لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ 19
Translations
[That] you will surely embark upon [i.e., experience] state after state.
Transliteration
Latarkabunna tabaqan an tabaq
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah means "You will surely ascend stage after stage" (or layer upon layer), referring to the stages of human development and existence—from creation in the womb, to birth, childhood, adulthood, old age, and ultimately the afterlife. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as Allah describing the inevitable progression through different states and conditions of life that every human must experience, emphasizing the certainty of these transitions through the emphatic particle 'la' (لَ).
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Inshiqaq is a Meccan surah that addresses fundamental beliefs about the Day of Judgment and the resurrection. This ayah appears in the context of describing the certainty of life's progression and the final reckoning, reminding believers that just as we progress through life's stages in this world, we will inevitably progress to the next life and face divine judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who live longest and do good deeds' (Tirmidhi). This relates to the stages of life mentioned in the ayah. Additionally, the Prophet emphasized stages of development in the womb in the hadith in Sahih Bukhari describing the 120-day periods of fetal development.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that life's journey through various stages is divinely ordained and inevitable, encouraging believers to make the most of each stage by doing good deeds, and to recognize that our earthly progression is preparation for the ultimate stage—meeting our Creator and accounting for our deeds.