Quran Universe
35:39

هُوَ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَكُمۡ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ فَمَن كَفَرَ فَعَلَيۡهِ كُفۡرُهُۥۖ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ كُفۡرُهُمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَّا مَقۡتٗاۖ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ كُفۡرُهُمۡ إِلَّا خَسَارٗا

Huwa allathee jaAAalakum khalaifa fee alardi faman kafara faAAalayhi kufruhu wala yazeedu alkafireena kufruhum AAinda rabbihim illa maqtan wala yazeedu alkafireena kufruhum illa khasaran

It is He who has made you successors upon the earth. And whoever disbelieves - upon him will be [the consequence of] his disbelief. And the disbelief of the disbelievers does not increase them in the sight of their Lord except in hatred; and the disbelief of the disbelievers does not increase them except in loss.

Word by word
  1. هُوَHe
  2. ٱلَّذِي(is) the One Who
  3. جَعَلَكُمۡmade you
  4. خَلَـٰٓئِفَsuccessors
  5. فِيin
  6. ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚthe earth
  7. فَمَنAnd whoever
  8. كَفَرَdisbelieves
  9. فَعَلَيۡهِthen upon him
  10. كُفۡرُهُۥۖ(is) his disbelief
  11. وَلَاAnd not
  12. يَزِيدُincrease
  13. ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَthe disbelievers
  14. كُفۡرُهُمۡtheir disbelief
  15. عِندَnear
  16. رَبِّهِمۡtheir Lord
  17. إِلَّاexcept
  18. مَقۡتٗاۖ(in) hatred
  19. وَلَاand not
  20. يَزِيدُincrease
  21. ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَthe disbelievers
  22. كُفۡرُهُمۡtheir disbelief
  23. إِلَّاexcept
  24. خَسَارٗا(in) loss
Fatir · 35:39Makkah

Each generation takes its turn on the earth.

Successors, and what persistence adds

What time adds
generation after generationsuccessors
persisting in denialadds loss
persisting in goodadds rank
Whose burden
everyone shares it
on him aloneeach carries his own

Ibn Kathir says people succeed one another, generation after generation. The longer someone persists in denial, the more he loses. In contrast, the longer believers live and do good, the higher their rank.

You moved into a flat someone else lived in, work a desk someone else had, and will hand both on. You are taking a turn. Every extra year can add to your rank if you fill it with good.

Getting older just means losing time.

Every year given to me is a chance to rise higher if I use it well.

Try this

On your next birthday or today, write one good habit you want this year to add.

Related27:62
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 35:38)

Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of the Unseen of the heavens and the earth. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that is in the breasts (38)He it is Who has made you successors generations after generations in the earth, so whosoever disbelieves, on him will be his disbelief. And the disbelief of the disbelievers adds nothing but hatred of their Lord. And the disbelief of the disbelievers adds nothing but loss (39)

Here Allah tells us that He knows the unseen in the heavens and earth, and that He knows all that is hidden and the secrets of the hearts. And He tells us that He will reward or punish everyone according to his deeds. Then Allah says:

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ

(He it is Who has made you successors generations after generations in the earth,) meaning, all people succeed one another, generation after generation. This is like the Ayah:

وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ

(and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations)(27:62).

فَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُ ۖ 

(so whosoever disbelieves, on him will be his disbelief.) means, he and no one else will have to bear the consequences of that.

وَلَا يَزِيدُ الْكَافِرِينَ كُفْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا مَقْتًا ۖ 

(And the disbelief of the disbelievers adds nothing but hatred of their Lord.) means, the longer they persist in their disbelief, the more Allah hates them, and the longer they persist in it, the more they and their families will lose on the Day of Resurrection. This is in contrast to the believers, for the longer they live and do good deeds, the higher their status in Paradise will be, the greater their reward, and the more beloved they will be to their Creator.