إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَظَلَمُوا۟ لَمْ يَكُنِ ٱللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقًا 168
Translations
Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit wrong [or injustice] - never will Allāh forgive them, nor will He guide them to a path,
Transliteration
Inna alladhina kafaroo wa dhalamoo lam yakun allahu liyaghfira lahum wa la liyahdiyahum tareequa
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah will not forgive those who persist in disbelief (kufr) and oppression (dhulm), nor will He guide them to the straight path. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that this refers to those who combine kufr with dhulm—particularly those who knowingly reject guidance after understanding it—and that Allah's refusal to guide them is a consequence of their choice to turn away from truth. Al-Tabari emphasizes that this is not arbitrary but rather a divine principle: those who willfully reject and wrong others place themselves beyond the sphere of divine mercy and guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan period and is part of a broader section in Surah An-Nisa addressing the consequences of disbelief and transgression. The context relates to those among the People of the Book and idolaters who rejected the Prophet's message despite its clarity, combining their rejection with societal oppression and injustice. It serves as a warning about the spiritual consequences of simultaneous kufr and dhulm.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever dies while associating partners with Allah will enter the Fire,' (Sahih Muslim 93). Also relevant: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, then to disobey parents, then to kill a soul,' which contextualizes the severity of kufr and dhulm (Sahih Bukhari).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that persistent rejection of truth combined with wrongdoing to others creates a spiritual barrier between the servant and divine guidance—a consequence of one's own choices rather than arbitrary divine punishment. It serves as a sobering reminder that we must actively seek guidance through sincere hearts and just conduct, lest our hearts become sealed from truth.
Related Ayahs
ثُمَّ إِنَّ مَرْجِعَهُمْ لَإِلَى ٱلْجَحِيمِ
Then indeed, their return will be to the Hellfire.
ثُمَّ إِنَّ لَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا لَشَوْبًا مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ
Then indeed, they will have after it a mixture of scalding water.
أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱجْتَرَحُوا۟ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَوَآءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge [i.e., assume].
وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَٱدْخُلُوهَا خَـٰلِدِينَ
But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein," [they will enter].