Punishment for Deniers

One of the worst punishments visited on deniers is humiliation and disgrace in this world and the hereafter

There is a specially created community in the climate of testing in this world. These people are the deniers, who strive against Allah on the basis of no knowledge and with no guide, who make difficulties for believers and live in a state of rebellion. Allah permits them a specific period of time in the life of this world. But they imagine themselves to be very powerful because of their rebellion and grow proud and arrogant. Thery believe themselves to be superior to believers. But because of this pride and their rebellion against Him, Allah inflicts the worst punishment on them in this world and the Hereafter – “humiliation.”
There are various harsh forms of punishment for deniers in this world and the Hereafter. Deniers have been destroyed in various ways because of their arrogance and excess. In the same way that He inflicts destruction on them in this world, Allah makes them taste the torment of fiercely burning fires in the Hereafter. Humiliation and being held in disgrace are one of the ways that our Lord reveals He punishes deniers in the Qur’an. Humiliations and being despised is one of the also worst forms of suffering for people with feelings of superiority and who live in a state of great pride and arrogance in this world.
Satan was also expelled from Paradise by being “humiliated” for his pride:

He said, “Descend from Heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it. So get out! You are one of the abased.” (Surat Al-A‘raf, 13)

Almighty Allah indicates in verses that humiliation and being despised will be one of the worst and most effective forms of suffering inflicted on deniers:

So Allah made them taste disgrace in the life of this world and the punishment of the Hereafter is far worse if they only knew. (Surat az-Zumar, 26)

So We sent a howling wind against them on disastrous ill-fated days to make them taste the punishment of degradation in this world. And the punishment of the Hereafter is even more degrading. And they will not be helped. (Surah Fussilat, 16)

Some faces on that day will be downcast. (Surat Al-Ghashiyya, 2)

Who could do greater wrong than someone who bars access to the mosques of Allah, preventing His name from being remembered in them, and goes about destroying them? Such people will never be able to enter them – except in fear. They will have disgrace in this world and in the Hereafter they will have a terrible punishment. (Surat al-Baqara, 114)

They will be plunged into abasement wherever they are found, unless they have a treaty with Allah and with the people. They have brought down anger from Allah upon themselves, and they have been plunged into destitution. That was because they rejected Allah’s signs and killed the prophets without any right to do so. That was because they disobeyed and went beyond the limits. (Surat al-Imr’an, 112)

O Messenger! Do not be grieved by those who rush headlong into disbelief among those who say “We believe” with their tongues when their hearts contain no faith. And among the Jews are those who listen to lies, listening to other people who have not come to you, distorting words from their proper meanings, saying, “If you are given this, then take it. If you are not given it, then beware!” If Allah desires misguidance for someone, you cannot help him against Allah in any way. Those are the people whose hearts Allah does not want to purify. They will have disgrace in this world and in the Hereafter they will have a terrible punishment. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 41)

Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger, will have the Fire of Hell, remaining in it timelessly, for ever? That is the great disgrace. (Surat at-Tawba, 63)

Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace them, and say, “Where are My partner gods for whose sake you became so hostile?“ Those given knowledge will say, ‘Today there is disgrace and evil for the unbelievers.” (Surat an-Nahl, 27)

If We had destroyed them with a punishment before this, they would have said, “Our Lord, why did You not send us a Messenger, so we could follow Your Signs before we were humbled and disgraced?“ (Surah Ta Ha, 134)

Turning away arrogantly, to misguide people from the way of Allah. He will be disgraced in this world and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the punishment of the Burning. (Surat al-Hajj, 9)

And on the Day of Resurrection his punishment will be doubled and he will be humiliated in it timelessly, for ever, (Surat al-Furqan, 69)

Then I will come at them, from in front of them and behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful. He said, “Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them who follow you, I will fill up Hell with every one of you.” ”Adam, live in the Garden, you and your wife, and eat of it wherever you like. But do not go near this tree lest you become wrongdoers.“ (Surat Al-A‘raf, 117-119)

Whoever Allah misguides has no one to protect them after that. You will see the wrongdoers saying, when they see the punishment, “Is there no way back?” You will see them as they are exposed to it, abject in their abasement, glancing around them furtively. Those who believe will say, “Truly the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.” The wrongdoers are in an everlasting punishment. (Surat ash-Shura, 44-45)

Humiliation and being despised is a terrible punishment for people with feelings of superiority who deny Allah as the Creator (surely Allah is beyond that) and who seek to deify themselves. This is a reward that belittles them and causes them to feel their own helplessness in the face of their unjustified thirst for superiority. While deniers will be brought low by this terrible humiliation, Almighty Allah reveals that He will never humiliate believers in the hereafter:
You who have iman! make tawba to Allah. It may be that your Lord will erase your bad actions from you and admit you into Gardens with rivers flowing under them on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who had iman along with him.Their light will stream out ahead of them and on their right.They will say, ‘Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us! You have power over all things.’ (Surat at-Tahrim, 8)
Believers will enjoy Allah’s infinite blessings in this world and the hereafter and will be rewarded in the most perfect manner in eternal paradise. Allah had elevated them. As the deniers are brought low, so believers will attain the finest of blessings and will be welcomed with Allah’s eternal approval.