Surah 21 Al-Anbiyaa — Ayah 39
لَوْ يَعْلَمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ ٱلنَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not avert the Fire from their faces or from their backs and they will not be aided...
law yaʿlamu alladhīna kafarū ḥīna lā yakuffūna ʿan wujūhihimu l-nāra walā ʿan ẓuhūrihim walā hum yunṣarūna
Word by word
- لَوْ law If
- يَعْلَمُ yaʿlamu knew
- ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna those who
- كَفَرُوا۟ kafarū disbelieved
- حِينَ ḥīna (the) time
- لَا lā (when) not
- يَكُفُّونَ yakuffūna they will avert
- عَن ʿan from
- وُجُوهِهِمُ wujūhihimu their faces
- ٱلنَّارَ l-nāra the Fire
- وَلَا walā and not
- عَن ʿan from
- ظُهُورِهِمْ ẓuhūrihim their backs
- وَلَا walā and not
- هُمْ hum they
- يُنصَرُونَ yunṣarūna will be helped
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
The Idolators seek to hasten on the Punishment
Allah also tells us how the idolators seek to hasten punishment upon themselves, out of denial, rejection, disbelief, stubbornness and a belief that it will never happen. He says:
(And they say: "When will this promise (come to pass), if you are truthful".) And Allah says:
(If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs,) meaning, if only they knew for certain that it will inevitably come to pass, they would not seek to hasten it. If only they knew how the torment will overwhelm them from above them and from beneath their feet.
(They shall have coverings of Fire, above them and coverings (of Fire) beneath them) 39:16
(Theirs will be a bed of Hell (Fire), and over them coverings (of Hellfire)) 7:41. And in this Ayah Allah says:
(when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs,) And Allah says:
(Their garments will be of tar, and fire will cover their faces) 14:50. The torment will surround them on all sides,
(and they will not be helped.) means, and they will have no helper. This is like the Ayah:
(And they have no guardian against Allah) 13:34.
(Nay, it will come upon them all of a sudden) means, the Fire will come upon them suddenly, i.e., it will take them by surprise.
(and will perplex them,) means, it will scare them, and they will succumb to it in confusion, not knowing what they are doing.
(and they will have no power to avert it) means, they will have no means of doing so.
(nor will they get respite. ) means, it will not be delayed for them even for an instant.