وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فَسَقُوا۟ فَمَأْوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ ۖ كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُوٓا۟ أَن يَخْرُجُوا۟ مِنْهَآ أُعِيدُوا۟ فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ 20
Translations
But as for those who defiantly disobeyed, their refuge is the Fire. Every time they wish to emerge from it, they will be returned to it while it is said to them, "Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny."
Transliteration
Wa ammā alladhīna fasaqū fama'wāhumu al-nāru kullama arādū an yakhrajū minhā u'īdū fīhā wa qīla lahum dhūqū adhāba al-nāri alladhī kuntum bihi tukadhdhībūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the ultimate fate of those who transgress and reject faith: their dwelling is the Fire of Hell, from which they cannot escape despite their desperate attempts. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that the phrase 'taste the punishment of the Fire' reflects both the physical torment and the bitter realization that their rejection of truth in the worldly life has brought them to this state of eternal punishment. The repetition of being returned to the Fire symbolizes the hopelessness and inescapability of their condition, serving as a stern warning against transgression and disbelief.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah As-Sajdah, a Meccan surah that contrasts the believers who prostrate before Allah with the disbelievers and transgressors. The broader context of the surah emphasizes the consequences of accepting or rejecting the signs of Allah, and this particular ayah concludes the discussion of the rejecters' fate, reinforcing the theme of accountability on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The Fire of Hell will say to the believer: Pass through, your light has extinguished my flame. And it will say to the disbeliever: Woe to you!' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim describing the gates of Hell and the eternal nature of punishment for those who persist in disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that rejecting divine guidance and transgressing Allah's boundaries has irreversible consequences in the afterlife. For believers, it should strengthen conviction in the importance of obedience and turn them away from arrogance and disbelief, while encouraging them to seek refuge in Allah's mercy through sincere repentance and righteous deeds.