ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ مَـَٔابًا 39
Translations
That is the True [i.e., certain] Day; so he who wills may take to his Lord a [way of] return.
Transliteration
Dhālika al-yawmu al-ḥaqqu fa-man shāʾa ittakhadha ilā rabbihi maʾāban
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes Surah An-Naba by affirming that the Day of Judgment is absolute truth and reality. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that after the detailed descriptions of Paradise and Hell throughout the surah, Allah emphasizes that whoever wishes may choose to return to their Lord through sincere repentance and righteous deeds before that inevitable Day comes. Al-Qurtubi notes that 'maʾāb' (return/refuge) signifies both the physical return on the Day of Judgment and the spiritual path of repentance available in this life.
Revelation Context
Surah An-Naba is a Meccan chapter revealed during the early period when the Quraysh were denying the resurrection and the afterlife. This ayah serves as the powerful conclusion to the surah, reaffirming the certainty of the Day of Judgment after extensive descriptions of its events, and offering a final call to repentance. It contextualizes all the warnings and glad tidings mentioned previously as incentives for believers to prepare now.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Repentance erases what comes before it' (Sahih Muslim 2758). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'The best of you are those who repent to Allah and turn to Him the most' (Tirmidhi 3982), which relates directly to the concept of returning to one's Lord mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that while the Day of Judgment is an absolute certainty, we retain the choice and opportunity in this life to turn back to our Lord through sincere repentance and righteous action—a merciful reminder that it is never too late to change course spiritually.