Tafsir Surah Ar-Rahman ayah 42 | Learn Quran Tafsir

A Warning for Humans and Jinn

Allay says,

سَنَفۡرُغُ لَكُمۡ أَيُّهَا الثَّقَلَنِ

We shall attend to you, O Thaqalan!

Ibn Jurayj said that the Ayah,

سَنَفۡرُغُ لَكُمۡ

(We shall attend to you), means,

`We shall judge you,'

while Al-Bukhari said that it means,

We shall recompense you. Surely, nothing will busy Allah from attending to anything else.

This type of speech pattern is common in the Arabic language. For example, one would say, I will attend to you, even when one is not busy with anything else.

Allah's saying;

أَيُّهَا الثَّقَلَن

(O you Thaqalan!), refers to the humans and the Jinns, as in the Hadith;

يَسۡمَعُهَا كُلُّ شَيۡءٍ إِلاَّ الثَّقَلَيۡن

Everyone will be able to hear it, except the Thaqalayn.

In another narration that explains it, the Prophet said,

إِلاَّ الاِۡنۡسَ وَالۡجِن

except mankind and the Jinns.

Allah said,

فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!

then,

يَا مَعۡشَرَ الۡجِنِّ وَالاۡاِنسِ إِنِ اسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنۡ أَقۡطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاۡاَرۡضِ فَانفُذُوا

لَاا تَنفُذُونَ إِلاَّ بِسُلۡطَانٍ

O assembly of Jinn and men! If you are able to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allah)!

meaning, `you will never be able to escape Allah's orders and decrees, because it encompasses you. You will never be able to avoid or avert His rule and judgement over you, you are surrounded by it wherever you may be.'

This is also about the Gathering when the angels, comprising seven lines in every direction, will surround the creatures. None of the creatures will be able to escape on that Day,

إِلاَّ بِسُلۡطَانٍ

(except with authority), meaning, except with the commandment from Allah,

يَقُولُ الاِنسَـنُ يَوۡمَيِذٍ أَيۡنَ الۡمَفَرُّ

كَلَّ لَا وَزَرَ

إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ الۡمُسۡتَقَرُّ

On that Day man will say:Where (is the refuge) to flee

No! There is no refuge!

Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day. (75:10-12),

وَالَّذِينَ كَسَبُواۡ السَّيِّيَاتِ جَزَاءُ سَيِّيَةٍ بِمِثۡلِهَا وَتَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٌ مَّا لَهُمۡ مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِنۡ عَاصِمٍ كَأَنَّمَا أُغۡشِيَتۡ وُجُوهُهُمۡ قِطَعًا مِّنَ الَّيۡلِ مُظۡلِماً أُوۡلَـيِكَ أَصۡحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ

And those who earned evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is the like thereof, and humiliating disgrace will cover them. No defender will they have from Allah. Their faces will be covered as it were with pieces from the darkness of night. They are the dwellers of Fire, they will abide therein forever. (10:27)

فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!

Allah's statement,

يُرۡسَلُ عَلَيۡكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَ تَنتَصِرَانِ

There will be sent against you both, Shuwaz of fire and Nuhas, and you will not be able to defend yourselves.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn Abbas that Shuwaz is the flame of fire.

Abu Salih said, It is the flame above the fire below the smoke.

Ad-Dahhak said,

شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ

(Shuwaz of fire), A flood of fire.

Allah said;

وَنُحَاسٌ

(and Nuhas) .

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn Abbas;

The smoke of the fire.

Similar was reported from Abu Salih, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Sinan.

Ibn Jarir said that the Arabs used to call the smoke of the fire, Nuhas and Nihas. But he said that the scholars of Qur'anic recitation said that in this Ayah, the word recited is Nuhas.

Mujahid said, Molten brass poured over their heads.

Qatadah held the same view.

Ad-Dahhak said, Nuhas is liquid copper.

The Ayah means, `if you, mankind and the Jinns, try to escape on the Day of Resurrection, then the angels, including those among them who guard Hellfire, will bring you back by directing smoke of fire and molten brass on you.'

Allah's statement,

فَلَ تَنتَصِرَانِ

فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

and you will not be able to defend yourselves. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!

The Horrors of the Day of Resurrection

Allah said,

فَإِذَا انشَقَّتِ السَّمَاء

Then when the heaven is rent asunder,

on the Day of Resurrection; this meaning is clear in this and similar Ayat, such as,

وَانشَقَّتِ السَّمَأءُ فَهِىَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ وَاهِيَةٌ

And the heaven will be rent asunder, for that Day it (the heaven) will be frail and torn up. (69:16),

وَيَوۡمَ تَشَقَّقُ السَّمَأءُ بِالۡغَمَـمِ وَنُزِّلَ الۡمَلَـيِكَةُ تَنزِيلً

And (remember) the Day when the heaven shall be rent asunder with clouds, and the angels will be sent down, with a grand descending. (25:25)

and,

إِذَا السَّمَأءُ انشَقَّتۡ

وَأَذِنَتۡ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتۡ

When the heaven is split asunder, and listens to and obeys its Lord -- and it must do so. (84:1-2)

Allah's statement,

فَكَانَتۡ وَرۡدَةً كَالدِّهَانِ

and it becomes Wardah like Dihan.

This means they will melt just as sediment and silver are melted when heated. And they will be colored, just as dies stain something, sometimes red, sometimes yellow, or blue, or green. This demonstrates the extent of the horrors of the Mighty Day of Resurrection.

As-Suddi said, It will be as rosy color and as filth oil.

Mujahid said,

كَالدِّهَانِ

(like Dihan), Like the colors of dyes.

فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!

Allah said;

فَيَوۡمَيِذٍ لاَّ يُسۡأَلُ عَن ذَنبِهِ إِنسٌ وَلَا جَانٌّ

So on that Day he will not be questioned about his sins, (neither) human nor Jinn.

this is similar to His saying;

هَـذَا يَوۡمُ لَا يَنطِقُونَ

وَلَا يُوۡذَنُ لَهُمۡ فَيَعۡتَذِرُونَ

That will be a Day when they shall not speak, and they will not be permitted to put forth any excuse. (77:35-36)

This is the case at the time, then all the creatures will be questioned about their deeds.

Allah said;

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسۡـَلَنَّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ

عَمَّا كَانُواۡ يَعۡمَلُونَ

So, by your Lord, We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do. (15:92-93)

Qatadah said,

On that they will be questioned and then their mouths will be sealed and their hands and feet will reveal what they used to do.

فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!

Allah the Exalted said

يُعۡرَفُ الۡمُجۡرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمۡ

The criminals will be known by their marks,

i.e., by special marks that distinguish them.

Al-Hasan and Qatadah said,

They will be known by their dark faces and their blue eyes.

I say that this contrasts to the marks that will distinguish the believers, such as the light that will appear on the parts of the body that they used to wash while performing ablution.

Allah said,

فَيُوۡخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالاَۡقۡدَامِ

and they will be seized by their foreheads and feet.

meaning, the angels of punishment will bend their heads down to their feet and throw them like this into the Hellfire.

Al-A`mash said that Ibn Abbas said,

He will be taken by his forehead and his feet and be broken just as a stick is broken to be thrown into an oven.

فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!

Allah said,

هَذِهِ جَهَنَّمُ الَّتِي يُكَذِّبُ بِهَا الۡمُجۡرِمُونَ

This is the Hell which the criminals denied.

meaning, `this is the Fire that you used to deny existed that it; now you see it before your eyes!' While being chastised, criticized, disgraced and belittled, this will be said to the disbelievers.

يَطُوفُونَ بَيۡنَهَا وَبَيۡنَ حَمِيمٍ انٍ

They will go between it and Hamim An!

meaning, they will sometimes be punished with fire and they will sometimes be given Hamim which is a drink like molten copper tearing their intestines and internal organs,

إِذِ الاٌّغۡلَـلُ فِى أَعۡنَـقِهِمۡ والسَّلَـسِلُ يُسۡحَبُونَ

فِى الۡحَمِيمِ ثُمَّ فِى النَّارِ يُسۡجَرُونَ

When the iron collars will be rounded over their necks, and the chains, they shall be dragged along, in the Hamim, then they will be burned in the Fire. (40:71-72)

Allah said,

انٍ

(An), meaning hot, due to the fierce and intense heat that is impossible to bear.

Ibn Abbas said;

يَطُوفُونَ بَيۡنَهَا وَبَيۡنَ حَمِيمٍ انٍ

(They will go between it and Hamim An!),

That has reached the ultimate temperature and boiling fiercely.

Similar was said by Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Ath-Thawri and As-Suddi.

Qatadah also commented,

Its boiling started when Allah created the heavens and the earth!

Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi said,

The (disobedient) servant will be seized by the forehead and stirred in that boiling water until his flesh melts and only the bones and the eyes in his head remain.

This is the meaning of Allah's statement,

فِى الۡحَمِيمِ ثُمَّ فِى النَّارِ يُسۡجَرُونَ

In the Hamim, then they will be burned in the Fire. (40:72)

And Al-Hamim Al-An means hot.

There is another report from Al-Qurazi;

حَمِيمٍ انٍ

(Hamim An) that it means prepared.

This is also the view of Ibn Zayd.

And saying that it means prepared does not contradict the first report from Al-Qurazi which says that it means hot, for Allah said:

تُسۡقَى مِنۡ عَيۡنٍ ءَانِيَةٍ

They will be given to drink from a spring, Aniyah. (88:5)

which means severe unbearable heat,

and His saying;

غَيۡرَ نَـظِرِينَ إِنَـهُ

not to wait for it to be prepared, (33:53)

which means properly cooking and preparing it.

So His saying;

حَمِيمٍ انٍ

(Hamim An), Hamim, that is very hot.

Surely, punishing the disobedient criminals as well as favoring those who had Taqwa, is from Allah's grace, mercy, justice, compassion and kindness for His creatures. His warnings against His torment and punishment, such as mentioned in these Ayat, should encourage all creatures to abandon the Shirk and disobedience they engage in, and this is why Allah reminded them of this favor;

فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny.

Ar-Rahman: 42

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Ar-Rahman: 42