فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَن تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟ أَرْحَامَكُمْ 22
Translations
So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship?
Transliteration
Fa-hal 'asaytum in tawallaytum an tufsidoo fil-ardi wa-taqatti'oo arhamakum
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question warning the believers that if they turn away from Allah's guidance, they will inevitably corrupt the earth and sever family ties. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as a causal connection: rejection of divine guidance naturally leads to moral corruption and societal breakdown, beginning with the destruction of familial bonds, which are foundational to a healthy society. The ayah emphasizes personal accountability by directly addressing the addressees' potential choices and their inevitable consequences.
Revelation Context
Surah Muhammad was revealed in Madinah during a period of intensified conflict between the Muslim community and its opponents. This ayah comes in a section warning believers against hypocrisy and wavering faith, reminding them that abandoning Islamic principles leads to widespread corruption (fasad) in society, mirroring the state of pre-Islamic Arabia and contemporary hostile societies.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever severs the ties of kinship will not enter Paradise' (Sahih Bukhari 5638). Additionally, 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), highlighting the primacy of maintaining family bonds in Islam.
Themes
Key Lesson
Straying from Allah's path is not merely a personal spiritual matter but has cascading social consequences, beginning with the disintegration of family bonds and spreading to broader societal corruption. Maintaining Islamic principles, particularly upholding family ties (silat al-rahim), is essential for both individual salvation and social stability.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَءَامَنُوا۟ بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ
And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muḥammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition.
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَآ
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’ān, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَضَرْبَ ٱلرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا۟ ٱلْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّۢا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ ٱلْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَٱنتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَا۟ بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ
So when you meet those who disbelieve [in battle], strike [their] necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure [their] bonds, and either [confer] favor afterwards or ransom [them] until the war lays down its burdens. That [is the command]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken vengeance upon them [Himself], but [He ordered armed struggle] to test some of you by means of others. And those who are killed in the cause of Allāh - never will He waste their deeds.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَتَعْسًا لَّهُمْ وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ
But those who disbelieve - for them is misery, and He will waste their deeds.