Surah Al-Mu'minun — Verse 114

Word Meanings:

• "Labithtum" (لَّبِثْتُمْ): You stayed/tarried/resided.
• "Illa qaleelan" (إِلَّا قَلِيلًا): Except for a short while — a brief and fleeting period.
• "Law annakum kuntum ta'lamoon" (لَّوْ أَنكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ): If only you had known — i.e., had you possessed true knowledge and awareness.

Tafsir (Explanation):

In this profound verse, Allah — the Most Just and All-Knowing — presents the divine response to the dwellers of Hellfire when they are asked about the length of their stay in the worldly life. They had replied that they stayed only a day or part of a day, and now Allah confirms and clarifies: "You stayed only a little while."

This "little while" refers to the entire span of their worldly existence — a fleeting moment when compared to the eternal realities of the Hereafter. The days of joy and comfort in this world are but a blink of an eye; they pass like a shadow, leaving no trace. Yet, in that brief window, they were given the opportunity to worship their Lord, to do good deeds, and to secure an everlasting bliss in Paradise.

Allah then adds the crucial condition: "If only you had known." This means: had you truly possessed knowledge and certainty about the brevity of your worldly stay, and had you realized that the Hereafter is the eternal and everlasting abode, you would have patiently endured the hardships of obedience and refrained from sin. You would have understood that a short period of patience in this world — with its temporary trials and tribulations — leads to an endless reward, while a brief indulgence in desires leads to an endless punishment.

The wisdom here is profound: the entire worldly life, no matter how long it seems — even if a person lives a hundred years or more — is nothing but a fleeting moment when measured against the infinite duration of the Hereafter. The people of Hellfire now realize this truth too late, and their regret is immense. They see that the pleasures they chased were momentary, while the consequences are eternal.

A Da'wah Reflection for the Believer:

Dear reader, this verse carries a powerful lesson for every one of us. Our time in this world is precious precisely because it is short. Every breath we take is an investment — either for our eternal happiness or for our eternal regret. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death."

Do not be deceived by the temporary nature of this world. The hardships you face in obeying Allah — waking up for Fajr, fasting in Ramadan, giving charity, controlling your anger, lowering your gaze — all these are but for a short while. And what awaits you is "what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever conceived" — eternal gardens beneath which rivers flow, in the company of the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous.

So let this verse awaken your heart. Do not be among those who realize the truth only when it is too late. Embrace the guidance of the Qur'an now, while you still have time, and turn every moment of this brief life into a treasure for the everlasting life to come. Indeed, the wise one is he who sells this fleeting world for the eternal Hereafter — a trade that will never lose.