Key takeaway
Quran 4:56, describing the punishment of the Hereafter, says: "Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment." Medicine shows that the skin is densely supplied with pain receptors (nociceptors). In full-thickness (third-degree) burns, nerve endings in the skin are destroyed, so the burned area itself may feel numb.
The verse
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلْنَـٰهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا ٥٦
Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses - We will drive them into a fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allāh is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.
Key Arabic terms
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| نَضِجَتْ | naḍijat | "became thoroughly cooked or roasted through" |
| جُلُودُهُم | julūduhum | their skins |
The verse
The verse warns those who reject Allah's signs. Its striking detail is that new skins are given each time the old ones are burned through, "so they may taste," which links the experience of pain to the presence of intact skin.
Medical background
Skin is one of the most sensitive organs, rich in free nerve endings that detect harmful heat, pressure and chemicals. Burns are classified by depth. Superficial and partial-thickness burns are very painful because the nerve endings are irritated but intact. In full-thickness burns the dermis and its nerve endings are destroyed, and the center of the burn can be insensitive to touch and pin-prick, though surrounding tissue still hurts.
Balanced assessment
Moderate A reasonable, accurate correspondence; the words have other valid meanings or the fact was partly known before.
Everyone knows that burns hurt, so the significance lies in the precise link between renewed skin and continued pain, which fits what is now known about nerve endings in the skin. This is a reasonable correspondence, and the verse's purpose is moral warning, not physiology.
Frequently asked questions
What does Quran 4:56 say about skin and pain?
It says that whenever the skins of the punished are roasted through, Allah replaces them with new skins so they continue to feel. The skin contains pain receptors, and deep burns destroy them.
References
Quran
- Quran 4:56, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
Science & history
Classical exegesis is summarized from the standard commentaries (e.g. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī). See our methodology.
Cite this page
Quran Scientific Miracles. “Pain Receptors in the Skin.” https://quranscientificmiracles.com/topics/skin-pain-receptors/ (reviewed 2026-10-20).