إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ 22
Translations
Your god is one God. But those who do not believe in the Hereafter - their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant.
Transliteration
Ilahukum ilahun wahid. Fal-ladhina la yu'minun bil-akhirati qulubuhum munkitatun wa-hum mustakbirun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms the absolute oneness of Allah (Tawhid) and contrasts the believers with those who reject the Hereafter. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the deniers of the Afterlife are characterized by hearts that are in denial (munkira) and souls that are arrogant (mustakbira), as their rejection of divine accountability stems from spiritual pride and hardness of heart. The ayah establishes that monotheism and belief in the Day of Judgment are inseparably linked—rejecting one necessarily reflects a diseased spiritual condition.
Revelation Context
Surah An-Nahl is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of intense polytheist opposition to the Prophet's message. This ayah appears in the context of addressing the Quraysh's denial of monotheism and the afterlife. It reflects the broader Meccan theme of establishing Tawhid and warning against the spiritual blindness caused by arrogance and disbelief in the final accountability.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The most arrogant person in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who disputes with Allah' (Sahih Muslim 2865). Additionally, Jundub ibn Abdullah reported that the Prophet said: 'Whoever dies without believing in the Oneness of Allah has died in a state of ignorance (Jahiliyyah)' (Sahih Muslim 92), emphasizing the connection between Tawhid and proper belief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true belief in Allah's oneness must be accompanied by acknowledgment of the Hereafter and moral accountability; arrogance and denial of the Day of Judgment are symptoms of a spiritually diseased heart that rejects the signs of Allah. For believers, it is a reminder to cultivate humility before Allah and to recognize that sincere Tawhid necessitates living as if one will answer for every deed.