Transliteration:( Famaa bakat 'alaihimus samaaa'u wal ardu wa maa kaanoo munzareen )
"And the heavens and the earth did not shed [28] tears for them, nor were they (Pharaoh and his people) given respite [29]."
This verse reveals a profound spiritual reality—that the heavens and the earth respond to the lives and deaths of people, especially those connected to faith or disbelief. When believers pass away, the places where they worshipped, the earth that bore their prostrations, and the heavens through which their prayers ascended, all mourn their loss.
According to Hadith and tafsir, the heavens and earth weep for forty days at the death of a true believer. The spiritual impact of their presence is so significant that creation itself feels the void when their worship and remembrance of Allah come to an end.
In contrast, when Pharaoh and his people, who were steeped in arrogance and disbelief, perished, the heavens and the earth did not shed a single tear. Their lives left no blessing, no spiritual legacy, and no connection to divine remembrance. Their absence brought no sorrow, for their existence was a source of oppression and corruption, not mercy or guidance.
The martyrdom of Sayyiduna Imam Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) is a notable example, when even the heavens were reported to have wept blood, highlighting the magnitude of loss when a righteous soul departs.
The latter part of the verse, “nor were they given respite,” means that Pharaoh and his followers were not granted any delay or further opportunity to repent after repeated warnings. Their fate was sealed due to their persistent denial, even after witnessing clear signs and miracles.
This underscores that Allah’s mercy is vast, but when the limit of rejection is crossed, and the door of repentance closes, then no further time is given. Their punishment came decisively, with no hope for reversal, because they had already rejected countless opportunities for guidance.
The tafsir of Surah Ad-Dukhan verse 29 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Dukhan ayat 17 which provides the complete commentary from verse 17 through 33.
(44:29) Then neither the sky shed tears over them nor the earth.[25] They were granted no respite.
25. That is, when they were the rulers, they were known for their glory and grandeur, hymns were sung of their praise, flatterers flattered them to such an extent as if the whole world was devoted to them for their excellences and indebted to them for their favors and there was none more popular in the world than they. But when they fell, there was none to shed a tear on their fall, rather the world felt relieved that a cause of distress had been removed. Obviously, they had neither done any good to the people that the dwellers of the earth might weep on them, nor anything for the sake of Allah’s pleasure that the dwellers of the heavens might grieve over their ruin. As long as Allah continued to give them respite by His will, they enjoyed life as they pleased; but when they transgressed all limits in their crimes, they were cast aside like rubbish.
For a faster and smoother experience,
install our mobile app now.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics