ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ 8
Translations
Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.
Transliteration
Thumma latus'alunna yawma'idhin 'anin-na'im
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns that on the Day of Judgment, people will be questioned about the blessings (na'im) they enjoyed in this worldly life—including health, wealth, knowledge, time, and hearing. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this questioning does not imply punishment for merely possessing blessings, but rather accountability for how one used these gifts: whether they were spent in obedience to Allah or in disobedience. Al-Tabari emphasizes that believers will be asked whether they were grateful for these blessings and used them righteously.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Takathur is a Meccan surah addressing the preoccupation of the Quraysh with worldly accumulation and rivalry. This ayah appears near the conclusion of the surah and serves as a powerful reminder that the distraction with material increase will end, and accountability before Allah is inevitable. It follows the imagery of the graveyard and precedes the final ayah about the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The feet of the son of Adam will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things: his life and how he spent it, his knowledge and what he did with it, his wealth and how he acquired it and spent it, and his body and how he wore it out.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2417, classified as Hasan). Also related: 'Whoever is given knowledge and wealth, and asked about them, will be questioned about them on the Day of Judgment.' (Sunan Ibn Majah)
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah should inspire believers to view their blessings—whether material, intellectual, or physical—as trusts from Allah for which they will be held accountable, encouraging mindful gratitude and righteous use of all provisions. It serves as a powerful antidote to worldly obsession, reminding us that true success lies in using our blessings to please Allah rather than merely accumulating them.
Related Ayahs
يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُل لَّا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ وَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَـٰلِمِ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
They will make excuses to you when you have returned to them. Say, "Make no excuse - never will we believe you. Allāh has already informed us of your news [i.e., affair]. And Allāh will observe your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger; then you will be taken back to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."
وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ
And [by] the witness and what is witnessed,
فَوَسَطْنَ بِهِۦ جَمْعًا
Arriving thereby in the center collectively,
مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَمَرْتَنِى بِهِۦٓ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
I said not to them except what You commanded me - to worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness.