ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْكَرِيمُ 49
Translations
[It will be said], "Taste! Indeed, you are the honored, the noble!
Transliteration
Dhooq innaka anta al-azeezu al-kareem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a devastating irony spoken to the disbelievers in Hell, where they are mocked with words that were once used to describe their worldly pride and honor. The phrase 'Taste [the punishment], indeed you are the mighty, the generous' sarcastically inverts their former arrogance, as Ibn Kathir explains—what they considered strength and nobility in this life has become the very source of their torment. Al-Qurtubi notes this serves as a powerful reminder that perceived grandeur and power in the dunya (worldly life) mean nothing before divine justice.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ad-Dukhan's depiction of the Day of Judgment and the fate of those who rejected the Qur'an. The surah uses vivid imagery of Hell to warn the Meccans who arrogantly dismissed the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), making this ayah part of the broader Meccan theme of warning against heedlessness and pride.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3334) where the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned: 'The most hated person to Allah is the most arrogant' relates thematically to this ayah's condemnation of pride. Additionally, the hadith in Tirmidhi about the Day of Judgment describes how those who were mighty on earth will be humiliated.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that worldly power, wealth, and status are fleeting and meaningless without righteousness and submission to Allah; believers should guard against arrogance and remember that true honor lies in piety, not in material possessions or social standing.