فَوَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 11
Translations
Then woe, that Day, to the deniers,
Transliteration
Fawaylun yawma'idhin lilmukadhdhileen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah pronounces severe woe and destruction upon those who reject the truth and deny the message of the Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgment. Ibn Kathir explains that 'woe' (wail) here refers to a valley in Hell, signifying the ultimate punishment awaiting the deniers. The repetition of this warning throughout Surah At-Tur emphasizes the certainty and severity of divine retribution for those who persistently reject faith.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah At-Tur, a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islamic preaching when the Quraysh were actively rejecting the Prophet's message. The surah opens with an oath about the Mount (Sinai) and uses vivid imagery of the Day of Judgment to reinforce warnings against disbelief and rejection of monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Whoever dies while he associates partners with Allah in worship will enter the Fire.' (Sahih Bukhari 4495). Additionally, the Quran emphasizes in multiple hadiths collections that denial and rejection of truth leads to severe punishment, as referenced in various reports about the consequences of kufr (disbelief).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that persistent denial of divine truth carries grave consequences, urging believers to reflect on the importance of accepting guidance and warning them against arrogance in rejecting the message of Allah. For modern readers, it emphasizes personal accountability and the eternal nature of consequences for conscious rejection of faith.
Related Ayahs
ثُمَّ أَغْرَقْنَا ٱلْـَٔاخَرِينَ
Then We drowned the others [i.e., disbelievers].
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ ظَلَمَتْ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَٱفْتَدَتْ بِهِۦ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۖ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And if each soul that wronged had everything on earth, it would offer it in ransom. And they will confide regret when they see the punishment; and they will be judged in justice, and they will not be wronged.
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا۟ بَأْسَنَا قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَحْدَهُۥ وَكَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِۦ مُشْرِكِينَ
And when they saw Our punishment, they said, "We believe in Allāh alone and disbelieve in that which we used to associate with Him."