Surah 19 Maryam — Ayah 75
قُلْ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلضَّلَٰلَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ مَدًّا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوْا۟ مَا يُوعَدُونَ إِمَّا ٱلْعَذَابَ وَإِمَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ شَرٌّۭ مَّكَانًۭا وَأَضْعَفُ جُندًۭا
Di': “Che il Compassionevole prolunghi [la vita] di coloro che sono sviati, finché non vedranno il castigo e l'Ora che li minaccia. Sapranno allora chi si trova nella peggiore situazione e [chi ha] la compagine più debole”.
qul man kāna fī l-ḍalālati falyamdud lahu l-raḥmānu maddan ḥattā idhā ra-aw mā yūʿadūna immā l-ʿadhāba wa-immā l-sāʿata fasayaʿlamūna man huwa sharrun makānan wa-aḍʿafu jundan
Word by word
- قُلْ qul Say
- مَن man Whoever
- كَانَ kāna is
- فِى fī in
- ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةِ l-ḍalālati [the] error
- فَلْيَمْدُدْ falyamdud then surely will extend
- لَهُ lahu for him
- ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ l-raḥmānu the Most Gracious
- مَدًّا ۚ maddan an extension
- حَتَّىٰٓ ḥattā until
- إِذَا idhā when
- رَأَوْا۟ ra-aw they see
- مَا mā what
- يُوعَدُونَ yūʿadūna they were promised
- إِمَّا immā either
- ٱلْعَذَابَ l-ʿadhāba the punishment
- وَإِمَّا wa-immā or
- ٱلسَّاعَةَ l-sāʿata the Hour
- فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ fasayaʿlamūna then they will know
- مَنْ man who
- هُوَ huwa [he]
- شَرٌّۭ sharrun (is) worst
- مَّكَانًۭا makānan (in) position
- وَأَضْعَفُ wa-aḍʿafu and weaker
- جُندًۭا jundan (in) forces
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
The Rebellious Person is given Respite but He is not forgotten
Allah, the Exalted, says,
(Say) This means, "O Muhammad, say to these people who are associating partners with their Lord, while claiming to follow the truth, that they are really following falsehood."
(whoever is in error) This means, `be they from us or from you.'
(the Most Gracious will extend circumstances for him.) This means that the Most Beneficent will give him respite in that which he is in, until he meets his Lord and his appointed time will have arrived.
(until, when they see that which they were promised, either the torment) that will strike him,
(or the Hour) that will come suddenly,
(they will come to know) at that time,
(who is worst in position, and who is weaker in forces.) This is in refutation of thier argument about their nice dwellings and splendid places of gathering. This is a challenge against the idolators who claim that they were following guidance in what they were doing. This is similar to the challenge that Allah mentions about the Jews when He says,
(O you Jews! If you pretend that you are friends of Allah, to the exclusion of (all) other people, then long for death if you are truthful.) 62:6 Meaning, `Supplicate for death to come to those who are following falsehood among us if you truly claim to be upon the truth. If you are true, then this supplication will not harm you.' But they refused to do so. An extensive discussion of this has already preceded in Surat Al-Baqarah, and to Allah is the praise. Likewise, Allah mentioned the challenge that was given to the Christians in Surah Al `Imran, when they were persistent in their disbelief and continued in their transgression. They refused to give up their exaggerating claim that `Isa was the son of Allah. Therefore, Allah mentioned His arguments and proofs against the worship of `Isa, and that he was merely a creature like Adam. After this, Allah said,
(Then whoever disputes with you about him after (all this) knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves - then we pray and invoke (sincerely) the curse of Allah upon those who lie.") 3:61 However, they (the Christians) also retreated from this challenge.