Transliteration:( Wa man kafara falaa yahzunka kufruh; ilainaa marji'uhum fanunabbi'uhum bimaa 'amiloo; innal laaha 'aleemum bizaatis sudoor )
"And whoso disbelieves, let not his infidelity grieve [53] you. To Him is their return. Then We shall tell them what they used to do. Surely, Allah knows what is inside the breasts."
This verse consoles the Holy Prophet ﷺ, assuring him not to be grieved by the disbelief of others. His responsibility was to convey the message, not to guarantee its acceptance. The loss of the disbeliever is upon himself alone.
As mentioned elsewhere in the Qur’an: “And you shall not be questioned about the inmates of Hell” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:119). This confirms that the Prophet ﷺ will not be held accountable for the disbelief of others, provided he has fulfilled his duty of propagation.
It also indicates that no one from other nations or past communities will be able to say they didn’t receive the message—the responsibility of conveying it was fulfilled through the Prophet’s mission.
The disbelievers will return to Allah, not escape His dominion. There, Allah will fully inform them of all they did, holding them accountable with absolute justice.
And Allah is not only aware of their actions, but also of what lies deep within their hearts—intentions, hypocrisy, arrogance, or sincerity. The reference to “what is inside the breasts” emphasizes that no hidden motive will be overlooked.
In essence, this verse teaches:
The grief of the Prophet ﷺ over people's disbelief is due to his mercy, but it should not burden him.
True accountability rests with each individual.
Allah’s judgment is based on outer deeds and inner realities, and none can escape His perfect justice.
It is a call for believers to remain sincere in their duty and to trust that Allah alone manages the outcomes.
The tafsir of Surah Luqman verse 23 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Luqman ayat 22 which provides the complete commentary from verse 22 through 24.
(31:23) So let the unbelief of the unbeliever not grieve you.[43] To Us is their return and then We shall inform them of all that they did. Surely Allah knows well even the secrets that are hidden in the breasts (of people).
43. That is, “Thank God that you at least know this and believe in this. But if this be the reality, all praise should then belong to Allah alone. How can any other being deserve praise when it has no share whatever in the creation of the universe?”
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