67:9

قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ قَدۡ جَآءَنَا نَذِيرٞ فَكَذَّبۡنَا وَقُلۡنَا مَا نَزَّلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَيۡءٍ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ كَبِيرٖ

Qaloo bala qad jaana natheerun fakaththabna waqulna ma nazzala Allahu min shayin in antum illa fee dalalin kabeerin

They will say," Yes, a warner had come to us, but we denied and said, 'Allah has not sent down anything. You are not but in great error.'"

Word by word
  1. قَالُواْThey will say
  2. بَلَىٰYes
  3. قَدۡindeed
  4. جَآءَنَاcame to us
  5. نَذِيرٞa warner
  6. فَكَذَّبۡنَاbut we denied
  7. وَقُلۡنَاand we said
  8. مَاNot
  9. نَزَّلَhas sent down
  10. ٱللَّهُAllah
  11. مِنany
  12. شَيۡءٍthing
  13. إِنۡNot
  14. أَنتُمۡyou (are)
  15. إِلَّاbut
  16. فِيin
  17. ضَلَٰلٖerror
  18. كَبِيرٖgreat
Al-Mulk · 67:9Makkah

Yes, a warner came, but we called him wrong.

They heard the message and rejected it


Their answer
a warner camethey admit it
but
we denied"Allah sent nothing"
"you are in error"we mocked him
What the problem was
no messagesilence
the message was refusedheard and denied

They answer: yes, a warner did come to us. But we rejected him and said Allah never sent anything, you are only in great error. Ibn Kathir says they are left with no one to blame but themselves.

"Religious people are just in error." It is easy to say about the cousin who started praying, or the colleague who fasts. Notice when you wave off a warner by calling them misguided.

People who remind me about Allah are the ones who have it wrong.

When a reminder comes, I want to listen before I label the person who brought it.

Try this

Next time someone reminds you of something good, say jazakAllahu khayran instead of arguing.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 67:6)

And for those who disbelieve in their Lord is the torment of Hell, and worst indeed is that destination (6)When they are cast therein, they will hear its Shahiq while it is simmering (7)It almost bursts up with fury. Every time a group is cast therein, its keepers will ask: "Did no warner come to you? (8)They will say: "Yes, indeed a warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said: 'Allah never sent down anything; you are only in great error.' (9)And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire! (10)Then they will confess their sin. So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire (11)

The Description of Hell and Those Who will enter into it

Allah the Exalted says,

وَ

(and) meaning, 'and We have prepared,'

لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

(for those who disbelieve in their Lord is the torment of Hell, and worst indeed is that destination.) This means that this will be the worst end and a terrible destiny.

إِذَا أُلْقُوا فِيهَا سَمِعُوا لَهَا شَهِيقًا

(When they are cast therein, they will hear its Shahiq) Ibn Jarir said, "This means the sound of shouting."

وَهِيَ تَفُورُ

(while it is simmering.) Ath-Thawri said, "It will boil them just as a small number of seeds are boiled in a lot of water." Then Allah says,

تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ ۖ 

(It almost bursts up with fury.) meaning, some parts of it almost break apart from other parts due to the severity of its rage and anger with them.

كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ - قَالُوا بَلَىٰ قَدْ جَاءَنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ كَبِيرٍ

(Every time a group is cast therein, its keepers will ask: "Did no warner come to you" They will say: "Yes, indeed a warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said: 'Allah never sent down anything; you are only in great error.'")

In these Ayat Allah reminds of His justice in dealing with His creatures and that He does not punish anyone until the proof has been established against them and a Messenger has been sent to them. This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا

(And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.)[17:15] Allah also says,

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنْذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

(till when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened. And its keepers will say, "Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, reciting to you the Ayat of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say: "Yes," but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!")[39:71]

Thus, they have no recourse but to blame themselves and they will feel remorseful when such remorse will be of no benefit to them. They will say,

وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

(Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!) meaning, 'if we would have benefited from our intellects or listened to the truth that Allah revealed, we would not have been disbelieving in Allah and misguided about Him. But we did not have understanding to comprehend what the Messengers came with, and we did not have the intelligence to guide us to following them.' Allah then says,

فَاعْتَرَفُوا بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسُحْقًا لِأَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

(Then they will confess their sin. So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire!)

Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Al-Bakhtari At-Ta'i that he heard from one of the Companions that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

لَنْ يَهْلِكَ النَّاسُ حَتّٰى يُعْذِرُوا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ

(The people will not be destroyed until they themselves confess their guilt.)