The Quran

Preface

أَفَمَن وَعَدناهُ وَعدًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ لاقيهِ كَمَن مَتَّعناهُ مَتاعَ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ثُمَّ هُوَ يَومَ القِيامَةِ مِنَ المُحضَرينَ

Yusuf Ali

Are (these two) alike?- one to whom We have made a goodly promise, and who is going to reach its (fulfilment),¹ and one to whom We have given the good things of this life, but who, on the Day of Judgment, is to be among those brought up (for punishment)?

The two classes of people are: (1) those who have faith in the goodly promise of God to the righteous, and who are doing everything in life to reach the fulfilment of that promise, i.e., those who believe and work righteousness, and (2) those who are ungrateful for such good things in this life as God has bestowed on them, by worshipping wealth or power or other symbols or idols of their fancy, i.e., those who reject Faith and lead evil lives, for which they will have to answer in the Hereafter. The two classes are poles asunder, and their future is described below.