Quran 98:6 Are the disbelievers the worst creatures ?

Holy Qur’an teaches us that the created human being, if he seeks slavation, should not consider himself totally free/independent to disobey his maker. He should have belief in his heart that he is obedient and servant of the most Potent and Powerful Lord, God Almighty, Who has created him and all those things which have been scattering around him. And everything has been running according to His prescribed laws. One of the basic teachings of Islam is that God does not have a favorable opinion of those who knowingly deny His right to be worshiped alone (as He alone is responsible for our creation, our sustenance, and our judgement) and reject any of His messengers.

Out of creatures, the human beings are seen most arrogant and rebellious. Some of them are those; who do not accept that law; which He has prescribed for the humankind; and want to choose their own way.It is commanded that the worst people on the earth are those; who do not believe in Allah (God) Almighty and deny His Revelations, and there is no hope that they will believe in future. Obviously, those people; who do not believe in God Almighty; they cannot be faithful to their covenant. Moreover, whenever they get opportunity, break their treaty. These are the people who are the worst in entire creatures of God Almighty.

8:55  Verily, the vilest creatures in the sight of God are those who are bent on denying the truth and therefore do not believe.

In the present instance, it should be noted, the particle fa at the beginning of the phrase fa-hum Ia yu'minun has the meaning of "and therefore" ("and therefore they do not believe"): thus showing that lack of belief in spiritual verities is a consequence of one's being "bent on denying the truth". Expressed in positive terms, this amounts to the statement that belief in any ethical proposition depends on one's readiness to consider it on its merits and to admit the truth of whatever one's mind judges to be in conformity with other-empirically or intuitively established-truths. As regards the expression alladhina kafaru, the use of the past tense is meant here, as so often in the Qur’an, to stress the element of intention, and is, therefore, consistently rendered by me - wherever the context warrants it - as "those who are bent on denying the truth" (see also surah 2, note 6).  Similarly, the vilest citizens in your city are those who are bent on violating the traffic rules, those who do not believe in the laws of the land. Those who drink and drive make hell for themselves and for others.

98:6.  Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein. They are the worst of creatures.

In this ayah the reference to those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book is to those later ones who rejected the clear evidence, that is, the messengership of the Holy Prophet (sas) when it came to them. Therefore, as they rejected the complete and perfect message that had come to them, they made themselves deserving of punishment, and for this reason they were called the worst of creation because they deliberately refused to benefit from the Messenger of Allah and the clear evidence he brought. Instead they increased in unbelief and polytheism. So who can doubt that they truly earned the description of the worst of creatures? Without doubt, by their own evil deeds they made themselves asfala safilin (the lowest of the low).

In the former verses, it was mentioned that the people of the Book and the polytheists were waiting for clear evidence to be sent by Allah, but when it came they were dispersed and everyone went his separate way.

In the following verses, from the point of Faith in truth, people are divided into two groups believers and disbelievers, and then the fate of each is pointed out.

At first it says:

"Surely those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the polytheists shall be in the fire of Hell, therein dwelling forever, they are the worst of all creatures.”

The term /kafaru/ ‘they disbelieved', here refers to their blasphemy rather than their being Muslim, otherwise their previous infidelity was not a new matter.

The phrase

“They are the worst of all creatures"

is a startling statement which shows that among all the living and non-living creatures there is nothing worse than those who left the right path and went astray after the truth became clear and the argument and reason became complete.

This is, in fact, like that which is mentioned in Surah Anfal, No. 8, verse 22:

"For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb. Those who understand not”.

Or similar still, to what Surah A'raf, No. 7, verse 179 says after referring to the people of Hell with the same characteristics:

“...they are like cattle, nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning)”.

There is also a point in the current verse which goes beyond these matters, because it introduces them as

“The worst of all creatures",

and this is, indeed, a statement of evidence for their perpetual stay in the fire of Hell.

And why not! They were the worst of all creatures, because all the means of salvation were being prepared for them, but they refused it intentionally, due to their pride, deceit and enmity.

In this verse, again, the phrase 'the People of Book' is mentioned prior to 'polytheists' perhaps for the reason that they had heavenly Books and learned men among them and also possessed some signs and information about the Prophet of Islam which were clearly mentioned in their Books. Therefore, their rejection was more hideous and indecent. 

Those who disbelieved after receiving clear proof are the worst creatures of all, while those who believe and do good deeds are the best. Hence the two receive totally different rewards. Since clear evidence was given to them formerly in their own religions through their own prophets, and since clear evidence was given to them again, full of life, in the form of a messenger from God reciting pure revelations, and offering them a clear and simple faith, then the true path becomes very clear. So does the destiny of unbelievers, as also that of believers.

Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last messenger, and Islam, which he preached, the final message. Messengers from God came successively every time corruption spread in human life. Their objective was to make mankind return to righteousness. Those who deviated from the right path had one chance after another to correct their behaviour. But now that God had willed to close His messages to earth by this final, comprehensive, perfect and accomplished message, then the last chance was also given. This entailed either the adoption of faith leading to salvation, or the denial of faith ending in destruction. For disbelief now is an established evidence of unlimited evil, while accepting the faith is proof of goodness which goes to its absolute end.

Here is a brief note on the etiquette  of the wise person towards his creator: