved ones, and witnessing death are reminders that our worldly life is temporary. The believer treats these experiences as opportunities to renew faith and priorities rather than ignoring them.
A Reflective Summary
Surah Fāṭir 35:37 is one of the Qur'an's most sobering portrayals of regret after the opportunity to choose has ended. It teaches that Allah does not hold people accountable without first granting life, intellect, guidance, and repeated reminders. The tragedy of the people in Hell is not merely that they sinned, but that they repeatedly delayed repentance until it was too late.
For us today, the verse is a reminder to value the time Allah has given, respond to His guidance while we are able, and recognize that the greatest opportunity we possess is today, before tomorrow becomes a wish that can never be fulfilled.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to Summary and Selected verses of Sürah (35) Fāṭir “The Originator / The Creator” for more Selected Verses already published
You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages:
- Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
- Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
- Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
0 comments:
Post a Comment