تَظُنُّ أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ 25
Translations
Expecting that there will be done to them [something] backbreaking.
Transliteration
Taẓunnu an yufʿala bihā fāqirah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the state of the dying disbeliever who thinks that a crushing blow (fāqirah - a calamity that breaks or destroys) will not befall him, yet he is in denial of the reality of death and accountability. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the arrogance and heedlessness of those who deny resurrection, imagining they can escape divine punishment despite their rejection of faith. The verse emphasizes the false hope and delusional thinking of the disbeliever at the moment of death.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Qiyamah was revealed in Mecca during the early period of Islam and addresses those who denied the Day of Resurrection. This ayah is part of a passage (75:20-30) describing the painful state of the soul leaving the body of a disbeliever, highlighting the consequences of denying Allah's signs and the afterlife during their lifetime.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The agony of death comes in truth; that is what Allah has referred to: "And the stupor of death will come in truth; this is what you have been avoiding" (50:19)' - narrated in Jami' at-Tirmidhi. This hadith underscores the harsh reality of death that those in denial attempt to avoid.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a profound reminder that no amount of worldly denial or wishful thinking can change the reality of death and divine judgment; believers should maintain constant awareness of accountability and prepare spiritually while they have the chance to do so.