وَلَا يَزَالُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ 55
Translations
But those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it until the Hour comes upon them unexpectedly or there comes to them the punishment of a barren Day.
Transliteration
Wa lā yazālu alladhīna kafarū fī miryatin minhu hattā ta'tiyahumu as-sā'atu baghtatan aw ya'tīhum 'adhābu yawmin 'aqīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the persistent doubt and denial of the disbelievers regarding the Qur'an and the Message, stating they will remain in this state of uncertainty until the Hour comes upon them suddenly or until they are punished with a Day of torment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as referring to either the Day of Judgment (al-Sā'ah) which will come without warning, or the punishment in this life (such as at Badr or other battles). The ayah emphasizes that the disbelievers' obstinate refusal to believe will lead them to inevitable divine punishment.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Hajj is a Medinan surah revealed during a period when the Muslim community faced opposition from both pagan Meccans and hypocrites within Medina. This ayah appears in the context of refuting disbelief and warning against the consequences of rejecting divine signs. It reflects the thematic concern of the surah with matters of faith, pilgrimage, and the ultimate accountability before Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The Hour will not be established until there come forth thirty Dajjals (liars), each one claiming to be a messenger of Allah.' (Sunan Abu Dawud) - This relates to the sudden nature of the Hour's arrival. Also relevant is the hadith: 'Verily, the most truthful of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.' (Sunan An-Nasa'i) - emphasizing rejection of the Qur'an as a source of misguidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that obstinate rejection of truth leads to spiritual blindness and inevitable consequences, whether in this life or the Hereafter. For believers, it serves as a reminder of the importance of accepting divine guidance with open hearts while there is still time, before accountability comes upon us unexpectedly.
Related Ayahs
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُۥ خَيْرٌ ٱطْمَأَنَّ بِهِۦ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ ٱنقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ خَسِرَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْخُسْرَانُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
And of the people is he who worships Allāh on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to unbelief]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss.
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلْمُنكَرَ ۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۗ قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ ٱلنَّارُ وَعَدَهَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, you recognize in the faces of those who disbelieve disapproval. They are almost on the verge of assaulting those who recite to them Our verses. Say, "Then shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that? [It is] the Fire which Allāh has promised those who disbelieve, and wretched is the destination."
ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَـٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى ٱلْقُلُوبِ
That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allāh - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
مَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ
They have not appraised Allāh with true appraisal. Indeed, Allāh is Powerful and Exalted in Might.