وَلَا يَحْزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ لَن يَضُرُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ شَيْـًٔا ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَلَّا يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ حَظًّا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ 176
Translations
And do not be grieved, [O Muḥammad], by those who hasten into disbelief. Indeed, they will never harm Allāh at all. Allāh intends that He should give them no share in the Hereafter, and for them is a great punishment.
Transliteration
Wa lā yahzunka alladhīna yusāri'ūn fī al-kufr. Innahum lan yadurrū Allāha shay'ā. Yurīd Allāh allā yaj'al lahum hazzān fī al-ākhirah. Wa lahum 'adhābun 'azīm.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah consoles the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) against the grief caused by those who hasten toward disbelief, assuring him that their rejection cannot harm Allah in any way. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Allah emphasizes that His divine decree is that these rejectors will have no share in the rewards of the Afterlife and will instead face a severe punishment. The ayah teaches that the ultimate consequence of rejecting faith is exclusion from divine mercy and eternal torment.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period within the context of Surah Āl 'Imrān, which addresses the Muslim community's struggles with disbelievers and hypocrites in Medina. It provides divine comfort to the Prophet as he witnessed many reject Islam despite his efforts, reminding him that Allah alone controls all outcomes and that the disbelievers' actions cannot diminish Allah's power or threaten the Muslim community's mission.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (4777): The Prophet said, 'The best of my nation is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.' This relates to the ayah's emphasis on the consequence of choosing disbelief over faith. Additionally, Sahih Muslim (2384) records that the Prophet was commanded to be patient with those who reject the message, which contextualizes this ayah's consolation.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should not be distressed by the rejection of others or the prevalence of disbelief, as the ultimate power and judgment rest entirely with Allah. The spiritual lesson is to place trust in Allah's plan and recognize that those who reject faith inevitably distance themselves from divine favor and face eternal consequences, regardless of their worldly success or numbers.
Related Ayahs
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
But if they turn away, then indeed - Allāh is Knowing of the corrupters.
وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَعْدَهُۥٓ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُم بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَـٰزَعْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَآ أَرَىٰكُم مَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ مِنكُم مَّن يُرِيدُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرِيدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۚ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ ۖ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And Allāh had certainly fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing them [i.e., the enemy] by His permission until [the time] when you lost courage and fell to disputing about the order [given by the Prophet (ﷺ)] and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you love. Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter. Then He turned you back from them [defeated] that He might test you. And He has already forgiven you, and Allāh is the possessor of bounty for the believers.
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةً ۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَـٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًا ۗ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَـٰرِ
He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning."
إِذْ هَمَّت طَّآئِفَتَانِ مِنكُمْ أَن تَفْشَلَا وَٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
When two parties among you were about to lose courage, but Allāh was their ally; and upon Allāh the believers should rely.