يَسْمَعُ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَسْمَعْهَا ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ 8
Translations
Who hears the verses of Allāh recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them. So give him tidings of a painful punishment.
Transliteration
Yasma'u ayati Allahi tutla 'alayhi thumma yusirru mustakbiran ka-an lam yasma'ha fa-bashshirhu bi-'adhabin alim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who hear the signs (verses) of Allah being recited to them, yet persist in arrogance and turn away as if they never heard them. Ibn Kathir explains that such individuals deliberately reject the truth out of stubborn pride, and Allah commands the Prophet to inform them of a painful punishment awaiting them. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the willful rejection of divine guidance despite clear understanding constitutes a grave sin deserving severe retribution.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-Jathiyah, which addresses the obstinacy of the Quraysh who rejected the Prophet Muhammad's message despite its clarity. The surah's broader context concerns those who ignore Allah's signs in creation and revelation, choosing disbelief through arrogance rather than genuine doubt.
Related Hadiths
Related to the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said: 'The most hated person to Allah is the one who is most stubborn in disbelief.' Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari about those who hear the Qur'an but turn away, mentioned in the context of Surah Al-A'raf (7:204-205).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that mere hearing of God's message without sincere acceptance and humility is spiritually worthless; true faith requires both intellectual understanding and humble submission of the heart to divine guidance.
Related Ayahs
هَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبُنَا يَنطِقُ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسْتَنسِخُ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
This, Our record, speaks about you in truth. Indeed, We were having transcribed whatever you used to do."
قُل لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يَغْفِرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ أَيَّامَ ٱللَّهِ لِيَجْزِىَ قَوْمًۢا بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
Say, [O Muḥammad], to those who have believed that they [should] forgive those who expect not the days of Allāh [i.e., of His retribution] so that He may recompense a people for what they used to earn.
إِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُوا۟ عَنكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
Indeed, they will never avail you against Allāh at all. And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allāh is the protector of the righteous.
تِلْكَ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ فَبِأَىِّ حَدِيثٍۭ بَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ وَءَايَـٰتِهِۦ يُؤْمِنُونَ
These are the verses of Allāh which We recite to you in truth. Then in what statement after Allāh and His verses will they believe?