Surah Ya-Sin 36:26
سُورَةُ يسٓ · Meccan · Verse 26 of 83
قِيلَ ٱدْخُلِ ٱلْجَنَّةَ ۖ قَالَ يَٰلَيْتَ قَوْمِى يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation
He was told, ‘Enter the Garden,’ so he said, ‘If only my people knew
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
It was said to him, after his people killed him, 'Enter the Garden.' He said: 'If only my people knew...' al-Biqa'i and the commentators stop at the staggering mercy of it: safe in Paradise, the very first thing on his heart is his killers, he wishes they could know what he now knows. Not a word of triumph or revenge; only longing for their guidance. Ask yourself: when someone wrongs me deeply, my heart wants vindication, for them to see they were wrong about me. His heart, in Paradise, wanted them to be saved. Whose wellbeing do I long for once I've been hurt? This verse sets an almost impossible bar for what a forgiving heart looks like, and calls me toward it.
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Biqa'i, Ibn Kathir, al-Saadi.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Ya-Sin 36:26 is discussed in 6 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Ya-Sin 36:26 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.