وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَتَعْسًا لَّهُمْ وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ 8
Translations
But those who disbelieve - for them is misery, and He will waste their deeds.
Transliteration
Wa alladhina kafaroo fataasaw lahum wa adalla aʿmaalahum
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah declares ruin and destruction (taasaw/ta'asa) upon those who reject faith, and that Allah has rendered their deeds worthless and ineffective. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that despite the disbelievers' efforts and works, they are nullified in the sight of Allah because they are done without belief in Him and His guidance. The ayah emphasizes that deeds divorced from faith yield no spiritual benefit and lead only to loss and ruin.
Revelation Context
Surah Muhammad is a Medinan surah revealed during the period of military conflict between the Muslims and the Meccan disbelievers. This ayah appears in a passage contrasting the state of believers whose faith strengthens them with that of disbelievers whose rejection leads to perdition. It addresses the reality that rejection of divine truth inevitably results in spiritual ruin regardless of worldly endeavors.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever performs deeds for other than Allah, Allah will abandon him to that other' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Related: 'Actions are by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim) - emphasizing that deeds without correct belief and intention are nullified.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that mere external effort and activity without genuine faith in Allah are spiritually empty and lead to ultimate loss; believers should ensure their actions are grounded in sincere belief, as only faith-based deeds hold eternal value.
Related Ayahs
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ وَٱلْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا
Our Lord, give them double the punishment and curse them with a great curse."
وَنَادَوْا۟ يَـٰمَـٰلِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّكُم مَّـٰكِثُونَ
And they will call, "O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Indeed, you will remain."
فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكْنِهِۦ وَقَالَ سَـٰحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ
But he turned away with his supporters and said, "A magician or a madman."
وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ حَيَوٰةٍ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۚ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ
And you will surely find them the most greedy of people for life - [even] more than those who associate others with Allāh. One of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be granted life. And Allāh is Seeing of what they do.