Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:11
سُورَةُ الوَاقِعَةِ · Meccan · Verse 11 of 96
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ
Translation
For these will be the ones brought nearest to God
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'Those are the ones brought near.' al-Saadi and Ibn Ashur note the reward of the foremost is named as nearness, 'al-muqarrabun', the brought-near, closeness to God Himself, the highest station of all, above every other pleasure. Ask yourself: I picture the reward of faith mostly as things, gardens, comforts, safety. This verse names the supreme reward of the highest class as a relationship: nearness. It reveals what the truly advanced souls actually wanted, not the gifts of God but the nearness of God. When I imagine my own hopes for the hereafter, is it the scenery I'm longing for, or the One who made it? The foremost raced not toward Paradise's pleasures but toward its Host.
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Ashur, al-Biqa'i.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:11 is discussed in 4 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:11 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.