وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِۦ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَآ ۚ إِنَّا مِنَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ 22
Translations
And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.
Transliteration
Wa man azlamu mimman dhukkira bi-ayati Rabbihi thumma a'rada 'anha. Inna mina al-mujrimina muntaqimun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question condemning those who, after being reminded of Allah's signs and verses, deliberately turn away from them in arrogance and rejection. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this represents the gravest form of injustice (zulm), as it combines knowledge of the truth with willful rejection. The ayah concludes with a divine warning that Allah will indeed take revenge upon such criminals, emphasizing that rejection after clear guidance incurs severe divine punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah As-Sajdah, which addresses the disbelievers of Mecca who encountered the Qur'an and the Prophet's message but chose to reject it despite its clarity. The surah's broader context emphasizes the consequences of arrogance and turning away from divine guidance, a recurring theme in Meccan surahs dealing with those who witnessed miracles yet persisted in denial.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The worst of people are those who know the truth but abandon it.' (Related concept in various narrations). Also relevant: 'Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me' (Sahih Bukhari 5063), illustrating the severity of rejecting divine guidance after knowing it.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that mere exposure to Allah's signs is insufficient; deliberate rejection after understanding the truth is a grave sin that guarantees divine retribution. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to not only receive knowledge of Islam but to act upon it sincerely, lest we fall into the category of those who turn away from guidance.
Related Ayahs
يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَـٰنِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
On the Day [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black. As for those whose faces turn black, [to them it will be said], "Did you disbelieve [i.e., reject faith] after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to reject."
وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ أَلَيْسَ هَـٰذَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا ۚ قَالَ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
And the Day those who disbelieved are exposed to the Fire [it will be said], "Is this not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord." He will say, "Then taste the punishment for what you used to deny."
ٱدْخُلُوٓا۟ أَبْوَٰبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ
Enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and wretched is the residence of the arrogant."
فَأَذَاقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخِزْىَ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
So Allāh made them taste disgrace in worldly life. But the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.