Al-Jathiyah 45:24
The Crouching · Meccan · Juz 25 · Page 501
Only Time Destroys Us
وَقَالُواْ مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنۡيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحۡيَا وَمَا يُهۡلِكُنَآ إِلَّا ٱلدَّهۡرُۚ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ ٢٤
And they say: There is naught but our life of the world; we die and we live, and naught destroyeth us save time; when they have no knowledge whatsoever of (all) that; they do but guess.
Translation: Marmaduke Pickthall
Meaning
They say: “There is nothing but our worldly life; nothing destroys us except time.”
Insight
According to Elmalılı, those who took their whims as gods instead of knowledge said this in their error; they have no knowledge of it.
Reflect
See death as Allah’s decree, not mere time.
This short note is based on Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır’s Turkish commentary and has not yet been reviewed by a scholar.
Elmalılı’s commentary
An English translation of Elmalılı’s full commentary is coming soon. Read the original Turkish ›