35:39
He it is That has made you inheritors in the earth: if, then, any do reject (Allah), their rejection(works) against themselves: their rejection but adds to the odium for the Unbelievers in the sight of their Lord: their rejection but adds to (their own) undoing.
The Qurʾān presents humanity as collectively entrusted with the role of vicegerency (khilāfah) on the earth. Just as Adam was appointed as a vicegerent (Qurʾān 2:30), the Qurʾān also indicates that this responsibility extends to all human beings (cf. Qurʾān 6:165). In this capacity, humanity is reminded that the natural world has been made subservient for human benefit and stewardship (Qurʾān 22:65; cf. 14:33; 31:20; 45:13). These verses emphasize the ethical responsibility that accompanies humanity’s privileged position within creation.
The Qurʾān further teaches that disbelief ultimately harms the individual who persists in it (cf. Qurʾān 30:44). This principle corresponds with the Qurʾānic statement that no person will bear the burden of another (cf. Qurʾān 35:18). Because each individual is accountable for their own choices, disbelief represents a rejection of the moral responsibility inherent in humanity’s role as God’s vicegerent on earth. Exegetical commentary explains that continued rejection of faith ultimately increases the spiritual loss of disbelievers, particularly in the context of the Day of Resurrection (Ibn Kathīr). Similar Qurʾānic passages describe how the message of the prophets sometimes intensified the opposition of those who rejected it (cf. Qurʾān 9:125; 17:41; 25:60; 35:42; 71:6).
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Dagli, Caner K.; Dakake, Maria Massi; Lumbard, Joseph E.B.; Rustom,
Mohammed. The Study Quran (p. 1066). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.