Al-Qur'an Surah Maryam Verse 37

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Then the groups among them fell in dispute. So, how evil is the fate of the disbelievers when they have to face the Great Day.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Yet their ˹various˺ groups have differed among themselves ˹about him˺, so woe to the disbelievers when they face a tremendous Day!

Ruwwad Translation Center

But the factions differed among themselves [about him]. So woe to the disbelievers from the scene of a momentous Day!

A. J. Arberry

But the parties have fallen into variance among themselves; then woe to those who disbelieve for the scene of a dreadful day.

Abdul Haleem

But factions have differed among themselves. What suffering will come to those who obscure the truth when a dreadful Day arrives!

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then the sects have differed among themselves; so woe to those who disbelieve in the witness of a Day Mighty!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But the sects differ among themselves; and woe to the unbelievers because of the (coming) Judgment of a Momentous Day!

Abul Ala Maududi

But different parties began to dispute with one another. A dreadful woe awaits on that great Day for those that reject the Truth.

Ahmed Ali

Yet the sectarians differed among themselves. Alas for the unbelievers when they see the Terrible Day!

Ahmed Raza Khan

Then groups among them differed; so ruin is for the disbelievers from the witnessing of a Great Day.

Ali Quli Qarai

But the factions differed among themselves. So woe to the faithless at the scene of a tremendous day.

Ali Ünal

And yet, the parties (the Jews and Christians) have differed among themselves (about him). Woe, then, to those who disbelieve because of the meeting of an awesome Day.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Yet the various sects were divided among themselves. Woe shall befall those who deny the meeting of the great day.

English Literal

So the groups/parties differed/disagreed/disputed from between them, so grief/distress to those who disbelieved from an assembly of a great day.

Faridul Haque

Then groups among them differed; so ruin is for the disbelievers from the witnessing of a Great Day.

Hamid S. Aziz

And, lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord (see John 20:17), so worship Him; this is the Straight Way.

Hilali & Khan

Then the sects differed [i.e. the Christians about 'Iesa (Jesus)], so woe unto the disbelievers [those who gave false witness by saying that 'Iesa (Jesus) is the son of Allah] from the meeting of a great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection, when they will be thrown in the blazing Fire).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so serve Him. This is the right path.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But parties from among them disagreed with each other, so woe to those who disbelieve, because of presence on a great day.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

The sects among them differ: but woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of an awful Day.

Muhammad Sarwar

(The followers of Jesus) turned themselves into quarrelling sects. The disbelievers shall face a woeful condition on the great Day (of Judgment).

Qaribullah & Darwish

But the parties have fallen into variance among themselves, then woe to those who disbelieve for the scene of a Dreadful Day.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then the sects differed, so woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of a great Day.

Wahiduddin Khan

Yet different groups differed among themselves. How awful it will be for those who have rejected the truth when a dreadful Day arrives!

Talal Itani

But the various factions differed among themselves. So woe to those who disbelieve from the scene of a tremendous Day.

Tafsir jalalayn

But the factions differed among themselves, that is to say, the Christians, [they differed] regarding Jesus; was he the son of God? A god alongside Him? Or [was he] the third of three [gods]? So woe -- [meaning] severe punishment [will be meted out] -- to those who disbelieve, [those who disbelieve] in the way mentioned and in other ways, at the scene of an awful Day, that is to say, [woe to them] when they are present at the Day of Resurrection and [witnessing] its terrors.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَاخْتَلَفَ الاْاَحْزَابُ مِن بَيْنِهِمْ

Then the sects differed,

means that the opinions of the People of the Book differed concerning `Isa even after the explanation of his affair and the clarification of his situation.

They disagreed about his being the servant of Allah, His Messenger, and His Word that He cast upon Maryam and a spirit from Himself.

So a group of them -- who were the majority of the Jews (may Allah's curses be upon them) -- determined that he was a child of fornication and that his speaking in his cradle was merely sorcery.

Another group said that it was Allah Who was speaking (not `Isa).

Others said that he (`Isa) was the son of Allah.

Some said that he was the third part of a divine trinity with Allah.

Yet, others said that he was the servant of Allah and His Messenger.

This latter view is the statement of truth, which Allah guided the believers to.

A report similar with this meaning has been reported from `Amr bin Maymun, Ibn Jurayj, Qatadah and others from the Salaf (predecessors) and the Khalaf (later generations).

Allah said,

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن مَّشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ



so woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of a great Day.

This is a threat and severe warning for those who lie about Allah, invent falsehood and claim that He (Allah) has a son.

However, Allah has given them respite until the Day of Resurrection, and He has delayed their term out of gentleness and confident reliance upon His divine decree overcoming them. Verily, Allah does not hasten the affair of those who disobey Him.

This has been related in a Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs,

إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْه

Verily, Allah gives respite to the wrongdoer until He seizes him and he will not be able to escape Him.

Then, the Messenger of Allah recited the Ayah,

وَكَذلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌ

Such is the punishment of your Lord when He punishes the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His punishment is painful, (and) severe. (11;102)

In the Two Sahihs it is also reported that the Messenger of Allah said,

لَاا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذىً سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ إِنَّهُمْ يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم

No one is more patient with something harmful that he hears than Allah. Verily, they attribute to Him a son, while He is the One Who provides them sustenance and good health.

Allah says,

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ

And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing. Then I punished it. And to me is the (final) return (of all). (22;48)

Allah, the Exalted, also says,

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَـفِلً عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّـلِمُونَ إِنَّمَا يُوَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الَابْصَـرُ

Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the wrongdoers do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror. (14;42)

This is the reason that Allah says here,

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن مَّشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

So woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of a great Day.

referring to the Day of Resurrection.

It has been related in an authentic Hadith that is agreed upon (in Al-Bukhari and Muslim), on the authority of Ubadah bin As-Samit who said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَنْ شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَأَنَّ عِيسَى عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ وَأَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ وَالنَّارَ حَقٌّ أَدْخَلَهُ اللهُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنَ الْعَمَل

Whoever testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, Who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and that `Isa was Allah's servant and Messenger, and His Word that He cast upon Maryam, and a spirit from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are both real, then Allah will admit him into Paradise regardless of whatever he did