Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 185

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Every soul has to taste death. It is on the Day of Judgement that you shall be paid your rewards in full. So, whoever has been kept away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has really succeeded. The worldly life is nothing but an illusionary enjoyment.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will ˹indeed˺ triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Every soul will taste death, and you will be paid your reward in full on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is spared from the Fire and admitted into Paradise has truly won, for the life of this world is nothing but an illusory pleasure.

A. J. Arberry

Every soul shall taste of death; you shall surely be paid in full your wages on the Day of Resurrection. Whosoever is removed from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, shall win the triumph. The present life is but the joy of delusion.

Abdul Haleem

Every soul will taste death and you will be paid in full only on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is kept away from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have triumphed. The present world is only an illusory pleasure:

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Every soul Shall taste of death and only on the Day of Resurrection ye will be repaid your hire in full. Then whosoever shall be removed far away from the Fire and made to enter into the Garden, he indeed hath achieved the goal; and the life of the world is naught but an illusory enjoyment.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Every soul shall have a taste of death; And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life); For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.

Abul Ala Maududi

Everyone is bound to taste death and you shall receive your full reward on the Day of Resurrection. Then, whoever is spared the Fire and is admitted to Paradise has indeed been successful. The life of this world is merely an illusory enjoyment.

Ahmed Ali

Every soul will know the taste of death. You will get your recompense in full on the Day of Resurrection; and he who is spared the Fire and finds his way to Paradise will meet his desire. As for the life of this world, it is nothing but a merchandise of vanity.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Every soul must taste death; and only on the Day of Resurrection will you be fully recompensed; so the one who is saved from the fire and is admitted into Paradise – he is undoubtedly successful; and the life of this world is just counterfeit wealth.

Ali Quli Qarai

Every soul shall taste death, and you will indeed be paid your full rewards on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is delivered from the Fire and admitted to paradise has certainly succeeded. The life of this world is nothing but the wares of delusion.

Ali Ünal

(No one will live for ever doing what they do:) Every soul is bound to taste death. So (O people) you will but be repaid in full on the Day of Resurrection (for whatever you have done in the world). Whoever is spared the Fire and admitted into Paradise has indeed prospered and triumphed. (Know that) the present, worldly life is nothing but a transient enjoyment of delusion.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Every living being is destined to taste death. And you shall, verily, be paid in full your rewards on the Day of Resurrection. Then whoso is removed away from the Fire and is admitted to Paradise, he has, of course, successfully attained his goal. And the life of this world is nothing but a vain provision (causing negligence).

English Literal

Every self (is) tasting/experiencing the death, and but you are being fulfilled/completed your rewards (on) the Resurrection Day, so who was removed from the fire, and made to enter the Paradise, so he had won/succeeded/triumphed, and the present world/worldly life is not except the deceit`s/temptation`s enjoyment.

Faridul Haque

Every soul must taste death; and only on the Day of Resurrection will you be fully recompensed; so the one who is saved from the fire and is admitted into Paradise - he is undoubtedly successful; and the life of this world is just counterfeit wealth.

Hamid S. Aziz

You shall surely be tried in your wealth, and in your persons, and you shall surely hear much wrong from those who have had the Scripture before you, and from the idolaters. But if you be patient and fear evil, verily, that is the determining heart of affairs.

Hilali & Khan

Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

But if they reject thee, so indeed were rejected before thee messengers who came with clear arguments and scriptures and the illuminating Book.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Every soul shall taste of death, and you shall only be paid fully your reward on the resurrection day; then whoever is removed far away from the fire and is made to enter the garden he indeed has attained the object; and the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Every soul will taste of death. And ye will be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which ye have fairly earned. Whoso is removed from the Fire and is made to enter paradise, he indeed is triumphant. The life of this world is but comfort of illusion.

Muhammad Sarwar

Every soul is destined to experience the agony of death. You (Muslims) will receive the recompense for your deeds on the Day of Judgment. To be saved from the fire and admitted to Paradise is certainly a great triumph. The worldly life is no more than a deceitful possession.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Every soul shall taste death. You shall be paid your wages in full on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is removed from Hell and is admitted to Paradise shall prosper, for the worldly life is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is moved away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception.

Wahiduddin Khan

Every human being is bound to taste death: and you shall receive your rewards in full on the Day of Resurrection. He who is kept away from the Fire and is admitted to Paradise, will surely triumph; for the life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment.

Talal Itani

Every soul will have a taste of death, and you will receive your recompense on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is swayed from the Fire, and admitted to Paradise, has won. The life of this world is merely enjoyment of delusion.

Tafsir jalalayn

Every soul shall taste of death; you shall surely be paid in full your wages, the requital of your deeds, on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is moved away, distanced, from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, will have triumphed, he will have attained his ultimate wish. Living in, the life of this world is but the comfort of delusion; of inanity, enjoyed for a little while, then perishing.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Every Soul Shall Taste Death

Allah says;

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَايِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ

Everyone shall taste death.

Allah issues a general and encompassing statement that every living soul shall taste death.

In another statement, Allah said,

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ

وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلْـلِ وَالاِكْرَامِ

Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. And the Face of your Lord full of majesty and honor will remain forever. (55;26-27)

Therefore, Allah Alone is the Ever-Living Who never dies, while the Jinn, mankind and angels, including those who carry Allah's Throne, shall die. The Irresistible One and Only, will alone remain for ever and ever, remaining Last, as He was the First.

This Ayah comforts all creation, since every soul that exists on the earth shall die. When the term of this life comes to an end and the sons of Adam no longer have any new generations, and thus this world ends, Allah will command that the Day of Resurrection commence. Allah will then recompense the creation for their deeds, whether minor or major, many or few, big or small. Surely, Allah will not deal unjustly with anyone, even the weight of an atom, and this is why He said,

وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full.
Who Shall Gain Ultimate Victory

Allah said,

فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ

And whoever is moved away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful.

meaning, whoever is kept away from the Fire, saved from it and entered into Paradise, will have achieved the ultimate success.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَوْضِعُ سَوْطٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا اقْرَأُوا إِنْ شِيْتُمْ

A place in Paradise as small as that which is occupied by a whip is better than the world and whatever is on its surface.

Read if you will,
فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ
(And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful).

This was collected in the Two Sahihs, but using another chain of narration and without the addition of Ayah.

Abu Hatim Ibn Hibban recorded it in his Sahih without the addition as did Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak.

Allah said,

وَما الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ



The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception.

belittling the value of this life and degrading its importance. This life is short, little and finite, just as Allah said,

بَلْ تُوْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا

وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى

(Nay, you prefer the life of this world. Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting. (87;16-17)

and,

وَمَأ أُوتِيتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَمَتَـعُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتُهَا وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى

And whatever you have been given is an enjoyment of the life of (this) world and its adornment, and that (Hereafter) which is with Allah is better and will remain forever. (28;60)

A Hadith states,

وَاللهِ مَا الدُّنْيَا فِي الاْاخِرَةِ إِلاَّ كَمَا يَغْمِسُ أَحَدُكُمْ أُصْبُعَهُ فِي الْيَمِّ فَلْيَنْظُرْ بِمَ تَرْجِعُ إِلَيْه

By Allah! This life, compared to the Hereafter, is just as insignificant as when one of you dips his finger in the sea; let him contemplate what his finger will come back with.

Qatadah commented on Allah's statement,
وَما الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
(The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception).

"Life is a delight. By Allah, other than Whom there is no deity, it will soon fade away from its people. Therefore, take obedience to Allah from this delight, if you can. Verily, there is no power except from Allah."
The Believer is Tested and Hears Grieving Statements from the Enemy

Allah said