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Surah An-Nur, Verse 39

سورة النور، الآية ٣٩

24:39 Juz 18 Hizb 36 Page 355 of the mushaf Medinan surah

Text of verse 24:39

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍۭ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ ٱلظَّمْـَٔانُ مَآءً حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَهُۥ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْـًٔا وَوَجَدَ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ فَوَفَّىٰهُ حِسَابَهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ ۝٣٩

Transliteration

wa-alladhīna kafarū aʿmāluhum kasarābin biqīʿatin yaḥsabuhu l-ẓamānu māan ḥattā idhā jāahu lam yajid'hu shayan wawajada l-laha ʿindahu fawaffāhu ḥisābahu wal-lahu sarīʿu l-ḥisābi

Translation

But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allāh before him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allāh is swift in account.

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 39 of Surah An-Nur (24:39), a Medinan surah, is in juz 18, on page 355 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.

Listen to verse 39 of Surah An-Nur

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Tafsir of verse 39

Al-Mukhtasar

There is no reward for the deeds of those who disbelieve in Allah; it is like a mirage that a thirsty person sees on a low-lying piece of land and assumes it to be water. He walks towards it, until when he reaches it, does not find any water. Likewise is a disbeliever: he thinks his deeds shall benefit him, until he dies and is resurrected, but does not find their reward. Rather, he finds his Lord in front of him who takes him to account fully for his deeds; and Allah is swift in taking account.

Tafsir of the whole Surah An-Nur

Other translations of verse 39

As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a plain desert, which a thirsty person deems to be water, until when he reaches it, he finds nothing, but he finds Allah there [in the Hereafter], thus He will pay him his account in full, for Allah is swift in reckoning.

As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing; but he finds Allâh with him, Who will pay him his due (Hell). And Allâh is Swift in taking account.6

Notes

[6] (V.24:39) The deeds of a disbeliever are like a mirage for a thirsty person: when he will meet Allâh, he will think that he has a good reward with Allâh of his good deeds, but he will find nothing, like a mirage, and will be thrown in the Fire of Hell.

As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are as a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one supposeth it to be water till he cometh unto it and findeth it naught, and findeth, in the place thereof, Allah Who payeth him his due; and Allah is swift at reckoning.

But the Unbelievers,- their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.

And (as for) those who disbelieve, their deeds are like the mirage in a desert, which the thirsty man deems to be water; until when he comes to it he finds it to be naught, and there he finds Allah, so He pays back to him his reckoning in full; and Allah is quick in reckoning;

And the ones who have disbelieved, their deeds are as a mirage in a low land, which the man all-athirst reckons to be water, till when he comes to it, he finds it nothing, and at it he finds Allah. Then He pays him his reckoning in full; and Allah is swift at the reckoning.

Verse 39 word by word

  1. وَٱلَّذِينَ wa-alladhīna But those who
  2. كَفَرُوٓا۟ kafarū disbelieve ك ف ر
  3. أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ aʿmāluhum their deeds ع م ل
  4. كَسَرَابٍۭ kasarābin (are) like a mirage س ر ب
  5. بِقِيعَةٍ biqīʿatin in a lowland ق و ع
  6. يَحْسَبُهُ yaḥsabuhu thinks it ح س ب
  7. ٱلظَّمْـَٔانُ l-ẓamānu the thirsty one ظ م أ
  8. مَآءً māan (to be) water م و ه
  9. حَتَّىٰٓ ḥattā until
  10. إِذَا idhā when
  11. جَآءَهُۥ jāahu he comes to it ج ي أ
  12. لَمْ lam not
  13. يَجِدْهُ yajid'hu he finds it و ج د
  14. شَيْـًٔا shayan (to be) anything ش ي أ
  15. وَوَجَدَ wawajada but he finds و ج د
  16. ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
  17. عِندَهُۥ ʿindahu before him ع ن د
  18. فَوَفَّىٰهُ fawaffāhu He will pay him in full و ف ي
  19. حِسَابَهُۥ ḥisābahu his due ح س ب
  20. وَٱللَّهُ wal-lahu And Allah
  21. سَرِيعُ sarīʿu (is) swift س ر ع
  22. ٱلْحِسَابِ l-ḥisābi (in) the account ح س ب

Verses related to verse 39

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Fatir 35:30

    لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ إِنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

    That He may give them in full their rewards and increase for them of His bounty. Indeed, He is Forgiving and Appreciative.

  • Al-Furqan 25:23

    وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَٰهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُورًا

    And We will approach [i.e., regard] what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.

  • Al-Baqarah 2:7

    خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبْصَٰرِهِمْ غِشَٰوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

    Allāh has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.

  • Al-Jathiyah 45:23

    أَفَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِۦ وَقَلْبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَٰوَةً فَمَن يَهْدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

    Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allāh has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allāh? Then will you not be reminded?

  • Al-A’raf 7:186

    مَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا هَادِىَ لَهُۥ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

    Whoever Allāh sends astray - there is no guide for him. And He leaves them in their transgression, wandering blindly.

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