وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِقَآئِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَئِسُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَتِى وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ 23
Translations
And the ones who disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and the meeting with Him - those have despaired of My mercy, and they will have a painful punishment.
Transliteration
Wa-alladhīna kafarū bi-āyāti -llāhi wa-liqā'ihi ūlā'ika ya'isū min raḥmatī wa-ūlā'ika lahum 'adhābun alīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who reject Allah's signs (āyāt) and deny the meeting with Him in the Hereafter as having despaired of Allah's mercy and being destined for severe punishment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that rejection of divine signs and denial of the afterlife represents the ultimate spiritual state of hopelessness, cutting off any possibility of receiving Allah's compassion. The ayah serves as a stern warning that such comprehensive disbelief naturally results in exclusion from divine mercy and earns painful torment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-'Ankabut, which primarily addresses the pagan Quraysh who rejected the Prophet's message and the reality of resurrection. The surah's context involves refutation of polytheism and reassurance to believers facing persecution, making this verse part of the broader warning against those who persistently reject monotheism and accountability in the afterlife.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The one who despairs of the mercy of Allah is like one who disbelieves in Allah' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'None of you should wish for death because of harm befalling him, but if he must wish for death, let him say: O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is good for me, and take me when death is good for me' (Sahih Bukhari 5671), highlighting that maintaining hope in Allah's mercy is fundamental to faith.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that despair of Allah's mercy is a spiritual disease closely connected to rejecting His guidance, reminding us to maintain hope in Allah's compassion regardless of circumstances. For the modern reader, it underscores that sincere belief in Allah's signs and the afterlife is inseparable from maintaining hope in His mercy—a psychological and spiritual anchor against despair.