4:56

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا سَوۡفَ نُصۡلِيهِمۡ نَارٗا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتۡ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلۡنَٰهُمۡ جُلُودًا غَيۡرَهَا لِيَذُوقُواْ ٱلۡعَذَابَۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمٗا

Inna allatheena kafaroo biayatina sawfa nusleehim naran kullama nadijat julooduhum baddalnahum juloodan ghayraha liyathooqoo alAAathaba inna Allaha kana AAazeezan hakeeman

Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses - We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  3. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  4. بِـَٔايَٰتِنَاin Our Signs
  5. سَوۡفَsoon
  6. نُصۡلِيهِمۡWe will burn them
  7. نَارٗا(in) a Fire
  8. كُلَّمَاEvery time
  9. نَضِجَتۡare roasted
  10. جُلُودُهُمtheir skins
  11. بَدَّلۡنَٰهُمۡWe will change their
  12. جُلُودًاskins
  13. غَيۡرَهَاfor other (than) that
  14. لِيَذُوقُواْso that they may taste
  15. ٱلۡعَذَابَۗthe punishment
  16. إِنَّIndeed
  17. ٱللَّهَAllah
  18. كَانَis
  19. عَزِيزًاAll-Mighty
  20. حَكِيمٗاAll-Wise
An-Nisa · 4:56Madinah

A punishment that never wears off.

Why the warning is so serious


What the verse describes
rejecting the signsand blocking the way
leads to
a Firefelt again and again
How to take the warning
it will fadeI will get used to it
it never dullsso turn now

Ibn Kathir explains this verse describes those who rejected Allah's signs and blocked the path of His messengers. The verse uses a stark image to show that the punishment does not dull or wear off. It ends: Allah is Mighty, Wise. The next verse immediately turns to the gardens.

We get used to pain here. Bad news fades, aches settle. It is easy to assume everything wears off eventually. This verse says some things do not. That is why the door of return, still open today, is such a mercy.

Whatever happens after death, I will get used to it.

The warning is real and lasting, and that makes today's chance to return precious.

Try this

Make one sincere dua today asking Allah to protect you from the Fire.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Surely, those who disbelieved in Our Ayat, We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise (56)But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), abiding therein forever. Therein they shall have Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates), and We shall admit them to shades, wide and ever deepening (57)

The Punishment of Those Who Disbelieve in Allah's Books and Messengers

Allah describes the torment in the Fire of Jahannam for those who disbelieve in His Ayat and hinder from the path of His Messengers. Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا

(Surely, those who disbelieved in Our Ayat ,) meaning, We will place them in the Fire which will encompass every part of their bodies. Allah then states that their punishment and torment are everlasting,

كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ

(We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment).

Al-A'mash said that Ibn 'Umar said, "When their skin are burned, they will be given another skin in replacement, and this skin will be as white as paper." This was collected by Ibn Abi Hatim, who also recorded that Al-Hasan said,

كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم

(As often as their skins are roasted through,) "Their skin will be roasted through, seventy thousand times every day." Husayn said; Fudayl added that Hisham said that Al-Hasan also said that,

كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم

(As often as their skins are roasted through,) means, "Whenever the Fire has roasted them through and consumed their flesh, they will be told, 'Go back as you were before,' and they will."

The Wealth of the Righteous; Paradise and its Joy

Allah said,

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا

(But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), abiding therein forever.) describing the destination of the happy ones in the gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow in all of its areas, spaces and corners, wherever they desire and wish. They will reside in it for eternity, and they will not be transferred or removed from it, nor would they want to move from it. Allah said,

لَّهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ

(Therein they shall have Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates),) free of menstruation, postnatal bleeding, filth, bad manners and shortcomings. Ibn 'Abbas said that the Ayah means, "They are purified of filth and foul things." Similar was said by 'Ata', Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, An-Nakha'i, Abu Salih, 'Atiyah, and As-Suddi. Mujahid said that they are, free of urine, menstruation, spit, mucous and pregnancies." Allah's statement,

وَنُدْخِلُهُمْ ظِلًّا ظَلِيلًا

(And We shall admit them to shades, wide and ever deepening (Paradise).) means, wide, extensive, pure and elegant shade. Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet ﷺ said,

إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لَشَجَرَةً يَسِيرُ الرَّاكِبُ فِي ظِلِّهَا مِائَةَ عَامٍ لَا يَقْطَعُهَا: شَجَرَةَ الْخُلْدِ

(There is a tree in Paradise, that if a rider travels under its shade for a hundred years, he will not cross it. It is the Tree of Everlasting Life.)