وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِٱلْعَذَابِ فَمَا ٱسْتَكَانُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ 76
Translations
And We had gripped them with suffering [as a warning], but they did not yield to their Lord, nor did they humbly supplicate, [and will continue thus]
Transliteration
Wa-laqad akhaznahum bil-'azabi fama istakanu li-Rabbihim wa-ma yatadarra'un
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how the disbelievers were seized with punishment, yet they neither humbled themselves before their Lord nor did they supplicate to Him in submission. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as highlighting the hardness of the disbelievers' hearts—despite experiencing divine punishment as a warning and opportunity for repentance, they refused to submit or seek forgiveness from Allah. This demonstrates the consequences of persistent rejection of truth and divine signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-Mu'minun, which addresses the polytheists of Mecca who repeatedly rejected the Prophet Muhammad's message despite various trials and afflictions. The broader context of the surah discusses the characteristics of believers versus disbelievers, and this particular verse illustrates how some people harden their hearts against divine guidance even when faced with calamities meant to turn them back to Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest supplication is du'a (invocation), and the Lord delays what He wills and hastens what He wills' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). This relates to the failure to supplicate mentioned in 23:76. Additionally, the hadith emphasizing repentance during times of hardship reinforces the lesson of this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that external calamities and trials are divine mercy and opportunities for spiritual reform—only those with receptive hearts can benefit from them. For modern readers, it serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and the danger of becoming so hardened against truth that even difficulties fail to awaken our conscience and move us to sincere repentance and submission to Allah.