وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَلِقَآءِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ ۚ هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ 147
Translations
Those who denied Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter - their deeds have become worthless. Are they recompensed except for what they used to do?
Transliteration
Wa alladhina kadhdhabo bi-ayatina wa liqai al-akhirati habitat a'maluhum. Hal yujzawna illa ma kanu ya'malun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses those who reject Allah's signs (Qur'an and divine proofs) and deny the meeting with Allah in the Hereafter, stating that their deeds become nullified and bear no weight on the Day of Judgment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the rejection of both revelation and the afterlife renders all actions spiritually void, as righteous deeds require sound faith as their foundation. The rhetorical question at the end emphasizes divine justice: they will receive only the recompense of their deeds—no more, no less—reflecting the principle that disbelief invalidates the reward of worldly actions.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-A'raf during a section addressing the consequences of rejecting divine signs. It follows discussions of previous nations who denied their prophets, and thematically reinforces that the Meccan polytheists' rejection of Muhammad and the Qur'an carries the same grave consequences as historical deniers of truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended' (Sahih Bukhari 1). Also relevant: 'Whoever does an action not on my path, it will not be accepted' (Sahih Muslim 1718), emphasizing that deeds without proper faith and intention are nullified.
Themes
Key Lesson
Sincere belief in Allah's signs and the Day of Judgment is essential for our actions to have spiritual value; mere outward deeds without faith are meaningless before Allah. This teaches Muslims to regularly examine their intentions and ensure their actions are rooted in genuine faith and obedience to Allah's guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا رَءَا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ
And when those who wronged see the punishment, it will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَـٰنٍ أَتَىٰهُمْ ۙ إِن فِى صُدُورِهِمْ إِلَّا كِبْرٌ مَّا هُم بِبَـٰلِغِيهِ ۚ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
Indeed, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allāh without [any] evidence having come to them - there is not within their breasts except pride, [the extent of] which they cannot reach. So seek refuge in Allāh. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Seeing.
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ هَـٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them, "This is obvious magic."
قَالُوٓا۟ أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۚ قَالُوا۟ فَٱدْعُوا۟ ۗ وَمَا دُعَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ
They will say, "Did there not come to you your messengers with clear proofs?" They will say, "Yes." They will reply, "Then supplicate [yourselves], but the supplication of the disbelievers is not except in error [i.e., futility]."