ظَهَرَ ٱلْفَسَادُ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُوا۟ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ 41
Translations
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He [i.e., Allāh] may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].
Transliteration
Zahara al-fasādu fi al-barri wa-al-baḥri bimā kasabat aydī al-nāsi liyudhīqahum baʿḍa alladhī ʿamilū laʿallahum yarjiʿūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Corruption has become manifest on land and sea as a consequence of human actions, and Allah permits them to taste the results of their deeds so that they may repent and return to righteousness. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this ayah as an indication of the natural and moral consequences of human transgression—environmental degradation, societal discord, and hardship—which serve as divine reminders to turn back to obedience. The ayah emphasizes Allah's justice and mercy simultaneously: the punishment is both deserved and redemptive, designed to inspire repentance rather than mere destruction.
Revelation Context
Surah Ar-Rum is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of persecution of the early Muslims, addressing both spiritual and cosmic signs of Allah's dominion. This particular ayah reflects the broader Quranic theme that moral and spiritual corruption inevitably manifests in tangible worldly consequences, serving as a universal principle applicable across times and societies.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'When the people of a nation commit sin, Allah sends punishment upon all of them' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the hadith regarding environmental stewardship—'Whoever plants a tree, it will continue to give fruit until the Day of Judgment' (Sahih Muslim)—relates thematically to the responsibility humans bear for the state of land and sea.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that corruption in the world is a direct result of human choices and actions, not mere misfortune; by witnessing these consequences, we are called to examine our own conduct and sincerely repent. It reminds us that environmental stewardship and moral conduct are forms of worship, and that hardship often serves as Allah's compassionate wake-up call to redirect us toward righteousness.