ONE AYAT A DAY

Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 96

Read all of Surah Al-Baqarah

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ اَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلٰى حَيٰوةٍ ۛوَمِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اَشْرَكُوْا ۛيَوَدُّ اَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ اَلْفَ سَنَةٍۚ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهٖ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ اَنْ يُّعَمَّرَۗ وَاللّٰهُ بَصِيْرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُوْنَ ࣖ

Wa latajidannahum aḥraṣan-nāsi ‘alā ḥayāh(tin), wa minal-lażīna asyrakū, yawaddu aḥaduhum lau yu‘ammaru alfa sanah(tin), wa mā huwa bi muzaḥziḥihī minal-‘ażābi ay yu‘ammar(a), wallāhu baṣīrum bimā ya‘malūn(a).

And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life - [even] more than those who associate others with Allāh. One of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be granted life. And Allāh is Seeing of what they do.

Tafsir (Ibn Kathir)

Calling the Jews to invoke Allah to destroy the Unjust PartyMuhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah said to His Prophet ,قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الاٌّخِرَةُ عِندَ اللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُاْ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنْتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ(Say to (them): "If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is indeed for you especially and not for others, of mankind, then long for death if you are truthful.") meaning, `Invoke Allah to bring death to the lying camp among the two (Muslims and Jews).' The Jews declined this offer by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ."وَلَن يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّـلِمينَ(But they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them (i.e. what they have done). And Allah is Aware of the Zalimin (polytheists and wrongdoers).) meaning, "Since they know that they recognize you, and yet disbelieve in you." Had they wished death that day, no Jew would have remained alive on the face of the earth. Moreover, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said that,فَتَمَنَّوُاْ الْمَوْتَ(Then long for death), means, "Invoke (Allah) for death." Also, `Abdur-Razzaq narrated that `Ikrimah said that Ibn `Abbas commented,فَتَمَنَّوُاْ الْمَوْتَ(Then long for death if you are truthful), "Had the Jews invoked Allah for death, they would have perished." Also, Ibn Abi Hatim recorded Sa`id bin Jub…