أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ 4
Translations
Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun [i.e., escape] Us? Evil is what they judge.
Transliteration
Am hasibat alladhina ya'maluna as-sayyi'at an yasbiquna? Sa'a ma yahkumun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who commit evil deeds while thinking they can escape Allah's punishment or outrun His justice. The phrase 'yasbiquna' (outrun/escape) emphasizes the futility of their delusion, as no one can evade Allah's divine will and accountability. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as a stern warning that wrongdoers deceive themselves if they believe they will not face consequences for their sins.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-'Ankabut, which addresses the early Muslims facing persecution and the disbelievers' rejection of divine truth. The broader context of this surah (verses 1-10) discusses the trials believers face and the false assumptions of wrongdoers, with this particular verse targeting those who commit sins while harboring false hope of escape from divine justice.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong person is the one who controls himself while in anger' (Sahih Bukhari 5763). This relates thematically to the ayah's warning against destructive behavior rooted in false assumptions about divine accountability.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should recognize that no one can escape Allah's justice or outrun His knowledge, regardless of their worldly power or cunning. This ayah encourages sincere repentance and righteous conduct, as the consequences of our actions—whether good or evil—are inescapable in Allah's ultimate reckoning.
Related Ayahs
فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَن يَأْتِيهِ عَذَابٌ يُخْزِيهِ وَيَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ
And you are going to know who will get a punishment that will disgrace him [on earth] and upon whom will descend an enduring punishment [in the Hereafter]."
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَآ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ ٱلْعَذَابِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, "Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the word [i.e., decree] of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers."
وَإِذَا ٱلْمَوْءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتْ
And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked