Tafsir Surah Ad-Dukhan ayah 53 | Learn Quran Tafsir

The Condition of the Idolators and Their Punishment on the Day of Resurrection

Allah tells us how He will punish the disbelievers who deny the meeting with Him:

إِنَّ شَجَرَةَ الزَّقُّومِ

طَعَامُ الاَۡثِيمِ

Verily, the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinners.

Those who sinned by their words and in deeds. These are the disbelievers.

More than one commentator stated that this referred to Abu Jahl; undoubtedly he is included among those referred to in this Ayah, but it is not specifically about him.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' was reciting to a man:

إِنَّ شَجَرَةَ الزَّقُّومِ

طَعَامُ الاَۡثِيمِ

Verily, the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinners.

The man said, The food of the orphan.

Abu Ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, said,

Say, the tree of Zaqqum is the food of the evildoer.

i.e., he will not have any other food apart from that.

Mujahid said,

If a drop of it were to fall on the earth, it would corrupt the living of all the people of earth.

A similar Marfu` report has been narrated earlier

كَالۡمُهۡلِ

Like boiling oil,

means, like the dregs of oil.

يَغۡلِي فِي الۡبُطُونِ

كَغَلۡيِ الۡحَمِيمِ

it will boil in the bellies, like the boiling of scalding water.

means, because of its heat and rancidity

خُذُوهُ

Seize him,

means the disbeliever.

It was reported that when Allah says to the keepers of Hell, Seize him, seventy thousand of them will rush to seize him.

فَاعۡتِلُوهُ

and drag him,

means, drag him by pulling him and pushing him on his back.

Mujahid said:

خُذُوهُ فَاعۡتِلُوهُ

(Seize him and drag him) means, take him and push him.

إِلَى سَوَاء الۡجَحِيمِ

into the midst of blazing Fire.

means, into the middle of it.

ثُمَّ صُبُّوا فَوۡقَ رَأۡسِهِ مِنۡ عَذَابِ الۡحَمِيمِ

Then pour over his head the torment of boiling water.

This is like the Ayah:

يُصَبُّ مِن فَوۡقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الۡحَمِيمُ

يُصۡهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمۡ وَالۡجُلُودُ

boiling water will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins. (22:19-20)

The angel will strike him with a hooked rod of iron and split his head open, then he will pour boiling water over his head. It will go down through his body, melting through his stomach and intestines, until it goes through his heels; may Allah protect us from that.

ذُقۡ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الۡعَزِيزُ الۡكَرِيمُ

Taste you (this)! Verily, you were (pretending to be) the mighty, the generous.

means, they (the keepers of Hell) will say that to him by way of ridicule and rebuke.

Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

This means, you are neither mighty nor generous.

And Allah's saying:

إِنَّ هَذَا مَا كُنتُم بِهِ تَمۡتَرُونَ

Verily, this is that whereof you used to doubt!

It is like His saying:

يَوۡمَ يُدَعُّونَ إِلَى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا

هَـذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ

أَفَسِحۡرٌ هَـذَا أَمۡ أَنتُمۡ لَا تُبۡصِرُونَ

The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing. This is the Fire which you used to deny. In this magic, or do you not see? (52:13-15)

Similarly Allah said:

إِنَّ هَذَا مَا كُنتُم بِهِ تَمۡتَرُونَ

(Verily, this is that where of you used to doubt!

The State of Those Who have Taqwa and the Delights

They will enjoy in Paradise When Allah describes the state of the doomed, He follows that with a description of the life of the blessed. For this reason the Qur'an is called Al-Mathani (i.e., oft-repeated).

إِنَّ الۡمُتَّقِينَ

Verily, those who have Taqwa,

i.e., those who fear Allah and are dutiful towards Him in this world,

فِي مَقَامٍ أَمِينٍ

will be in place of security.

means, in the Hereafter, i.e., in Paradise, where they will be safe from death and the fear of leaving it, and from every kind of worry, grief, terror and exhaustion, and from the Shaytan and his wiles, and from all other troubles and disasters.

فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ

Among Gardens and Springs.

This is in direct contrast to the state of the doomed, who will have the tree of Zaqqum and boiling water

يَلۡبَسُونَ مِن سُندُسٍ

Dressed in Sundus,

means, the finest of silk, such as shirts and the like.

وَإِسۡتَبۡرَقٍ

and Istabraq,

means, silk which is woven with shiny threads, like a splendid garment which is worn over regular clothes.

مُّتَقَابِلِينَ

facing each other,

means, sitting on thrones where none of them will sit with his back to anyone else.

كَذَلِكَ

وَزَوَّجۡنَاهُم بِحُورٍ عِينٍ

So (it will be).

And We shall marry them to Hur (fair females) with wide lovely eyes,

This will be a gift in addition to the beautiful wives given to them.

لَمۡ يَطۡمِثۡهُنَّ إِنسٌ قَبۡلَهُمۡ وَلَا جَأنٌّ

with whom no man or Jinn has had Tamth (sexual intercourse) before them. (55:56)

كَأَنَّهُنَّ الۡيَاقُوتُ وَالۡمَرۡجَانُ

(In beauty) they are like rubies and Marjan. (55:58)

هَلۡ جَزَاءُ الاِحۡسَـنِ إِلاَّ الاِحۡسَـنُ

Is there any reward for good other than good. (55:60)

يَدۡعُونَ فِيهَا بِكُلِّ فَاكِهَةٍ امِنِينَ

They will call therein for every kind of fruit in peace and security;

means, whatever kinds of fruit they ask for will be brought to them, and they will have the security of knowing that this supply will never come to an end or be withheld; these fruits will be brought to them whenever they want

لَاا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا الۡمَوۡتَ إِلاَّ الۡمَوۡتَةَ الاۡاُولَى

They will never taste death therein except the first death,

This is an exception which reinforces the negation. The meaning is that they will never taste death there.

It was reported in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah said:

يُوۡتَى بِالۡمَوۡتِ فِي صُورَةِ كَبۡشٍ أَمۡلَحَ فَيُوقَفُ بَيۡنَ الۡجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ ثُمَّ يُذۡبَحُ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ يَا أَهۡلَ الۡجَنَّةِ خُلُودٌ فَلَ مَوۡتَ وَيَا أَهۡلَ النَّارِ خُلُودٌ فَلَ مَوۡت

Death will be brought forth in the image of a fine ram. It will be made to stand between Paradise and Hell, then it will be slaughtered. It will be said,

O people of Paradise, it is eternal, no more death; and

O people of Hell, it is eternal, no more death.

This Hadith was already quoted in our discussion of Surah Maryam.

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurayrah said,

The Messenger of Allah said:

يُقَالُ لاَِهۡلِ الۡجَنَّةِ

إِنَّ لَكُمۡ أَنۡ تَصِحُّوا فَلَ تَسۡقَمُوا أَبَدًا وَإِنَّ لَكُمۡ أَنۡ تَعِيشُوا فَلَ تَمُوتُوا أَبَدًا وَإِنَّ لَكُمۡ أَنۡ تَنۡعَمُوا فَلَ تَبۡأَسُوا أَبَدًا وَإِنَّ لَكُمۡ أَنۡ تَشِبُّوا فَلَ تَهۡرَمُوا أَبَدًا

It will be said to the people of Paradise,

It is granted to you that you will be healthy and will never fall ill, you will live and never die, you will enjoy a life of luxury and will never be miserable, you will be youthful and will never grow old.

This was recorded by Muslim.

It was reported that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

The Messenger of Allah said:

مَنِ اتَّقَى اللهَ دَخَلَ الۡجَنَّةَ يَنۡعَمُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَبۡأَسُ وَيَحۡيَا فِيهَا فَلَ يَمُوتُ لَا تَبۡلَى ثِيَابُهُ وَلَا يَفۡنَى شَبَابُه

Whoever has Taqwa of Allah, he will enter Paradise and enjoy a life of luxury and he will never be miserable. He will live therein and never die, his clothes will never wear out and his youth will never fade.

وَوَقَاهُمۡ عَذَابَ الۡجَحِيمِ

and He will save them from the torment of the blazing Fire,

means, along with this great and eternal blessing, He will also have saved them from the agonizing torment in the depths of Hell, so they will have achieved their desired aim and avoided the thing they feared.

Allah says,

فَضۡلً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الۡفَوۡزُ الۡعَظِيمُ

As a bounty from your Lord!

That will be the supreme success!

meaning, that will be from His bounty and kindness towards them.

It was reported in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah said:

اعۡمَلُوا وَسَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا وَاعۡلَمُوا أَنَّ أَحَدًا لَنۡ يُدۡخِلَهُ عَمَلُهُ الۡجَنَّة

Work and strive hard, and know that no one will enter Paradise by virtue of his deeds.

They said, Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?

He said,

وَلَا أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنۡ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللهُ بِرَحۡمَةٍ مِنۡهُ وَفَضۡل

Not even me, unless Allah showers me with His mercy and grace.

فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرۡنَاهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

Certainly, We have made this easy in your tongue, in order that they may remember.

means, `We have made this Qur'an, which We have sent down, easy, plain and clear, in your language which is the most eloquent, clear and beautiful of all languages.'

لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

in order that they may remember.

means, in order that they may understand and know. Despite the fact that it is so plain and clear, there are still people who disbelieve, who stubbornly go against it. Allah says to His Messenger, consoling him and promising him victory, and warning those who reject him that they will be destroyed.

فَارۡتَقِبۡ إِنَّهُم مُّرۡتَقِبُونَ

Wait then; verily, they (too) are waiting.

meaning, `they will come to know who will be victorious and whose word will prevail in this world and in the Hereafter. For victory will be for you, O Muhammad, and for your brothers among the Prophets and Messengers, and for the believers who followed you,' as Allah says:

كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لاّغۡلِبَنَّ أَنَاۡ وَرُسُلِى

Allah has decreed:Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious. (58:21)

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواۡ فِى الۡحَيَوةِ الدُّنۡيَا وَيَوۡمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشۡهَـدُ

يَوۡمَ لَا يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعۡذِرَتُهُمۡ وَلَهُمُ الۡلَّعۡنَةُ وَلَهُمۡ سُوءُ الدَّارِ

Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth, -- the Day when their excuses will be of no profit to wrongdoers. Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode. (40:51-52)

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ad-Dukhan. All praise and thanks are due to Allah and in Him is all strength and protection.

Ad-Dukhan: 53

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Ad-Dukhan: 53