ثُمَّ قِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلْخُلْدِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ 52
Translations
Then it will be said to those who had wronged, "Taste the punishment of eternity; are you being recompensed except for what you used to earn?"
Transliteration
Thumma qeela lilladhina dhalamu dhooqu adhaba al-khuldi hal tujzawna illa bima kuntum taksibuun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the moment when the wrongdoers (those who rejected Allah's signs and committed injustice) are told to taste the eternal punishment of Hell, with a rhetorical question emphasizing that they receive nothing but the just recompense for their deeds. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this serves as a divine reminder of accountability: people are punished according to their actions, not arbitrarily. The phrase 'eternal punishment' (adhab al-khuldi) underscores the permanence of this consequence for those who persisted in disbelief.
Revelation Context
Surah Yunus is a Meccan surah addressing the pagan Arabs who rejected the Prophet Muhammad's message. This ayah appears in the context of descriptions of the Day of Judgment and the fates of believers and disbelievers. It reinforces the central Quranic theme that divine punishment is proportionate and just, not oppressive.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Each soul will know what it has sent forward and kept back' (Quran 82:5, thematically related). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet described how each person's deeds will be shown to them on the Day of Judgment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that we bear full responsibility for our actions—there is no escape from the consequences of our choices, whether good or evil. It should motivate believers to examine their conduct and ensure their deeds are righteous, knowing that accountability before Allah is certain and just.
Related Ayahs
فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ذَنُوبًا مِّثْلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصْحَـٰبِهِمْ فَلَا يَسْتَعْجِلُونِ
And indeed, for those who have wronged is a portion [of punishment] like the portion of their companions [i.e., predecessors], so let them not impatiently urge Me.
فَكُلًّا أَخَذْنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَخَذَتْهُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَغْرَقْنَا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.
وَٱلَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَـٰنِهَا مِنكُمْ فَـَٔاذُوهُمَا ۖ فَإِن تَابَا وَأَصْلَحَا فَأَعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
And the two who commit it [i.e., unlawful sexual intercourse] among you - punish [i.e., dishonor] them both. But if they repent and correct themselves, leave them alone. Indeed, Allāh is ever Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.
وَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ
And whether We show you some of what We promise them, [O Muḥammad], or We take you in death, to Us is their return; then, [either way], Allāh is a witness concerning what they are doing.