Surah 39

Surah 39:24

"Is he who guards (himself) with his face against the evil of the punishment on the Day of Resurrection [. . .]? But it will be said to the evildoers, ‘Taste what you have earned!’"
The Final Destination of the Disbelievers Verses 39:24-26
Show Full Scripture Context (39:24-26) — 3 Verses
Verse 24

أَفَمَن يَتَّقِي بِوَجۡهِهِۦ سُوٓءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۚ وَقِيلَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ذُوقُواْ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡسِبُونَ

Is he who guards (himself) with his face against the evil of the punishment on the Day of Resurrection [. . .]? But it will be said to the evildoers, ‘Taste what you have earned!’

Verse 25

كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ

Those who were before them called (it) a lie, and the punishment came upon them from where they did not realize (it would).

Verse 26

فَأَذَاقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخِزۡيَ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَكۡبَرُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

So God made them taste disgrace in this present life, but the punishment of the Hereafter is indeed greater, if (only) they knew.

{Is he then, who will confront with his face the awful torment on the Day of Resurrection?} he will be rebuked and he and the evildoers like him will be told: {Taste what you used to earn!} ‘Is this like the one who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection?’ as Allah says: {Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on the straight way?} (67:22); {The Day they will be dragged on their faces into the Fire (it will be said to them): “Taste you the touch of Hell!”} (54:48), and {Is he who is cast into the Fire better or he who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection?} (41:40). In each of these Ayat, it was sufficient to refer to one of the two groups. {Those before them denied, and so the torment came on them from directions they perceived not.} means, the previous generations who denied the Messengers were destroyed by Allah for their sins. And none had they to protect them from Allah. {So Allah made them to taste the disgrace in the present life,} means, by means of the punishment and revenge which He sent down upon them, and the rejoicing of the believers for what happened to them. So, let those who are addressed beware, for they have rejected the noblest of the Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets. And what Allah has promised them of severe punishment in the Hereafter is worse than whatever befell them in this world.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Page 382-384)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.