إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ عَنْهَا لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَٰبُ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ حَتَّىٰ يَلِجَ ٱلْجَمَلُ فِى سَمِّ ٱلْخِيَاطِ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ 40
Translations
Indeed, those who deny Our verses and are arrogant toward them - the gates of Heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle [i.e., never]. And thus do We recompense the criminals.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina kadhdhabo bi-ayatina wa-stakbaro anha la tuftahu lahum abwab al-sama'i wa-la yadkhulun al-jannata hatta yalija al-jamal fi sammi al-khiyat. Wa-kadhalika najzi al-mujrimin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the severe punishment for those who reject Allah's signs and arrogantly turn away from them: the gates of heaven shall not be opened to them, nor shall they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle—an impossible occurrence used as a figure of speech emphasizing the permanent nature of their exclusion. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as divine recompense for those whose hearts are sealed by arrogance and denial, illustrating that rejection coupled with pride creates an insurmountable barrier to divine mercy.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-A'raf addresses the history of prophets and communities, with this ayah contextualizing the fate of deniers within the broader narrative of accountability. The surah emphasizes that rejection of divine signs combined with arrogance is a cardinal sin that invokes Allah's justice, particularly relevant to the Meccan polytheists who ridiculed the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur'anic revelation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The most arrogant of people in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be the man who refuses to grant others their rights' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the imagery of the camel and needle is referenced in hadith regarding the wealthy's difficulty in entering Paradise (Sahih Bukhari, from Jesus's teaching that a camel cannot pass through a needle's eye).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that arrogance (kibr) combined with rejection of truth creates a spiritual prison from which there is no escape; believers should cultivate humility before Allah's signs and recognize that pride blinds the heart to guidance, whereas openness and submission are the keys to divine mercy and eternal success.