Surah Yunus Tafseer

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ وَلَوْ جَاءتْهُمْ كُلُّ ايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الَالِيمَ

Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment.

meaning they would not believe in a way that they might benefit from that belief. This is when they believe at a time one may not be able to benefit from his belief.

An example is when Musa prayed against Fir`awn and his chiefs, saying:

رَبَّنَا اطْمِسْ عَلَى أَمْوَلِهِمْ وَاشْدُدْ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلَ يُوْمِنُواْ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ

Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment. (10:88)

And Allah said:

وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَأ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَـيِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ قُبُلً مَّا كَانُواْ لِيُوْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَأءَ اللَّهُ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ

And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto them, and We had gathered together all things before their very eyes, they would not have believed, unless Allah willed, but most of them behave ignorantly. (6:111)

Allah then said