Surah Ar-Rum >> Currently viewing Surah Ar-Rum Ayat 41 (30:41)

Surah Ar-Rum Ayat 41 in Arabic Text

ظَهَرَ ٱلۡفَسَادُ فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِي ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِي عَمِلُواْ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ
Zaharal fasaadu fil barri wal bahri bimaa kasabat aydinnaasi li yuzeeqahum ba’dal lazee ‘amiloo la’allahum yarji’oon

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 41

Sahih International
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].

Yusuf Ali
Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from Evil).

Abul Ala Maududi
Evil has become rife on the land and at sea because of men’s deeds; this in order that He may cause them to have a taste of some of their deeds; perhaps they will turn back (from evil).

Muhsin Khan
Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon).

Pickthall
Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men’s hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return.

Dr. Ghali
Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea for what mankind’s hands have earned, that He may make them taste some (part) of that which they have done, that possibly they would return.

Abdel Haleem
Corruption has flourished on land and sea as a result of people’s actions and He will make them taste the consequences of some of their own actions so that they may turn back.

Muhammad Junagarhi
خشکی اور تری میں لوگوں کی بداعمالیوں کے باعﺚ فساد پھیل گیا۔ اس لئے کہ انہیں ان کے بعض کرتوتوں کا پھل اللہ تعالیٰ چکھا دے (بہت) ممکن ہے کہ وه باز آجائیں۔

Quran 30 Verse 41 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Ar-Rum ayat 41, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(30:41) Evil has become rife on the land and at sea because of men’s deeds; this in order that He may cause them to have a taste of some of their deeds; perhaps they will turn back (from evil).[64]


64. This is again an allusion to the war that was going on between Byzantium and Iran, which was telling on the whole of the Middle East. “What the hands of people have earned” means the wickedness and oppression and tyranny, which inevitably appear in human conduct and character as a result of adopting shirk and atheism and ignoring the Hereafter. “Perhaps they may return” means that Allah shows the evil consequences of some of the acts of men in this world before the punishment of the Hereafter so that they understand the reality, feel the error of their conjectures and turn to the righteous belief, which the Prophets of Allah have been presenting before man since the earliest times, and besides adopting which there is no other way of ordering human conduct on sound foundations. This subject has been presented at several places in the Quran, e.g. in (Surah At-Taubah, Ayat 126), (Surah Ar-Raad, Ayat 31), (Surah As-Sajdah, Ayat 21), (Surah At-Tur, Ayat 47).

Ibn-Kathir

41. Evil has appeared in Al-Barr and Al-Bahr because of what the hands of men have earned, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return. 42. Say: “Travel in the land and see what was the end of those before (you)! Most of them were idolators.”


The Effects of Sin in this World

Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi and others said: “What is meant by Al-Barr here is the empty land or wilderness, and by Al-Bahr is towns and cities.” According to a report narrated from Ibn `Abbas and `Ikrimah, Al-Bahr refers to towns and cities which are on the banks of rivers. Others said that what was meant was the usual meaning of the words, i.e., land and sea. Zayd bin Rafi` said:

﴿ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ﴾

(Evil has appeared) “The rain is withheld from the land and this is followed by famine, and it is withheld from the sea, adversely affecting the animals which live in it.” This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim, who said: “Muhammad bin `Abdullah bin Yazid Al-Muqri’ told us, from Sufyan from Humayd bin Qays Al-A`raj from Mujahid:

﴿ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ﴾

(Evil has appeared on land and sea) “Evil on land means the killing of the son of Adam, and evil on the sea means piracy.” According to the first opinion, the phrase,

﴿ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى النَّاسِ﴾

(Evil has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, ) means the shortfall in the crops and fruits is because of sins. Abu Al-`Aliyah said: “Whoever disobeys Allah in the earth has corrupted it, because the good condition of the earth and the heavens depends on obedience to Allah.” Hence it says in the Hadith which was recorded by Abu Dawud:

«لَحَدٌّ يُقَامُ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا مِنْ أَنْ يُمْطَرُوا أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا»

(Any prescribed punishment which is carried out in the land is better for its people than if it were to rain for forty days.) The reason for that is that if the prescribed punishments are carried out, this will deter the people — most or many of them — from violating the prohibitions of Allah. If they give up sin, this will be a cause of blessings in the skies and on the earth. So, when `Isa bin Maryam, peace be upon him, comes down at the end of time, he will judge according to this Shari`ah at that time, and will kill the pigs and break the cross and abolish the Jizyah. He will accept nothing except Islam or the sword. When Allah destroys the Dajjal and his followers, and Ya’juj and Ma’juj during his time, it will be said to the earth, bring forth your blessing. Then groups of people will eat from one pomegranate, and will seek shade beneath its skin, and the milk of one pregnant camel will be sufficient for a group of people. This will only be because of the blessings that will result from application of the Shari`ah of Muhammad . The more justice is established, the more the blessings and good things will increase. It was reported in the Sahih:

«إِنَّ الْفَاجِرَ إِذَا مَاتَ تَسْتَرِيحُ مِنْهُ الْعِبَادُ وَالْبِلَادُ وَالشّجَرُ وَالدَّوَاب»

(When the evildoer dies, it is a relief for the people, the land, the trees and the animals.) Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded that Abu Qahdham said: “At the time of Ziyad or Ibn Ziyad, a man found a cloth in which were wrapped grains of wheat which were as big as date stones; on it was written: `This grew at a time when justice prevailed.”’

﴿لِيُذِيقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِى عَمِلُواْ﴾

(that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done,) means, He tries them with the loss of wealth, souls and fruits as a test and as a punishment for what they have done.

﴿لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ﴾

(in order that they may return.) means, from disobedience. This is like the Ayah,

﴿وَبَلَوْنَـهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَـتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ﴾

(And We tried them with good and evil in order that they might turn.) (7:168). Then Allah says:

﴿قُلْ سِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَانْظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلُ﴾

(Say: “Travel in the land and see what was the end of those before (you)!”) meaning, those who came before you.

﴿كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُّشْرِكِينَ﴾

(Most of them were idolators. ) means, so see what happened to them when they rejected the Messengers and were ungrateful for the blessings.

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