بَلَىٰ قَدْ جَآءَتْكَ ءَايَـٰتِى فَكَذَّبْتَ بِهَا وَٱسْتَكْبَرْتَ وَكُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 59
Translations
But yes, there had come to you My verses, but you denied them and were arrogant, and you were among the disbelievers.
Transliteration
Balaa qad jaa'at ka aayatee fakazzabta biha wastakbarta wa kunta mina al-kafireen
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah addresses those who rejected His signs on the Day of Judgment, affirming that the divine revelations came to them clearly, yet they denied them out of arrogance and pride. This ayah demonstrates the accountability of those who consciously rejected truth despite having received it, emphasizing that ignorance of the message will not be an excuse before Allah. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi note this represents the divine response to those who claim they never received guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a broader Meccan surah that discusses the Day of Judgment and the dialogue between souls and their Lord. It occurs within the context of verses 59-60 depicting a conversation on the Day of Resurrection where the disbeliever is confronted with their willful rejection. The surah's theme focuses on monotheism and the certainty of the afterlife, with this ayah emphasizing personal accountability for rejecting clear signs.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The most miserable person is he to whom Allah has not given good sense' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim emphasizes that 'whoever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whoever He misguides, none can guide' - highlighting the gravity of rejecting divine guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that ignorance of the truth is not an excuse when signs are made clear to us, and that arrogance is one of the greatest barriers to accepting guidance. In our modern context, it urges believers to reflect on whether they are accepting or dismissing divine guidance with humility, rather than dismissing truth out of pride or stubbornness.