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At-Tawbah 38

Ayah 38 of 129 · Medinan

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَا لَكُمۡ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ ٱنفِرُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱثَّاقَلۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ أَرَضِيتُم بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا مِنَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ فَمَا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ٣٨

O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allāh, you adhere heavily to the earth?1 Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 i.e., inclining toward the comforts of worldly life.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَاO youyāayyuhā
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who(believe)alladhīna
  3. ءَامَنُواْbelieveāmanū
  4. مَاWhatmā
  5. لَكُمۡ(is the matter) with youlakum
  6. إِذَاwhenidhā
  7. قِيلَit is saidqīla
  8. لَكُمُto youlakumu
  9. ٱنفِرُواْgo forthinfirū
  10. فِيinfī
  11. سَبِيلِ(the) waysabīli
  12. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allahl-lahi
  13. ٱثَّاقَلۡتُمۡyou cling heavilyithāqaltum
  14. إِلَىtoilā
  15. ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚthe earthl-arḍi
  16. أَرَضِيتُمAre you pleasedaraḍītum
  17. بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِwith the lifebil-ḥayati
  18. ٱلدُّنۡيَا(of) the worldl-dun'yā
  19. مِنَ(rather) thanmina
  20. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚthe Hereafterl-ākhirati
  21. فَمَاBut whatfamā
  22. مَتَٰعُ(is the) enjoymentmatāʿu
  23. ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ(of) the lifel-ḥayati
  24. ٱلدُّنۡيَا(of) the worldl-dun'yā
  25. فِيin (comparison to)fī
  26. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِthe hereafterl-ākhirati
  27. إِلَّاexceptillā
  28. قَلِيلٌa littleqalīlun

Tafsir

O you who have faith in Allah and His Messenger, and follow His sacred law, what is wrong with you that when you are called to strive for Allah’s sake, fighting against your enemy, tyou become reluctant, desiring to remain in your houses. Do you prefer the passing life of this world and its pleasures, which are short-lived, to the eternal bliss of the Afterlife, which Allah has prepared for those who strive for His sake? The enjoyment of the life of this world is insignificant in comparison to that of the Afterlife. How can anyone with sense choose something passing over something eternal, or something miserable over something amazing?

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran