Surah Muminun ayat 114 Tafsir Quran 23:114

﴿قَالَ إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ۖ لَّوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
[ المؤمنون: 114]

23:114 He will say, "You stayed not but a little - if only you had known.

He exalted will say to them also by the tongue of Keeper of Hell a variant reading for qāla ‘He will say’ has qul ‘say’ ‘You tarried but a little if only you knew the length of time you tarried you would have realised that it is trivial relative to how long you will tarry in the Fire.

You only sojourned for a short while if you had only known

Allah tells them how much they wasted in their short lives in this world by failing to obey Allah and worship Him Alone. If they had been patient during their short stay in this world, they would have attained victory just like His pious close friends. قَـلَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ ( He will say: "What number of years did you stay on earth" ) means, how long did you stay in this world قَالُواْ لَبِثْنَا يَوْماً أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَاسْأَلِ الْعَآدِّينَ ( They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day.
Ask of those who keep account." ) meaning, those who keep the records. قَالَ إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ( He will say: "You stayed not but a little..." ) meaning, it was only a short time, no matter how you look at it. لَّوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ( if you had only known! ) means, you would not have preferred the transient to the eternal, and treated yourself in this bad way, and earned the wrath of Allah in this short period.
If you had patiently obeyed Allah and worshipped Him as the believers did, you would have attained victory just as they did. Allah did not create His Servants in vain أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ عَبَثاً ( Did you think that We had created you in play, ) means, `did you think that you were created in vain, with no purpose, with nothing required of you and no wisdom on Our part' Or it was said that "in play" meant to play and amuse yourselves, like the animals were created, who have no reward or punishment.
But you were created to worship Allah and carry out His commands. وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ تُرْجَعُونَ ( and that you would not be brought back to Us ) means, that you would not be brought back to the Hereafter.
This is like the Ayah: أَيَحْسَبُ الإِنسَـنُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى ( Does man think that he will be left neglected ) 75:36 فَتَعَـلَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ( So Exalted be Allah, the True King. ) means, sanctified be He above the idea that he should create anything in vain, for He is the True King Who is far above doing such a thing. لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ ( None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Lord of Al-`Arsh Al-Karim! ) The Throne is mentioned because it is the highest point of all creation, and it is described as Karim, meaning beautiful in appearance and splendid in form, as Allah says elsewhere: أَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ ( every good kind We cause to grow therein ) 26:7.

(23:114) You may inquire from those who kept account." It will be said, "Well, you know now that you stayed there for a little while only. What a pity! you did not realize it then. *101

He will say, "You stayed not but meaning

*101) That is, " Our Messengers warned you that the life in this world is transitory and is for test and trial, but you did not realize it then and denied that there was any life in the Hereafter and behaved in accordance with that belief. "
 

Allah tells them how much they wasted in their short lives in this world by failing to obey Allah and worship Him Alone. If they had been patient during their short stay in this world, they would have attained victory just like His pious close friends. قَـلَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ ( He will say: "What number of years did you stay on earth" ) means, how long did you stay in this world قَالُواْ لَبِثْنَا يَوْماً أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَاسْأَلِ الْعَآدِّينَ ( They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day.
Ask of those who keep account." ) meaning, those who keep the records. قَالَ إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ( He will say: "You stayed not but a little..." ) meaning, it was only a short time, no matter how you look at it. لَّوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ( if you had only known! ) means, you would not have preferred the transient to the eternal, and treated yourself in this bad way, and earned the wrath of Allah in this short period.
If you had patiently obeyed Allah and worshipped Him as the believers did, you would have attained victory just as they did. Allah did not create His Servants in vain أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ عَبَثاً ( Did you think that We had created you in play, ) means, `did you think that you were created in vain, with no purpose, with nothing required of you and no wisdom on Our part' Or it was said that "in play" meant to play and amuse yourselves, like the animals were created, who have no reward or punishment.
But you were created to worship Allah and carry out His commands. وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ تُرْجَعُونَ ( and that you would not be brought back to Us ) means, that you would not be brought back to the Hereafter.
This is like the Ayah: أَيَحْسَبُ الإِنسَـنُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى ( Does man think that he will be left neglected ) 75:36 فَتَعَـلَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ( So Exalted be Allah, the True King. ) means, sanctified be He above the idea that he should create anything in vain, for He is the True King Who is far above doing such a thing. لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ ( None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Lord of Al-`Arsh Al-Karim! ) The Throne is mentioned because it is the highest point of all creation, and it is described as Karim, meaning beautiful in appearance and splendid in form, as Allah says elsewhere: أَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ ( every good kind We cause to grow therein ) 26:7.

( He will say ) Allah will say to them: ( Ye tarried ) you remained in your graves ( but a little ) in comparison to your dwelling in hell ( if ye only knew ) this; He says: if you only believe what I say; it is also said that this means: if only you did believe in My prophets in the life of the world, you would know now that you remained in your graves but a short time.

He (Allah) will say: "You stayed not but a little, if you had only known!

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