Surah 3 Aal-i-Imraan — Ayah 30
يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ مُّحْضَرًۭا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوٓءٍۢ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُۥٓ أَمَدًۢا بَعِيدًۭا ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ
The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present [before it] and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that [evil] was a great distance. And Allah warns you of Himself, and Allah is Kind to [His] servants."
yawma tajidu kullu nafsin mā ʿamilat min khayrin muḥ'ḍaran wamā ʿamilat min sūin tawaddu law anna baynahā wabaynahu amadan baʿīdan wayuḥadhirukumu l-lahu nafsahu wal-lahu raūfun bil-ʿibādi
Word by word
- يَوْمَ yawma (On the) day
- تَجِدُ tajidu will find
- كُلُّ kullu every
- نَفْسٍۢ nafsin soul
- مَّا mā what
- عَمِلَتْ ʿamilat it did
- مِنْ min of
- خَيْرٍۢ khayrin good
- مُّحْضَرًۭا muḥ'ḍaran presented
- وَمَا wamā and what
- عَمِلَتْ ʿamilat it did
- مِن min of
- سُوٓءٍۢ sūin evil
- تَوَدُّ tawaddu it will wish
- لَوْ law [if]
- أَنَّ anna that
- بَيْنَهَا baynahā between itself
- وَبَيْنَهُۥٓ wabaynahu and between it (evil)
- أَمَدًۢا amadan (was) a distance
- بَعِيدًۭا ۗ baʿīdan great
- وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ wayuḥadhirukumu And warns you
- ٱللَّهُ l-lahu Allah
- نَفْسَهُۥ ۗ nafsahu (against) Himself
- وَٱللَّهُ wal-lahu and Allah
- رَءُوفٌۢ raūfun (is) Most Kind
- بِٱلْعِبَادِ bil-ʿibādi to (His) [the] slaves
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Allah Knows What the Hearts Conceal
Allah tells His servants that He knows the secrets and apparent matters and that nothing concerning them escapes His observation. Rather, His knowledge encompasses them in all conditions, time frames, days and instances. His knowledge encompasses all that is in heaven and earth, and nothing not even the weight of an atom, or what is smaller than that in the earth, seas and mountains, escapes His observation. Indeed,
(And Allah is able to do all things.) and His ability encompasses everything. This Ayah alerts Allah's servants that they should fear Him enough to not commit what He prohibits and dislikes, for He has perfect knowledge in all they do and is able to punish them promptly. And He gives respite to some of them, then He punishes them, and He is Swift and Mighty in taking account. This is why Allah said afterwards,
(On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done,) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah brings the good and evil deeds before the servant, just as He said,
(On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind.) 75:13.
When the servant sees his good deeds, he becomes happy and delighted. When he sees the evil deeds he committed, he becomes sad and angry. Then he will wish that he could disown his evil work and that a long distance separated it from him. He will also say to the devil who used to accompany him in this life, and who used to encourage him to do evil;
("Would that between me and you were the distance of the two easts ـ a horrible companion (indeed)!) 43:38.
Allah then said, while threatening and warning,
(And Allah warns you against Himself) meaning, He warns you against His punishment. Allah then said, while bringing hope to His servants, so that they do not despair from His mercy or feel hopeless of His kindness,
(And Allah is full of kindness with the servants)
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Allah is so kind with them that He warns them against Himself." Others commented, "He is merciful with His creation and likes for them to remain on His straight path and chosen religion, and to follow His honorable Messenger."