Ayah
Word by Word
وَقَالُواْ
And they will say
لَوۡ
If
كُنَّا
we had
نَسۡمَعُ
listened
أَوۡ
or
نَعۡقِلُ
reasoned
مَا
not
كُنَّا
we (would) have been
فِيٓ
among
أَصۡحَٰبِ
(the) companions
ٱلسَّعِيرِ
(of) the Blaze
وَقَالُواْ
And they will say
لَوۡ
If
كُنَّا
we had
نَسۡمَعُ
listened
أَوۡ
or
نَعۡقِلُ
reasoned
مَا
not
كُنَّا
we (would) have been
فِيٓ
among
أَصۡحَٰبِ
(the) companions
ٱلسَّعِيرِ
(of) the Blaze
Translation
They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!"
Tafsir
And they will say, 'Had we listened, that is, listening so as to understand, or comprehended, that is, comprehension entailing reflection [upon the truth], we would not have been among the inhabitants of the Blaze'.
The Description of Hell and Those Who will enter into it
Allah the Exalted says,
وَ
and, meaning, `and We have prepared,'
لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمۡ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَبِيۡسَ الۡمَصِيرُ
for those who disbelieve in their Lord is the torment of Hell, and worst indeed is that destination.
This means that this will be the worst end and a terrible destiny
إِذَا أُلۡقُوا فِيهَا سَمِعُوا لَهَا شَهِيقًا
When they are cast therein, they will hear its Shahiq,
Ibn Jarir said, This means the sound of shouting.
وَهِيَ تَفُورُ
while it is simmering.
Ath-Thawri said,
It will boil them just as a small number of seeds are boiled in a lot of water.
Then Allah says
تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الۡغَيۡظِ
It almost bursts up with fury.
meaning, some parts of it almost break apart from other parts due to the severity of its rage and anger with them.
كُلَّمَا أُلۡقِيَ فِيهَا فَوۡجٌ سَأَلَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ نَذِيرٌ
قَالُوا بَلَى قَدۡ جَاءنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبۡنَا وَقُلۡنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيۡءٍ
إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلاَّ فِي ضَلَلٍ كَبِيرٍ
Every time a group is cast therein, its keepers will ask:Did no warner come to you
They will say:Yes, indeed a warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said:`Allah never sent down anything; you are only in great error.'
In these Ayat Allah reminds of His justice in dealing with His creatures and that He does not punish anyone until the proof has been established against them and a Messenger has been sent to them.
This is similar to Allah's statement,
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبۡعَثَ رَسُولاً
And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. (17:15)
Allah also says,
حَتَّى إِذَا جَأءُوهَا فُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَأ أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمۡ يَتۡلُونَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَـتِ رَبِّكُمۡ وَيُنذِرُونَكُمۡ لِقَـأءَ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هَـذَا قَالُواۡ بَلَى وَلَـكِنۡ حَقَّتۡ كَلِمَةُ الۡعَذَابِ عَلَى الۡكَـفِرِينَ
till when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened. And its keepers will say, Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, reciting to you the Ayat of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours
They will say:Yes, but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers! (39:71)
Thus, they have no recourse but to blame themselves and they will feel remorseful when such remorse will be of no benefit to them.
وَقَالُوا
They will say,
لَوۡ كُنَّا نَسۡمَعُ أَوۡ نَعۡقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصۡحَابِ السَّعِيرِ
Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!
meaning, `if we would have benefited from our intellects or listened to the truth that Allah revealed, we would not have been disbelieving in Allah and misguided about Him. But we did not have understanding to comprehend what the Messengers came with, and we did not have the intelligence to guide us to following them.'
Allah then says,
فَاعۡتَرَفُوا بِذَنبِهِمۡ فَسُحۡقًا لاَِّصۡحَابِ السَّعِيرِ
Then they will confess their sin. So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire!
Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Al-Bakhtari At-Ta'i that he heard from one of the Companions that the Messenger of Allah said,
لَنۡ يَهۡلِكَ النَّاسُ حَتۡى يُعۡذِرُوا مِنۡ أَنۡفُسِهِم
The people will not be destroyed until they themselves confess their guilt.
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