أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ 98
Translations
Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play?
Transliteration
Awa-amina ahlu al-qura an ya'tiyhum ba'suna duhan wa-hum yal'abun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah questions whether the people of the towns felt secure from Allah's punishment coming upon them during the forenoon while they were engaged in play and heedlessness. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a rhetorical rebuke emphasizing false security and complacency—the people were so absorbed in their worldly amusements that they neglected the signs of Allah and His warnings, making them vulnerable to sudden divine punishment. The ayah serves as a warning against heedlessness and the delusion that one is safe from Allah's consequences regardless of their disobedience.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-A'raf, which addresses the consequences of rejecting Allah's messengers throughout history. It is part of a broader discussion warning the Quraysh and all people against false security and complacency in faith. The specific reference to playing during daytime may allude to the Arabs' tendency toward distraction and neglect of religious responsibilities.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said in Sahih Muslim: 'Two blessings are neglected by many people: health and free time.' This hadith relates thematically to the ayah's warning against wasting time in play and heedlessness. Additionally, the Quran itself states in Surah Al-Anbiya (21:1): 'Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning,' emphasizing sudden accountability.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should never feel so secure in their worldly pursuits that they neglect their spiritual responsibilities and Allah's signs; true security comes only through conscious obedience to Allah, not through heedless entertainment and distraction. This ayah reminds us that punishment can come unexpectedly, making constant mindfulness of Allah and readiness for accountability essential aspects of faith.
Related Ayahs
ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُم بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ كَـٰفِرُونَ
Who averted [people] from the way of Allāh and sought to make it [seem] deviant while they were, concerning the Hereafter, disbelievers."
قَالُوٓا۟ أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا ۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ
They said, "We have been harmed before you came to us and after you have come to us." He said, "Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and grant you succession in the land and see how you will do."
وَٱخْتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوْمَهُۥ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا لِّمِيقَـٰتِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُم مِّن قَبْلُ وَإِيَّـٰىَ ۖ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَهْدِى مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَا ۖ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْغَـٰفِرِينَ
And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. And when the earthquake seized them, he said, "My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your trial by which You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers.
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."