21. Yusuf Ali makes a confident prediction: “.. Infidelity looks upon arguments merely as an amusement. Its chief weapon is physical force. As its only belief is materialism, it thinks that threats of force will put down the righteous. It offers the choice between exile and violence against conformity to its own standards of evil, which it thinks to be good. But faith is not to be cowed down by Force. Its source of strength is Allah, and it receives the assurance that violence will perish ultimately by violence, and that Faith and Good must stand and be established.”

22. Since at no time Prophets of Allah worshipped idols, or committed association of any sort, the explanation of the verse is that the unbelievers simply assumed that before prophethood, they – the Prophets - must have subscribed to their pagan religious views and hence they said, "You will have to revert to your (ancestral) religion (Au.).

Mawdudi explains: “In fact, the verse can be fully appreciated if we bear in mind that before designation to their office, Prophets live a relatively quiet life. For prior to that designation, they preach no specific religious doctrines. Nor do they engage in refuting the religious doctrines that are generally accepted by their people. As a result, people are commonly inclined to think that they too are an integral part of their religious fold. Hence, when Prophets embark on teaching true religious doctrines, they are charged by their people as renouncing their ancestral faith.”

23. Literally, the textual word “istaftahu” means to seek victory (Au). And the meaning that the majority of scholars have derived is, (having lost all hopes of acceptance) the Messengers sought judgment and victory over their unbelieving nations (Ibn Jarir). But a minority opinion is that it is the unbelievers who sought the judgment. Shabbir combines the two. He writes: The Messengers sought Allah’s intervention. Nuh had said (26: 118),

{فَافْتَحْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ فَتْحًا وَنَجِّنِي وَمَنْ مَعِيَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} [الشعراء: 118]

“So, judge between me and them: a decisive judgment - and save me and those of the believers with me.”

Lut had said (26: 169),

{رَبِّ نَجِّنِي وَأَهْلِي مِمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ} [الشعراء: 169]

“O Allah, deliver me and my family from what they are doing.”

Shu`ayb had said (7: 89),

{رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ} [الأعراف: 89]

“O Allah, deliver Your judgment between us and our people in truth.”

And Musa had said (10: 88),

{ رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ آَتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُ زِينَةً وَأَمْوَالًا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِكَ رَبَّنَا اطْمِسْ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ} [يونس: 88]

“O Allah, You have bestowed on Fir`awn and his folk splendor and wealth in the worldly life, our Lord, that they may lead (people) astray from Your way. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth ...”

On the other hand, the people addressed by the Prophets also got weary of them. How long would it be that they’ll receive threats of punishment? Nuh’s people had said (38: 16),

{رَبَّنَا عَجِّلْ لَنَا قِطَّنَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ } [ص: 16]

“Our Lord, hasten for us our share (of punishment) before the Day of Account.”

Some others said (8: 32),

{وَإِذْ قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ } [الأنفال: 32]

“O Allah. If this should be the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment.”

Nuh’s nation said (7: 70),

{فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا} [الأعراف: 70]

“Therefore, bring us what you have been threatening us with.”

Shu`ayb’s people said (26: 187),

{فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ} [الشعراء: 187]

“Therefore, bring down upon us a piece of the sky.”

Thus, weary of each other, both, the Prophets as well as their nations, sought Allah’s a final judgment.

24. The textual word “jabbaar” (literally: compeller) draws the following comment from Qurtubi: When used for a human being, jabbaar is for that haughty man who does not believe that anyone has any right on him.

25. Linguists have said that “wara’” has a dual meaning: both “in front” as well as “behind” (Ibn Jarir).

26. The textual word “sadeed” is a common noun for vomit, pus and blood or any putrid liquid oozing out from a wound (Ibn Jarir).

27. The Arabs used the textual word “yakaadu” (root: kaada) both for an act attempted, but not accomplished, as well as attempted and accomplished. Here, the usage has been in the sense of actually drinking the liquid. This is confirmed by a hadith. The Prophet (saws) said in reference to Allah's words, “He will take it in mouth-fulls and gulp it down,” that

" قَطَّع أمعاءَه حتى يخرج من دُبُره"

“As he swallows it, it will cut his intestine into pieces that will emerge from his rear” (Ibn Jarir).

Another hadith further elaborates it. Transmitted by Abu Umamah, and preserved in Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nas a`i and Hakim, who declared it as Sahih, it says,

يُقَرَّبُ إِلَى فِيهِ فَيَكْرَهُهُ فَإِذَا أُدْنِىَ مِنْهُ شَوَى وَجْهَهُ وَوَقَعَتْ فَرْوَةُ رَأْسِهِ فَإِذَا شَرِبَهُ قَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ مِنْ دُبُرِهِ

“It (the drink) will be brought to him. (Initially) he will reject it. As it is brought closer, it will burn his face and the scalp will fall off. Finally, when he drinks it, it will cut his intestine to pieces until it passes out through his anus” (Alusi).

The Qur’an has also stated (47: 15),

{وَسُقُوا مَاءً حَمِيمًا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ } [محمد: 15]

“And they will be given a boiling drink that will cut their intestines.”

And (18: 29),

{وَإِنْ يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاءٍ كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ} [الكهف: 29]

“And, if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil which will scald their faces” (Ibn Kathir, Shabbir and others).

28. Apart from the generally understood meaning as embodied in the translation, another interpretation that has come down from Mujahid as in Ibn Jarir, is that death will advance on the man in Hell from every quarter of his body - even from the roots of every hair on his skin - but, in the end, will get stuck in his throat (choking him). Thus he will neither be able to die, nor live in peace.

29. That is, other, and more severe kinds of torture would be in wait for the man (Ibn Jarir).

30. By the words “stormy day” the allusion is to the Day of Judgment (Ibn Jarir, from Ibn `Abbas).

Are the material achievements, tall buildings, large parks, wide roads, industries, universities, research centers and seats of learning, banks and commercial centers, high rise towers and historical monuments, arts, science and literary heritage, the glittering civilization and gorgeous culture, in short, results of centuries of human endeavor and intensive hard work any more than ashes for the storms of the next morn? (Au.)

31. Since it is only deeds performed for Allah's sake alone, and done strictly following the requirements of the Shari`ah, that are any worth, the deeds of the unbelievers will not pay off on the Day of Judgment or earn them any rewards (Ibn al-Qayyim).

32. Yusuf Ali comments: “Note the fullness of the parable. The works of the ungodly are in themselves light and unsubstantial like ashes; they are the useless rubbish that remains out of the faculties and opportunities which they have misused by burning them up. Further, the ashes are blown about hither and thither by the wind: the ungodly have no compass, direction, or purpose that can stand. The wind, too, which blows on them is no ordinary wind, nor the day on which they seek to enjoy the fruits of their labours an ordinary tranquil day; a furious gale is blowing, for such is the Wrath of Allah. They have neither internal peace nor external gain. In the scattering of the ashes they lose control even of such things as they might have earned but for their misdeeds. Their whole nature is contaminated. All their wishes go astray. They are carried so far, far away than what was in their minds. What did they aim at, and what did they achieve?”

33. That is, on principles following a set of laws that are equally applicable anywhere in the universe and which allow for an ordered world to come into existence, the forces themselves balanced so precisely and precariously, that one-millionth variation in any of them would render the existence of the world impossible. The impeccable design and the efficient system speak of a purpose behind them (Au.).

Yusuf Ali writes: “Haqq: Truth, Right, Righteousness, True proportions, Reality. Allah’s creation is not to be trifled with. It is built on righteousness, and those who do not obey its laws must give place to others who do.”

34. The textual term “du`afaa’” does not, at this point refer to those who were economically, socially or politically weak, but rather to those who were morally and intellectually so, and hence preferred to follow not their own, but opinions of others (Au.).

Asad might be quoted: “I.e., those who had sinned out of moral weakness and self-indulgence, relying on the supposedly superior wisdom of the so-called “leaders of thought”, who are described in the sequence as having “gloried in their arrogance” (istakbaru) inasmuch as they refused to pay heed to God’s messages.”

Sayyid writes: “Who are the ‘weak ones?’ Well, the truly ‘weak ones’ are those who relinquished one of the most important blessings of their Lord in favor of others. Our reference is to their personal freedom ... the freedom to think, to believe and to choose a direction. But the ‘weak ones’ preferred to follow arrogant and rebellious men of their own kind. They sought closeness to Allah’s creations, in preference of Allah’s, opting to take religion from them rather than from Him.

“Show of weakness is no virtue nor does it offer any excuse. It is a crime. Allah did not wish anyone to be weak. He invites the people to seek strength through Him - and all might is His. He does not wish that someone should forego his share of strength and, instead, spend his life in servility of others. Strength in fact, is something of a special, honor-giving quality that comes directly from the Lord, and cannot be taken away with ease from anyone. Material strength on the other hand, whatever its magnitude, is not enough by itself to enslave a people wishing to be free. It cannot imprison man’s nobility. The most that brutal, material strength can do is to own bodies, which it can imprison, torture and punish. As for conscience ... as for the soul ... as for the intellect ... these, no one can rob these things of another, unless the owner himself wishes to relinquish them, in humiliation.

“Who has the power to force these ‘weak ones’ to follow the arrogant ones in matters of faith, ideas and attitudes, but the weak ones themselves? What made these people seek a religion other than Allah’s? - when it is in common knowledge that Allah is their Creator, Sustainer, and Custodian, with none sharing these qualities with Him? Surely, no one forced them, except that their own souls chose that course. They are the ‘weak ones’ not because they possess lesser material strength than the arrogant ones, or are materially poorer, or in lower positions. These are all external traits and qualities that have nothing to do with the internal weaknesses of the ‘weak ones.’ They are weak because there is weakness in their spirits, souls, and minds. (It is the weakness of faith).”

35. Those are meant who, because they were followed, became proud of themselves for their capacity to prevail upon others and give the lead. They over-estimated their capacities, crossed their boundaries, and prevailed upon the people to treat them as providers, withholders and, therefore, law-giving authorities: quite similar to deities of the past (Au.).

36. So, the arrogant ones felt themselves free in the world to oppress the people, take away their rights, including their right of choice, and spread corruption in the land by setting precedence of a life of debauchery, but did not feel themselves free enough to treat the Message of Allah, as something deserving consideration. Did they have the freedom for evil but not for good? Is that what they will mean when they will say, “Had Allah guided us, surely we would have guided you?” Or, is it that their dishonest habits will continue in the pit of Fire, where they would try to lay the blame on Allah? (Au.)

Zamakhshari’s explanation however is that since they themselves missed the guidance, they could not have guided those who were under their influence.

37. It is said that those in Fire will say to each other, “Those in Paradise seem to have obtained their position by their weeping, and by their long supplications during the life of the world, so let us also cry and supplicate until we are forgiven.” So they will cry for a long period which will be of no avail. They will say, “We have cried but got nothing out of it. Those in Paradise seem to have gained their present position from being patient. So, let us also endure in patience. Maybe we will be forgiven.” But, after a long period of patient endurance, they will find that it does not alter their situation. So they will say, “We have tried crying, and we have tried enduring in patience, but neither seems to prevail anything against the torture. It seems we have no place we could escape to” (Ibn Jarir).

Some narrators have attributed the above report to the Prophet. But, those reports are not trustworthy (Shawkani, S. Ibrahim).