Cattle, Livestock — Verse 29

Wishes and Hopes Do Not Help One When He Sees the Torment Allah mentions the condition of the disbelievers when they are made to stand before the Fire on the Day of Resurrection and witness its chains and restraints, along with seeing the horrible, momentous conditions in the Fire with their own eyes. This is when the disbelievers will say, يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ("Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!") They wish that they would be sent back to the life of the world so that they could perform righteous deeds, refrain from disbelieving in the Ayat of their Lord and be among the believers. Allah said, بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ (Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them.) meaning, the disbelief, denial and rebellion that they used to hide in their hearts will then be uncovered, even though they will try to hide this fact in this life and the Hereafter. Earlier, Allah said, ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ - انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ (There will then be (left) no trial for them but to say: "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah." Look! How they lie against themselves! But the (lie) which they invented will disappear from them. ) It is also possible that the meaning here is that the disbelievers will realize the truth that they knew all along in their hearts, that is, that what the Messengers brought them in this life is true, although they used to deny his Message before their followers. Allah said that Musa said to Fir`awn, لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـؤُلاءِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ ("Verily, you know that these signs have clearly been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence.") 17:102 Allah said about Fir`awn and his people, وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً (And they belied them (those Ayat) wrongfully and arrogantly, though they were themselves convinced thereof.) 27:14 بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ (Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before.) 6:28 When this occurs, and the disbelievers ask to be returned to this life, they will not do so because they truly wish to embrace the faith. Rather, they ask to be returned to this life for fear of the torment that they are witnessing before them, as punishment for the disbelief they committed, and to try and avoid the Fire that they see before their eyes. وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ (But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars.) meaning, they lie when they say they wish to go back to this life so that they can embrace the faith. Allah states that even if they were sent back to the life of this world, they will again commit the disbelief and defiance that they were prohibited. وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ (And indeed they are liars.) in their statement that, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ - وَقَالُواْ إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ("Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them. But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars. And they said: "There is no (other life) but our (present) life of this world, and never shall we be resurrected.") Therefore, they will revert to their old behavior and say, إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا (There is no life but our life of this world) and there is no Hereafter, وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ (and never shall we be resurrected. ) Allah said, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ (If you could but see when they will stand before their Lord!) in front of Him, أَلَيْسَ هَـذَا بِالْحَقِّ ("Is not this the truth") meaning, is not Resurrection true, contarary to what you thought, قَالُواْ بَلَى وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُواْ العَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ (They will say: "Yes, by our Lord!" He will then say: "So taste you the torment because you used not to believe.") and because you today denied Resurrection. Therefore, taste the torment, أَفَسِحْرٌ هَـذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لاَ تُبْصِرُونَ ("Is this magic, or do you not see") 52:15

And they those who deny the Resurrection say ‘There is no other life than our present life; we shall not be resurrected’.

وقال هؤلاء المشركون المنكرون للبعث: ما الحياة إلا هذه الحياة التي نحن فيها، وما نحن بمبعوثين بعد موتنا.

ثم قال مخبرا عنهم أنهم لو ردوا إلى الدار الدنيا لعادوا لما نهوا عنه من الكفر والمخالفة "وإنهم لكاذبون" إي في قولهم يا ليتنا نرد ولا نكذب بآيات ربنا ونكون من المؤمنين أي لعادوا لما نهوا عنه ولقالوا إن هي إلا حياتنا الدنيا أي ما هي إلا هذه الحياة الدنيا لا معاد بعدها ولهذا قال "وما نحن بمبعوثين".

ثم بين - سبحانه - بعض مفترياتهم فى الدنيا واغترارهم بها فقال - تعالى - { وقالوا إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدنيا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ } .أى : أن هؤلاء الكافرين قد بلغ بهم الحب للدنيا والتعلق بها أنهم قالوا : ما الحياة التى تسمى حياة فى نظرنا إلا هذه الدنيا التى نتمتع فيها بما نريد من شهوات وما نحن بمبعوثين ولا محاسبين بعد ذلك .فالآية الكريمة تحكى عنهم أنهم ينكرون أى حياة سوى الحياة التى يعيشونها ، وينفون وقوع البعث والحساب والثواب والعقاب نفياً مؤكداً بالباء وبالجملة الإسمية .ويرى جمهور المفسرين أن هذه الآية الكريمة تتمة للآية السابقة لها من حيث المعنى ، وأن قوله { وقالوا } معطوف على { لَعَادُواْ } والتقدير ، ولو ردوا لعادوا لما نهوا عنه من الكفر وسيىء الأعمال وقالوا ما الحياة إلا حياتنا الدنيا ، ويكون قوله { وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ } جملة اعتراضية مؤكدة لمعنى دعوتهم إلى ما كانوا عليه إن عادوا إلى الدنيا ، إذ هى تكذيب لادعائهم أنهم لا يكذبون بآيات ربهم .

القول في تأويل قوله : وَقَالُوا إِنْ هِيَ إِلا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ (29)قال أبو جعفر: وهذا خبر من الله تعالى ذكره عن هؤلاء المشركين، العادلين به الأوثان والأصنام، الذين ابتدأ هذه السورة بالخبرعنهم.يقول تعالى ذكره: " وقالوا إنْ هي إلا حياتنا الدنيا " ، يخبر عنهم أنهم ينكرون أنّ الله يُحيي خلقه بعد أن يُميتهم, ويقولون: " لا حياة بعد الممات، ولا بعث ولا نشور بعد الفناء ". فهم بجحودهم ذلك، وإنكارهم ثوابَ الله وعقابَه في الدار الآخرة, لا يبالون ما أتوا وما ركبوا من إثم ومعصية، لأنهم لا يرجون ثوابًا على إيمان بالله وتصديق برسوله وعملٍ صالح بعد موت, ولا يخافون عقابًا على كفرهم بالله ورسوله وسيّئٍ من عمل يعملونه. (3)* * *وكان ابن زيد يقول: هذا خبر من الله تعالى ذكره عن هؤلاء الكفرة الذين وقفوا على النار: أنهم لو ردُّوا إلى الدنيا لقالوا: " ما هي إلا حياتُنا الدنيا وما نحن بمبعوثين ".13184- حدثنا يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ ، وقالوا حين يردون: " إن هي إلا حياتنا الدنيا وما نحن بمبعوثين ".-----------------------الهوامش :(1) في المطبوعة: "ما قصد هؤلاء" ، وهو لا شيء ولكن حمله عليه أنه في المخطوطة"ما هؤلاء العادلين" ، واستظهرت الصواب من قوله بعد: "لكن بهم الإشفاق".(2) السياق: "ما بهؤلاء العادلين بربهم . . . الأسى والندم . . .".(3) في المطبوعة: "وشيء من عمل" ، وهي في المخطوطة غير منقوطة ، وصواب قراءتها ما أثبت.

( وقالوا إن هي إلا حياتنا الدنيا وما نحن بمبعوثين ) هذا إخبار عن إنكارهم البعث ، وقال عبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم ، هذا من قولهم لو ردوا لقالوه .

يجوز أن يكون عطفاً على قوله { لعادوا لما نُهوا عنه } [ الأنعام : 28 ] فيكون جواب { لوْ } ، أي لو ردّوا لكذّبوا بالقرآن أيضاً ، ولكذّبوا بالبعث كما كانوا مدّة الحياة الأولى . ويجوز أن تكون الجملة عطفت على جملة { يقول الذين كفروا إن هذا إلاّ أساطير الأولين } [ الأنعام : 25 ] ، ويكون ما بين الجملتين اعتراضاً يتعلّق بالتكذيب للقرآن .وقوله { إنْ هي } ( إن ) نافية للجنس ، والضمير بعدها مبهم يفسّره ما بعد الاستثناء المفرّغ . قصد من إبهامه الإيجاز اعتماداً على مفسّره ، والضمير لمّا كان مفسّراً بنكرة فهو في حكم النكرة ، وليس هو ضمير قصّة وشأن ، لأنّه لا يستقيم معه معنى الاستثناء ، والمعنى إنْ الحياةُ لنا إلاّ حياتُنا الدنيا ، أي انحصر جنس حياتنا في حياتنا الدنيا فلا حياة لنا غيرها فبطلت حياة بعد الموت ، فالاسم الواقع بعد { إلاّ } في حكم البدل من الضمير .وجملة : { وما نحن بمبعوثين } نفي للبعث ، وهو يستلزم تأكيد نفي الحياة غير حياة الدنيا ، لأنّ البعث لا يكون إلاّ مع حياة . وإنّما عطفت ولم تفصل فتكونَ موكّدة للجملة قبلها لأنّ قصدهم إبطال قول الرّسول صلى الله عليه وسلم أنّهم يحْيون حياة ثانية ، وقولَه تارة أنّهم مبعوثون بعد الموت ، فقصدوا إبطال كلّ باستقلاله .

} { وَقَالُوا } منكرين للبعث { إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا } أي: ما حقيقة الحال والأمر وما المقصود من إيجادنا، إلا الحياة الدنيا وحدها. { وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ }

قوله تعالى : وقالوا إن هي إلا حياتنا الدنيا وما نحن بمبعوثين[ ص: 320 ] قوله تعالى : وقالوا إن هي إلا حياتنا الدنيا ابتداء وخبر و ( إن ) نافية . وما نحن نحن اسم ما و ( بمبعوثين ) خبرها ; وهذا ابتداء إخبار عنهم عما قالوه في الدنيا . قال ابن زيد : هو داخل في قوله : ولو ردوا لعادوا لما نهوا عنه وقالوا إن هي إلا حياتنا الدنيا أي : لعادوا إلى الكفر ، واشتغلوا بلذة الحال . وهذا يحمل على المعاند كما بيناه في حال إبليس ، أو على أن الله يلبس عليهم بعد ما عرفوا ، وهذا شائع في العقل .

Whenever a man denies the Truth or follows the desires of his self, it is because he does not live his life in this world on the understanding that he will be resurrected after death and made to stand before the Lord of the universe to give an account of himself in everyday life. Man has been given a certain power which he uses unhesitatingly. He has the material prop of wealth, and friends and companions on whom he relies. He has been given a brain, which he uses to think out arrogant strategies and find clever pretexts for his transgressions. The success of his initiatives deceives him; he starts placing false reliance on things other than God, and imagines that the position he enjoys today is of a perennial nature. He forgets that whatever he has been given in this world is only by way of trial and is not a matter of entitlement. This type of life is thoroughly sinful, whether led in open denial of the Hereafter or without actually uttering the words of denial. On what basis does man rush towards worldly things—thinking them his own? Man has not paid any fee for the sunlight in which he walks or for the air he breathes. No part or ingredient of the earth from which he derives the wherewithal to live has been made by him. None of the favourite things towards which he rushes can he call his own. When these things have not been created by man, should not the Lord of all these things have any right over man? The fact is that man’s very utilisation of the present world makes it only logical that he should be made to stand before his Lord on the day of reckoning.

As for the statement in the third verse (29): وَقَالُوا إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا (And they say, "There is nothing real but this worldly life of ours" ), it reverts back to the word, عَادُوا (` adu: would again go for) in verse 28. Thus, it means that should they be returned to the world, then, once they reach there, they will still say that they do not accept any life other than the life of this world. Life here is the life and they were not going to be raised again. A question arises here: When they have seen their return to life on the day of Qiyamah - and reckoning and accounting and reward and punishment - how can it be possible that they would deny it once they have been sent back into the world? The answer is that denial does not make it necessary that, in reality, they remain uncertain about these events and facts. Instead, it would be very much like our contemporary disbelievers and wrong-doers who, despite their knowledge of Islamic realities, keep sticking to their denial and falsification simply because of their hostility, that these people, once they are returned to the world, and despite having personal certainty of the realities of the day of Qiyamah, of rising to life back again, and of what would happen in the Hereafter, they would still resort to their old habit of belying and falsification simply because of their wickedness or hostility. This is what the Qur'an has said about some disbelievers within this present life: وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّا They are striving hard to deny Our signs - while in them-selves being certain of their truth - (only) unjustly, and out of pride - 27:14. This is also similar to what was said about the Jews that they recognized the Last Prophet ﷺ as they would recognize their sons, yet they remained all bent on opposing him. To sum up, it can be said that the Creator knows, in His eternal knowledge, that the claim of these people that once they have been sent back to the world, they would become ideal Muslims, is a lie and a deception. If they were, as they wished, to be released into the world put together after its destruction, then, once again, they would do exactly the same things they used to do in their earlier lives. The Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said: At the time of reckoning, Allah Ta` ala will ask Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) to stand near the Scale of Justice and will ask him that he should look at the deeds of his progeny and allow anyone whose good deeds outweigh his sins to go to Paradise. And then He would say: The one I shall admit to the punishment of Hell will be the one about whom I know that he, i f sent to the world again, would do the same thing he had been doing earlier.

(And they say) i.e. the disbelievers of Mecca: (There is naught save our life of the world, and we shall not be raised (again)) after we die.