فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَن تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟ أَرْحَامَكُمْ 22
Translations
So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship?
Transliteration
Fa-hal 'asaytum in tawallaytum an tufsidoo fil-ardi wa-taqatti'oo arhamakum
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question warning the believers that if they turn away from Allah's guidance, they will inevitably corrupt the earth and sever family ties. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as a causal connection: rejection of divine guidance naturally leads to moral corruption and societal breakdown, beginning with the destruction of familial bonds, which are foundational to a healthy society. The ayah emphasizes personal accountability by directly addressing the addressees' potential choices and their inevitable consequences.
Revelation Context
Surah Muhammad was revealed in Madinah during a period of intensified conflict between the Muslim community and its opponents. This ayah comes in a section warning believers against hypocrisy and wavering faith, reminding them that abandoning Islamic principles leads to widespread corruption (fasad) in society, mirroring the state of pre-Islamic Arabia and contemporary hostile societies.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever severs the ties of kinship will not enter Paradise' (Sahih Bukhari 5638). Additionally, 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), highlighting the primacy of maintaining family bonds in Islam.
Themes
Key Lesson
Straying from Allah's path is not merely a personal spiritual matter but has cascading social consequences, beginning with the disintegration of family bonds and spreading to broader societal corruption. Maintaining Islamic principles, particularly upholding family ties (silat al-rahim), is essential for both individual salvation and social stability.
Related Ayahs
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَآ
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’ān, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ كَرِهُوا۟ مَا نَزَّلَ ٱللَّهُ سَنُطِيعُكُمْ فِى بَعْضِ ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِسْرَارَهُمْ
That is because they said to those who disliked what Allāh sent down, "We will obey you in part of the matter." And Allāh knows what they conceal.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَآ أَسْخَطَ ٱللَّهَ وَكَرِهُوا۟ رِضْوَٰنَهُۥ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ
That is because they followed what angered Allāh and disliked [what earns] His pleasure, so He rendered worthless their deeds.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱرْتَدُّوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَدْبَـٰرِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْهُدَى ۙ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ سَوَّلَ لَهُمْ وَأَمْلَىٰ لَهُمْ
Indeed, those who reverted back [to disbelief] after guidance had become clear to them - Satan enticed them and prolonged hope for them.