إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِيمَـٰنِهِمْ ثُمَّ ٱزْدَادُوا۟ كُفْرًا لَّن تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلضَّآلُّونَ 90
Translations
Indeed, those who disbelieve [i.e., reject the message] after their belief and then increase in disbelief - never will their [claimed] repentance be accepted, and they are the ones astray.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina kafaroo ba'da imaanihim thumma izdaadoo kufran lan tuqbala tawbatuhum wa-ula'ika humu ad-daalluun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses those who reject faith after having believed and then increase in their disbelief, stating that their repentance will not be accepted and they are the ones who are astray. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as referring to those who deliberately persist in rejection after experiencing clear faith, representing a spiritual state of hardness of heart that closes the door to divine mercy. The emphasis on 'increasing in disbelief' (izdaadoo kufran) indicates deliberate rebellion and conscious rejection rather than mere doubt or weakness of faith.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of faith and disbelief in the Medinan period. It appears in the context of verses addressing various categories of disbelievers and those who reject Islamic guidance. The broader context discusses the consequences of different spiritual states and the finality of rejection when coupled with persistent defiance and arrogance.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Verily, Allah accepts the repentance of the servant as long as the soul has not departed from the body' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Muslim states that Allah's mercy encompasses all things, emphasizing that repentance is accepted before death, contrasting with those who persist in disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns against the spiritual danger of knowingly turning away from faith and deliberately increasing in disbelief, emphasizing that such persistent rejection hardens the heart and distances one from divine mercy. For believers, it serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in faith and to repent sincerely when falling into error, recognizing that true repentance must come before one's final moment.
Related Ayahs
قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ ٱللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] said, "Such is Allāh; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is.
وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
And whoever desires other than Islām as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
۞ قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَٰجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ
Say, "Shall I inform you of [something] better than that? For those who fear Allāh will be gardens in the presence of their Lord beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and purified spouses and approval from Allāh. And Allāh is Seeing [i.e., aware] of [His] servants -
وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُۥنَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "This is from Allāh," but it is not from Allāh. And they speak untruth about Allāh while they know.