قَالَ ٱخْسَـُٔوا۟ فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ 108
Translations
He will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.
Transliteration
Qala akhsaʾū fīhā wa lā tukallimu͐n
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the inhabitants of Hell to remain debased and humiliated within it, and forbids them from speaking to Him—a statement of absolute rejection and divine displeasure. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir explain this as the ultimate punishment: not merely physical torment, but the severance of all connection to Allah's mercy and the deprivation of any hope of intercession or dialogue. This ayah underscores that the disbelievers' estrangement from their Lord in this life will be eternally crystallized in the Hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Mu'minun, a Meccan chapter that contrasts the believers' success with the disbelievers' ultimate fate. The ayah is part of the dialogue on the Day of Judgment describing how the deniers will be addressed when they attempt to speak or plead before Allah, establishing the finality of their rejection.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The people of Hell will remain in punishment, and the people of Paradise will remain in bliss. If Allah willed, He could make them all equal, but He does (as He wills)' (Sahih Muslim). This relates to the permanent state described in 23:108.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of the gravity of turning away from Allah's guidance and the permanent nature of those consequences—encouraging us to cherish our connection to the Divine in this life while we still have the opportunity to repent and be heard.