Surah As-Saffat 37:22-74 - Quran Translation Commentary

24. Specifying those who will be ultimately led to Hellfire as “zalimun” gives strength to the opinion that the word “zalimun” of the Qur’an – when used in its absolute sense – is synonymous with “kafirun.” Allah said at another place:“The unbelievers: they are the wrong-doers.”

Allah also said, adds Qurtubi, “Surely, Association (with Allah) is a great wrong.”

25. `Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Abu al-`Aliyyah, Qatadah, Suddi and others are reported to have said that by the word “azwaj” at this point, the allusion is to “kinds, likes, associates, compatriots, followers,” etc. (Ibn Jarir, Kashshaf [citing an untraced hadith], Razi, Ibn Kathir).

That is, as `Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “Sin-sharing groups will be presented together: adulterers with adulterers, wine-addicts with wine-addicts, usury-devourers with usury devourers etc.” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

So that, Razi adds, when you say in Arabic,you mean to say, “I have of this [thing, of the same], more kinds.” Or when you say,“a pair of socks”, then, each of them is the “like” of the other. Allah also said (56: 7),“You will be (divided into) three kinds” (and not pairs).

26. (Lit. flaming fire), Ibn `Abbas said about the textual “Jahim” that it is the name assigned to the fourth gate of Hell (Ibn Jarir).

27. `Abdullah ibn Mubarak said that he heard `Uthman b. Za’idah say, “The first thing a man will be required to answer for is his friends" (perhaps meaning, regarding those one interacts with: Au.) - Ibn Kathir.

28. The textual “yamin” has been explained as “power, force and influence” by Mujahid. Poetical pieces can be cited in support of this opinion (Ibn Jarir). That is, they presented their deviations in a powerful manner (Kashshaf, Razi). In other words, adds Razi, “you used to deceive us into accepting your misguidance by suggesting that those were very much in the cause of truth.”

In Asad’s words, “The idiomatic phrase ‘approaching one from the right’ is more or less synonymous with ‘pretending to give a morally good advice’, as well as ‘approaching another person from a position of power and influence (Zamakhshari).’”

`Ikrimah said that the allusion is to “points, places or locations they felt comfortable (that they would not be misguided by)” - Ibn Kathir.

29. That is, explain Razi and Qurtubi, you never possessed belief for us to have deflected you. You were always unbelievers: from the beginning to the end.

Yusuf Ali removes some misconceptions in this regard: “But the fact that others mislead, or that their evil example is before us, does not justify us in falling from right conduct. Faith should save us from the fall. But if we have ourselves no Faith - in righteousness, or a future life, or the reality of Allah’s Law, how can we blame others? The misleaders can well say, ‘You will be judged according to your misdeeds!‘ The responsibility is personal, and cannot be shifted on to others. The others may get a double punishment, - for their own evil, and for misleading their weaker brethren. But the weaker brethren cannot go free from responsibility for their own deeds; for evil means a personal rebellion against Allah, if we believe in a personal God. Evil has no authority over us, except in so far as we deliberately choose it.‏”

30. To the effect that (11: 190), “I shall surely fill Jahannum with men and Jinn, all together” (Qurtubi and others).

31. Raghib Asfahani has said that (by saying, “We misguided you: indeed, we were ourselves misguided,” what they meant is that) “we did the best that a friend could do to another in all sincerity: wishing the same for him as he wishes for himself, and so, we guided you to what we believed was right” (Alusi).

32. Yusuf Ali discusses dimensions other than apparent: “Selfish arrogance was the seed of sin and rebellion: ii. 34 (of Satan): xxviii. 39 (of Pharaoh); etc. It is that kind of arrogance which prevents man from mending his life and conduct. When he speaks of ancestral ways, or public opinion, or national honour, he is usually thinking of himself or of a small clique which thrives on injustice. The recognition of Allah, the one true God, as the only standard of life and conduct, the Eternal Reality, cuts out Self, and is therefore disagreeable to Sin. If false gods are imagined, who themselves would have weaknesses that fit in with sin, they give countenance to evils, and it becomes difficult to give them up, unless Allah’s grace comes to our assistance.”‏

33. “The message of Islam, so far from being ‘mad‘ or in any way peculiar, is eminently conformable to reason and the true facts of nature as created by Allah. It is the Truth in the purest sense of the term, and confirms the Message of all true Messengers that ever lived” (Yusuf Ali).‏

34. So, what then was your problem, O religious people, when this fresh Messenger had confirmed the Messengers you believed in as true? By confirming the Messengers of yore, had he not taken your side against the skeptics and rejectionists you were struggling against from among your own people? Had he brought anything that went against the basic principles of truth and morality laid down by previous Messengers? (Au.)

35. It will be known, e.g., that they are available in abundance; that they are of any quality, taste, color, or shape that one can desire (Alusi).

36. (Although “fawakih” is for fruits, the connotation hidden in the word is that of what yields pleasure, in short), fruits for pleasure and not as food for sustenance (Alusi).

37. Food that comes without honor is fit only for animals (Razi); and perhaps a reference to spiritual bliss after the physical bliss of the fruits.

38. It has been said that the couches will have circulatory movement so that the occupants, sitting face to face, will never see each other’s backs (Qurtubi). Perhaps, one circular couch within another circular couch; and which reminds us of a circular couch Bernard Shaw had got made in his backyard that automatically rotated in a manner to be always facing the sun (Au.).

39. “Cup” is the literal translation of “ka’s” but, according to Dahhak, whenever the Qur’an said “ka’s” the allusion is to wine. In fact, Suddi added, a “ka’s” was a “ka’s” for the pre-Islamic Arabs if it was filled with wine, otherwise it was a mere “inaa‘” (or “qid-h” – Qurtubi), i.e., a container or a pitcher (Ibn Jarir); like “ma’idah” (low-height food-table) which is not a “ma’idah” without food on it; or “zani`ah” for “hawdaj” (litter) is not so named if there is no woman in it (Qurtubi).

40. “Ma`in” is a spring which has water flowing on the surface of the earth (as against a spring which has water beneath the surface) – Zamakhshari, Razi, Qurtubi.

41. Another explanation will tell us that “bayda’” is that wine which has not been squeezed by the feet (Qurtubi). For those who do not know, we might mention that juice for the best grape wines in Europe are squeezed out by the feet of several men or women in a deep concrete or wooden trough (Au.).

42. Thus, free from all side-effects that earthly wine causes: headache, vomiting, stomach-ache, loss of self-control, liver damage, impotency, general deterioration of health over the long run, etc. (Au.). Further, it should never be forgotten that wines, fruits, springs, etc., are only names that have been used for human understanding. Otherwise (as Ibn `Abbas has said: Au.) there is nothing in Paradise that shares anything with that on earth, but the name (Alusi).

43. For those in the West who, (are used to bold, forward, progressive, half naked women who never bat an eye, no matter what the extent of obscenity they face), and who have perhaps never had the occasion to observe the beauty of a low-gazed girl, one might explain that there were times when – out of pure modesty – women, and especially maidens, would not raise their eyes at any man but to a close kin without a deep blush that forced their gazes down again. Perhaps the nearest in English would be a combination of “coy, blushing and bashful” (Au.).

44. The textual word “`een” is the plural of “`aynaa’” which, as many commentators have pointed out, is also used in the sense of “beautiful.”

45. An opinion attributed to Ibn `Abbas is that the allusion by “eggs” is to pearls, while that of Ibn Zayd was that it is to eggs under a birds’ wings in a nest that are well guarded and which are brown-white in color. But other authorities have said that the allusion is to the white layer below the egg’s shell – unpolluted by touch (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

In Iv.58, the phrase used is “like rubies and coral” (Yusuf Ali, Shabbir).

Writes Majid: “The likeness of a modest maiden with an egg is in respect of her color as well as in her being closely guarded and protected as beneath the wing. ‘This may seem an odd comparison to an European; but the Orientals think nothing comes as near the color of fine woman’s skin as that of an ostrich’s egg when kept perfectly clean’ (Sale).”

Alusi adds: Fair with a yellowish tint is an approved color for women, as fair with a pinkish tint is for men. Pure white is repulsive. The Prophet has been described as “fair, but not pure white.”

Alusi’s description of the preferable color comes very close to the color now prevalent in the Middle East, i.e., area covering Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Palestine (excluding the Jews) and parts of North Africa. This color seems to have emerged by virtue of centuries of mixing of races of all color-range: from pure white to pure dark, and all hues in between, during centuries when Islam had prevailed, and people were free to move and settle down anywhere in the Islamic world. This belt was most preferable, being the seat of political and cultural power. One is inclined to believe that had Islam prevailed over the globe, a few things would have happened: the prevalence of ostrich-egg color with few extremely dark and extremely white individuals surviving at the fringes as insignifcant minorities, opening up of all borders for migration and settlement leading to leveling of economic conditions covering the globe, and domination of a single language Arabic, resulting in closer homogeneity of the minds, and culture, while Islam exercised similar influence on the soul. With the white man still considering colored people as “the scum” (as recently remarked by a French minister with reference to second and third generation French immigrants from North Africa and Arab world), even after the modern “civilization” has passed its peak, indicates that it is only Islam that could have been as successful over the globe, as it has been in the belt referred above. But, perhaps much influenced by the Jewish story of the Tower of Babel, Man chose otherwise (Au.).

46. Yusuf Ali places this note at an earlier point but within the same passage: “The Garden’s Delights are figured forth from parallel experiences in our present life, and follow an ascending order: Food and Fruits; Gardens of Bliss, (with all their charm, design, greenery, birds’ songs, fountains, etc.); the Home of Happiness and Dignity, with congenial company seated on Thrones; Delicious Drinks from crystal Springs, for social pleasure; and the society of Companions of the opposite sex, with beauty and charm but none of the grossness too often incidental to such companionship in this life.‏”

47. Perhaps an angel will say this (Au.).

48. It is said that there will be apertures (vision glasses) in Paradise through which believers will be able to see the inhabitants of the Fire (Zamakhshari). The statement is attributed to Ibn `Abbas as well as Ka`b al-Ahbar (Qurtubi).

One wonders at the source of the above statement because the telescope had not yet been invented until after a 1000 years (Au.).

49. These are the concluding remarks of the believers in Paradise, and to paraphrase verses 58-60: “Is it not a fact that – being in Paradise - we shall not experience death again, except for the one we experienced earlier? Further – also being in Paradise – we shall never experience any chastisement anytime in future.”

50. “Nuzul” has been understood by the authorities as “fadl” meaning superabundance (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Razi).

51. Zaqqum is a tree of the cactus species that grows in Tihama. Its fruit is bitter, obnoxious in smell, and yields a milk-like juice when cut open (Majid, Mawdudi). Indian soil also grows a variety which in fact is locally known as the serpent-headed tree (Nag-phun) – Thanwi, Shabbir, Mufti Shafi`.

Some varieties in the USA grow as tall as palm trees, and, a desert area filled with them has an eerie, almost devilish, look (Au.).

It is reported by Mujahid and Suddi that when the ayah (44: 43),was revealed, Abu Jahl said, “Do you know what it means in the Arabic language? Let me serve you some.” The he ordered his slave-girl to bring dates and cream. He began to eat one with the other and remarked, “Have some. This is the Zaqqum that Muhammad is threatening you with.” So Allah revealed these present three verses (Ibn Jarir).

52. One of the possible explanations is that when the Qur’an mentioned a tree in Hell-fire, it caused increase in the disbelief of the pagans, thus, the Zaqqum Tree became a trial for them (Razi).

Interestingly, the meaning of tribulation is also hidden in the word (Zamakhshari).

53. When the pagans objected by saying, how can there be a tree in fire?, Allah answered by pointing out that it grows from the bottom of the Fire, meaning, it is a tree constituted of fire (Ibn Jarir).

But it could also be a tree (in the biological sense) but which the fire cannot burn. After all, Allah has placed angels over the fire – the Zabaniyyah (96: 18) – but which does not burn them (Razi).

54. Alternatively, “swathes.”

55. Ibn Jarir raises a doubt. The pagans had neither seen the Zaqqum tree nor the heads of the Devils. How were they to visualize what the allusion was to? The answer is, the use of the word Shaytan gives rise to an ugly and nasty connotation. For example, it is said, “So and so is a devil,” although the people have not seen a devil. But the loathsome feeling the comparison evokes justifies the usage.

At all events, the words “ru’usus Shayatin” have also been understood as referring to the heads of the serpents which look most fearful, especially when they have a crown (Ibn Jarir and others).

Tirmidhi has a Sahih report in this connection, as well as Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Abi Hatim. It is as follows: Ibn `Abbas reports that the Prophet recited this verse and then said, “Fear Allah in the manner He should be feared. For, if a drop of Zaqqum were to be dropped into the oceans of the earth, it will pollute the life of its inhabitants. So, how about him whose food it will be?” (Ibn Kathir)

56. Brew: that is, a mixture of tears, blood, and puss that their bodies will discharge (Ibn Zayd: Ibn Jarir).

Ibn Abi Hatim has a report coming down from Sa`id ibn Jubayr that he said, “When the people of Hell are hungry they will be fed with Zaqqum which will cause the skins of their faces to peel off. So that, if somebody passed by them he will not be able recognize them from their faces. As thirst overtakes them they will ask for a drink and will be given a boiling liquid similar to oil heated to its maximum degree. As it is taken to the mouth, it will bake the flesh from which the skin had fallen off. (A single gulp) will melt their guts which begin to fall off. Then they will be struck with hooked rods and every element of their body will burst out in lamentation” (Ibn Kathir).

May Allah save us from a touch of the Fire (Au.).

57. Apparently, eating and drinking will take place in another place in Hell. (Muqatil has said that Hamim is situated out of the boundaries of Jahim: Qurtubi). After they have been fed and given a drink they will be taken back to the area designated as “Al-Jahim.” This is supported by another ayah of the Qur’an which says (55: 44),“They will make rounds between it (Jahannum) and scalding water, heated to the highest degree” (Razi, Qurtubi).

Qushayri has said that these are various regions of Hellfire (Qurtubi).

58. Asad quotes Zamakhshari, “i.e., blind imitation (taqlid) of the – obviously absurd – beliefs, valuations and customs of one’s erring predecessors, and disregard of all evidence of the truth supplied by both reason and divine revelations, is here shown to be the principal cause of the suffering referred to in the preceding passage.”