Surah An-Nisa 4:18 — translation and meaning

النساء · Verse 18 / 176 · Page 80

ۚ وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ وَلَا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُولَئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

Word by Word

ۚ
وَلَيْسَتِ
walaysati
And not
التَّوْبَةُ
al-tawbatu
(is) the acceptance of repentance
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhina
for those who
يَعْمَلُونَ
ya'maluna
do
السَّيِّئَاتِ
al-sayiati
the evil deeds
حَتَّى
hatta
until
إِذَا
idha
when
حَضَرَ
hadara
approaches
أَحَدَهُمُ
ahadahumu
one of them
الْمَوْتُ
al-mawtu
[the] death
قَالَ
qala
he says
إِنِّي
inni
Indeed I
تُبْتُ
tub'tu
repent
الْآنَ
al-ana
now
وَلَا
wala
and not
الَّذِينَ
alladhina
those who
يَمُوتُونَ
yamutuna
die
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
كُفَّارٌ
kuffarun
(are) disbelievers
أُولَئِكَ
ulaika
Those
أَعْتَدْنَا
a'tadna
We have prepared
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
عَذَابًا
adhaban
a punishment
أَلِيمًا
aliman
painful

Transliteration

Wa laisatit tawbatu lillazeena ya'maloonas saiyiaati hattaaa izaa hadara ahadahumul mawtu qaala innee tubtul 'aana wa lallazeena yamootoona wa hum kuffaar; ulaaa'ika a'tadnaa lahum 'azaaban aleemaa

Translation

But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Indeed, I have repented now," or of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

Allah does not turn in mercy and forgiveness to those who continue in their disobedience, overstepping the limits and insisting on overstepping them, and not turning away from doing this until they are dying, then saying that they regret what they did and asking for Allah’s forgiveness. Also, Allah does not turn in mercy and forgiveness to those who die in disbelief – He has prepared a painful punishment for them.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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