Quran Universe
7:36

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ عَنۡهَآ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

Waallatheena kaththaboo biayatina waistakbaroo AAanha olaika ashabu alnnari hum feeha khalidoona

But the ones who deny Our verses and are arrogant toward them - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.

Word by word
  1. وَٱلَّذِينَBut those who
  2. كَذَّبُواْdeny
  3. بِـَٔايَٰتِنَاOur Verses
  4. وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْand (are) arrogant
  5. عَنۡهَآtowards them
  6. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَthose
  7. أَصۡحَٰبُ(are the) companions
  8. ٱلنَّارِۖ(of) the Fire
  9. هُمۡthey
  10. فِيهَاin it
  11. خَٰلِدُونَwill abide forever
Al-A'raf · 7:36Makkah

Denying the signs out of pride has a lasting cost.

The other side of the same choice

The other path
denialhearts reject the signs
arrogancetoo proud to follow
leads to
the Firelasting
What the real problem is
not enough proofI just did not know
too proud to obeyknowing, but refusing

Next to the promise of the last verse comes its opposite. The tafsir says their hearts denied the signs, and they were too arrogant to follow them. The two paths are set side by side so the listener can choose.

Sometimes it is not that you do not know. You know prayer is due; you know the lie was wrong. What stops you is that changing feels like losing. Notice that pride, and the door is still open.

I would follow if the truth were only clearer.

Often the truth is clear and pride is what holds me back.

Try this

Do one good thing today that your pride has been resisting.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:34)

And every Ummah has its appointed term; when their term comes, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)(34)O Children of Adam! If there come to you Messengers from among you, reciting to you My Ayat, then whosoever has Taqwa and becomes righteous, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve (35)But those who reject Our Ayat and treat them with arrogance, they are the dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever (36)

Allah said,

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ

(And every Ummah has), meaning, each generation and nation,

أَجَلٌ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ

(its appointed term; when their term comes) which they were destined for,

لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

(neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)).

Allah then warned the Children of Adam that He sent to them Messengers who conveyed to them His Ayat. Allah also conveyed good news, as well as warning,

فَمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَأَصْلَحَ

(then whosoever has Taqwa and becomes righteous) by abandoning the prohibitions and performing acts of obedience,

فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ - وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا عَنْهَا

(on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve. But those who reject Our Ayat and treat them with arrogance,) meaning, their hearts denied the Ayat and they were too arrogant to abide by them,

أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

(they are the dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever.) without end to their dwelling in it.