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Fatir (Originator)

Verse 22of 45

وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍۢ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ﴿٢٢

Translation (Sahih International)

And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.

Word-by-word meaning

وَمَاwamāAnd not
يَسْتَوِىyastawīequal
ٱلْأَحْيَآءُl-aḥyāu(are) the living
وَلَاwalāand not
ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚl-amwātuthe dead
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
يُسْمِعُyus'miʿucauses to hear
مَنmanwhom
يَشَآءُ ۖyashāuHe wills
وَمَآwamāand not
أَنتَantayou
بِمُسْمِعٍۢbimus'miʿincan make hear
مَّنman(those) who
فِى(are) in
ٱلْقُبُورِl-qubūrithe graves

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Believer and the Disbeliever are not equalAllah says that these antonyms are clearly not equal, the blind and the seeing are not equal, there is a difference and a huge gap between them. Darkness and light are not equal, neither are shade and the sun's heat. By the same token, the living and the dead are not equal. This is the parable Allah makes of the believers who are the living, and the disbelievers who are the dead.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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