18. Sa`id b. Jubayr is reported to have said that Sa`eer of the text, rendered here as Blazing Fire, is thought to be a valley in Hellfire filled with pus (Ibn Kathir).

19. Ibn `Abbas has said that a man will be dragged to the Fire, but it will withdraw some of it, folding upon others. The All-Merciful will ask her, “What’s the matter with you?” It will say, “He seeks refuge from me.” He will say, “Release My slave.” And, another man will be dragged to the Fire. He will say, “My Lord! This is not what I had hoped from You.” He will ask, “And what did you hope from Me?” He will say, “That Your mercy should overwhelm me.” He will say, “Release My slave.” And a man will be dragged to the Fire. It will rush towards him like a mule at barley and will let out a roar that will not leave anyone but in fear” (Ibn Jarir). This is a trustworthy report (Ibn Kathir).

20. Anas b. Malik reports that the Prophet said,

أَوَّلُ مَنْ يُكْسَى حُلَّةً مِنْ النَّارِ إِبْلِيسُ فَيَضَعُهَا عَلَى حَاجِبِهِ وَيَسْحَبُهَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتُهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَهُوَ يُنَادِي وَا ثُبُورَاهُ وَيُنَادُونَ يَا ثُبُورَهُمْ قَالَ عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ قَالَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ حَتَّى يَقِفُوا عَلَى النَّارِ فَيَقُولُ يَا ثُبُورَاهُ وَيَقُولُونَ يَا ثُبُورَهُمْ فَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ { لَا تَدْعُوا الْيَوْمَ ثُبُورًا وَاحِدًا وَادْعُوا ثُبُورًا كَثِيرًا }

“The first to be cloaked with a cloak of Fire will be Iblis. He will place it over his eyebrows and drag it along at his rear. His progeny will be behind him and he will be saying, ‘O destruction,’ and they will be called out, ‘O their destruction.’ Until, they will be held at the Fire and he will be saying, ‘O destruction,’ and they will be called out, ‘O their destruction.’ At that point it will be said, ‘Do not plead this day for a single destruction, but rather for several destructions’” (Ibn Jarir, Razi).

The above report is in Ahmed (Ibn Kathir). The report is also in Bazzar, `Abd b. Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduwayh and Bayhaqi which Suyuti declared trustworthy although the credibility of one of the narrators has been questioned (Shawkani). Hence Albani declared it weak (S. Ibrahim).

Haythamiyy on the other hand expressed his opinion that all the narrators in the chain are trustworthy except one, but even he has been trusted by some scholars (Au.).

21. That is, it is a promise (of reward) that had been pleaded and prayed for in the past. Another possible meaning is “a promise binding upon your Lord” (Ibn Jarir, Razi, Ibn Kathir).

In view of the popularly accepted opinion that Allah is not “bound” to reward His slaves for good behavior, the second possible meaning expressed above has a question mark before it. But Alusi explains that the reward in this case, has already been promised and, therefore, it becomes “a promise binding upon your Lord.”

22. Apart from others, among those that would be brought forth as worshipped, would be `Isa, some angels, and a few others of Allah’s slaves (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

Kalbi has said that idols will also be given life, which could be the reason, added Zamakhshari, that the article maa (translated as “what” here) has been employed in place of mun (which is for the living) because idols will be greater in number.

23. That is, how could we ask others to take us as protectors other than Allah, when we did not take protectors for ourselves other than Him? (Zamakhshari).

24. That is, `Isa, angels, and all those who were worshipped besides Allah, will disown that their devotees ever worshipped them at their behest. But rather, those worshippers had in fact followed the Devil (Ibn Jarir).

25. Ibn Jurayj and Hasan have said that it is shirk (Association) that is meant by the zulm of the text (Ibn Jarir).

26. Qurtubi first points out that there is absolutely nothing wrong in going about in the markets if there is a need. Yet, it is not preferable to spend much time there or frequent them. Muslim has a hadith which says,

أَحَبُّ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدُهَا وَأَبْغَضُ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَسْوَاقُهَا

“The most approved of places in the sight of Allah are mosques while the most despicable of them are market places.” Salman al-Farsi is recorded in Bazzar as reporting the Prophet,

لاَ تَكُونَنَّ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ السُّوقَ وَلاَ آخِرَ مَنْ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مَعْرَكَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ وَبِهَا يَنْصِبُ رَايَتَهُ – (صحيح مسلم 7/ 144)

“Do not be – if you can – the first to enter the market, nor the last to leave it, for it’s the battlefield of Shaytan. It is the place where he pitches his flag.”

According to another narration he said,

لا تَكُنْ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ السُّوقَ، وَلا آخِرَ مَنْ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا، فَفِيهَا بَاضَ الشَّيْطَانُ وفَرَّخَ

“Do not be the first to enter the marketplace nor the last to leave it. It is there that Shaytan laid eggs and brought out his chicks.”

Haythamiyy said: The authenticity of this report depends the identity of one of the narrators, if it was Qasim b. Yezid, he was reliable, but if he was Yezid b. Sufyan, he was weak (Au.).

27. Muslim has a hadith according to which Allah said to the Prophet,

إني مُبْتَلِيك، ومُبْتَلٍ بك

“I shall test you and test (others) through you.”

And, it is reported that the Prophet said,

لو شئت لأجرى الله معي جبال الذهب والفضة

“Had I wished, Allah would have sent me mountains of gold and silver.”

The above report is in Bayhaqi’s Shu`ab al-Iman, but whose authenticity could not be established (Au.).

Reports in Sahih works also tell us that the Prophet was given the choice between being a Prophet-king or Messenger-slave and he chose to be a Messenger-slave (Ibn Kathir).

One of the ways in which the Prophet was tried was through poverty. (That was his personal trial. It had, however, other aspects). Had he been rich, it would have been said that they followed him because of his wealth. Similarly, the early poor converts became a source of trial for the rich of the Quraysh (Kashshaf, Alusi and others).