إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱلذِّكْرِ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَكِتَـٰبٌ عَزِيزٌ 41
Translations
Indeed, those who disbelieve in the message [i.e., the Qur’ān] after it has come to them... And indeed, it is a mighty Book.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina kafarū bi-al-dhikri lammā jāʾahum wa-innahū la-kitābun ʿazīzun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to those who reject the Qur'an (al-dhikr, 'the Reminder') when it comes to them, and emphasizes that the Qur'an is indeed an 'azīz (mighty/honored/invulnerable) book. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that 'azīz here denotes the Qur'an's strength, inviolability, and superiority—no falsehood can penetrate it, and it shall never be corrupted or overcome by the disbelievers' schemes. The ayah serves as a response to the arrogance of those who dismiss the divine message despite its undeniable power and eloquence.
Revelation Context
Surah Fussilat is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of intense opposition to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). This ayah appears in the context of refuting the disbelievers' rejection of the Qur'an and affirming the inviolability of God's word against all attempts at denial or distortion. The surah's overarching theme addresses the clarity and completeness of the Qur'anic guidance despite stubborn resistance from the disbelievers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, 'Verily this Qur'an is a rope of Allah, it is a light and a healing' (Sunan Ibn Majah, Jami' at-Tirmidhi), emphasizing the Qur'an's elevated status and protective power against spiritual misguidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that despite human opposition and rejection, the Qur'an remains eternally powerful, protected, and invulnerable—serving as a reminder for believers to trust in the strength of God's word and not be disheartened by the disbelief of others. For modern readers, it emphasizes that the Qur'an's authority and guidance transcend temporal criticism and remain relevant and uncompromising in its truth.
Related Ayahs
أَءُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلذِّكْرُ مِنۢ بَيْنِنَا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّن ذِكْرِى ۖ بَل لَّمَّا يَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِ
Has the message been revealed to him out of [all of] us?" Rather, they are in doubt about My message. Rather, they have not yet tasted My punishment.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and kill the prophets without right and kill those who order justice from among the people - give them tidings of a painful punishment.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ نُؤْمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَآءَهُۥ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنۢبِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And when it is said to them, "Believe in what Allāh has revealed," they say, "We believe [only] in what was revealed to us." And they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them. Say, "Then why did you kill the prophets of Allāh before, if you are [indeed] believers?"
إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."