وَقُلِ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا۟ يُغَاثُوا۟ بِمَآءٍ كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَشْوِى ٱلْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَآءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا 29
Translations
And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.
Transliteration
Wa qulil-haqqu mir rabbikum, faman shaa fa-lyu'min wa man shaa fa-lyakfur. Inna a'tadna liz-zalimina naran ahata bihim surādiquhā. Wa in yastughithū yugāthū bimāin kal-muhl yaswī al-wujūh. Bi'sa ash-sharāb wa sā'at murṭafaqā.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet (ﷺ) to proclaim the truth from Allah, emphasizing human free will in choosing belief or disbelief, while warning of severe consequences for those who reject. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that this verse does not contradict divine decree but rather establishes human responsibility and accountability; the subsequent description of hellfire emphasizes the reality of punishment for those who willfully turn away from truth. The vivid imagery of fire encircling the damned and their plea for water answered with molten liquid illustrates the justice and severity of divine punishment for persistent wrongdoing.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during a period when the Prophet faced rejection and mockery from the Quraysh. This ayah comes within the context of Surah Al-Kahf, which emphasizes faith, patience in the face of opposition, and the ultimate triumph of truth over falsehood. The surah addresses believers being pressured to abandon their faith, providing reassurance that the choice to believe or reject rests with individuals, but consequences are absolute.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Everyone will find easy what they were created for' (Sahih Bukhari 3331), relating to the theme of human choice and accountability. Also relevant: 'Actions are judged by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari 1, Sahih Muslim 1907), emphasizing personal responsibility in one's choices.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that while Allah grants us the freedom to choose belief or disbelief, this freedom comes with absolute accountability for our choices and their eternal consequences. In our modern context, it serves as a powerful call to sincere reflection on our spiritual direction and a sobering reminder that rejecting truth is not without serious repercussions in the Hereafter.
Related Ayahs
إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."
وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًا
And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone."
وَأَمَّا مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا فَلَهُۥ جَزَآءً ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا
But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of the best [i.e., Paradise], and we [i.e., Dhul-Qarnayn] will speak to him from our command with ease."
وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ذُو ٱلرَّحْمَةِ ۖ لَوْ يُؤَاخِذُهُم بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ لَعَجَّلَ لَهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۚ بَل لَّهُم مَّوْعِدٌ لَّن يَجِدُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦ مَوْئِلًا
And your Lord is the Forgiving, the possessor of mercy. If He were to impose blame upon them for what they earned, He would have hastened for them the punishment. Rather, for them is an appointment from which they will never find an escape.