فَيُعَذِّبُهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَكْبَرَ 24
Translations
Then Allāh will punish him with the greatest punishment.
Transliteration
Fa-yu'azzibhu Allahu al-'adhaba al-akbar
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Allah's punishment of the greatest magnitude inflicted upon those who reject faith and turn away from guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as referring to the severe punishment in the Hereafter for those who persistently deny Allah's signs and reject the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The emphasis on 'al-akbar' (the greatest) underscores the unparalleled nature of divine punishment for such transgressions.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Ghashiyah, a Meccan chapter that describes the Day of Judgment and contrasts the fates of the believers and disbelievers. The broader surah (verses 20-24) discusses those who turn away from the message despite witnessing clear signs, leading to this proclamation of the greatest punishment awaiting them.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The fire of Hell is seventy times hotter than the fire of this world' (Sahih Bukhari 3265). Additionally, the description of hellfire's severity is extensively detailed in authentic hadiths regarding the punishment of the Hereafter.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a stern reminder of the gravity of rejecting divine guidance and the eternal consequences that await those who persistently turn away from truth. For believers, it reinforces the importance of remaining steadfast in faith and warns against complacency or arrogance that might distance one from Allah's mercy.
Related Ayahs
وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَٱدْخُلُوهَا خَـٰلِدِينَ
But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein," [they will enter].
قُلْ نَعَمْ وَأَنتُمْ دَٰخِرُونَ
Say, "Yes, and you will be [rendered] contemptible."
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ۖ لَّا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا
Abiding therein forever, they will not find a protector or a helper.
أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ وَأَبْصِرْ يَوْمَ يَأْتُونَنَا ۖ لَـٰكِنِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ٱلْيَوْمَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ
How [clearly] they will hear and see the Day they come to Us, but the wrongdoers today are in clear error.