Quran Garden

Session 505

Chapter 3

Verse 178

The disbelievers should not think that it is better for them that We give them more time.  We only allow them more time so they will increase in sin.  They will have a humiliating punishment.  (Chapter 3: Verse 178)

The phrase, "The disbelievers should not think," is a prohibition.  What is God prohibiting?  We answer that when the disbeliever leaves the battlefield unscathed, he feels happy to have earned a new lease on life.  He sees the years ahead as an extraordinary gain because life is his most valuable possession.  As long as he is alive, all is good!  We say to such a person: Life is time, and time is the container of events.  Thus, time, in itself, is neutral and can only be judged by what happens within.  If the events are good, then time is good.  But if they are otherwise, then time is evil.  As long as a person continues to deny God, then all his actions are meaningless at best and evil in general.  Why?  Because he is aimlessly walking a path far from the Lord and chasing after pleasure and indulgence that harm society.  Thus, the life of the disbeliever by its nature is evil.      

God did not allow the disbelievers more time as a bounty because as long as they are on disbelief, they will occupy their time with sinful acts that pile on future punishment.  God says,

The disbelievers should not think that it is better for them that We give them more time.  We only allow them more time so they will increase in sin.

The verb "think" in this verse means assumption, and as you know, assumptions are uncertain.  The belief that long life is good is wrong.  Age is, indeed, counted in years, and people think more is better, but age is neutral.  You can only say a person had a good life when life ends.  Imam Ali, may God be pleased with him, said, "Nothing whatsoever can be labelled as good if Hellfire follows, and nothing whatsoever can be labelled as evil if it leads you to Paradise." Using this scale, we can see that the actions of the non-believers always lead to Hellfire, and thus, all their lives are evil regardless of how good they appear to others.  Age should not be measured in years but in the actions you take within.   

Here, we must ask an important question: Did God entrap the disbelievers and allow them more years after Uhud to punish them?  Absolutely Not.  Allah has set His laws in the universe, and He applies them fairly to everyone.  You are in charge of your life, your choices and actions.  If you do well, you will be rewarded, and if you do otherwise, then punishment awaits.  The disbelievers could have changed course at any moment of their choosing.  The years after Uhud could have been great for them, but most did not make good choices; thus, they earned the "humiliating punishment."    

The Quran is God's word, and every expression is fitting for the situation.  The description "humiliating" is very suitable here.  Why?  We answer that –in the case of Uhud- the disbelievers came out of the battle filled with arrogance and pride, thinking that they had the upper hand and no one could kill them.  They felt a false sense of glory, so mere physical punishment is not enough; a humiliating one is necessary to break this pride.