وَتَرَىٰهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَـٰشِعِينَ مِنَ ٱلذُّلِّ يَنظُرُونَ مِن طَرْفٍ خَفِىٍّ ۗ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ فِى عَذَابٍ مُّقِيمٍ 45
Translations
And you will see them being exposed to it [i.e., the Fire], humbled from humiliation, looking from [behind] a covert glance. And those who had believed will say, "Indeed, the [true] losers are the ones who lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, the wrongdoers are in an enduring punishment."
Transliteration
Wa tarahum yu'raduna 'alayha khashi'ina minal-dhull yanzuruna min tarfin khafiyy. Wa qalal-ladhina amanu inna al-khasirin alladhina khasaru anfusahum wa ahiliyahim yawma al-qiyamah. Ala inna adh-dhalimin fi adhab muqim.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah depicts the humiliation and shame of the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment as they are presented before Hell, casting furtive glances downward in utter disgrace and degradation. The believers then proclaim that the true losers are those who have lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection, and that the wrongdoers shall remain in eternal punishment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the 'glancing from the side' symbolizes their broken, defeated state, unable to look directly due to overwhelming shame and fear.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ash-Shuraa, a Meccan chapter revealed during the early Islamic period when the Quraysh were rejecting the message. The surah addresses the divine revelation, the Day of Judgment, and the consequences of accepting or rejecting God's signs. This particular verse contextualizes the eternal loss and punishment awaiting those who turn away from faith and righteousness.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The Day of Judgment will not be established until... people wish for death due to the severity of punishment' (Sahih Muslim 2849). Additionally, the hadith about the 'seven whom God will shade on a day when there is no shade' (Sahih Bukhari 629) contrasts the fate of the righteous with the disbelievers mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a profound reminder that the consequences of rejecting God's guidance extend beyond temporal loss to eternal spiritual ruin, affecting not only one's own soul but potentially one's family's fate. Believers are encouraged to reflect on the gravity of disbelief and to seek steadfastness in faith as a means of protecting themselves and their loved ones from such desolation.