وَلَا يَزَالُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ 55
Translations
But those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it until the Hour comes upon them unexpectedly or there comes to them the punishment of a barren Day.
Transliteration
Wa lā yazālu alladhīna kafarū fī miryatin minhu hattā ta'tiyahumu as-sā'atu baghtatan aw ya'tīhum 'adhābu yawmin 'aqīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the persistent doubt and denial of the disbelievers regarding the Qur'an and the Message, stating they will remain in this state of uncertainty until the Hour comes upon them suddenly or until they are punished with a Day of torment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as referring to either the Day of Judgment (al-Sā'ah) which will come without warning, or the punishment in this life (such as at Badr or other battles). The ayah emphasizes that the disbelievers' obstinate refusal to believe will lead them to inevitable divine punishment.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Hajj is a Medinan surah revealed during a period when the Muslim community faced opposition from both pagan Meccans and hypocrites within Medina. This ayah appears in the context of refuting disbelief and warning against the consequences of rejecting divine signs. It reflects the thematic concern of the surah with matters of faith, pilgrimage, and the ultimate accountability before Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The Hour will not be established until there come forth thirty Dajjals (liars), each one claiming to be a messenger of Allah.' (Sunan Abu Dawud) - This relates to the sudden nature of the Hour's arrival. Also relevant is the hadith: 'Verily, the most truthful of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.' (Sunan An-Nasa'i) - emphasizing rejection of the Qur'an as a source of misguidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that obstinate rejection of truth leads to spiritual blindness and inevitable consequences, whether in this life or the Hereafter. For believers, it serves as a reminder of the importance of accepting divine guidance with open hearts while there is still time, before accountability comes upon us unexpectedly.
Related Ayahs
يَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُۥ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُۥ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلضَّلَـٰلُ ٱلْبَعِيدُ
He invokes instead of Allāh that which neither harms him nor benefits him. That is what is the extreme error.
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۗ فَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ فَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ
And for every [religious] community We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allāh over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, [O Muḥammad], give good tidings to the humble [before their Lord]
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ
That is because Allāh causes the night to enter the day and causes the day to enter the night and because Allāh is Hearing and Seeing.
حُنَفَآءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِۦ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ ٱلطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِى بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ فِى مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ
Inclining [only] to Allāh, not associating [anything] with Him. And he who associates with Allāh - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.