come to you messengers from among yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?’ They will say, ‘Yes, but the decree of punishment has come into effect against the disbelievers.’”

They have thus acknowledged that the messengers came to them, recited to them the verses of their Lord, and warned them of the meeting of this Day of theirs. They therefore know Allah, His Messenger and the Last Day, yet they remain disbelievers in the Hereafter.

Allah Most High said:

“Whenever a group is cast into it, its keepers will ask them, ‘Did no warner come to you?’ They will say, ‘Yes, a warner did come to us, but we denied him and said, “Allah has sent down nothing.”’”

They thus denied His existence and denied His sending down revelation. In the Hereafter, however, they acknowledge all of this.

Allah Most High said:

“If only you could see when they are made to stand before their Lord! He will say, ‘Is this not the truth?’ They will say, ‘Yes, by our Lord.’ He will say, ‘Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.’”

And He Most High said:

“The agony of death brings the truth: ‘This is what you were trying to evade.’”

Then, further on, He says:

“You were certainly heedless of this. Now We have removed your veil, and today your sight is sharp.”

There are many other verses indicating that the disbelievers will know their Lord in the Hereafter. If mere knowledge were faith, they would be believers in the Hereafter.

If they say, “Faith in the Hereafter is of no benefit; reward is only for faith in this world,” the reply is:

This is correct. But if faith is nothing more than mere knowledge, its essential nature does not change. If deeds are not part of faith, then someone who possesses this knowledge in the Hereafter lacks nothing of faith. Yet the most they claim is that, when he died, his heart contained no affirmation of the Lord whatsoever. The Quranic texts indicate in several places that the disbelievers affirmed the Lord in this world. Even Pharaoh, who openly displayed denial, inwardly affirmed Him.

Allah Most High said:

“They denied them, though their souls were certain of them, out of injustice and arrogance.”

And as Moses said to Pharaoh: “He said, ‘You certainly know