Surah Al-Qalam

Chapter 68 · Verse 32 · Revealed in Makkah

عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهَآ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَٰغِبُونَ

Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."

Translation: Saheeh International

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Mishary Rashid Alafasy

Reflection — Ibn Kathir

A Parable of the Removal of the Earnings of the Disbelievers

This is a parable that Allah made of the behavior of the Quraysh disbelievers with the great mercy, and tremendous favors He granted them. The mercy and favor of sending of Muhammad ﷺ to them. But they met him with denial, rejection and opposition. Therefore Allah says,

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـهُمْ

Reflection — Maarif ul Quran

قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ ( [ and at last ] they said, "Woe to us! In fact, we [ all ] were outrageous....68:31). At the beginning, they accused one another of the sin. Then when they considered the matter carefully, they admitted that they were all on the wrong. As a result, they lamented and admitted their guilt that amounted to repentance. On the basis of this repentance they hoped that Allah will give them in exchange a garden better than the one destroyed.

Imam Baghawi reports from Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ that, according to his information, when these brothers repented truly, Allah blessed them with a better vineyard that bore such large bunches of grapes that a single bunch could be loaded on a mule. [ Mazhari ].

What does this verse bring up for you today?

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