أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا۟ مُعْجِزِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۘ يُضَـٰعَفُ لَهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۚ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يُبْصِرُونَ 20
Translations
Those were not causing failure [to Allāh] on earth, nor did they have besides Allāh any protectors. For them the punishment will be multiplied. They were not able to hear, nor did they see.
Transliteration
Ūlā'ika lam yakūnū mu'jizīna fi-l-arḍ wa-mā kāna lahum min dūni-llāh min awliyā'. Yuḍā'afu lahum al-'adhāb. Mā kānū yastați'ūn al-sama' wa-mā kānū yubṣirūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who reject Allah's signs and turn away from His guidance as being unable to escape Allah's justice on earth, having no protectors besides Allah, and therefore receiving doubled punishment. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that their spiritual blindness and deafness—their refusal to listen to truth or perceive signs—compounds their punishment, as they willfully reject clear guidance. The 'doubling' of punishment refers to both the punishment for disbelief and the punishment for arrogance and rejection after understanding.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the middle section of Surah Hud, which was revealed in Mecca during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The surah recounts stories of previous prophets and their peoples' rejection, providing comfort to the Prophet and warning the Quraysh of the fate of those who reject divine guidance. This particular ayah generalizes the fate of all rejecters across time.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), emphasizing the importance of hearing and comprehending divine guidance. Additionally, the hadith 'Actions are by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari 1, Sahih Muslim 1907) relates to the theme of willful rejection versus sincere seeking of truth.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that turning away from divine guidance out of arrogance or stubbornness leaves one without any refuge or protection, and that deliberate rejection of truth compounds one's accountability. We should cultivate genuine openness to Allah's signs and seek sincerely to understand His message, knowing that our choices today determine our standing before Him tomorrow.