Al-Qur'an Surah Ar-Rum Verse 41

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Calamities have appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of the people have earned, so that He (Allah) makes them taste some of what they did, in order that they may return (to the right way).

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that Allah may cause them to taste ˹the consequences of˺ some of their deeds and perhaps they might return ˹to the Right Path˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what people’s hands have earned, so that He may cause them to taste the consequence of some of their deeds, so that they may return.

A. J. Arberry

Corruption has appeared in the land and sea, for that men's own hands have earned, that He may let them taste some part of that which they have done, that haply so they may return.

Abdul Haleem

Corruption has flourished on land and sea as a result of people’s actions and He will make them taste the consequences of some of their own actions so that they may turn back.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Corruptness hath appeared on land and sea because of that which men's hands have earned, so that he may make them taste a part of that which they have worked, in order that haply they may turn.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds; in order that they may turn back (from Evil).

Abul Ala Maududi

Evil has become rife on the land and at sea because of men's deeds; this in order that He may cause them to have a taste of some of their deeds; perhaps they will turn back (from evil).

Ahmed Ali

Corruption has spread over land and sea from what men have done themselves that they may taste a little of what they have done: They may haply come back (to the right path).

Ahmed Raza Khan

Chaos appears in the land and the sea because of the evil deeds which people’s hands have earned, in order to make them taste the flavour of some of their misdeeds – in order that they may come back.

Ali Quli Qarai

Corruption has appeared in land and sea because of the doings of the people’s hands, that He may make them taste something of what they have done, so that they may come back.

Ali Ünal

Corruption and disorder have appeared on land and in the sea because of what the hands of people have (done and) earned (of evil deeds). Thus He causes them to taste the consequence of some of what they have done, so that they may (take heed, repent and reform, and so) return (to the right way).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Disorder and corruption has prevailed on land and sea owing to the evil (deeds) which people have wrought. The result will be that He will make them taste (in this world) the fruit of (some of) their misdeeds so that they may return (to the right path, giving up their evil ways).

English Literal

The corruption/disorder appeared/became visible in the shore/land and sea/ocean because (of) what the people`s hands earned/gained/acquired to make them taste/experience some/part of what they made/did , maybe/perhaps they return.

Faridul Haque

Chaos appears in the land and the sea because of the evil deeds which people’s hands have earned, in order to make them taste the flavour of some of their misdeeds – in order that they may come back.

Hamid S. Aziz

Allah is He Who created you, then gave you sustenance, then He causes you to die, then brings you to life. Is there any of your associate-gods who does aught of it? Glory be to Him, and exalted be He above what they associate (with Him).

Hilali & Khan

Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And whatever you lay out at usury, so that it may increase in the property of men, it increases not with Allah; and whatever you give in charity, desiring Allah’s pleasure -- these will get manifold.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men's hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return.

Muhammad Sarwar

Evil has spread over the land and the sea because of human deeds and through these God will cause some people to suffer so that perhaps they will return to Him.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Corruption has appeared on land and sea with what the hands of the people earned. Therefore, they taste some of what they did in order that they return.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Evil has appeared in Al-Barr and Al-Bahr because of what the hands of men have earned, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return.

Wahiduddin Khan

Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of the evil which men's hands have done: and so He will make them taste the fruit of some of their doings, so that they may turn back from evil.

Talal Itani

Corruption has appeared on land and sea, because of what people’s hands have earned, in order to make them taste some of what they have done, so that they might return.

Tafsir jalalayn

Corruption has appeared on land, in the wastelands, because of the rain being withheld and the vegetation diminishing, and on sea, in lands near rivers because of their waters diminishing, because of what people's hands have perpetrated, of acts of disobedience, that He may make them taste (li-yudhqahum; or [may be read] li-nudhqahum, `that We may make them taste') something of what they have done, that is, the punishment for it, that perhaps they may repent.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Effects of Sin in this World

Allah says;

ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ

Evil has appeared in Al-Barr and Al-Bahr because of what the hands of men have earned, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return.

Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and others said;

"What is meant by Al-Barr here is the empty land or wilderness, and by Al-Bahr is towns and cities."

According to a report narrated from Ibn Abbas and Ikrimah,
Al-Bahrrefers to towns and cities which are on the banks of rivers.

Others said that what was meant was the usual meaning of the words, i.e., land and sea.

Zayd bin Rafi` said;
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ
(Evil has appeared),

"The rain is withheld from the land and this is followed by famine, and it is withheld from the sea, adversely affecting the animals which live in it."

This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim, who said;"Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Yazid Al-Muqri' told us, from Sufyan from Humayd bin Qays Al-A`raj from Mujahid;
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ
(Evil has appeared on land and sea),

"Evil on land means the killing of the son of Adam, and evil on the sea means piracy."

According to the first opinion, the phrase,
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ
(Evil has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned),

means the shortfall in the crops and fruits is because of sins.

Abu Al-Aliyah said;

"Whoever disobeys Allah in the earth has corrupted it, because the good condition of the earth and the heavens depends on obedience to Allah."

Hence it says in the Hadith which was recorded by Abu Dawud;

لَحَدٌّ يُقَامُ فِي الاَْرْضِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا مِنْ أَنْ يُمْطَرُوا أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا

Any prescribed punishment which is carried out in the land is better for its people than if it were to rain for forty days.

The reason for that is that if the prescribed punishments are carried out, this will deter the people -- most or many of them -- from violating the prohibitions of Allah. If they give up sin, this will be a cause of blessings in the skies and on the earth. So, when `Isa bin Maryam, peace be upon him, comes down at the end of time, he will judge according to this Shariah at that time, and will kill the pigs and break the cross and abolish the Jizyah. He will accept nothing except Islam or the sword. When Allah destroys the Dajjal and his followers, and Ya'juj and Ma'juj during his time, it will be said to the earth, bring forth your blessing. Then groups of people will eat from one pomegranate, and will seek shade beneath its skin, and the milk of one pregnant camel will be sufficient for a group of people. This will only be because of the blessings that will result from application of the Shariah of Muhammad. The more justice is established, the more the blessings and good things will increase. It was reported in the Sahih;

إِنَّ الْفَاجِرَ إِذَا مَاتَ تَسْتَرِيحُ مِنْهُ الْعِبَادُ وَالْبِلَدُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَاب

When the evildoer dies, it is a relief for the people, the land, the trees and the animals.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded that Abu Qahdham said;

"At the time of Ziyad or Ibn Ziyad, a man found a cloth in which were wrapped grains of wheat which were as big as date stones; on it was written;`This grew at a time when justice prevailed."'

لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا

that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done,

means, He tries them with the loss of wealth, souls and fruits as a test and as a punishment for what they have done.

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ



in order that they may return.

means, from disobedience.

This is like the Ayah,

وَبَلَوْنَـهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَـتِ وَالسَّيِّيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

And We tried them with good and evil in order that they might turn. (7;168)

Then Allah says