Surah At-Tawba: Verse 82 - فليضحكوا قليلا وليبكوا كثيرا جزاء... - English

Tafsir of Verse 82, Surah At-Tawba

فَلْيَضْحَكُوا۟ قَلِيلًا وَلْيَبْكُوا۟ كَثِيرًا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

English Translation

So let them laugh a little and [then] weep much as recompense for what they used to earn.

English Transliteration

Falyadhakoo qaleelan walyabkoo katheeran jazaan bima kanoo yaksiboona

Tafsir of Verse 82

Therefore let them laugh little, and weep much, in recompense for what they have been earning.

Let them laugh a little: much will they weep: a recompense for the (evil) that they do.

After that it was said: فَلْيَضْحَكُوا قَلِيلًا (So, let them laugh a little, and weep a lot, being a reward of what they used to earn - 82). Though, the word ` falya dhak u' (So, laugh) has been used in the imperative form, but commentators interpret it in the sense of the predicate of a nominal clause. The wisdom behind the use of the imperative form given by them is that this is categorical and certain. In other words, this is going to happen as a matter of certainty. Such people could laugh for the days they have in the mortal world - but, in 'Akhirah, they must weep and weep forever.

Commentator Ibn Abi Hatim reports the explanation of this verse from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ as follows:

اَلدُنیِا قلیلُ فَلیَضحکُوا فِیھَا مَاشَآُء وافاِذَا انقَطعتِ الدُّنیَا و صَارُوآ اِلٰی اللہِ فَلیَستَانِفُوافلیستانِفُوا البُکَاءَ بُکَاًء لَا یَنقَطِع اَبَداً

The dunya (present world) is short-lived. So, let them laugh therein as they wish but when ` dunya will come to an end and they will start coming to Allah, then, they will start weeping, a weeping which will never come to an end. (Mazhari)

Verse 82 - Surah At-Tawba: (فليضحكوا قليلا وليبكوا كثيرا جزاء بما كانوا يكسبون...) - English