Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Hadid Verse 16

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Has the time not yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and for the truth that has descended (through revelation)? They must not be like those to whom the Book was given before, but a long period passed on them (in which they did not repent), therefore their hearts became hard, and (thus) many of them are sinners.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Has the time not yet come for believers’ hearts to be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and what has been revealed of the truth, and not be like those given the Scripture before—˹those˺ who were spoiled for so long that their hearts became hardened. And many of them are ˹still˺ rebellious.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Has the time not yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and to the truth that has been revealed? And that they should not be like those who were given the Scripture before, whose hearts grew hard after the passage of long time, and many of them were evildoers.

A. J. Arberry

Is it not time that the hearts of those who believe should be humbled to the Remembrance of God and the Truth which He has sent down, and that they should not be as those to whom the Book was given aforetime, and the term seemed over long to them, so that their hearts have become hard, and many of them are ungodly?

Abdul Haleem

Is it not time for believers to humble their hearts to the remembrance of God and the Truth that has been revealed, and not to be like those who received the Scripture before them, whose time was extended but whose hearts hardened and many of whom were lawbreakers?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Is not the time yet come unto those who believe, that their hearts should humble themselves to the admonition of Allah and to the truth which hath come down, and that they become not as those who were vouchsafed the Book aforetime, and the time become extended unto them, and so their hearts became hard? And many of them are transgressors

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Has not the Time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed (to them), and that they should not become like those to whom was given Revelation aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors.

Abul Ala Maududi

Is the time not come that the hearts of the believers should be humbled to Allah's remembrance and to the Truth that He has revealed, and that they should not be like those who were vouchsafed the Book and then a long time elapsed so that their hearts were hardened? A great many of them are now evil-doers.

Ahmed Ali

Has the moment not yet come when the hearts of believers should be moved by the thought of God and the truth that has been sent down, so that they should not be like those who received the Book before them but whose hearts were hardened after a lapse of time, and many of them turned disobedient?

Ahmed Raza Khan

Has not the time come for the believers to surrender their hearts to Allah’s remembrance and to this truth that has come down? And do not be like those who were earlier given the Book(s) and when a long term passed over them, their hearts became hardened; and many of them are sinners.

Ali Quli Qarai

Is it not time yet for those who have faith that their hearts should be humbled for Allah’s remembrance and toward the truth which has come down [to them], and to be not like those who were given the Book before? Time took its toll on them and so their hearts were hardened, and many of them are transgressors.

Ali Ünal

Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should soften with humility and submit (to God to strive in His cause) in the face of God’s Remembrance (the Qur’an) and what has come down of the truth (the Divine teachings)? And (has not the time yet come) that they should not be like those who were given the Book before? A long time has passed over them (after they received the Book) and so their hearts have hardened; and many among them (have been) transgressors.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Is it not yet time for those who believe that their hearts should feel humbled at the mention (of the name) of Allâh and at the truth that has been revealed to them (in the form of the Qur´ân), and that they do not become like those who were given the Scripture before (them). But their hearts hardened because a long period of time passed over them (enjoying the favours of Allâh. (As for their present state) they are mostly transgressors.

English Literal

Is it not time/did not time near to those who believed, that their hearts/minds submit/humble to God`s remembrance/reminder, and what descended from the truth , and they not be as/like those who were given/brought The Book from before, so (it) became/lasted long on them the time, so their hearts/minds became cruel/hardened/merciless, and many of them (are) debauchers .

Faridul Haque

Has not the time come for the believers to surrender their hearts to Allah’s remembrance and to this truth that has come down? And do not be like those who were earlier given the Book(s) and when a long term passed over them, their hearts became hardened; and many of them are sinners.

Hamid S. Aziz

Has not the time ripe for those who believe that their heart should submit to the remembrance (or the Reminder) of Allah and to what has been revealed of the truth? And that they should not become like those who were given the Book before, but the term was prolonged for them, and so their heart hardened, and most of them are rebellious transgressors.

Hilali & Khan

Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah's Reminder (this Quran), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before (i.e. Jews and Christians), and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So this day no ransom will be accepted from you, nor from those who disbelieved. Your abode is the Fire; it is your patron and evil is the resort.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And that they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Is not the time ripe for the hearts of those who believe to submit to Allah's reminder and to the truth which is revealed, that they become not as those who received the scripture of old but the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened, and many of them are evil-livers.

Muhammad Sarwar

Is it not time for the hearts of the believers to become humbled by the remembrance of God and by the Truth which has been revealed so that they will not be like the followers of the Bible who lived before them and whose hearts have become hard like stone through the long years. Many of them are evil doers.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Is it not time that the hearts of the believers be humbled to the Remembrance of Allah and the truth which He has sent down? They should not be like those who were given the Book before this, whose time became very long so that their hearts became hardened. Many of them were impious.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah And that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened And many of them were rebellious.

Wahiduddin Khan

Has the time not come for the faithful when their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of God and of the revelation of truth, so that they should not become like those who were given the Book before them, whose hearts with the passage of time became hardened and many of whom were disobedient?

Talal Itani

Is it not time for those who believe to surrender their hearts to the remembrance of God, and to the truth that has come down, and not be like those who were given the Book previously, but time became prolonged for them, so their hearts hardened, and many of them are sinners?

Tafsir jalalayn

Is it not time for those who believe -- this was revealed concerning the matter of the Companions [of the Prophet] who had been overindulging in jest, that their hearts should be humbled to the remembrance of God and [to] what has been revealed (read as nuzzila; or read nazala, `[what] has come down') of the truth, the Qur'n, and that they should not be (l yakn is a supplement to takhsha`a, `be humbled') like those who were given the Scripture before?, namely, the Jews and the Christians. For the stretch of time, the interval [extending] from them [back] to [the time of the sending of the last of] their prophets, was too long for them and so their hearts became hardened, unyielding to the remembrance of God, and many of them are immoral.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Encouraging Khushu` and the Prohibition of imitating the People of the Scriptures

Allah asks,

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah? And that which has been revealed of the truth,

Allah asks, `Has not the time come for the believers to feel humility in their hearts by the remembrance of Allah and hearing subtle advice and the recitation of the Qur'an, so that they may comprehend the Qur'an, abide by it, and hear and obey.

Muslim recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said,

"Only four years separated our acceptance of Islam and the revelation of this Ayah, in which Allah subtly admonished us,

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah"

This is the narration Muslim collected, just before the end of his book.

An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith in the Tafsir of this Ayah.

Allah's statement,

وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الاَْمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

Lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened,

Allah is prohibiting the believers from imitating those who were given the Scriptures before them, the Jews and Christians. As time passed, they changed the Book of Allah that they had, and sold it for a small, miserable price. They also abandoned Allah's Book behind their back and were impressed and consumed by various opinions and false creeds. They imitated the way others behaved with the religion of Allah, making their rabbis and priests into gods beside Allah. Consequently, their hearts became hard and they would not accept advice; their hearts did not feel humbled by Allah's promises or threats,

وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ




And many of them were rebellious.

meaning, in action;

therefore, their hearts are corrupt and their actions are invalid, just as Allah the Exalted said,

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَـقَهُمْ لَعنَّـهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَضِعِهِ وَنَسُواْ حَظَّا مِّمَّا ذُكِرُواْ بِهِ

So, because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They changed the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. (5;13)

meaning, their hearts became corrupt and they hardened, and they acquired the behavior of changing Allah's Speech from their appropriate places and meanings. They abandoned acts of worship that they were commanded to perform and committed what they were prohibited to do.

This is why Allah forbade the believers from imitating them in any way, be it basic or detailed matters.

Allah the Exalted said,

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِي الاَْرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا

قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الاْيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ