وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَآءَكُمُ ٱلنَّذِيرُ ۖ فَذُوقُوا۟ فَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ 37
Translations
And they will cry out therein, "Our Lord, remove us; we will do righteousness - other than what we were doing!" But did We not grant you life enough for whoever would remember therein to remember, and the warner had come to you? So taste [the punishment], for there is not for the wrongdoers any helper.
Transliteration
Wa hum yastarikhūn fīhā Rabbanā akhrijnā na'mal sālihan ghayra alladhī kunnā na'mal. Awalam nu'ammirkum mā yatadhakkaru fīhi man thadhakar wa jā'akum al-nadhīr. Fadhūqū famā lil-zhālimīn min nasīr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah depicts the inhabitants of Hell crying out in desperation, begging Allah to release them so they may perform righteous deeds instead of their previous evil actions. Allah responds by reminding them that He had granted them sufficient lifespan in the worldly life to reflect and remember, and that the Warner (the Prophet) had come to them—thus their punishment is just, and the wrongdoers have no helper. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this reflects the regret of the damned, but their plea comes too late as the opportunity for repentance has passed with death.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Fatir (Chapter 35), a Meccan surah that emphasizes Allah's power, creation, and divine justice. It appears within a passage describing the Day of Judgment and the fate of the disbelievers in Hell, reinforcing themes of accountability and the irreversibility of the afterlife decision.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: a continuing charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, and a righteous child who prays for him' (Sahih Muslim 1631). This relates thematically to the missed opportunity for righteous action mentioned in the ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah powerfully reminds believers that the window for repentance and righteous action closes with death—we must not delay in turning to Allah and performing good deeds in this life, as no excuse or plea will avail us in the Hereafter. The mention of Allah granting us lifespan and sending messengers emphasizes our responsibility to be mindful and heed the warnings while we have the chance.