Al-Qur'an Surah Ibrahim Verse 44

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Warn the people of a day when punishment will come upon them, and the wrongdoers will say, “Our Lord, give us respite for a short term, and we will respond to Your call and will follow the messengers.” (Allah will say), “Is it not that you had sworn oaths earlier that you would not have to leave (the world)?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And warn the people of the Day when the punishment will overtake ˹the wicked among˺ them, and the wrongdoers will cry, “Our Lord! Delay us for a little while. We will respond to Your call and follow the messengers!” ˹It will be said,˺ “Did you not swear before that you would never be removed ˹to the next life˺?”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Warn people of the Day when the punishment will come upon them, and the wrongdoers will say, “Our Lord, give us a little more time, so that we may respond to Your call and follow the messengers!” [They will be told], “Did you not swear before that you would never cease to exist?”

A. J. Arberry

And warn mankind of the day when the chastisement comes on them, And those who did evil shall say, 'Our Lord, defer us to a near term, and we will answer Thy call, and follow the Messengers.' 'Ah, but did you not swear aforetime there should be no removing for you?

Abdul Haleem

So warn people of the Day when punishment will come to them, and when the disbelievers will say, ‘Our Lord, give us a little more time: we shall answer Your call and follow the messengers.’ Did you [disbelievers] not swear in the past that your power would have no end?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And warn thou the mankind of the Day whereon the torment will come unto them; then those who have done wrong shall say: our Lord! defer us to a term near at hand we will answer Thy call and we will follow the apostles. Were ye not wont to swear afore that for you there was to be no decline?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So warn mankind of the Day when the Wrath will reach them; then will the wrong-doers say; "Our Lord! respite us (if only) for a short term; we will answer Thy call, and follow the messengers!" "What! were ye not wont to swear aforetime that ye should suffer no decline?

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Muhammad), warn mankind of the Day when a severe chastisement shall overtake them, and the wrong-doers will say: "Our Lord, grant us respite for a short while; we shall respond to Your call and will follow Your Messengers." (But they will be clearly told): "Are you not the same who swore earlier that they shall never suffer decline?"

Ahmed Ali

Warn the people of that Day when the punishment would be inflicted upon them. Then will the wicked say: "O our Lord, give us respite a while more. We shall heed Your call and follow the apostles." (But they will be told,): "Are you not those who used to swear: 'There is no reverse for us?'

Ahmed Raza Khan

And warn the people of a day when the punishment will come upon them, therefore the unjust will say, “O our Lord! Give us respite for a little while – for us to obey Your call and follow the Noble Messengers”; (It will be said) “So had you not sworn before that, ‘We have not to move to any place else from the earth’?”

Ali Quli Qarai

Warn the people of the day when the punishment will overtake them, whereat the wrongdoers will say, ‘Our Lord! Respite us for a short time so that we may respond to Your call and follow the apostles.’ [They will be told,] ‘Did you not use to swear earlier that there would be no reverse for you,

Ali Ünal

And warn humankind of the Day when the punishment will come upon them; and those who did wrong (by associating partners with God and other grave sins) will say: "Our Lord! Grant us respite for a short while – we will answer your call and follow the Messengers!" (And their entreaty will get the response:) "Did you not use to swear before that there would be no decline and fall for you?

Amatul Rahman Omar

Warn these people of the day when the (threatened) punishment overtakes them, and those who are unjust will say, `Our Lord! grant us respite for a short term, we will respond to Your call and follow the Messengers.´ (It will be said to them), `Did you not swear before now (that) you would never have a fall?

English Literal

And warn/give notice, on a day the torture comes to them, so those who were unjust/oppressive say: "Our Lord delay us to a near/close term/time, we answer/reply (to) your call/request , and we follow the messengers." Did you not be sworn/made oath (swear/make oath) from before (that there is) none from vanishment/termination for you?

Faridul Haque

And warn the people of a day when the punishment will come upon them, therefore the unjust will say, "O our Lord! Give us respite for a little while - for us to obey Your call and follow the Noble Messengers"; (It will be said) "So had you not sworn before that, ‘We have not to move to any place else from the earth’?"

Hamid S. Aziz

And warn mankind of the Day when the Wrath shall reach them: then those who have done wrong shall say, "O our Lord! Respite us for a short term longer, and we will respond to Thy call, and follow the Messengers!" - "What! Did you not used to swear before that you should suffer no decline?"

Hilali & Khan

And warn (O Muhammad SAW) mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them; then the wrong-doers will say: "Our Lord! Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your Call and follow the Messengers!" (It will be said): "Had you not sworn aforetime that you would not leave (the world for the Hereafter).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Hastening forward, their heads upraised, their gaze not returning to them, and their hearts vacant.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And warn people of the day when the chastisement shall come to them, then those who were unjust will say: O our Lord! respite us to a near term, (so) we shall respond to Thy call and follow the apostles. What! did you not swear before (that) there will be no passing away for you!

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And warn mankind of a day when the doom will come upon them, and those who did wrong will say: Our Lord! Reprieve us for a little while. We will obey Thy call and will follow the messengers. (It will be answered): Did ye not swear before that there would be no end for you?

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), warn the people of the day when torment will approach them and the unjust will say, "Lord, give us respite for a little time so that we may answer your call and follow the Messengers." (The answer to their prayer will be), "Did you not swear before that you would never perish?

Qaribullah & Darwish

Warn mankind of the Day when the punishment will overtake them, when the evildoers will say: 'Our Lord, grant us respite for awhile, we will answer Your call, and follow the Messengers' Did you not once swear that you would never cease?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And warn mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them; then the wrongdoers will say: "Our Lord! Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your call and follow the Messengers!" (It will be said:) "Had you not sworn aforetime that you would not leave (the world for the Hereafter)."

Wahiduddin Khan

Warn men of the Day when the punishment will come upon them, and when the wrongdoers will say, "Our Lord, grant us respite for a short while. We will respond to Your call and will follow the messengers." [But God will answer], are you not those who swore that you would never suffer any decline?

Talal Itani

And warn mankind of the Day when the punishment will come upon them, and the wicked will say, “Our Lord, defer us for a little while, and we will answer Your call and follow the messengers.” Did you not swear before that there will be no passing away for you?

Tafsir jalalayn

And warn, make [them] have fear, O Muhammad (s), mankind, the disbelievers, of the day when chastisement will come upon them, namely, the Day of Resurrection, and those who did evil, who disbelieved, will say, `Our Lord, give us respite, by returning us to the world, for a brief while, that we might respond to Your call, by affirming [Your] Oneness, and follow the messengers'. It is then said to them in rebuke; `But did you not use to swear formerly, in the world, that for you there would be no passing [away]? (min zawlin; min is extra) from this [world] to the Hereafter?

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

There will be no Respite after the Coming of the Torment

Allah said next to His Messenger,

وَأَنذِرِ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمُ الْعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ

And warn mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them; then the wrongdoers will say;

Allah mentions what those who committed injustice against themselves will say when they witness the torment,

رَبَّنَا أَخِّرْنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُّجِبْ دَعْوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَ

Our Lord! Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your call and follow the Messengers!

Allah said in other Ayat,

حَتَّى إِذَا جَأءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ

Until, when death comes to one of them, he says;"My Lord! Send me back." (23;99)

and,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاأَ تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَلُكُمْ

O you who believe! Let not your properties divert you. (63;9-10)

Allah described the condition of the wrongdoers on the Day of Gathering, when He said,

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُواْ رُءُوسِهِمْ

And if you only could see when the criminals shall hang their heads. (32;12)

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا

If you could but see when they will be held over the Fire! They will say;"Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat of Our Lord. .."! (6;27)

and,

وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا

Therein they will cry. (35;27)

Allah refuted their statement here,

أَوَلَمْ تَكُونُواْ أَقْسَمْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٍ



Had you not sworn aforetime that you would not leave.)

Allah says, `Had you not vowed before, that your previous state will not change, that there will be no Resurrection or Reckoning! Therefore, taste this torment because of what you vowed before.'

Mujahid commented that,
مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٍ
(that you would not leave),

refers to leaving this worldly life to the Hereafter.

Allah also said,

وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَن يَمُوتُ

And they swear by Allah with their strongest oaths, that Allah will not raise up him who dies. (16;38)

Allah said next,

وَسَكَنتُمْ فِي مَسَـاكِنِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ كَيْفَ فَعَلْنَا بِهِمْ وَضَرَبْنَا لَكُمُ الَامْثَالَ