Surah 29:21

Surah 29

"He punishes whomever He pleases and has compassion on whomever He pleases – and to Him you will be turned."

Islamic Commentaries (1)Manuscripts (41)

The Evidence for Life after Death Verses 29:19-23

Show Full Scripture Context (29:19-23) — 5 Verses

Verse 19

أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ كَيۡفَ يُبۡدِئُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٞ

Do they not see how God brings about the creation, (and) then restores it? Surely that is easy for God.

Verse 20

قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ بَدَأَ ٱلۡخَلۡقَۚ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ يُنشِئُ ٱلنَّشۡأَةَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ

Say: ‘Travel the earth and see how He brought about the creation. Then God produces the latter growth. Surely God is powerful over everything.

Verse 21

يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُقۡلَبُونَ

He punishes whomever He pleases and has compassion on whomever He pleases – and to Him you will be turned.

Verse 22

وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعۡجِزِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا نَصِيرٖ

You cannot escape (Him) either on the earth or in the sky, and you have no ally and no helper other than God.’

Verse 23

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِقَآئِهِۦٓ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يَئِسُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَتِي وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ

Those who disbelieve in the signs of God and the meeting with Him – those have no hope of My mercy, and those – for them (there is) a painful punishment.

Allah tells us that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, showed them the proof of life after death, which they denied, in their souls. For Allah created them after they had been nothing at all, then they came into existence and became people who could hear and see. The One Who originated this is able to repeat it, it is very easy for Him. Then he taught them to contemplate the visible signs on the horizons and the things that Allah has created: the heavens with their stars and planets, moving and stationary, the earth with its plains and mountains, its valleys,

Allah says:

Quoted Scripture

"He punishes whom He wills, and shows mercy to whom He wills; and to Him you will be returned"

You will return to Him on the Day of Resurrection.

Quoted Scripture

"And you cannot escape on the earth or in the heaven."

No one in heaven or on earth can flee from Him, for He is the Subduer Who is above His servants, and everything fears Him and is in need of Him, while He is the One Who is Independent of all else.

Quoted Scripture

"And besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper. And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah and the meeting with Him,"

Those who disbelieved in the signs of Allah and denied the Resurrection,

Quoted Scripture

"such have no hope of My mercy"

they will have no share in it,

Quoted Scripture

"and for such there is a painful torment."

meaning, extremely painful, in this world and the next.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.

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