وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا۟ غَيْرَ سَاعَةٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَانُوا۟ يُؤْفَكُونَ 55
Translations
And the Day the Hour appears the criminals will swear they had remained but an hour. Thus they were deluded.
Transliteration
Wa-yawma taqoomu as-saa'atu yuqsimu al-mujrimoona maa labithoo ghayra saa'atin; kadhaalika kaanoo yu'fakoon.
Tafsir (Explanation)
On the Day of Judgment, the criminals will swear that they remained on earth for only an hour, denying the length of time they actually spent. This reflects their profound delusion and heedlessness in the worldly life—just as they were turned away from the truth during their earthly existence, they will be in complete denial even regarding their own lifespan. Ibn Kathir notes this demonstrates how the criminals' perception of time becomes distorted due to the shock of resurrection, while Al-Qurtubi emphasizes this as evidence of their obstinate denial of divine signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in Surah Ar-Rum (The Romans), a Meccan surah primarily concerned with signs of Allah's power and the reality of the afterlife. The verse is part of a broader theme in the surah addressing the disbelievers' denial of resurrection and their false perception of worldly life. It serves as a warning to those who squander their lifetimes in heedlessness.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who live the longest and do the best deeds.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi) This contrasts with those described in 30:55 who fail to utilize their time. Additionally, the Prophet emphasized in various hadiths recorded in Sahih Muslim the importance of guarding five things before five others, including youth before old age, indicating awareness of time's passage.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns believers to be mindful of how we spend our limited time on earth, knowing that on the Day of Judgment we will face accountability for our deeds. It should motivate us to use our lifespans wisely in obedience to Allah rather than falling into the delusion and heedlessness that characterized those who denied the truth.