Tafsir Surah Al-Mutaffifin ayah 17

The Record of the Wicked and some of what happens to Them

Allah says truly,

كَلَّ إِنَّ كِتَابَ الفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٍ

Nay! Truly, the Record of the wicked is in Sijjin.

meaning, that their final destination and their abode will be in Sijjin, which is derived from the word prison (Sijn), and here it means straitened circumstances.

Thus, Allah expresses the greatness of this matter, saying;

وَمَا أَدۡرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ

And what will make you know what Sijjin is?

meaning, it is a great matter, an eternal prison, and a painful torment. Some have said that it is beneath the seventh earth.

It has been mentioned previously in the lengthy Hadith of Al-Bara' bin `Azib that the Prophet said,

يَقُول اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي رُوحِ الۡكَافِرِ اكۡتُبُوا كِتَابَهُ فِي سِجِّينٍ وَسِجِّينٌ هِيَ تَحۡتُ الاَۡرۡضِ السَّابِعَة

Allah says concerning the soul of the disbeliever, `Record his book in Sijjin.' And Sijjin is beneath the seventh earth.

it is known that the destination of the wicked people will be Hell, and it is the lowest of the low.

For Allah says,

ثُمَّ رَدَدۡنَـهُ أَسۡفَلَ سَـفِلِينَ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواۡ وَعَمِلُواۡ الصَّـلِحَـتِ

Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low. Save those who believe and do righteous deeds. (95:5-6)

Here Allah says,

كَلَّ إِنَّ كِتَـبَ الۡفُجَّارِ لَفِى سِجِّينٍ

وَمَأ أَدۡرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ

Nay! Truly, the Record of the wicked is in Sijjin. And what will make you know what Sijjin is? and it is full of hardship and misery.

Allah says,

وَإَذَا أُلۡقُواۡ مِنۡهَا مَكَاناً ضَيِّقاً مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوۡاۡ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُوراً

And when they shall be thrown into a narrow place thereof, chained together, they will exclaim therein for destruction. (25:13)

Then Allah says,

كِتَابٌ مَّرۡقُومٌ

A Register inscribed.

This is not an explanation of His statement,

وَمَأ أَدۡرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ

(And what will make you know what Sijjin is?) It is only an explanation of the destination that will be recorded for them, which is Sijjin.

Meaning, it is inscribed, written, and completed. No one can add to it and no one can remove anything from it.

This was said by Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi.

Then Allah said,

وَيۡلٌ يَوۡمَيِذٍ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

Woe, that Day, to those who deny.

meaning, when they come to the imprisonment, Allah threatened them with, on the Day of Judgement, and the disgraceful torment.

The statement, Woe, has already been discussed previously and there is no need to repeat it here.

Basically, it means destruction and devastation. This is like what is said,

Woe to so-and-so.

This is similar to what has been recorded in the Musnad and the Sunan collections on the authority of Bahz bin Hakim bin Mu`awiyah bin Haydah, who reported from his father, who reported from his grandfather that the Messenger of Allah said,

وَيۡلٌ لِلَّذِي يُحَدِّثُ فَيَكۡذِبُ لِيُضۡحِكَ النَّاسَ

وَيۡلٌ لَهُ

وَيۡلٌ لَه

Woe unto whoever speaks, and lies in order to make the people laugh.

Woe unto him,

woe unto him.

Then Allah says, in explaining who are the wicked, disbelieving deniers,

الَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوۡمِ الدِّينِ

Those who deny the Day of Recompense.

meaning, they do not believe it will happen, and they do not believe in its existence. Thus, they consider it a matter that is farfetched.

Allah then says,

وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِ إِلاَّ كُلُّ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

And none can deny it except every transgressor, sinner.

meaning, transgress in his actions by doing that which is forbidden and exceeding the limits when acquiring the permissible.

He is a sinner in his statements, because he lies whenever he speaks, he breaks his promises whenever he makes them, and he behaves in an abusive and wicked manner whenever he argues.

Concerning Allah's statement,

إِذَا تُتۡلَى عَلَيۡهِ ايَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الاَۡوَّلِينَ

When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says:

Tales of the ancients!

meaning, whenever he hears the Words of Allah from the Messenger , he denies it and has ill thoughts about it. Thus, he believes that it is a collection gathered from the books of the ancients.

This is as Allah says,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ مَّاذَا أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمۡ قَالُواۡ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

And when it is said to them:What is it that your Lord has sent down

They say:Tales of the men of old! (16:24)

Similarly Allah says,

وَقَالُواۡ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكۡتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمۡلَى عَلَيۡهِ بُكۡرَةً وَأَصِيلً

And they say:

Tales of the ancients, which he has written down:and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon. (25:5)

Then Allah continues saying,

كَلَّ بَلۡ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكۡسِبُونَ

Nay!

But on their hearts is the Ran (covering) which they used to earn.

meaning, the matter is not as they claim, nor as they say:Verily, this Qur'an is tales of the ancients. Rather, it is the Word of Allah, His inspiration and His revelation to His Messenger.

The only thing that blocked their hearts from believing in it is the dark covering cast over it from the many sins and wrong they committed that has covered up their hearts. Thus, Allah says,

كَلَّ بَلۡ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمۡ مَّا كَانُواۡ يَكۡسِبُون

(Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering) which they used to earn.)

- This dark covering known as Rayn overcomes the hearts of the disbelievers,

- the covering of Ghaym is for the righteous, and

- the covering of Ghayn is for those who are near to Allah.

Ibn Jarir, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nisa'i, and Ibn Majah all recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ الۡعَبۡدَ إِذَا أَذۡنَبَ ذَنۡبًا كَانَتۡ نُكۡتَةٌ سَوۡدَاءُ فِي قَلۡبِهِ فَإِنۡ تَابَ مِنۡهَا صُقِلَ قَلۡبُهُ قوَإِنۡ زَادَ زَادَتۡ فَذلِكَ قَوۡلُ اللهِ تَعَالَى

كَلَّ بَلۡ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمۡ مَّا كَانُواۡ يَكۡسِبُونَ

Verily, when the servant commits a sin, a black spot appears in his heart. If he repents from it, his heart is polished clean. However, if he increases (in the sin), the spot will continue to increase. That is the statement of Allah:

(Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering) which they used to earn.)

At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Sahih.

The wording of An-Nasa'i says,

إِنَّ الۡعَبۡدَ إِذَا أَخۡطَأَ خَطِييَةً نُكِتَ فِي قَلۡبِهِ نُكۡتَةٌ سَوۡدَاءُ فَإِنۡ هُوَ نَزَعَ وَاسۡتَغۡفَرَ وَتَابَ صُقِلَ قَلۡبُهُ فَإِنۡ عَادَ زِيدَ فِيهَا حَتَّى تَعۡلُو قَلۡبَهُ فَهُوَ الرَّانُ الَّذِي قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى

كَلَّ بَلۡ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمۡ مَّا كَانُواۡ يَكۡسِبُونَ

Whenever the servant commits a wrong, a black spot is put in his heart. So, if he refrains from it, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart is polished clean. But if he returns to the sin, the spot will increase until it overcomes his (entire) heart, and this is the Ran that Allah mentions when He says:

(Nay, but on their hearts is the Ran (covering) which they used to earn.)

Concerning Allah's statement,

كَلَّ إِنَّهُمۡ عَن رَّبِّهِمۡ يَوۡمَيِذٍ لَّمَحۡجُوبُونَ

Nay! Surely, they will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day.

meaning, they will have a place on the Day of Judgement, and lodging in Sijjin. Along with this they will be veiled from seeing their Lord and Creator on the Day of Judgement.

Imam Abu Abdullah Ash-Shafi`i said,

In this Ayah is a proof that the believers will see Him (Allah), the Mighty and Sublime, on that Day.

Concerning Allah's statement,

ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمۡ لَصَالُوا الۡجَحِيمِ

Then verily, they will indeed enter the burning flame of Hell.

meaning, along with this being prevented from seeing the Most Gracious, they will also be among the people of the Fire.

ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَذَا الَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ

Then, it will be said to them:This is what you used to deny!

meaning, this will be said to them by way of scolding, rebuking, belittling, and humiliation.

Al-Mutaffifin: 17

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Al-Mutaffifin: 17