سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 40
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ عَنْهَا لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَٰبُ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ حَتَّىٰ يَلِجَ ٱلْجَمَلُ فِى سَمِّ ٱلْخِيَاطِ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ﴿40﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, those who belie Our Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations) and treat them with arrogance, for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle (which is impossible). Thus do We recompense the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists and sinners).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَذَّبُوا۟
kadhabū
denied
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا
biāyātinā
Our Verses
وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟
wa-is'takbarū
and (were) arrogant
عَنْهَا
ʿanhā
towards them
لَا
lā
(will) not
تُفَتَّحُ
tufattaḥu
be opened
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
أَبْوَٰبُ
abwābu
(the) doors
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
(of) the heaven
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَدْخُلُونَ
yadkhulūna
they will enter
ٱلْجَنَّةَ
l-janata
Paradise
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَلِجَ
yalija
passes
ٱلْجَمَلُ
l-jamalu
the camel
فِى
fī
through
سَمِّ
sammi
(the) eye
ٱلْخِيَاطِ ۚ
l-khiyāṭi
(of) the needle
وَكَذَٰلِكَ
wakadhālika
And thus
نَجْزِى
najzī
We recompense
ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
l-muj'rimīna
the criminals
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.
40. 1. Some have interpreted this as referring to deeds, some to souls, and some to supplication, meaning that the gates of heaven are not opened for their deeds, souls, or supplications; that is, their deeds and supplications cannot be accepted, and their souls are returned to the earth (as is also understood from a hadith in Musnad Ahmad, Volume 2, pages 364, 365). Imam Shawkani states that all three things can be meant.
40. 2. This is a case of تعليق بالمحال (ta'liq bil-muhal), just as it is impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, likewise it is impossible for the disbelievers to enter Paradise. The example of a camel is given because camels were familiar to the Arabs and, physically, it is a large animal, while the eye (hole) of a needle is unparalleled in its thinness and narrowness. By mentioning both, the meaning of تعليق بالمحال is made clear. تعليق بالمحال means to make something conditional upon something impossible, just as a camel cannot enter the eye of a needle. Now, making the occurrence of something conditional upon a camel entering the eye of a needle is تعليق بالمحال.
40. 2. This is a case of تعليق بالمحال (ta'liq bil-muhal), just as it is impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, likewise it is impossible for the disbelievers to enter Paradise. The example of a camel is given because camels were familiar to the Arabs and, physically, it is a large animal, while the eye (hole) of a needle is unparalleled in its thinness and narrowness. By mentioning both, the meaning of تعليق بالمحال is made clear. تعليق بالمحال means to make something conditional upon something impossible, just as a camel cannot enter the eye of a needle. Now, making the occurrence of something conditional upon a camel entering the eye of a needle is تعليق بالمحال.
