ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ 13
Translations
A [large] company of the former peoples
Transliteration
Thullatun min al-awwaleen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to 'a multitude from the former peoples' who will be among the companions of the right hand in Paradise. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this phrase indicates that righteous believers from previous nations (before Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) will enter Paradise, demonstrating Allah's mercy extends to all who believed in their respective prophets and followed divine guidance. The 'former peoples' (al-awwaleen) includes the faithful from the time of Adam through the prophets before Muhammad ﷺ.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Waqi'ah (The Inevitable), a Meccan surah that describes the Day of Judgment and the different categories of people in the afterlife. The surah divides the dwellers of the afterlife into three groups, and this ayah is part of the description of the first and most honored group—those closest to Allah. The context emphasizes the universal nature of Allah's promise to the righteous across all generations.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet ﷺ mentioned the distribution of people on the Day of Judgment. Additionally, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:62 provides a parallel principle: 'Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Christians and the Sabians...will have their reward with their Lord.' This establishes that righteousness is rewarded regardless of the nation or era.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that Allah's mercy and reward are not limited to one nation or time period, but extend to all sincere believers who followed their prophets faithfully. It reminds us that righteousness is the ultimate measure of worth, and that Allah judges people justly according to the guidance available to them.