Study the Quran

Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Taha 20:100

Word by word

مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وِزْرًا

Whoever turns away from it - then indeed, he will bear on the Day of Resurrection a burden [i.e., great sin],

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Entire Qur'an is the Remembrance of Allah and mentioning the

Punishment of Those Who turn away from It

Allah, the Exalted, is saying to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, `We have told you (O Muhammad) the story of Musa and what happened with him, Fir`awn and his armies, just as it actually happened. Likewise, We relate to you the information of the past just as it happened, without any increase or decrease. We also gave you a remembrance from Us, the Mighty Qur'an, no falsehood comes to it from before it or behind it.' It is a revelation from One Most Wise, Most Praiseworthy. No Prophet was given any Book like it or more complete than it, since the time of the previous Prophets who were sent, until their being sealed off with the coming of Muhammad ﷺ. No Prophet was given any Book containing as much information than the Qur'an about what has past and what would be. The judgement concerning the distinction between mankind is taken from it.

Therefore, Allah says about it,مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ(Whoever turns away from it,) This means whoever denies it and turns away from following its commands and instructions, while seeking guidance from other than it, then Allah will mislead him and send him on the path to Hell. This is why Allah says,مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ وِزْراً(Whoever turns away from it, verily, they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.) .

Burden here means sin. This is as Allah says,وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ(But those of the sects that reject it , the Fire will be their promised meeting place.) 11:17 This applies generally to whoever the Qur'an reaches of the Arabs, the non-Arabs, the People of the Book and others. This is as Allah says,لاٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ(That I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.) 6:19 The Qur'an is a final warning for everyone it reaches. Whoever follows it, then he is rightly guided and whoever opposes it and turns away from it, then he is misguided. He will be wretched in this life, and he is promised that on the Day of Resurrection his abode will be the Hellfire. For this reason Allah says,مَّنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ وِزْراً خَـلِدِينَ فِيهِ(Whoever turns away from it, verily, they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.

They will abide in that.) 20:100-101 They will not be able to avoid this or escape it.وَسَآءَ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ حِمْلاً(And evil indeed will it be that load for them on the Day of Resurrection.)

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

مَّنْ أَعْرَ‌ضَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وِزْرً‌ا (Whoever turns away from it shall certainly bear a heavy burden on the Doomsday - 20:100) Turning aside from the Qur'an can take different forms: not paying proper attention and respect when it is being recited; showing scant desire to learn to read it or to comprehend its meaning, or reading it incorrectly without regard to correct pronunciation etc.; reading it without full concentration; reading it not to win God's goodwill but to attain worldly rewards such as wealth and fame. Likewise not striving to comprehend the laws laid down by the Qur'an or, having understood them, not complying with them or acting in their defiance are extreme forms of disregard for the Qur'an. Any neglect of the rights and claims of the Qur'an is a great sin and the guilty person will bear it on his head on the Day of Judgment in the shape of a heavy load.

It has been related in several traditions that the evil deeds and the sins which a person has committed in his life time will be placed on his head in the shape of a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

من أعرض عن هذا القرآن، ولم يصدق به، ولم يعمل بما فيه، فإنه يأتي ربه يوم القيامة يحمل إثمًا عظيمًا.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

ولهذا قال تعالى : ( من أعرض عنه ) أي : كذب به وأعرض عن اتباعه أمرا وطلبا ، وابتغى الهدى في غيره ، فإن الله يضله ويهديه إلى سواء الجحيم; ولهذا قال : ( من أعرض عنه فإنه يحمل يوم القيامة وزرا ) أي : إثما ، كما قال [ الله ] تعالى : ( ومن يكفر به من الأحزاب فالنار موعده ) [ هود : 17 ] .وهذا عام في كل من بلغه القرآن من العرب والعجم ، أهل الكتاب وغيرهم ، كما قال تعالى : ( لأنذركم به ومن بلغ ) [ الأنعام : 19 ] . فكل من بلغه القرآن فهو نذير له وداع ، فمن اتبعه هدي ، ومن خالفه وأعرض عنه ضل وشقي في الدنيا ، والنار موعده يوم القيامة; ولهذا قال : ( من أعرض عنه فإنه يحمل يوم القيامة وزرا )

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.