Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those who disbelieve in the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh and the Meeting with Him, it is they who have no hope of My Mercy: and it is they who will have a painful torment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīnaAnd those who
كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieve
بِـَٔايَـٰتِbiāyātiin (the) Signs
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
وَلِقَآئِهِۦٓwaliqāihiand (the) meeting (with) Him
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَulāikathose
يَئِسُوا۟ya-isū(have) despaired
مِنminof
رَّحْمَتِىraḥmatīMy Mercy
وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَwa-ulāikaAnd those
لَهُمْlahumfor them
عَذَابٌʿadhābun(is) a punishment
أَلِيمٌۭalīmunpainful
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 23) {وَالَّذِيْنَكَفَرُوْابِاٰيٰتِاللّٰهِوَلِقَآىِٕهٖۤ …:} Allah’s mercy in this world is universal, from which the disbeliever and the believer, the hypocrite and the sincere, the righteous and the wicked are all benefiting equally. Allah is granting everyone the resources, comforts, and wealth of the world. This is the vastness of Allah’s mercy about which Allah has said elsewhere: «{ وَرَحْمَتِيْوَسِعَتْكُلَّشَيْءٍ }»[الأعراف : ۱۵۶ ] “And My mercy encompasses all things.” However, since the Hereafter is the abode of recompense, whatever a person has sown in the field of this world, that is the crop he will reap there; as the deeds have been, so will be the reward there. In the court of Allah, judgments will be impartial. If, like in this world, the righteous and the wicked are treated equally in the Hereafter, and both the believer and the disbeliever are deemed worthy of Allah’s mercy, then firstly, this would cast doubt on Allah’s attribute of justice, and secondly, the very purpose of the Day of Judgment would be lost. The Day of Judgment has been established by Allah so that the righteous may be granted Paradise as a reward for their good deeds, and the wicked may be given Hell as a recompense for their evil deeds. Therefore, on the Day of Judgment, Allah’s mercy will be reserved only for the people of faith. As it is stated here as well, those who deny the Hereafter and resurrection will despair of My mercy, meaning that Allah’s mercy will not reach them. In Surah Al-A’raf, this matter is stated in these words: «{ فَسَاَكْتُبُهَالِلَّذِيْنَيَتَّقُوْنَوَيُؤْتُوْنَالزَّكٰوةَوَالَّذِيْنَهُمْبِاٰيٰتِنَايُؤْمِنُوْنَ }»[ الأعراف : ۱۵۶ ] “So I will ordain it (mercy in the Hereafter) for those who are God-fearing, give zakah, and believe in Our signs.” (Ahsan-ul-Bayan) In verse (5) of this surah: «{ مَنْكَانَيَرْجُوْالِقَآءَاللّٰهِفَاِنَّاَجَلَاللّٰهِلَاٰتٍ }» the mention is of those who hope for Allah’s mercy, and in the verse under commentary, the mention is of those who despair of Allah’s mercy. Also see Surah Al-Baqarah (218).
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
23-1. The mercy of Allah Almighty is general in this world, from which disbelievers and believers, hypocrites and sincere ones, and the righteous and the wicked all benefit equally. Allah Almighty grants everyone the resources, comforts, and wealth of the world. This is the vastness of divine mercy, about which Allah Almighty has said elsewhere, "My mercy encompasses all things." But in the end, since the Hereafter is the abode of recompense, whatever a person has sown in the field of this world, he will reap that harvest there; the deeds he has done, he will receive their recompense there. In the court of Allah, judgments will be impartial. If, like in this world, in the Hereafter also the righteous and the wicked are treated equally and both the believer and the disbeliever are deemed deserving of divine mercy, then firstly, this would cast doubt on Allah Almighty's attribute of justice, and secondly, the very purpose of the Day of Resurrection would be lost. The Day of Resurrection has been established by Allah precisely so that the righteous may be given Paradise as a reward for their good deeds and the wicked may be given Hell as recompense for their evil deeds. Therefore, on the Day of Resurrection, the mercy of Allah Almighty will be reserved only for the people of faith. This is also stated here, that those who deny the Hereafter and resurrection will despair of My mercy, meaning that divine mercy will not be allotted to them. In Surah Al-A'raf, this is expressed in these words: (فَسَاَكْتُبُهَالِلَّذِيْنَيَتَّقُوْنَوَيُؤْتُوْنَالزَّكٰوةَوَالَّذِيْنَهُمْبِاٰيٰتِنَايُؤْمِنُوْنَ) 7. Al-A'raf:156) "I will ordain My mercy (in the Hereafter) for those who are righteous, give zakat, and believe in Our verses."
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
23. And those who deny the signs of Allah and the meeting with Him, they have despaired of My mercy [35], and for them there will be a painful punishment.
[35] Denial of Allah’s signs is, in fact, the greatest cause of being deprived of Allah’s mercy. That is, those who deny the Hereafter, the meeting with Allah, and resurrection after death—how can they hope for Allah’s mercy when they do not even believe in it? Therefore, in the Hereafter, they will remain deprived of and hopeless from Allah’s mercy. It has already been explained that those who hope to meet Allah should be certain that their death is soon to come. [29: 5] That is, immediately after death, Allah’s mercy will embrace him. These two types of verses are reflections of each other.
