أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ 4
Translations
Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun [i.e., escape] Us? Evil is what they judge.
Transliteration
Am hasibat alladhina ya'maluna as-sayyi'at an yasbiquna? Sa'a ma yahkumun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who commit evil deeds while thinking they can escape Allah's punishment or outrun His justice. The phrase 'yasbiquna' (outrun/escape) emphasizes the futility of their delusion, as no one can evade Allah's divine will and accountability. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as a stern warning that wrongdoers deceive themselves if they believe they will not face consequences for their sins.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-'Ankabut, which addresses the early Muslims facing persecution and the disbelievers' rejection of divine truth. The broader context of this surah (verses 1-10) discusses the trials believers face and the false assumptions of wrongdoers, with this particular verse targeting those who commit sins while harboring false hope of escape from divine justice.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong person is the one who controls himself while in anger' (Sahih Bukhari 5763). This relates thematically to the ayah's warning against destructive behavior rooted in false assumptions about divine accountability.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should recognize that no one can escape Allah's justice or outrun His knowledge, regardless of their worldly power or cunning. This ayah encourages sincere repentance and righteous conduct, as the consequences of our actions—whether good or evil—are inescapable in Allah's ultimate reckoning.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ تَرَبَّصُوا۟ فَإِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ
Say, "Wait, for indeed I am, with you, among the waiters."
أَفَمَن يَتَّقِى بِوَجْهِهِۦ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ وَقِيلَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ذُوقُوا۟ مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ
Then is he who will shield with his face the worst of the punishment on the Day of Resurrection [like one secure from it]? And it will be said to the wrongdoers, "Taste what you used to earn."
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ
Then it will be said [to them], "This is what you used to deny."
مَّآ أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَآ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ ۚ وَأَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًا ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا
What comes to you of good is from Allāh, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muḥammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allāh as Witness.