Tafsir Surah Sad ayah 68 | Learn Quran Tafsir

The Final Return of the Doomed

Having mentioned the final of the blessed, Allah follows that with mention of the final return of the doomed when they are resurrected and brought to account.

Allah says:

هَذَا وَإِنَّ لِلطَّاغِينَ

This is so! And for the Taghin,

which refers to those who disobey Allah, may He be glorified, and oppose the Messengers of Allah, peace be upon them,

لَشَرَّ مَأبٍ

will be an evil final return.

means, the worst final return.

Then Allah explains it by saying

جَهَنَّمَ يَصۡلَوۡنَهَا

Hell! Where they will enter,

means, they will enter it and it will overwhelm them on all sides.

فَبِيۡسَ الۡمِهَادُ

هَذَا فَلۡيَذُوقُوهُ حَمِيمٌ وَغَسَّاقٌ

and worst (indeed) is that place to rest! This is so! Then let them taste it -- Hamim and Ghassaq.

Hamim is something that has been heated to the ultimate degree, and Ghassaq is the opposite, something that is so intensely cold that it is unbearable.

Allah says:

وَاخَرُ مِن شَكۡلِهِ أَزۡوَاجٌ

And other of similar kind (opposite pairs) -- all together!

means, and other things of this kind, a thing and its opposite, serving as punishments.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, concerning the Ayah:

وَاخَرُ مِن شَكۡلِهِ أَزۡوَاجٌ

(And other of similar kind -- all together!

Different kinds of punishments.

Others said,

such as intense cold and intense heat, and drinking Hamim and eating the bitter tree of Az-Zaqqum, and being lifted up and thrown down, and other kinds of paired opposites, all of which are means of punishment.

The Disputes of the People of Hell

Allah says:

هَذَا فَوۡجٌ مُّقۡتَحِمٌ مَّعَكُمۡ لَا مَرۡحَبًا بِهِمۡ إِنَّهُمۡ صَالُوا النَّارِ

This is a troop entering with you (in Hell), no welcome for them! Verily, they shall enter in the Fire!

Here Allah tells us what the people of Hell will say to one another.

This is like the Ayah:

كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتۡ أُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتۡ أُخۡتَهَا

Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before), (7:38)

which means, instead of greeting one another, they will curse one another, accuse one another of being liars and reject one another.

When a new group arrives, the keepers of Hell will say,

هَذَا فَوۡجٌ مُّقۡتَحِمٌ مَّعَكُمۡ لَا مَرۡحَبًا بِهِمۡ إِنَّهُمۡ صَالُوا النَّارِ

(This is a troop entering with you (in Hell), no welcome for them! Verily, they shall enter in the Fire!),

meaning, because they are of the people of Hell

قَالُوا بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ لَاا مَرۡحَبًا بِكُمۡ

Nay, you (too)! No welcome for you!

means, those who are coming in will say,

قَالُوا بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ لَاا مَرۡحَبًا بِكُمۡ أَنتُمۡ قَدَّمۡتُمُوهُ لَنَا

Nay, you (too)! No welcome for you! It is you who brought this upon us,

meaning, `you called us to that which led us to this fate.'

فَبِيۡسَ الۡقَرَارُ

so evil is this place to stay in!

means, evil is this abode and this destination.

قَالُوا رَبَّنَا مَن قَدَّمَ لَنَا هَذَا فَزِدۡهُ عَذَابًا ضِعۡفًا فِي النَّار

They will say:Our Lord! Whoever brought this upon us, add to him a double torment in the Fire!.

This is like the Ayah,

قَالَتۡ أُخۡرَاهُمۡ لاٍّولَـهُمۡ رَبَّنَا هَـوُلاءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَاتِهِمۡ عَذَابًا ضِعۡفًا مِّنَ النَّارِ قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعۡفٌ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَعۡلَمُونَ

The last of them will say to the first of them:

Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire.

He will say:For each one there is double (torment), but you know not. (7:38)

which means that each of them will be punished as he deserves.

Allah tells:

وَقَالُوا مَا لَنَا لَا نَرَى رِجَالاً كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُم مِّنَ الاَۡشۡرَار

أَتَّخَذۡنَاهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا أَمۡ زَاغَتۡ عَنۡهُمُ الاَۡبۡصَارُ

And they will say:What is the matter with us that we see not men whom we used to count among the bad ones Did we take them as an object of mockery, or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them?

Here Allah tells us that when they are in Hell, the disbelievers will notice that they do not see people who they thought were misguided, while they thought of themselves as believers. They will say,

`why do we not see them with us in the Fire?'

Mujahid said,

This is what Abu Jahl will say; he will say, `what is the matter with me that I do not see Bilal and `Ammar and Suhayb and so-and-so...'

This is an example; all the disbelievers are like this, they think that the believers will go to Hell, so when the disbelievers enter Hell, they will wonder why they do not see them there, and they will say,

مَا لَنَا لَاا نَرَى رِجَالاًا كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُم مِّنَ الاۡاَشۡرَارِ

أَتَّخَذۡنَاهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا

(What is the matter with us that we see not men whom we used to count among the bad ones Did we take them as an object of mockery),

means, in this world,

أَمۡ زَاغَتۡ عَنۡهُمُ الاَۡبۡصَارُ

(or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them),

means, they will try to console themselves with this wishful thinking, so they will say, perhaps they are here in Hell with us, but we have not laid eyes on them. Then they will find out that they (the believers) are in the lofty levels of Paradise, as Allah says:

وَنَادَى أَصۡحَـبُ الۡجَنَّةِ أَصۡحَـبَ النَّارِ أَن قَدۡ وَجَدۡنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّا فَهَلۡ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمۡ حَقًّا قَالُواۡ نَعَمۡ فَأَذَّنَ مُوَذِّنٌ بَيۡنَهُمۡ أَن لَّعۡنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّـلِمِينَ

And the dwellers of Paradise will call out to the dwellers of the Fire (saying):We have indeed found true what our Lord had promised us; have you also found true what your Lord promised (warned) They shall say:Yes. Then a crier will proclaim between them:The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers.

until:

ادۡخُلُواۡ الۡجَنَّةَ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَلَا أَنتُمۡ تَحۡزَنُونَ

Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve. (7:44-49)

إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَحَقٌّ تَخَاصُمُ أَهۡلِ النَّارِ

Verily, that is the very truth -- the mutual dispute of the people of the Fire!

means, `this that We have told you, O Muhammad, about the dispute among the people of Hell and their cursing one another, is true and there is no doubt concerning it.

The Message of the Messenger is a Great News

Allah tells His Messenger,

قُلۡ إِنَّمَا أَنَا مُنذِرٌ

Say:I am only a warner,

Allah tells His Messenger to say to those who disbelieved in Allah, associated others in worship with Him and denied His Messenger:`I am a warner, I am not as you claim.'

وَمَا مِنۡ إِلَهٍ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الۡوَاحِدُ الۡقَهَّارُ

and there is no God (worthy of worship) except Allah, the One, the Irresistible,

means, He Alone has subjugated and controlled everything

رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا

The Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them,

means, He is the Sovereign of all that and is in control of it.

الۡعَزِيزُ الۡغَفَّارُ

the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving.

means, He is Oft-Forgiving as well as being Almighty and All-Powerful.

قُلۡ هُوَ نَبَأٌ عَظِيمٌ

Say:That (this Qur'an) is a great news,

means, `something very important, which is that Allah has sent me to you.

أَنتُمۡ عَنۡهُ مُعۡرِضُونَ

From which you turn away!

means, `you neglect it.'

مَا كَانَ لِي مِنۡ عِلۡمٍ بِالۡمَلَاِ الاۡاَعۡلَى إِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ

I had no knowledge of the chiefs (angels) on high when they were disputing and discussing.

meaning, `were it not for the divine revelation, how could I have known about the dispute of the chiefs on high (the angels)?'

This refers to their dispute concerning Adam, peace be upon him, and how Iblis refused to prostrate to him and argued with his Lord because He preferred him (Adam) over him.

This is what Allah says:

إِن يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِلاَّ أَنَّمَا أَنَا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

Only this has been revealed to me, that I am a plain warner.

Sad: 68

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Sad: 68