۞ فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا 59
Translations
But there came after them successors [i.e., later generations] who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil -
Transliteration
Fa-khallafa min ba'dihim khalfun ada'ū as-salāta wa-ttaba'ū ash-shahawāt, fa-sawfa yalqawna ghayya
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes generations that came after the righteous predecessors who neglected prayer (salah) and pursued worldly desires and lusts (shahawat). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that the abandonment of salah is a sign of spiritual corruption, while following desires without restraint leads to moral degradation. The consequence mentioned—'ghayya' (ruin, evil, or painful punishment)—is a severe warning of the spiritual and worldly consequences of such behavior.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Maryam's discussion of the righteous prophets and their legacies. The context addresses the decline of faith among subsequent generations after the prophets, reflecting a recurring Quranic theme about humanity's tendency to deviate from divine guidance. This warning is part of the broader Meccan period message about accountability and the consequences of forsaking divine commandments.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The first matter that the slave will be judged about on the Day of Judgment is prayer' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 413). Additionally, 'Whoever abandons prayer has disbelieved' (Sunan Ibn Majah 1079) emphasizes the central importance of salah in Islamic practice.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual neglect, particularly the abandonment of prayer and pursuit of unchecked desires, inevitably leads to ruin in both worlds. For believers today, it underscores the necessity of preserving salah as the foundation of faith and maintaining moral discipline against worldly temptations.
Related Ayahs
ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمْ أَشَدُّ عَلَى ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عِتِيًّا
Then We will surely extract from every sect those of them who were worst against the Most Merciful in insolence.
تِلْكَ ٱلْجَنَّةُ ٱلَّتِى نُورِثُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا مَن كَانَ تَقِيًّا
That is Paradise, which We give as inheritance to those of Our servants who were fearing of Allāh.
قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكَ ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِى حَفِيًّا
[Abraham] said, "Peace [i.e., safety] will be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Indeed, He is ever gracious to me.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ ءَادَمَ وَمِمَّنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَٱجْتَبَيْنَآ ۚ إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ خَرُّوا۟ سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا ۩
Those were the ones upon whom Allāh bestowed favor from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel [i.e., Jacob], and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping.