لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ 201
Translations
They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment.
Transliteration
Lā yu'minūna bihi ḥattā yaraw al-'adhāb al-alīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the disbelievers who refuse to believe in the Message until they witness the painful punishment on the Day of Judgment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this describes those whose hearts have been sealed by their persistent rejection, such that belief becomes impossible for them once they see the torment—at which point faith is no longer accepted. The ayah emphasizes that their demand for an immediate, tangible punishment is a manifestation of their stubborn disbelief and serves as a warning about the consequences of rejecting divine signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ash-Shu'ara, which addresses the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) despite the clear signs and miracles presented to them. The broader passage discusses how the disbelievers demand to see punishment before believing, a common theme of Quranic discourse about those who reject faith out of arrogance and stubbornness rather than genuine doubt.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The Hour will not come until the sun rises from the west. When it does and people see it, all of them will believe...' This illustrates that late belief at the time of punishment is not accepted.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that continually rejecting divine guidance hardens the heart, making belief increasingly difficult; we must embrace faith while in this life, as the opportunity to believe is lost once we face the final punishment.