يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِىٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ 105
Translations
The Day it comes no soul will speak except by His permission. And among them will be the wretched and the prosperous.
Transliteration
Yawma ya'ti lā takallamu nafsin illā bi-idhnihi, faminhum shaqiyyun wa-sa'īd
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the Day of Judgment when no soul will speak except by Allah's permission, emphasizing the absolute sovereignty and control of Allah over all creation at that momentous time. According to classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir, this highlights the complete powerlessness of humans on the Day of Judgment, where even speech—a basic human faculty—is subject to divine permission. The ayah concludes by noting that on this day, humanity will be divided into two categories: the wretched (those destined for punishment) and the blessed (those destined for paradise), indicating the ultimate justice and distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Hud (a Meccan chapter) within a broader discussion of the Day of Judgment and its certainty. The context emphasizes Allah's justice and the reality of the Hereafter, serving to remind the early Meccan audience of divine accountability and the futility of worldly pursuits detached from obedience to Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'On the Day of Judgment, the earth will be changed into a different earth, and so will be the heavens' (Sahih Muslim 2949). Also relevant: 'None of you will speak on the Day of Judgment except those to whom Allah grants permission' - a theme reinforced in multiple hadith collections regarding the events of the Last Day.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that on the Day of Judgment, all human pride and autonomy will be stripped away, and only those permitted by Allah will speak—a humbling reminder to live with consciousness of divine accountability and to prioritize righteous deeds in this life to ensure one is among the 'blessed' rather than the 'wretched' on that eternal day.