You may travel about in the land for four months and know that you cannot thwart Allah, and that Allah will humiliate the unbelievers. ( Surat at-Tawba, 9:2)
Humiliation is one of the punishments that Allah sends to unbelievers in this world. For unbelievers who are devoted to ostentation and seeking others' approval, humiliation is a very severe punishment. In the Qur'an, Allah describes this punishment, as follows:
Those before them also denied the truth, and the punishment came upon them from where they did not expect. So Allah made them taste disgrace in the life of the world, and the punishment of the Hereafter is far worse, if they only knew. ( Surat az-Zumar, 39:25-26)
Allah manifests this attribute through believers and especially through those of His Messengers. The following verses call attention to this fact, as follows:
... Allah will punish them at your hands, disgrace them, help you against them, and heal the hearts of those who believe. He will remove the rage from their hearts. Allah turns to anyone He wills. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. ( Surat at-Tawba, 9:14-15)
The message Prophet Sulayman (as) sent to the unbelievers was as follows:
"Return to them. We will come to them with troops they cannot face, and will expel them from it, abased and humiliated." ( Surat an-Naml, 27:37)
On the other hand, in many verses Allah gives the news of a degrading punishment awaiting unbelievers in the Hereafter, one that they deserve because of their arrogance and pride in this world. As stated earlier, one of the unbelievers' major goals is to gain other people's appreciation, and so they praise themselves rather than glorify Allah. Thus, Allah makes humiliation the essence of their punishment in Hell, for their humiliation in front of other people will cause them to experience the greatest anguish. One verse reads:
On the Day when those who were unbelievers are exposed to the Fire: “You dissipated the good things you had in your worldly life, and enjoyed yourself in it. So today you are being repaid with the punishment of humiliation for being arrogant in the land, without any right, and for being deviators.” ( Surat al-Ahqaf, 46:20)
The humiliation and abasement experienced in Hell is unprecedented and of various kinds. This humiliation will even manifest itself upon their bodies. For example, dust and debasement will darken their faces, as the following verses reveal:
Some faces on that Day will be downcast. ( Surat al-Ghashiya, 88:2)
But as for those who have earned bad actions—a bad action will be repaid with one like it. Debasement will darken them. They will have no one to protect them from Allah. It is as if their faces were covered by dark patches of night. Those are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever. (Surah Yunus, 10:27)
While manifesting His attribute of al-Mudhhill upon unbelievers, Allah manifests His names of ar-Rahman and ar-Rahman ar-Raheem upon believers. By granting His Paradise and mercy, our Lord purifies them of all forms of evil. Contrary to the unbelievers' humiliation, Allah will grant His sincere servants His good pleasure, Paradise , and blessings.
