Surah Al-Bayyina and the ‘Worst of Creatures’ – A Misreading That Spanned Centuries?

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 9 April, 2025 For centuries, verse 98:6 of the Quran—labelling certain groups among non-Muslims as “the worst of creatures”—has been widely interpreted as a blanket condemnation of all non-Muslims. But is that really what the verse says? This article applies Tafsir-bil-Quran, the Quran’s own method of self-explanation, to precisely identify the groups condemned to Hellfire and the group promised Paradise. The linguistic disambiguation is achieved by comparing it with another linguistically analogous verse, one about which there is no ambiguity or scholarly disagreement. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that if the misinterpretations were indeed the intended meaning, the verse could have conveyed it plainly without any literary subtlety—proving that those readings are mistaken. The result is a clear, coherent understanding that avoids inherited biases and reveals the Quran’s nuanced moral framework—especially vital in today’s interfaith context. The Message of Surah Al-Bayyina Surah Al-Bayyina (Surah 98) offers a powerful exposition about the distinction between those who knowingly reject the truth and those who embrace it. (98:6) “The Kafaru (those who rejected after conviction) among the People of the Book and the Polytheists will be in the Fire of Hell, to dwell therein forever. They are the worst of creatures.” However, many translators and scholars have erroneously generalized the verse to imply that all Polytheists and all People of the Book who do not accept Islam are condemned. This is incorrect. If the intention was to say that, then the verse would have read: “All the People of the Book and the Polytheists are kafaru and will be in the Fire of Hell, to dwell therein forever. They are the worst of creatures” Correct Interpretation The verse should be interpreted as: “The Kafaru (those who rejected after conviction) from among the People of the Book and from among the Polytheists...” The use of 'min' (from among) applies to both categories. If the intention were to refer to all Polytheists and only some from among the People of the Book, it would have stated: “The Polytheists and the Kafaru from among the People of the Book…” The current structure implies that the rejection is not universal but specific to a subset from each group who are Kafaru. ----- Grammatical Confirmation from Surah 40:8 (40:8) “And grant, our Lord! that they enter the Gardens of Eternity, which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among (min) their fathers, their wives, and their posterity! For Thou art (He), the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom.” Here, the use of 'min' (from among) identifies only the righteous individuals, not the entire categories (fathers, wives, and posterity). This confirms our interpretation of 98:6. This directly refutes the interpretation that generalizes 98:6. To insist otherwise is to accuse Allah of being incapable of communicating unambiguously, even when a clearer expression is easily possible and requires no literary flourish as we have demonstrated The next step is to identify who these Kafaru are among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists who are condemned to Hell-fire in their lifetime, calling them the worst of creatures. Who Are the Kafaru? Clarification from Surah 37: Identifying the Kafaru among the Polytheists (37:167-170) “And there were those who said, ‘If only we had had before us a Message from those of old, we would certainly have been Servants of Allah, sincere (and devoted)!’ But now that the Qur’an has come, they reject it: But soon will they know!” This passage shows that some—not all—Polytheists had made this claim. They were the educated and prosperous elite who desired to have a Prophet from among themselves and a Book of revelation to be on par with the People of the Book. It was vanity, not genuine desire for Allah’s guidance to get close to Allah with their piety. They certainly recognised the Prophet and the Message of the Quran as genuine, but realised that they would have to give up their corrupt ways if they embraced Islam. So, they rejected and opposed the Prophet. These are the condemned worst of creatures who knowingly rejected the Message because it ill-suited their immoral ways. Clarification from Surah 7: Identifying the Kafaru among the People of the Book (7:157) “Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures), in the Torah and the Gospel…” This verse confirms that the scholars and knowledgeable among the People of the Book had prior knowledge of the Prophet’s coming and yet chose to reject him despite the clear signs. Finality of the Verdict Surah 98:6 does not issue a warning but pronounces a judgment. These individuals will die as rejecters. This confirms that it does not refer to all Jews, Christians, or Polytheists — many of whom accepted Islam later — but only to those who: • Among the People of the Book had foreknowledge of the Prophet from their scriptures, and recognised Muhammad as the prophesied Prophet. • Among the Polytheists, eagerly awaited a Prophet but then rejected him and the Quran after clear evidence had come. This is an early Medinian Surah, revealed before the permission to fight was granted and before the ascendance of Islam. (6:117) “Thy Lord knoweth best who strayeth from His way: He knoweth best who they are that receive His guidance.” Allah knows who will receive guidance and who will not when they have crossed a certain threshold in their faith or rejection. He, therefore, declares some as destined for hellfire and some as destined for Heaven in their lifetime. Among those who were identified as destined for Hell-fire are Abu Lahab and his wife ten years before Abu Lahab’s death. His wife died later. Abu Lahab, an inveterate enemy of Islam, could have feigned acceptance of Islam, only to discredit the Quran, which declared his fate. His feigned acceptance would mean that Allah had no choice but to forgive him, proving the Surah 111, which predicts his destiny, false. However, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The Best of Creatures (98:7) “Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds—they are the best of creatures.” This is further elaborated in: (9:100) “The vanguard (of Islam)- the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well-pleased is Allah with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that is the supreme felicity.” These were people who believed despite hardship, persecution, and no promise of worldly gain. This verse praises them specifically—not all who came later and accepted Islam when it had become socially or politically advantageous. (98:8) “Their reward is with Allah: Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein for ever; Allah well pleased with them, and they with Him: all this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher.” They are also promised Heaven in their lifetime. This means that Allah has taken the responsibility to ensure that they remain steady on the right path. The following verses confirm it: (9:117) Allah turned with favour to the Prophet, the Muhajirs, and the Ansar, - who followed him in a time of distress, after that the hearts of a part of them had nearly swerved (from duty); but He turned to them (also): for He is unto them Most Kind, Most Merciful. The following applies to all genuine believers: (9:115) And Allah will not mislead a people after He hath guided them, in order that He may make clear to them what to fear (and avoid)- for Allah hath knowledge of all things. Not Every Disbeliever Is Kafir Verse 98:6 is yet another confirmation from the Quran, that not all the Polytheists/Disbelievers are Kafir. Therefore, every translation of Kafir as disbeliever is a gross error. A Call to Action There is now an opportunity to purify the understanding of Islam by exposing and rejecting the confusion caused by hypocrites and misinterpreters. Those who speak the truth and confirm it are praised in: (39:32-35) “…And he who brings the Truth and he who confirms (and supports) it - such are the men who do right… Allah will turn off from them even the worst in their deeds and give them their reward according to the best of what they have done.” Conclusion The message of Surah Al-Bayyina is precise, powerful, and specific. Any attempt to generalize its meaning to all Polytheists or all People of the Book distorts its message and amounts to attributing to Allah what He did not say. May Allah grant us the strength to uphold the truth and the wisdom to distinguish between what He has clearly revealed and what others falsely ascribe to Him. --- A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer Ahmed is an Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and is an independent IT consultant after having served in both the Public and Private sector in responsible positions for over three decades. He has spent years studying Quran in-depth and made seminal contributions to its interpretation. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/surah-bayyina-creatures-misreading-centuries/d/135105 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism