Surah Ar-Ra'd — Verse 25

Word Meanings:

• Yanquḍūn (يَنقُضُونَ): They break or violate.
• Mīthāq (مِيثَاق): A firm, binding covenant or pledge.
• Al-La‘nah (اللَّعْنَة): Being cast out and distanced from Allah’s mercy.
• Sū’ al-Dār (سُوءُ الدَّار): The evil outcome and dreadful end in the Hereafter.

Tafsir (Explanation):

After describing the believers who keep their promises, uphold ties, and fear Allah, this verse presents the stark opposite—the wretched ones who embody destruction and loss. These are the people who break the covenant of Allah after it has been firmly established upon them. This covenant includes the innate recognition of Allah’s Lordship, the pledge taken from every soul, and the obligations He commanded through His messengers—chief among them, to worship Him alone without partners.

Furthermore, they sever what Allah has commanded to be joined. This includes the ties of kinship (silat al-rahim), the bonds of brotherhood among believers, and the connection between the prophets—as some of them believed in certain prophets while rejecting others, thus cutting the chain of divine guidance. They also sever their relationship with Allah by abandoning obedience and with His creation by spreading corruption.

Their third trait is that they spread corruption on earth—through sins, oppression, injustice, and turning people away from the path of truth. They do not merely harm themselves; they poison the environment around them, breaking the harmony Allah designed for His creation.

For such people, the consequence is severe and certain: the curse—being cast far away from Allah’s mercy, despised and abandoned—and the evil abode in the Hereafter, which is the Fire. Just as the believers are promised Paradise as their final destination, these breakers of covenants are promised the worst of homes.

This verse serves as a powerful reminder for every soul: our relationship with Allah is a sacred trust. Breaking it leads to ruin in this life and the next, while upholding it leads to eternal success. Let us examine our own hearts—are we among those who honor their covenant with Allah, or are we drifting toward the path of those who break it? The choice is ours, and the outcome is clear. May Allah protect us from being among the cursed and grant us the blessed abode of His pleasure.