Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allāh. To Him belongs dominion, and to Him belongs [all] praise, and He is over all things competent.
He knows what is within the heavens and earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare. And Allāh is Knowing of that within the breasts.
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alam yatikum naba-u alladhīna kafarū min qablu fadhāqū wabāla amrihim walahum ʿadhābun alīmun
Has there not come to you the news of those who disbelieved before? So they tasted the bad consequence of their affair, and they will have a painful punishment.
That is because their messengers used to come to them with clear evidences, but they said, "Shall human beings guide us?" and disbelieved and turned away. And Allāh dispensed [with them]; and Allāh is Free of need and Praiseworthy.
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zaʿama alladhīna kafarū an lan yub'ʿathū qul balā warabbī latub'ʿathunna thumma latunabba-unna bimā ʿamil'tum wadhālika ʿalā l-lahi yasīrun
Those who disbelieve have claimed that they will never be resurrected. Say, "Yes, by my Lord, you will surely be resurrected; then you will surely be informed of what you did. And that, for Allāh, is easy."
The Day He will assemble you for the Day of Assembly - that is the Day of Deprivation. And whoever believes in Allāh and does righteousness - He will remove from him his misdeeds and admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.
O you who have believed, indeed, among your spouses and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them. But if you pardon and overlook and forgive - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
So fear Allāh as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allāh]; it is better for your selves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful.
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allāh.1 To Him belongs dominion, and to Him belongs [all] praise, and He is over all things competent.
Surah At-Taghabun opens with the same cosmic theme we saw in Al-Jumu'ah — everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Allah. But this time the emphasis shifts to dominion and praise, and then the declaration that He is All-Powerful over everything. This isn't just a theological statement — it's setting the emotional foundation for the whole surah. When you truly internalize that everything belongs to Him and He controls all outcomes, it changes how you respond to life's gains and losses. And that theme of gain and loss is exactly where this surah is headed.
It is He who created you, and among you is the disbeliever, and among you is the believer. And Allāh, of what you do, is Seeing.
Allah created all of you, and yet among you some choose disbelief and some choose belief. That's a remarkable statement — the same Creator made both groups, gave them the same faculties, and yet they end up in completely different places. This highlights human free will in the clearest possible terms. You're not programmed to believe or disbelieve; you make that choice. And Allah sees everything you do with that freedom. The ayah doesn't explain why some believe and others don't — it simply presents it as reality. The deeper question it raises is: what are you doing with your choice?
He created the heavens and earth in truth and formed you and perfected your forms; and to Him is the [final] destination.
He created the heavens and earth with truth — meaning with purpose, with wisdom, not randomly or frivolously. And then it gets personal: He formed you and made your forms beautiful. There's tenderness here, like an artist taking care with each creation. Every human being, regardless of what they look like by society's standards, has been given a form that Allah made good. And then comes the pivot — 'to Him is the final return.' That beautiful form you've been given isn't permanent. The body is a temporary vessel, and what matters most is what you carried inside it when you return to your Creator.
He knows what is within the heavens and earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare. And Allāh is Knowing of that within the breasts.
Allah's knowledge is total — He knows what's in the heavens and earth, what you hide and what you reveal. But the most penetrating part is the end: He is All-Knowing of what is in the breasts, meaning your innermost thoughts and feelings. The things you've never told anyone, the intentions behind your public actions, the secret fears and hopes — all of it is known. For the sincere person, this is actually comforting. Your private struggles, your quiet prayers, the good you do that nobody sees — it's all accounted for. For the hypocrite, obviously, this is terrifying.
Has there not come to you the news of those who disbelieved before? So they tasted the bad consequence of their affair, and they will have a painful punishment.
Haven't you heard what happened to those who disbelieved before you? This is the Quran's way of saying — history is full of lessons if you're willing to learn from them. Previous nations rejected truth, and they tasted the consequences of their choices in this world, with a painful punishment still waiting in the next. The word 'tasted' is deliberate — it implies a direct, personal, undeniable experience. You can theorize about consequences all day, but when you actually taste them, theory becomes reality. The past isn't just ancient history; it's a preview of what happens when patterns repeat.
That is because their messengers used to come to them with clear evidences, but they said, "Shall human beings guide us?" and disbelieved and turned away. And Allāh dispensed [with them]; and Allāh is Free of need and Praiseworthy.
The reason those nations failed is spelled out — their messengers came with clear proofs, but they rejected the message because the messengers were human beings. 'Shall human beings guide us?' they scoffed. They wanted angels or some supernatural spectacle, not a man who ate food and walked through markets like them. So they disbelieved and turned away. And here's the kicker — Allah can do without them entirely. He's Self-sufficient and Praiseworthy whether anyone worships Him or not. Your belief benefits you; your disbelief harms you. Allah's majesty doesn't increase or decrease based on your choices.
Those who disbelieve have claimed that they will never be resurrected. Say, "Yes, by my Lord, you will surely be resurrected; then you will surely be informed of what you did. And that, for Allāh, is easy."
Those who disbelieve claim they'll never be resurrected. The Prophet is told to respond with absolute certainty — yes, by my Lord, you will be raised, and you will be informed of everything you did. And if that sounds impossible, well, it's easy for Allah. This ayah addresses the most fundamental doubt people have about religion: is there really an afterlife? The Quran doesn't spend paragraphs arguing the philosophy of it. It states it as fact, backs it with divine authority, and reminds you that the God who created you from nothing the first time can certainly bring you back. The real question isn't whether it's possible — it's whether you're prepared for it.
So believe in Allāh and His Messenger and the light [i.e., the Qur’ān] which We have sent down. And Allāh is Aware of what you do.
So believe in Allah, His Messenger, and the Light that has been sent down — the Quran. The call is straightforward and unadorned. After all the cosmic descriptions and historical warnings, it comes down to this simple instruction. The Quran is described as 'light' here, which is telling — light doesn't just illuminate, it exposes what's hidden and guides you through darkness. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do, meaning your response to this call is being noted. It's not a casual invitation; it carries weight and consequence.
The Day He will assemble you for the Day of Assembly - that is the Day of Deprivation.1 And whoever believes in Allāh and does righteousness - He will remove from him his misdeeds and admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.
This is the ayah that gives the surah its name — At-Taghabun, the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain. On the Day of Assembly, the true winners and losers will become clear. Some people who looked successful in this world will realize they lost everything that mattered, while some who seemed to have nothing will discover they gained everything. Whoever believed and did righteous deeds will have their sins removed and be admitted to gardens with rivers flowing beneath them — forever. That's described as 'the great success.' Not a corner office, not a viral moment, not a fat bank account — eternal paradise. That's the success that actually deserves the word 'great.'
But the ones who disbelieved and denied Our verses - those are the companions of the Fire, abiding eternally therein; and wretched is the destination.
And on the flip side, those who disbelieved and denied Allah's signs are the companions of the Fire, dwelling in it forever. 'Wretched is the destination' — that's the Quran's blunt summary. There's no sugarcoating here, no ambiguity. The contrast between this ayah and the previous one is meant to make the choice crystal clear. Two paths, two outcomes, and every person is actively choosing one of them through their daily decisions. The Quran keeps presenting this binary not to scare you into submission but to make sure nobody can say they weren't warned.
No disaster strikes except by permission of Allāh. And whoever believes in Allāh - He will guide his heart. And Allāh is Knowing of all things.
No disaster strikes except by Allah's permission. This is one of the most important theological statements in the Quran and one of the hardest to internalize when you're actually going through something painful. It doesn't mean Allah causes suffering for fun — it means nothing is random, nothing is outside His control, and everything has purpose even when you can't see it. And then the prescription: whoever believes in Allah, He guides their heart. Meaning, when calamity hits and you trust Allah's wisdom, your heart finds peace even in the storm. That doesn't mean the pain disappears — it means you're not destroyed by it.
And obey Allāh and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon Our Messenger is only [the duty of] clear notification.
Obey Allah and obey the Messenger — the dual command that appears throughout the Quran, reminding us that obedience to the Prophet is inseparable from obedience to God. But then comes a firm boundary: if you turn away, the Messenger's only job was to deliver the message clearly. He's not your babysitter, not your enforcer. The message has been conveyed, and now the responsibility is yours. This actually empowers the individual — you're being treated as an adult who can make informed decisions and bear the consequences. No one is going to force you, but no one is going to shield you from the results either.
Allāh - there is no deity except Him. And upon Allāh let the believers rely.
Allah — there is no god except Him. The declaration of monotheism, simple and absolute. And upon Allah let the believers place their trust. This pairing is deliberate — if there's truly only one God and He controls everything, then trusting Him isn't just a nice spiritual idea, it's the only logical response. Placing trust in anything else — your savings, your connections, your own cleverness — is placing trust in something that has no real power of its own. Trust in Allah doesn't mean passivity; it means doing your best and then releasing your anxiety about outcomes to the One who actually controls them.
O you who have believed, indeed, among your spouses and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them. But if you pardon and overlook and forgive - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
This ayah might surprise you — Allah warns believers that among your spouses and children are enemies to you. That's strong language for your own family. But it doesn't mean your family is literally trying to destroy you. It means that love for family can sometimes lead you to compromise your principles — you might skip obligations, chase money unethically, or avoid standing for truth because you're worried about your family's comfort. The antidote Allah prescribes is beautiful though: pardon, overlook, and forgive. Don't become bitter or harsh with them. Recognize the pull they have on you, guard your faith, but treat them with mercy. That balance is the challenge of this life.
Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allāh has with Him a great reward.
Your wealth and children are a trial — a test, a fitna. This echoes the previous ayah but strips it down to its essence. Everything you love in this world is part of the exam. The question isn't whether you have money or kids but whether those things bring you closer to Allah or pull you further away. And then the motivator: with Allah is a great reward. Whatever you might sacrifice or struggle with for the sake of your faith, Allah has something better waiting. This ayah asks you to hold your blessings with open hands rather than clenched fists — enjoy them, be grateful for them, but don't let them own you.
So fear Allāh as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allāh]; it is better for your selves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful.
Fear Allah as much as you are able — and scholars have noted the mercy in this phrasing. It doesn't say 'be perfect.' It says do your best within your capacity. Listen, obey, and spend in Allah's cause — that's better for you. And then the core insight: whoever is saved from the greediness of their own soul, those are the successful ones. Greed here isn't just about money; it's the soul's tendency to hoard, to prioritize self over others, to always want more. Overcoming that inner stinginess — with your money, your time, your forgiveness — is presented as the defining trait of the truly successful person.
If you loan Allāh a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. And Allāh is [most] Appreciative1 and Forbearing,2
If you loan Allah a goodly loan — meaning you spend in His cause sincerely and generously — He will multiply it for you and forgive you on top of that. Think about this framing: the Creator of the universe is describing your charity as a loan to Him. He doesn't need your money, but He dignifies your giving by treating it as a transaction where He's the one in your debt. And His repayment isn't just the return of what you gave — it's multiplied rewards plus forgiveness. Allah is described as Most Appreciative and Most Forbearing, meaning He values every small act of generosity and is patient with your shortcomings. That's the kind of business partner you want.
Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
The surah closes by bringing us full circle — Allah is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. Everything hidden and everything visible falls under His knowledge. Every secret intention and every public action. This final ayah ties together all the themes: since Allah knows everything, your faith should be genuine, not performative. Since He's All-Mighty, trust His power to handle what you can't. Since He's All-Wise, trust that even the painful parts of life have purpose. It's a closing statement that feels like both a warning and an embrace — He sees all of you, and He's still offering you mercy.