Transliteration:( Fal Yawma laa yamliku ba'dukum liba'din naf'anw wa laa darraa; wa naqoolu lil lazeena zalamoo zooqoo 'azaaban Naaril latee kuntum bihaa tukazziboon )
"So, today [124] none of you shall have power [125] to do good or bad for one another. And We shall say to the oppressors [126]: 'Taste the punishment of this fire that you had denied.'"
This verse declares that on the Day of Judgment, no one—whether infidel or devil—will have any power to benefit or harm each other. The mutual aid or harm that might have existed in the worldly life will vanish. All will face the consequences of their own deeds alone, without any intercession or assistance from others.
It is clarified here that this powerlessness applies to the disbelievers and devils, not the believers. On the Day of Judgment, some pious believers, with Allah’s permission, will be able to benefit others. This shows the mercy and special status granted to the righteous, including intercession for sinful believers.
Allah addresses the oppressors and deniers, telling them to “taste the punishment of the fire”—the Hellfire that they once denied. The association of partners with Allah is the greatest injustice, and the oppressors will have no excuse or defense. Unlike sinful believers, they will not find relief or intercession, facing their punishment alone.
The tafsir of Surah Saba verse 42 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Saba ayat 40 which provides the complete commentary from verse 40 through 42.
(34:42) Today none of you has the power to benefit or harm another;[63] and We shall say to the evil-doers: “Taste now the chastisement of the Fire which you used to deny, calling it a lie.”
63. In this sentence, jinn implies the satans among the jinns. The answer means: Apparently these people worshipped us, by mentioning our names and by making our images according to their imaginations. But, in fact, they did not worship us but worshipped the satans, for the satans only had shown them the way that they should regard others than Allah as fulfillers of their needs, and should make offerings before them.
This verse clearly brings out the error of the view of those people who take the word jinn to mean the dwellers of the mountains and deserts and rural areas. Can a sensible person imagine, on the basis of this verse, that the people used to worship the dwellers of the mountains and the deserts and the villages and believed in them? This verse also throws light on another meaning of ibadat. It shows that ibadat is not mere worship and service, but it also implies carrying out somebody’s orders and obeying him without question. Even if one curses another (as one curses Satan) but at the time follows his way, one would be performing his ibadat. For other examples, see (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 117-119); (Surah Al-Maidah, Ayat 60); (Surah At-Taubah, Ayat 31); (Surah Maryam, Ayat 42); (Surah Al-Qasas, Ayat 63).
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