كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا عَنِيدًا 16
Translations
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
Transliteration
Kallā, innahu kāna li-āyātinā 'anīdā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphatically rejects the excuses of those who turn away from Allah's signs out of stubbornness and enmity. The word 'anīdā (عنيدا) means a persistent denier who opposes the truth with deliberate hostility and arrogance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note that this ayah refers to those who witnessed Allah's clear signs yet refused to believe, their rejection stemming not from ignorance but from willful defiance and pride.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Muddaththir is an early Meccan revelation addressing the Prophet's mission and warning disbelievers about the consequences of rejecting divine guidance. This particular ayah appears in the context of descriptions of the inhabitants of Hell, emphasizing that their punishment is just recompense for their intentional rejection of Allah's clear proofs.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (2797) where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Everyone will find easy for him the deeds which lead him to his destiny,' relates to how those destined for Hell through their own obstinacy and denial find their rejection of truth increasingly easy. Additionally, the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah about hardening of hearts relates to the concept of 'anād (stubborn opposition).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah's punishment is not arbitrary but reserved for those who knowingly and deliberately reject His clear signs with arrogance; modern believers should guard against the spiritual disease of stubbornness and remain humble before divine truth, recognizing that sincere seeking of guidance is far different from willful denial.