Quran Universe
22:72

وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُنَا بَيِّنَٰتٖ تَعۡرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلۡمُنكَرَۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسۡطُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ يَتۡلُونَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِنَاۗ قُلۡ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرّٖ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُۚ ٱلنَّارُ وَعَدَهَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ

Waitha tutla AAalayhim ayatuna bayyinatin taAArifu fee wujoohi allatheena kafaroo almunkara yakadoona yastoona biallatheena yatloona AAalayhim ayatina qul afaonabbiokum bisharrin min thalikum alnnaru waAAadaha Allahu allatheena kafaroo wabisa almaseeru

And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, you recognize in the faces of those who disbelieve disapproval. They are almost on the verge of assaulting those who recite to them Our verses. Say, "Then shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that? [It is] the Fire which Allah has promised those who disbelieve, and wretched is the destination."

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. تُتۡلَىٰare recited
  3. عَلَيۡهِمۡto them
  4. ءَايَٰتُنَاOur Verses
  5. بَيِّنَٰتٖclear
  6. تَعۡرِفُyou will recognize
  7. فِيon
  8. وُجُوهِ(the) faces
  9. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  10. كَفَرُواْdisbelieve
  11. ٱلۡمُنكَرَۖthe denial
  12. يَكَادُونَThey almost
  13. يَسۡطُونَattack
  14. بِٱلَّذِينَthose who
  15. يَتۡلُونَrecite
  16. عَلَيۡهِمۡto them
  17. ءَايَٰتِنَاۗOur Verses
  18. قُلۡSay
  19. أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُمThen shall I inform you
  20. بِشَرّٖof worse
  21. مِّنthan
  22. ذَٰلِكُمُۚthat
  23. ٱلنَّارُThe Fire
  24. وَعَدَهَاAllah (has) promised it
  25. ٱللَّهُAllah (has) promised it
  26. ٱلَّذِينَ(for) those who
  27. كَفَرُواْۖdisbelieve
  28. وَبِئۡسَand wretched
  29. ٱلۡمَصِيرُ(is) the destination
Al-Hajj · 22:72Madinah

Their faces darken when the clear verses are recited.

Anger at the message, and something worse

Their reaction
clear versesrecited to them
they show
disapprovalon their faces
near to attackthose who recite
What is worse
what they threatenharm to the believers
the Firefar worse, for them

Ibn Kathir says when proofs for Tawhid were mentioned, they nearly attacked those who recited, harming them with tongue and hand. The Prophet ﷺ was told to answer: what awaits you is worse than what you threaten.

Someone shares a verse in the group chat and you feel irritation before you have read it. Your face tightens. The verse asks you to notice that reaction in yourself, and to soften instead of push back.

When I am reminded of faith, it is fair to feel annoyed.

Irritation at a clear reminder is a warning sign in my own heart.

Try this

The next reminder you receive today, read it twice and reply with thanks.

Related25:66
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 22:71)

And they worship besides Allah others for which He has sent down no authority, and of which they have no knowledge; and for the wrongdoers there is no helper (71)And when Our clear Ayat are recited to them, you will notice a denial on the faces of the disbelievers! They are nearly ready to attack with violence those who recite Our Ayat to them. Say: "Shall I tell you of something worse than that The Fire which Allah has promised to those who disbelieved, and worst indeed is that destination! (72)

The Idolators' worship of others besides Allah and Their vehement rejection of the Ayat of Allah

Allah tells us that the idolators, in their ignorance and disbelief, worship besides Allah others which He has sent down no authority for, i.e., no proof or evidence for such behavior. This is like the Ayah:

وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ لَا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ

(And whoever calls upon, besides Allah, any other god, of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, the disbelievers will not be successful.)(23:117) So Allah says here:

مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ

(for which He has sent down no authority, and of which they have no knowledge;) meaning, they have no knowledge in the subject that they fabricate lies about; it is only something which was handed down to them from their fathers and ancestors, with no evidence or proof, and its origins lie in that which the Shaytan beautified for them and made attractive to them. Allah warned them:

وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ

(and for the wrongdoers there is no helper.) meaning, no one to help them against Allah when He sends His punishment and torment upon them. Then Allah says:

وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ

(And when Our clear Ayat are recited to them,) means, when the Ayat of the Qur'an and clear evidence and proof for Tawhid of Allah are mentioned to them, and they are told that there is no god besides Allah and that the Messengers spoke the truth,

يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا

(They are nearly ready to attack with violence those who recite Our Ayat to them.) then they nearly attack and do harm to those who bring proof to them from the Qur'an, and cause them harm using their tongues and hands.

قُلْ

(Say) O Muhammad to these people,

أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ النَّارُ وَعَدَهَا اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(Shall I tell you of something worse than that? The Fire which Allah has promised to those who disbelieved,)

The fire and wrath and torment of Allah are far worse than that with which you are trying to scare the believing close friends of Allah in this world. The punishment in the Hereafter for these deeds of yours is worse than that what you claim you want to do to the believers.

وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

(and worst indeed is that destination!) how terrible is the Fire as a final destination and abode!

إِنَّهَا سَاءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا

(Evil indeed it is as an abode and as a place to rest in.)(25:66)