وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًۢا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ 95
Translations
But never will they wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
Transliteration
Wa lan yatammannawhu abadan bima qaddamat aydihim, wa-Allahu alimun biz-zalimin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes the passage about the Jews' contradictory stance regarding death, stating that they will never wish for death because of the evil deeds their hands have sent forward (their sins and transgressions). Allah's knowledge of the wrongdoers is absolute and complete. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as referring to the Jews' false claim that they love death while their actions prove otherwise—their fear of death stems from their sinful deeds and their knowledge of the punishment awaiting them.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a passage (2:94-96) addressing the inconsistency of certain Jews who claimed to love death and desire the Hereafter, yet clung to worldly life. The context is Medinan, reflecting interactions between the Prophet and Jewish communities in Medina who made such claims insincerely.
Related Hadiths
Related to the theme of deeds preceding one to the Afterlife: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Each soul will know what it has sent forward and kept back' (Quran 82:5). Also relevant: 'A man's deeds will not enter Paradise if his heart is not sincere' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that our true beliefs are revealed by our actions, not merely our words—and that Allah's complete knowledge of our deeds means we cannot escape accountability through false claims or self-deception. We should align our actions with our professed beliefs and continuously seek forgiveness for our shortcomings.
Related Ayahs
نِسَآؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَّكُمْ فَأْتُوا۟ حَرْثَكُمْ أَنَّىٰ شِئْتُمْ ۖ وَقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُم مُّلَـٰقُوهُ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Your wives are a place of cultivation [i.e., sowing of seed] for you, so come to your place of cultivation however you wish and put forth [righteousness] for yourselves. And fear Allāh and know that you will meet Him. And give good tidings to the believers.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِى ٱلسِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
O you who have believed, enter into Islām completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
صِبْغَةَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ صِبْغَةً ۖ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ عَـٰبِدُونَ
[And say, "Ours is] the religion of Allāh. And who is better than Allāh in [ordaining] religion? And we are worshippers of Him."
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.