فَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ 88
Translations
And if he [i.e., the deceased] was of those brought near [to Allāh],
Transliteration
Fa-amma in kana mina al-muqarrabīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah begins a conditional statement addressing one of the three categories of people on the Day of Judgment: those brought near to Allah (al-muqarrabūn), referring to the righteous believers and the prophets. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah marks the transition to describing the blessed state of those who were close to Allah through their faith and deeds, contrasting with the previous mention of the Day of Judgment's inevitability. The phrase 'if he was among those brought near' sets up the description of their reward in the subsequent ayat.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Waqi'ah is a Meccan surah that comprehensively describes the Day of Judgment and the three categories of souls: the foremost believers (al-sabiqūn), the people of the right hand (ashab al-yamīn), and those brought near to Allah (al-muqarrabūn). This ayah appears in the latter section of the surah where the blessed reward of the righteous is detailed, providing hope and motivation to the early Muslim community facing persecution.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those of the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim describes how those brought near to Allah will be in proximity to Him in Paradise, reflecting this ayah's meaning.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that closeness to Allah in this life through righteous deeds and sincere faith directly determines one's station in the afterlife, encouraging us to prioritize spiritual development and moral excellence in our daily lives.
Related Ayahs
مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وِزْرًا
Whoever turns away from it - then indeed, he will bear on the Day of Resurrection a burden [i.e., great sin],
وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُونَ أَن يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُكُمْ وَلَا جُلُودُكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن ظَنَنتُمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
And you were not covering [i.e., protecting] yourselves, lest your hearing testify against you or your sight or your skins, but you assumed that Allāh does not know much of what you do.
وَإِذَا رَءَا ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَهُمْ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُرَكَآؤُنَا ٱلَّذِينَ كُنَّا نَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِكَ ۖ فَأَلْقَوْا۟ إِلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَوْلَ إِنَّكُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
And when those who associated others with Allāh see their "partners," they will say, "Our Lord, these are our partners [to You] whom we used to invoke [in worship] besides You." But they will throw at them the statement, "Indeed, you are liars."
يَوْمَ نَطْوِى ٱلسَّمَآءَ كَطَىِّ ٱلسِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ۚ كَمَا بَدَأْنَآ أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُۥ ۚ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَآ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ
The Day when We will fold the heaven like the folding of a [written] sheet for the records. As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. [That is] a promise binding upon Us. Indeed, We will do it.