ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ 5
Translations
Then, no! They are going to know.
Transliteration
Thumma kallā sayaʿlamūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah conveys a stern warning that the deniers will soon come to know the truth of Allah's message and the reality of the Day of Judgment. Ibn Kathir explains that 'kallā' (نay/verily) serves as a strong refutation of the disbelievers' denials, followed by an emphatic promise that they will witness the consequences of their rejection. Al-Tabari emphasizes that this knowledge will come through the punishment and recompense in the Hereafter, when all doubts are removed.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Naba, a Meccan chapter that opens with rhetorical questions about the great tidings (the Quran and the Hereafter) that the disbelievers disputed about. The ayah is part of the surah's theme of warning the Quraysh about their inevitable accountability before Allah on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever denies the Day of Judgment will not smell the fragrance of Paradise,' which relates thematically to the consequence of rejecting the message. Additionally, Sahih Bukhari contains numerous hadiths about the certainty of the resurrection and the Day of Judgment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that truth cannot be indefinitely denied—all will eventually face reality and accountability before Allah. For believers, it reinforces confidence that despite worldly opposition to faith, divine justice is certain and inevitable.