Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 69

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(You are) like those who were before you. They were stronger than you in power, and richer in wealth and children. So, they enjoyed their share (from the pleasures of this world), then you enjoyed your share as those before you enjoyed their share, and you indulged (in evils) as they indulged. They are the ones whose deeds have gone to waste in this world and in the Hereafter, and they are the losers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹You hypocrites are˺ like those ˹disbelievers˺ before you. They were far superior to you in might and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their share in this life. You have enjoyed your share, just as they did. And you have engaged in idle talk, just as they did. Their deeds have become void in this world and the Hereafter. And it is they who are the ˹true˺ losers.

Ruwwad Translation Center

[O hypocrites, you are] like those who came before you, who were more powerful than you and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their share, and you too have enjoyed your share just as those who came before you enjoyed their share; and you have indulged in idle talk just as they did. Such are those whose deeds have become worthless in this world and in the Hereafter; it is they who are the losers.

A. J. Arberry

those before you, who were stronger than you in might, and more abundant in wealth and children; they took enjoyment in their share; so do you take enjoyment in your share, as those before you took enjoyment in their share. You have plunged as they plunged. Those -- their works have failed in this world and in the world to come; those -- they are the losers.

Abdul Haleem

‘You are like those who lived before you: they were even stronger than you, with more wealth and children; they enjoyed their share in this life as you have enjoyed yours; like them, you have indulged in idle talk.’ Their deeds go to waste in this world and the next; it is they who will lose all in the life to come.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Like ye are unto those before you: mightier were they than you in prowess and more abundant in riches and children. They enjoyed their portion awhile, so enjoy your portion awhile even as those before you enjoyed their portion awhile, and ye plunged about even as they plunged about. Those! their works have come to naught in the world and the Hereafter, and those! they are the losers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

As in the case of those before you; they were mightier than you in power, and more flourishing in wealth and children. They had their enjoyment of their portion; and ye have of yours, as did those before you; and ye indulge in idle talk as they did. They!- their work are fruitless in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will lose (all spiritual good).

Abul Ala Maududi

Your ways are like the ways of those who have gone before you. They were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in riches and children. They enjoyed their lot for a while as you have enjoyed your lot, and you also engaged in idle talk as they did. Their works have come to naught in this world, and in the Hereafter they are surely the losers.

Ahmed Ali

Like those before you who were greater in strength, had more wealth and children than you, who enjoyed their lot in this world, as you have enjoyed your share like them. You indulge in idle talk, as they had indulged in vain discourse. Yet nothing of what they did remains in this world or will in the next, and they are the losers.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Like those who were before you – they were mightier than you in strength, and had more wealth and children than you; so they spent their portion – you spent your portion just as those before you spent their portion and you fell into shame (sin) like they had fallen into shame; their deeds have been wasted in the world and in the Hereafter; it is they who are the losers.

Ali Quli Qarai

[Hypocrites! Your case is] similar to those who were before you, who were more powerful than you and more abounding in wealth and children: they enjoyed their share [of worldly existence]; you too enjoy your share, just like those who were before you enjoyed their share, and you have gossiped [impiously] as they gossiped. They are the ones whose works have failed in this world and the Hereafter; and it is they who are the losers.

Ali Ünal

Just like the peoples before you (O hypocrites and unbelievers) who were greater than you in power and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their lot (in the world) for a while; and you have been enjoying your lot just as those who preceded you enjoyed their lot, and you have plunged in self-indulgence as others who plunged. Such (hypocrites and unbelievers) are those whose works have been wasted in both this world and the Hereafter, and those – they are the losers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Say to hypocrites,) `You are like your predecessors. (But) they were mightier than you in strength and richer in possessions and children. Then they enjoyed their lot for a short time; so you too have enjoyed your lot as your predecessors enjoyed theirs. And you indulged in idle talk as they did (but remember), it is these whose deeds have gone in vain in this world and the Hereafter, and it is these who are completely lost.´

English Literal

As/like those from before them they were stronger than you, (in) strength/power and (with) more properties/possessions , and children, so they lived long/enjoyed with their good luck/fortune, so you lived long/enjoyed with your good luck/fortune, as those from before you lived long/enjoyed with their good luck/fortune, and you plunged into/engaged in conversation as/like who plunged into/engaged in conversation , those their deeds (are) wasted in the present world, and the end (other life), and those, they are the losers .

Faridul Haque

Like those who were before you - they were mightier than you in strength, and had more wealth and children than you; so they spent their portion - you spent your portion just as those before you spent their portion and you fell into shame (sin) like they had fallen into shame; their deeds have been wasted in the world and in the Hereafter; it is they who are the losers.

Hamid S. Aziz

You are like those who were before you. They were stronger than you and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their portion awhile, and you will enjoy your portion awhile just as they enjoyed their portion before you. And you indulge in idle chatter as they indulged in idle chatter. Such are they whose works are vain in this world and the Hereafter. Such are the losers.

Hilali & Khan

Like those before you, they were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in wealth and children. They had enjoyed their portion awhile, so enjoy your portion awhile as those before you enjoyed their portion awhile; and you indulged in play and pastime (and in telling lies against Allah and His Messenger Muhammad SAW) as they indulged in play and pastime. Such are they whose deeds are in vain in this world and in the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Allah promises the hypocrites, men and women, and the disbelievers the Fire of hell to abide therein. It is enough for them. And Allah curses them, and for them is a lasting chastisement.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Like those before you; they were stronger than you in power and more abundant in wealth and children, so they enjoyed their portion; thus have you enjoyed your portion as those before you enjoyed their portion; and you entered into vain discourses like the vain discourses in which entered those before you. These are they whose works are null in this world and the hereafter, and these are they who are the losers.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Even as those before you who were mightier than you in strength, and more affluent than you in wealth and children. They enjoyed their lot awhile, so ye enjoy your lot awhile even as those before you did enjoy their lot awhile. And ye prate even as they prated. Such are they whose works have perished in the world and the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers.

Muhammad Sarwar

like that of those who lived before you, whose power, wealth, and children were much greater than yours. They enjoyed their share of the worldly gains and you, also, like them, have enjoyed yours. You have been sneaking among the people to cause trouble, just as they had been doing before you. Such people's deeds are devoid of all virtue both in this life and in the life hereafter. They indeed are lost.

Qaribullah & Darwish

You are like those before you. They were stronger than you in might, and had greater riches and more children. They took enjoyment in their share, so do you take enjoyment in your share as those before you took enjoyment in their share. You have plunged as they plunged. Those, their works are annulled, failed in this world and in the Everlasting Life, those, they are the losers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Like those before you: they were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in wealth and children. They had enjoyed their portion (a while), so enjoy your portion (a while) as those before you enjoyed their portion (a while); and you indulged in play and pastime as they indulged in play and pastime. Such are they whose deeds are in vain in this world and in the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers.

Wahiduddin Khan

Like those before you who were stronger than you, possessed more wealth and children; they enjoyed their share in this life as you have enjoyed yours; like them, you have indulged in idle talk. It is they whose works shall come to nothing in this world and in the life to come -- and it is they who shall be the losers.

Talal Itani

Like those before you. They were more powerful than you, and had more wealth and children. They enjoyed their share, and you enjoyed your share, as those before you enjoyed their share. And you indulged, as they indulged. It is they whose works will fail in this world and in the Hereafter. It is they who are the losers.

Tafsir jalalayn

You, O hypocrites, are, like those before you, who were far mightier than you, and more abundant in wealth and children. They enjoyed their share, their lot in this world. So you enjoy, O hypocrites, your share, just as those before you enjoyed their share, and you indulge [in vain talk], in falsehood and defamation of the Prophet (s), just as they indulged [in vain talk]. Those, their works have become invalid in this world and in the Hereafter; and those, they indeed are the losers.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah says,

كَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُواْ أَشَدَّ مِنكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَالاً وَأَوْلَادًا فَاسْتَمْتَعُواْ بِخَلقِهِمْ فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِخَلَقِكُمْ كَمَا اسْتَمْتَعَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ

Like those before you;they were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in wealth and children. They had enjoyed their portion (a while), so enjoy your portion (a while) as those before you enjoyed,

Allah says, these people were touched by torment in this life and the Hereafter, just as those before them.

Allah's statement,


بِخَلَقِهِمْ

their portion,

According to Al-Hasan Al-Basri,

means, (they mocked) their religion.

Allah's statement,

وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُواْ

and you indulged in play and pastime as they indulged in play and pastime,

indulged in lies and falsehood,

أُوْلَـيِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ

Such are they whose deeds are in vain,

their deeds are annulled; they will not acquire any rewards for them because they are invalid,

فِي الُّدنْيَا وَالاخِرَةِ وَأُوْلَيِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ



in this world and in the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers.

because they will not acquire any rewards for their actions.

Ibn Abbas commented,

"How similar is this night to the last night,
كَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
(Like those before you...). These are the Children of Israel, with whom we were compared.

The Prophet said,

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّهُمْ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ جُحْرَ ضَبَ لَدَخَلْتُمُوه

By He in Whose Hand is my life! You will imitate them, and even if a man of them entered the den of a lizard, you will enter it likewise!"

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ وَبَاعًا بِبَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبَ لَدَخَلْتُمُوه

By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will follow the traditions of those who were before you a hand span for a hand-span and forearm's length for forearm's length, and an arm's length for an arm's length. And even if they enter the den of a lizard, you will also enter it.

They asked, "Who, O Allah's Messenger, the People of the Book?"

He said, Who else."

This Hadith is similar to another Hadith collected in the Sahih