Transliteration:( Tilka ummatun qad khalat lahaa maa kasabat wa lakum maa kasabtum wa laa tus'aloona 'ammaa kaano ya'maloon (section 16, End Juz 1) )
"That was a nation that has passed on; they will have what they have earned [284], and you will have what you have earned, and you will not be questioned about their deeds."
This verse reiterates that each individual and nation will be judged based on their own actions, not the merits or faults of others.
Addressing the disbelievers, Allah makes it clear:
You will not benefit from the pious deeds of previous Prophets whom you refuse to follow
And likewise, your infidelity and deviations will not harm those righteous predecessors in any way
📌 Their virtue is intact, and your rejection cannot stain their legacy
While disbelievers gain nothing from ancestral righteousness, this verse does not negate the benefit Muslims may receive from the duas and sacrifices of their pious predecessors.
For example:
The Holy Prophet ﷺ offered sacrifice on behalf of his entire Ummah
Righteous acts of elders (like building masjids, charity, etc.) may continue to benefit their descendants
Another key point in this verse:
Whoever leads others into disbelief or idol worship will bear the burden of that sin as well
Misguiding someone is not just a personal sin—it carries the weight of misguiding others
📌 This clarifies the deeper meaning of the verse:
Each person’s accountability is individual, and no one’s virtue or vice can replace another’s responsibility
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 140 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 139 which provides the complete commentary from verse 139 through 141.
(2:141) Now, they were a people who passed away. Theirs is what they earned, and yours is what you earn; you shall not be questioned concerning what they did.
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
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