ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ 24
Translations
That is because they say, "Never will the Fire touch us except for [a few] numbered days," and [because] they were deluded in their religion by what they were inventing.
Transliteration
Dhālika bi-annāhum qālū lan tamassanā al-nāru illā ayyāman ma'dūdāt; wa-gharrahum fī dīnihim mā kānū yaftarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the false belief of the Children of Israel who claimed that the Fire of Hell would only touch them for a limited number of days, a misconception rooted in their invented religious doctrines. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this statement reflects their arrogance and their self-deceptive interpretation of their scripture, where they misunderstood the concept of atonement and divine mercy. Al-Qurtubi notes that this ayah serves as a warning against fabricating religious claims and relying on false hopes regarding divine punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ali 'Imran's broader discussion of the People of the Book and their misguided beliefs regarding salvation and accountability. It addresses the specific Jewish claim mentioned in their traditions that their punishment in the afterlife would be limited in duration, a belief contradicted by the Qur'an's assertion of accountability for all deeds.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Each soul will taste death' (Qur'an 3:185). Related hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim emphasize that no one has immunity from divine punishment except through sincere repentance and righteous deeds, refuting any claim of automatic or time-limited salvation.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns believers against creating comforting illusions about the consequences of our actions or inventing religious doctrines that contradict divine truth; true security comes only through genuine faith, righteous conduct, and sincere repentance, not through false hopes or inherited assumptions.
Related Ayahs
فَرِحِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا۟ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Rejoicing in what Allāh has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمُ ۗ وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allāh is Islām. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allāh, then indeed, Allāh is swift in [taking] account.
هَـٰٓأَنتُمْ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ حَـٰجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Here you are - those who have argued about that of which you have [some] knowledge, but why do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allāh knows, while you know not.
فَـَٔاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
So Allāh gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allāh loves the doers of good.