Al-Furqan · Makki · ayah 19 of 77

Al-Furqan 25:19

فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوكُم بِمَا تَقُولُونَ فَمَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ صَرْفًا وَلَا نَصْرًا ۚ وَمَن يَظْلِم مِّنكُمْ نُذِقْهُ عَذَابًا كَبِيرًا

“So they will deny you, [disbelievers], in what you say,[1011] and you cannot avert [punishment] or [find] help. And whoever commits injustice[1012] among you - We will make him taste a great punishment.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Disowned by those they worshipped, they can neither avert the punishment nor find help, and whoever does such wrong will taste it.

A reflection

The witnesses who would not back you

The address turns suddenly. The worshipped have just answered Allah. Now, without warning, He speaks to the worshippers: fa-qad kadhdhabūkum, so they have called you liars, in what you say.

One classical commentator admires this sudden turn. He compares it to a line of poetry about a weary army. They said Khurasan was the furthest we would be taken, and then we would go home. Well, we have reached Khurasan. The moment they relied on has arrived, and it does not deliver what they said.

The root of kadhdhabū carries a vivid picture. The Arabs said a warrior 'lied' when he charged at his opponent and then pulled up short. A she-camel's milk 'lied' when it dried up just when it was needed. A lie is a charge that stops before its target.

Picture a man in a small claims court. For months he has told everyone his friend will back his story. The friend saw everything, he says. The day comes. The friend stands, takes the oath, and tells the judge he never agreed to any of it. The man turns round, but there is no one else behind him.

The worshippers expected their gods to stand with them. Instead, those gods tell the truth, and the truth is that they never asked for worship.

It is a fair fate, not a cruel trick. The worshipped did not betray anyone. They refused to confirm a lie. The only thing that collapsed was the claim the worshippers had built their lives on.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.