وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ 182
Translations
But those who deny Our signs - We will progressively lead them [to destruction] from where they do not know.
Transliteration
Wa alladhina kadhdhabo bi-ayatina sanastadrijuhum min haythu la ya'lamun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Allah's response to those who reject His signs: He will gradually lead them toward destruction through their own desires and worldly pursuits, without their awareness. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that 'istidraj' (gradual advancement) refers to giving them more wealth, status, and apparent success, which actually increases them in error and heedlessness. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this is a form of divine punishment—their very comfort and prosperity become a means of their spiritual ruin, as they become more arrogant and distant from guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-A'raf's broader theme of warning against rejecting divine signs and the fate of disbelievers throughout history. It follows discussions of nations that rejected their messengers and precedes further examples of those who turned away from Allah's guidance. The surah's Meccan context addresses the Quraysh's rejection of the Prophet Muhammad's message.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim (2889): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'When Allah intends good for a slave, He hastens his punishment in this world, and when He intends evil for a slave, He withholds his punishment for his sins until he meets Allah on the Day of Judgment.' This illustrates the concept of divine justice in granting respite or accelerating consequences.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a profound reminder that material success and comfort without spiritual awareness can be a form of divine trial rather than blessing, encouraging believers to seek guidance and remain humble regardless of worldly circumstances.
Related Ayahs
وَذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَذَكِّرْ بِهِۦٓ أَن تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌۢ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِىٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ وَإِن تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍ لَّا يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَآ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا۟ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ ۖ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ
And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. But remind with it [i.e., the Qur’ān], lest a soul be given up to destruction for what it earned; it will have other than Allāh no protector and no intercessor. And if it should offer every compensation, it would not be taken from it [i.e., that soul]. Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.
كَذَٰلِكَ يُؤْفَكُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ
Thus were those [before you] deluded who were rejecting the signs of Allāh.
ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
They have taken their oaths as a cover, so they averted [people] from the way of Allāh. Indeed, it was evil that they were doing.
لَا يَرْقُبُونَ فِى مُؤْمِنٍ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُعْتَدُونَ
They do not observe toward a believer any pact of kinship or covenant of protection. And it is they who are the transgressors.