يَـٰقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا مَتَـٰعٌ وَإِنَّ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ هِىَ دَارُ ٱلْقَرَارِ 39
Translations
O my people, this worldly life is only [temporary] enjoyment, and indeed, the Hereafter - that is the home of [permanent] settlement.
Transliteration
Ya qawmi innama hadhihil hayatul duniya mataa'un wa inna al-akhirata hiya daru al-qarar
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah, spoken by the believer from Pharaoh's family, emphasizes that the worldly life is merely temporary enjoyment and passing provision, while the Hereafter is the permanent and eternal abode. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note that this statement serves as a stark reminder of the transient nature of worldly possessions and status, contrasting them with the permanence of the Afterlife, thus motivating the people to prioritize their eternal destination over fleeting worldly gains.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of the believing man from Pharaoh's household (40:28-45) who secretly believed in Moses and exhorted his people to abandon the worship of Pharaoh. The context is specifically Meccan, addressing the polytheists of Mecca about the relative insignificance of their worldly pursuits compared to the reality of Resurrection and Divine accounting. The surah as a whole deals with God's forgiveness and the consequences of rejecting His messengers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The world and all things in it are cursed, except the remembrance of Allah and that which pleases Allah' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2322). Additionally: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' contextualizes how believers should balance worldly responsibilities with eternal consciousness (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to maintain perspective on life's true purpose by recognizing that worldly success and possessions are temporary distractions from what truly matters—preparation for eternal life. In our modern consumer-driven society, this reminder calls us to redirect our ambitions and anxieties away from accumulation toward spiritual development and moral accountability.