قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ 12
Translations
Say to those who disbelieve, "You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell, and wretched is the resting place."
Transliteration
Qul lilladhina kafaroo satughlaboona wa tuhsharoona ila jahannama wa bi'sa al-mihad
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to declare to the disbelievers that they will be defeated in this world and gathered toward Hell in the Hereafter, which is an evil resting place. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this was revealed after the Battle of Badr, assuring the believers of ultimate victory despite initial hardships, while warning the disbelievers of their inevitable punishment both in this life through military defeat and in the next through hellfire. The emphasis on 'gathering' (tahsharun) highlights the certainty of the resurrection and divine justice.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of the Battle of Badr (2 AH) and its aftermath, where Muslims achieved a miraculous victory despite being outnumbered. The surah addresses both believers' trials and disbelievers' arrogance, reminding them that worldly defeats are precursors to eternal punishment, reinforcing the Quranic theme that Divine justice operates on both temporal and eternal planes.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet said, 'I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah' relates to the broader context of struggle against disbelief. Additionally, hadiths about the certainty of resurrection and accountability on the Day of Judgment (found in Sahih Muslim) directly connect to the theme of being 'gathered to Hell.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that resistance to God's truth ultimately leads to failure and punishment, encouraging steadfastness in faith while warning against arrogance and disbelief. For modern readers, it emphasizes that moral and spiritual bankruptcy inevitably leads to ruin, both in society and in the afterlife, calling all to reflect on their relationship with the Divine before the time of reckoning.