The Greatest Success in Life

Tafseer 2026

Surah Saffat (Part Four)

قَالَ قَآئِلٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ إِنِّى كَانَ لِى قَرِينٌۭ ٥١

“One of them will say, “I once had a companion in the world” (37:51)

يَقُولُ أَءِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُصَدِّقِينَ ٥٢

“who used to ask me, ‘Do you actually believe in resurrection?” (37:52)

أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًۭا وَعِظَـٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ ٥٣

“When we are dead and reduced to dust and bones, will we really be brought to judgement?’”” (37:53)

قَالَ هَلْ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ ٥٤

“He will then ask, “Would you care to see his fate?”” (37:54)

فَٱطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِى سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ ٥٥

“Then he and the others will look and spot him in the midst of the Hellfire.” (37:55)

قَالَ تَٱللَّهِ إِن كِدتَّ لَتُرْدِينِ ٥٦

“He will then say, “By Allah! You nearly ruined me.” (37:56)

وَلَوْلَا نِعْمَةُ رَبِّى لَكُنتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْضَرِينَ ٥٧

“Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I too would have certainly been among those brought to Hell.”” (37:57)

أَفَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَيِّتِينَ ٥٨

“Then he will ask his fellow believers, “Can you imagine that we will never die,” (37:58)

إِلَّا مَوْتَتَنَا ٱلْأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ٥٩

“except our first death, nor be punished like the others?”” (37:59)

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٦٠

“This is truly the ultimate triumph.” (37:60)

In Jannah, one will look back on the friend who had doubt in Allah’s promise. What is true success?

• In this world are two types of friends; ones who try to lead the believer astray, and ones who bring them closer to and keep them in remembrance of Allah.
• There are people who can lead us astray easily. They can be family members, people who sow doubt and make us doubt. This happens in ways that do not refute the Aakhirah, but pull us towards doing actions that are wrong.
• Allah here is drawing our attention to the company we keep in this world. We must carefully survey those in our circle of friends and what they are drawing us towards. 

Social media and advertising also promises us the illusion that we are going to live forever; that the Aakhirah is far away or not a reality. And so we must analyse our friends and our social media feeds and what they are telling us.
We are affected and impacted by the ideas and the thoughts others have. We may not realise it, but it can take us away from the Aakhirah.

لِمِثْلِ هَـٰذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ ٱلْعَـٰمِلُونَ ٦١

“For such honour all should strive.” (37:61)

The greatest success one can have in life are people who bring them close to Allah. So meet with people who encourage you to do good. It is so important because everything else encourages us in the opposite direction, developing an ego system. Whereas the Suhbah we are trying to get will be a barrier for us against the whispering of Shaytaan.

Similarly, we should also strive to be of the people who bring others closer to Allah, and not to lead others away from Him.