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Tafsir of Surah Al-Jathiya - Verse 8

Surah 45
Verse 8
37 verses
8

یَسۡمَعُ ءَایَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَیۡهِ ثُمَّ یُصِرُّ مُسۡتَكۡبِرࣰا كَأَن لَّمۡ یَسۡمَعۡهَاۖ فَبَشِّرۡهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِیمࣲ

Who hears the verses of Allah recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them. So give him tidings of a painful punishment.

Scholarly Interpretations(3)

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You are reading a tafsir for the group of verses 45:6 to 45:11

The Description of the Sinful Liar and His Requital

Allah the Exalted says,

تِلْكَ آيَـتُ اللَّهِ

(These are the Ayat of Allah) -- in reference to the Qur'an with the proofs and evidences that it contains,

نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ

(which We recite to you with truth.) for they contain the truth from the Truth (i.e., Allah). Therefore, if they do not believe in Allah's Ayat nor abide by them, what speech after Allah and His Ayat will they then believe in Allah said next,

وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ

(Woe to every sinful liar.) who lies in his speech, often swears, who is worthless, commits and utters sinful acts and statements, and disbelieves in Allah's Ayat,

يَسْمَعُ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ

(Who hears the Ayat of Allah Tutla (recited) to him,) meaning, being recited to him,

ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ

(yet persists) in his disbelief, denial, pride and rebellion,

كَأَن لَّمْ يَسْمَعْهَا

(as if he heard them not. ) as if he did not hear them being recited to him,

فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

(So announce to him a painful torment!) convey the news to him that on the Day of Resurrection, he will have a painful, severe torment from Allah. Allah said,

وَإِذَا عَلِمَ مِنْ ءَايَـتِنَا شَيْئاً اتَّخَذَهَا هُزُواً

(And when he learns something of Our Ayat, he makes them a jest.) if he learns anything from the Qur'an, he disbelieves in it and takes it as the subject of jest and ridicule,

أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

(For such there will be a humiliating torment.) as recompense for ridiculing the Qur'an and jesting about it. In the Sahih, Muslim recorded from `Abdullah bin `Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited traveling with the Qur'an to enemy lands for fear that the Qur'an might be desecrated by the enemy. Allah explained the type of torment that these people earn on the Day of Return;

مِّن وَرَآئِهِمْ جَهَنَّمُ

(In front of them there is Hell.) meaning, all those who have these evil characteristics will end up in Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection,

وَلاَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُم مَّا كَسَبُواْ شَيْئاً

(And that which they have earned will be of no profit to them, ) their wealth and children will not avail them,

وَلاَ مَا اتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ

(nor those whom they have taken as protecting friends besides Allah.) nor will the false gods that they worshipped besides Allah benefit them in the least,

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عظِيمٌ

(And theirs will be a great torment.) Allah the Exalted said,

هَـذَا هُدًى

(This is Huda (guidance).) in reference to the Qur'an,

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِّن رِّجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ

(And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of their Lord, for them there is a painful torment of Rijz.) that is agonizing and severe. Allah knows best.

You are reading a tafsir for the group of verses 45:7 to 45:9

وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ ("Woe to every sinful liar... 45:7) " There are several views related to the background of revelation of this verse. Some Traditions relate that the verse was revealed in connection with Nadr Ibn Harith. Others report that it was revealed in connection with Harith Ibn Kaldah, and yet others feel it is about Abu Jahl and his comrades. (Qurtubi). There is no need to refer to a particular person in order to determine the meaning of a Qur'anic verse. The word کُل kull [ every ] refers to every person who bears the characteristics of the three persons who might have been in the background of the revelation of the verse.

You are reading a tafsir for the group of verses 45:7 to 45:11

Very often, an admission of the Truth is synonymous with the surrendering of a high position. Since man does not want to lose his elevated status, he does not accept the Truth. But, not bowing down before the Truth amounts to a refusal to bow down before God. God will mete out the most severe of punishments to the recalcitrant. Though a man turns away from Truth out of conceit, he nevertheless presents theoretical arguments meant to justify his behaviour. But these arguments are nothing but false utterances. The denier of truth misrepresents some facet of reality and makes this an excuse; and on the basis of this excuse ridicules the Truth and the preacher of Truth. Such individuals deserve the most severe punishment, because they compound their misdeeds with arrogance. What prompts them to behave arrogantly is the prominence of their worldly position. But, worldly position will be of no avail to anyone in the Hereafter.