Al-Qur'an Surah Fatir Verse 37

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And they will be crying therein, “Our Lord, take us out (from here), and we will act righteously, not in the way we have been doing before.” (Allah will say to them,) “Did We not give you an age in your life in which lesson could have been learnt by the one who wished to take lesson? And (furthermore) the warner had (also) come to you. So, have a taste, because the wrongdoers will have no supporter.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

There they will be ˹fervently˺ screaming, “Our Lord! Take us out ˹and send us back˺. We will do good, unlike what we used to do.” ˹They will be told,˺ “Did We not give you lives long enough so that whoever wanted to be mindful could have done so? And the warner came to you. So taste ˹the punishment˺, for the wrongdoers have no helper.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

They will be screaming therein, “Our Lord, take us out; we will do righteous deeds, unlike what we used to do.” [They will be told], “Did We not give you long enough lives to take heed for anyone who wished to take heed? And the warner did come to you. So taste! The wrongdoers will have no helper.”

A. J. Arberry

Therein they shall shout, 'Our Lord, bring us forth, and we will do righteousness, other than what we have done.' 'What, did We not give you long life, enough to remember in for him who would remember? To you the warner came; taste you now! The evildoers shall have no helper.'

Abdul Haleem

They will cry out loud in Hell, ‘Lord, let us out, and we will do righteous deeds, not what we did before!’- ‘ Did We not give you a life long enough to take warning if you were going to? The warner came to you, now taste the punishment.’ The evildoers will have nobody to help them.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they will be shouting therein: our Lord! take us out; we shall work righteously, not that which we have been working. Gave We not you lives long enough so that whosoever would receive admonition could receive admonition therein? and there came Unto you a warner; taste therefore and for the wrong-doers there will be no helper.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Therein will they cry aloud (for assistance); "Our Lord! Bring us out; we shall work righteousness, not the (deeds) we used to do!" - "Did We not give you long enough life so that he that would should receive admonition? and (moreover) the warner came to you. So taste ye (the fruits of your deeds); for the wrong-doers there is no helper."

Abul Ala Maududi

They will cry out in Hell and say: “Our Lord, let us out so that we may act righteously, different from what we did before.” (They will be told): “Did we not grant you an age long enough for anyone to take heed if he had wanted to take heed? Besides, there came a warner to you. So have a taste of the torment now. None may come to the help of the wrong-doers.”

Ahmed Ali

There they will cry for help: "O Lord, get us out that we may do the right, and not what we used to do." Did We not give you a long enough span of life so that he who remembered may reflect? And did not the warner come to you? So now taste (the punishment). The iniquitous will have none to help them.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And they shall be screaming in it; “Our Lord! Extricate us, so that we may do good deeds, the opposite of what we used to do”; (It will be said to them) “And did We not give you an age long enough, in which anyone who wants to understand would have understood? And the Herald of Warning did come to you; therefore now taste it – for the unjust do not have any supporter.”

Ali Quli Qarai

They shall cry therein for help: ‘Our Lord! Bring us out, so that we may act righteously—differently from what we used to do!’ ‘Did We not give you a lifelong enough that one who is heedful might take admonition? And [moreover] the warner had [also] come to you. Now taste [the consequence of your deeds], for the wrongdoers have no helper.’

Ali Ünal

And therein they will cry aloud: "O our Lord! Take us out, we will do good, (righteous deeds), not (the wrong) we used to do before." "Did We not grant you a life long enough for whoever would reflect and be mindful to reflect and be mindful? In addition, a warner came to you (to warn against this punishment). Taste then (the consequences of your heedlessness); for the wrongdoers have none to help them (against it)."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And therein they will clamour for help (saying), `Our Lord, take us out (of Hell) we will do righteous deeds different from those we used to do (in our previous life).´ (We shall say to them,) `Did We not give you life long enough so that he who might have liked to take heed could take heed during its course? There came a Warner to you as well. So suffer now (the agony of Hell). There is none to help the wrong doers (here).

English Literal

And they, they cry out/scream for help in it: "Our Lord bring us out , we make/do correct/righteous deeds, other than (what) we were making/doing ." Did We not grant you long life in it? Who remembers does not remember in it, (We gave you a long life to remember but you chose not to), and the warner/giver of notice came to you, so taste/experience, so (there is) none from a savior/victorior to the unjust/oppressive.

Faridul Haque

And they shall be screaming in it; “Our Lord! Extricate us, so that we may do good deeds, the opposite of what we used to do”; (It will be said to them) “And did We not give you an age long enough, in which anyone who wants to understand would have understood? And the Herald of Warning did come to you; therefore now taste it – for the unjust do not have any supporter.”

Hamid S. Aziz

And as for those who disbelieve, for them is the Fire of hell; it shall not finish them entirely so that they die, nor shall the chastisement thereof be lightened to them: even thus do We recompense every ungrateful one.

Hilali & Khan

Therein they will cry: "Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not (the evil deeds) that we used to do." (Allah will reply): "Did We not give you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition, - could receive it? And the warner came to you. So taste you (the evil of your deeds). For the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) there is no helper."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And those who disbelieve, for them is Fire of hell; it is not finished with them so that they should die, nor is chastisement thereof lightened to them. Thus We deal retribution on every ungrateful one.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they shall cry therein for succour: O our Lord! take us out, we will do good deeds other than those which we used to do. Did We not preserve you alive long enough, so that he who would be mindful in it should mind? And there came to you the warner; therefore taste; because for the unjust, there is no helper.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And they cry for help there, (saying): Our Lord! Release us; we will do right, not (the wrong) that we used to do. Did not We grant you a life long enough for him who reflected to reflect therein? And the warner came unto you. Now taste (the flavour of your deeds), for evil-doers have no helper.

Muhammad Sarwar

Therein they will cry-out, "Lord, take us out of here. We shall act righteously and behave different to what we did before." They will be told, "Did We not allow you to live long enough for you to seek guidance? Did We not send a warner to you? Suffer (the torment). There is no one to help the unjust."

Qaribullah & Darwish

There they will cry out: 'Our Lord, bring us out, and we will do good, other than what we have done' What, did We not make your lives long enough to remember for whosoever would remember? A warner came to you, so taste now! None shall help the harmdoers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Therein they will cry: "Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not that we used to do." (Allah will reply:) "Did We not give you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition could receive it And the warner came to you. So taste you. For the wrongdoers there is no helper."

Wahiduddin Khan

There they will cry out, "Lord, take us out! We shall do good deeds, and behave differently from the way we used to." But He will answer, "Did We not make your life long enough to take warning if you were going to? The warner did come to you. So now have a taste of the punishment." Wrongdoers will have no supporter.

Talal Itani

And they will scream therein, “Our Lord, let us out, and we will act righteously, differently from the way we used to act.” Did We not give you a life long enough, in which anyone who wanted to understand would have understood? And the warner did come to you. So taste. The evildoers will have no helper.

Tafsir jalalayn

While therein they will be crying out, calling for help in distress, howling and saying; `Our Lord! Bring us forth, from it, and we will act righteously, other than how we used to act'. But it will be said to them; `Did We not give you long life, enough, time, in which to take heed, for him who would take heed? And [moreover] the warner, the Messenger, came to you, but you did not respond to his call, so taste now [this chastisement]! For the evildoers, the disbelievers, have no helper', to ward off from them the chastisement.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا

Therein they will cry,

means, they will call out in the Fire, beseeching Allah with their voices;

رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ

"Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not that we used to do."

which means, they will ask to go back to the worldly life so that they can do something different to the first deeds they did. But Allah, may He be glorified, knows that if He sent them back to this world, they would go back to what they had been forbidden to do, and He knows that they are lying, so He will not respond to their plea.

This is like the Ayah where Allah tells us that they will say;

فَهَلْ إِلَى خُرُوجٍ مِّن سَبِيلٍذَلِكُم

بِأَنَّهُ إِذَا دُعِىَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ كَـفَرْتُمْ وَإِن يُشْرَكْ بِهِ تُوْمِنُواْ

Then is there any way to get out (of the Fire).

(It will be said);"This is because, when Allah Alone was invoked you disbelieved (denied), but when partners were joined to Him, you believed! (40;11-12)

i.e., `there will be no response for you because you were like that; if you were to return to this world, you would just go back to that which you had been forbidden to do.'

Allah says here;

أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءكُمُ النَّذِيرُ

Did We not give you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition could receive it. And the warner came to you.

meaning, `did you not live for long enough in the world that if you were to be among those who would benefit from the truth, you would have benefited from it during your lifetimes'

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet said;

لَقَدْ أَعْذَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَى عَبْدٍ أَحْيَاهُ حَتْى بَلَغَ سِتِّينَ أَوْ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً لَقَدْ أَعْذَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِ لَقَدْ أَعْذَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْه

Allah has left no excuse for the person who lives to be sixty or seventy years old; Allah has left no excuse for him; Allah has left no excuse for him.

Imam Al-Bukhari also recorded, in the Book of Riqaq in his Sahih, that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said;

أَعْذَرَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَى امْرِىءٍ أَخَّرَ عُمْرَهُ حَتْى بَلَغَ سِتِّينَ سَنَة

Allah has left no excuse for a man who reaches the age of sixty."

Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said;

مَنْ عَمَّرَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى سِتِّينَ سَنَةً فَقَدْ أَعْذَرَ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْعُمْر

Whoever is granted a long life until the age of sixty, Allah has left no excuse for him."

This was also recorded by Imam Ahmad and An-Nasa'i in Ar-Riqaq.

Because this is the age at which Allah removes any excuse from His servants, this is the usual age of people in this Ummah, as was reported in the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, "The Messenger of Allah said;

أَعْمَارُ أُمَّتِي مَا بَيْنَ السِّتِّينَ إِلَى السَّبْعِينَ وَأَقَلُّهُمْ مَنْ يَجُوزُ ذَلِك

The usual life span in my Ummah is between sixty and seventy years, and only a few pass this age."

This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah in the Book of Zuhd (of his Sunan).

وَجَاءكُمُ النَّذِيرُ

And the warner came to you.

It was reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Ikrimah, Abu Ja`far Al-Baqir, may Allah be pleased with him, Qatadah and Sufyan bin Uyaynah said,

"This means grey hair."

As-Suddi and Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,

"This means the Messenger of Allah "

and Ibn Zayd recited,

هَـذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الاٍّوْلَى

This is a warner of the (series of) warners of old. (53;56)

This is the correct view according to Shayban who narrated that Qatadah said,

"Proof will be established against them by the fact that they lived long enough and that Messengers came to them."

This is also the view favored by Ibn Jarir, and it is the apparent meaning of the Ayah;

وَنَادَوْاْ يمَـلِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ مَّـكِثُونَ


لَقَدْ جِيْنَـكُم بِالْحَقِّ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَـرِهُونَ


And they will cry (to the keeper of Hell);"O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us."

He will say;"Verily, you shall abide forever."

Indeed We have brought the truth to you, but most of you have a hatred for the truth. (43;77-78)

meaning;`We showed you the truth clearly through the Messengers, but you rejected it and opposed it.'

And Allah says;

وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً

And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. (17;15)

تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الغَيْظِ كُلَّمَا أُلْقِىَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَأ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ

قَالُواْ بَلَى قَدْ جَأءَنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ فِى ضَلَـلٍ كَبِيرٍ

Every time a group is cast therein, its keepers will ask;"Did no warner come to you?"

They will say;"Yes, indeed a warner did come to us, but we denied him and said;`Allah never sent down anything; you are only in great error'." (67;8-9)

فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ




So taste you. For the wrongdoers there is no helper.

means, `taste the punishment of the Fire, as a recompense for your going against the Prophets in all your deeds, for today you will have no helper to save you from your fate of punishment and chains.