Quran 9:38 — At-Tawba, verse 38
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Believers, why, when it is said to you, ‘Go and fight in God’s way,’ do you feel weighed down to the ground? Do you prefer this world to the life to come? How small the enjoyment of this world is, compared with the life to come!
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ انْفِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ اثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ۚ أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ ۚ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū mā lakum idhā qīla lakumu infirū fī sabīli l-lahi ithāqaltum ilā l-arḍi araḍītum bil-ḥayati l-dun'yā mina l-ākhirati famā matāʿu l-ḥayati l-dun'yā fī l-ākhirati illā qalīlun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- O believers, what is amiss with you, that when it is said to you, 'Go forth in the way of God,' you sink down heavily to the ground? Are you so content with this present life, rather than the world to come? Yet the enjoyment of this present life, compared with the world to come, is a little thing.
- Muhammad Asad
- O YOU who have attained to faith! What is amiss with you that, when you are called upon, "Go forth to war in God's cause," you cling heavily to the earth? Would you content yourselves with [the comforts of] this worldly life in preference to [the good of] the life to come? But the enjoyment of life in this world is but a paltry thing when compared with the life to come!
- Sahih International
- O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allāh, you adhere heavily to the earth? Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhā | O you who believe | — |
| 2 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | O you who believe | — |
| 3 | ءَامَنُوا۟āmanū | O you who believe | أمن |
| 4 | مَاmā | What | — |
| 5 | لَكُمْlakum | (is the matter) with you | — |
| 6 | إِذَاidhā | when | — |
| 7 | قِيلَqīla | it is said | قول |
| 8 | لَكُمُlakumu | to you | — |
| 9 | ٱنفِرُوا۟infirū | go forth | نفر |
| 10 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 11 | سَبِيلِsabīli | (the) way | سبل |
| 12 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 13 | ٱثَّاقَلْتُمْithāqaltum | you cling heavily | ثقل |
| 14 | إِلَىilā | to | — |
| 15 | ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚl-arḍi | the earth | أرض |
| 16 | أَرَضِيتُمaraḍītum | Are you pleased | رضو |
| 17 | بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِbil-ḥayati | with the life | حيي |
| 18 | ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yā | (of) the world | دنو |
| 19 | مِنَmina | (rather) than | — |
| 20 | ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚl-ākhirati | the Hereafter | أخر |
| 21 | فَمَاfamā | But what | — |
| 22 | مَتَـٰعُmatāʿu | (is the) enjoyment | متع |
| 23 | ٱلْحَيَوٰةِl-ḥayati | (of) the life | حيي |
| 24 | ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yā | (of) the world | دنو |
| 25 | فِىfī | in (comparison to) | — |
| 26 | ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِl-ākhirati | the hereafter | أخر |
| 27 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 28 | قَلِيلٌqalīlun | a little | قلل |