وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يُقْضَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا۟ وَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُم مِّنْ عَذَابِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى كُلَّ كَفُورٍ 36
Translations
And for those who disbelieve will be the fire of Hell. [Death] is not decreed for them so they may die, nor will its torment be lightened for them. Thus do We recompense every ungrateful one.
Transliteration
Wa alladhina kafaroo lahum naru jahannama la yuqda AAalayhim fayamutoo wa la yukhaffafu AAanhum min AAadhabiha; kadhalika najzee kulla kafoor.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the eternal punishment of the disbelievers in the Hellfire, emphasizing that they will neither be allowed to die to escape their torment nor will their punishment be reduced. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that this perpetual suffering is the divine recompense for those who persistently rejected Allah's signs and refused to believe. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the word 'kafoor' (ungrateful/disbeliever) encompasses not only those who reject faith outright but also those who reject Allah's blessings and signs.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Fatir is a Meccan surah addressing the polytheists of Mecca who rejected the message of Prophet Muhammad. This ayah fits within the broader context of the surah's theme of reminding people of Allah's creative power and the ultimate accountability in the Hereafter. The warning about the hellfire serves as a deterrent to those who turn away from the truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said regarding the inhabitants of Hell: 'The people of the Fire will remain in the Fire as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills.' (Sahih Muslim 185). Additionally, the Quran mentions in 2:39 that those who disbelieve will have the severest punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder of the gravity of rejecting Allah's message and the ultimate accountability that awaits all souls. For believers, it reinforces the importance of maintaining faith, gratitude, and obedience, while for those who have strayed, it presents an urgent call to repentance before the opportunity is lost.
Related Ayahs
إِنْ أَنتَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ
You, [O Muḥammad], are not but a warner.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ هَلْ مِنْ خَـٰلِقٍ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤْفَكُونَ
O mankind, remember the favor of Allāh upon you. Is there any creator other than Allāh who provides for you from the heaven and earth? There is no deity except Him, so how are you deluded?
إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَٱتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا ۚ إِنَّمَا يَدْعُوا۟ حِزْبَهُۥ لِيَكُونُوا۟ مِنْ أَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ
Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ شُرَكَآءَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ أَمْ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ كِتَـٰبًا فَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَتٍ مِّنْهُ ۚ بَلْ إِن يَعِدُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًا إِلَّا غُرُورًا
Say, "Have you considered your 'partners' whom you invoke besides Allāh? Show me what they have created from the earth, or have they partnership [with Him] in the heavens? Or have We given them a book so they are [standing] on evidence therefrom? [No], rather, the wrongdoers do not promise each other except delusion."