يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ 7
Translations
O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina kafaroo la taʿtadhiroo al-yawma innama tujzawna ma kuntum taʿmaloon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment, informing them that their excuses and apologies will be rejected, as they will receive only the recompense of their deeds. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse emphasizes the futility of excuses before Allah on the Day of Judgment, when the reality of one's actions becomes fully manifest and accountability is absolute. Al-Qurtubi notes that this is a divine warning that no plea or justification will avail those who rejected truth and disobeyed Allah's commands during their worldly life.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Tahrim is a Medinan surah that addresses various themes of obedience and prohibition. This particular ayah falls within the concluding section of the surah that describes scenes from the Day of Judgment. The context is eschatological, warning believers and disbelievers alike about the certainty of the afterlife and the consequences of one's choices in this world.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Everyone of you will stand before Allah alone on the Day of Judgment' (Sahih Bukhari 3209). Additionally, the hadith of the Trumpet recalls that excuses will hold no value: 'No soul shall speak except by His permission' (Quran 80:28), emphasizing the theme of accountability without recourse to apologies.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that true accountability awaits all people and that sincere repentance must occur in this life, not in the afterlife. It serves as a powerful reminder to evaluate our actions now, align ourselves with divine guidance, and recognize that our deeds—not our words or excuses—will determine our eternal fate.