بَلِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ بَصِيرَةٌ 14
Translations
Rather, man, against himself, will be a witness,
Transliteration
Bal al-insanu 'ala nafsih baseerah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah means that every human being is fully aware of their own deeds and spiritual state; they possess clear knowledge ('baseerah') of themselves. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, despite humans' attempts to deny or rationalize their actions, each person deep down knows the truth about themselves—their intentions, their righteousness or wickedness. This refutes the human tendency toward self-deception and highlights the impossibility of escaping one's own conscience on the Day of Judgment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Qiyamah, a Meccan surah focused on the reality of the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment. It comes within a passage (ayahs 13-15) emphasizing that humans cannot deny their accountability; each soul will know what it has sent forward and kept back. The context addresses the Meccan disbelievers' denial of the afterlife and their self-justification.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who have the best character/manners' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith 'None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself' (Sahih Bukhari) relates to the self-awareness and introspection this ayah emphasizes.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that self-deception about one's spiritual state is futile—each person must honestly assess their own actions and intentions before they are judged by Allah. It calls for sincere introspection and accountability rather than rationalization of wrongdoing.