Al-Mu'minun 23:108
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 349
قَالَ ٱخۡسَـُٔواْ فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ ١٠٨
He will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 23:108–111
Allah's Response and Rejection of the Disbelievers
This is the response of Allah to the disbelievers when they ask Him to bring them out of the Fire and send them back to this world. He will say:
اخْسَئُواْ فِيهَا
(Remain you in it with ignominy!) meaning, abide therein, humiliated, despised and scorned.
وَلاَ تُكَلِّمُونِ
(And speak you not to Me!) means, `do not ask for this again, for I will not respond to you. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas concerning this Ayah,
اخْسَئُواْ فِيهَا وَلاَ تُكَلِّمُونِ
(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!) "These are the words of Ar-Rahman when silencing them." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr said, "The people of Hell will call on Malik for forty years, and he will not answer them. Then he will respond and tell them that they are to abide therein. By Allah, their cries will mean nothing to Malik or to the Lord of Malik. Then they will call on their Lord and will say,
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْماً ضَآلِّينَ - رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَلِمُونَ
(Our Lord! Our wretchedness overcame us, and we were (an) erring people. Our Lord! Bring us out of this. If ever we return (to evil), then indeed we shall be wrongdoers.) 23:106-107 Allah will not answer them for a time span equivalent to twice the duration of this world. Then He will reply:
اخْسَئُواْ فِيهَا وَلاَ تُكَلِّمُونِ
(Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!) By Allah, the people will not utter a single word after that, and they will merely be in the Fire of Hell, sighing in a high and low tone. Their voices are likened to those of donkeys, which start in a high tone and end in a low tone." Then Allah will remind them of their sins in this world and how they used to make fun of His believing servants and close friends:
إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِى يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَحِمِينَ فَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُمْ سِخْرِيّاً
(Verily, there was a party of My servants who used to say: "Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy!" But you took them for a laughing stock,) meaning, `you made fun of them for calling on Me and praying to Me,'
حَتَّى أَنسَوْكُمْ ذِكْرِى
(so much so that they made you forget My remembrance) means, your hatred for them made you forget what I would do to you.
وَكُنْتُمْ مِّنْهُمْ تَضْحَكُونَ
(while you used to laugh at them!) means, at their deeds and worship. This is like the Ayah:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُواْ كَانُواْ مِنَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَضْحَكُونَ - وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُونَ
(Verily, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And, whenever they passed by them, used to wink one to another.) 83:29-30 meaning, they used to slander them in mockery. Then Allah tells us how He will reward His friends and righteous servants, and says:
إِنِّى جَزَيْتُهُمُ الْيَوْمَ بِمَا صَبَرُواْ
(Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience;) meaning, `for the harm and mockery that you inflicted on them,
أَنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْفَآئِزُونَ
(they are indeed the ones that are successful.) I have caused them to attain the victory of joy, safety, Paradise and salvation from the Fire.'
Page 349
23:105
أَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ ءَايَٰتِي تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَكُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ ١٠٥
[It will be said], "Were not My verses recited to you and you used to deny them?"
23:106
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتۡ عَلَيۡنَا شِقۡوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوۡمٗا ضَآلِّينَ ١٠٦
They will say, "Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray.
23:107
رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡهَا فَإِنۡ عُدۡنَا فَإِنَّا ظَٰلِمُونَ ١٠٧
Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers."
23:108
قَالَ ٱخۡسَـُٔواْ فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ ١٠٨
He will say, "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.
23:109
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَرِيقٞ مِّنۡ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ١٠٩
Indeed, there was a party of My servants who said, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of the merciful.'
23:110
فَٱتَّخَذۡتُمُوهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا حَتَّىٰٓ أَنسَوۡكُمۡ ذِكۡرِي وَكُنتُم مِّنۡهُمۡ تَضۡحَكُونَ ١١٠
But you took them in mockery to the point that they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them.
23:111
إِنِّي جَزَيۡتُهُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ هُمُ ٱلۡفَآئِزُونَ ١١١
Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance - that they are the attainers [of success]."
23:112
قَٰلَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ ١١٢
[Allāh] will say, "How long did you remain on earth in number of years?"
23:113
قَالُواْ لَبِثۡنَا يَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٖ فَسۡـَٔلِ ٱلۡعَآدِّينَ ١١٣
They will say, "We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate."
23:114
قَٰلَ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗاۖ لَّوۡ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ١١٤
He will say, "You stayed not but a little - if only you had known.
23:115
أَفَحَسِبۡتُمۡ أَنَّمَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ عَبَثٗا وَأَنَّكُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَا تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١٥
Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?"
23:116
فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡحَقُّۖ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡكَرِيمِ ١١٦
So exalted is Allāh, the Sovereign,1 the Truth;2 there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.
23:117
وَمَن يَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرۡهَٰنَ لَهُۥ بِهِۦ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ ١١٧
And whoever invokes besides Allāh another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
23:118
وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ وَٱرۡحَمۡ وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ١١٨
And, [O Muḥammad], say, "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy