اِنَّ Indeed شَجَرَتَ (the) tree الزَّقُّوْمِۙ (of) Zaqqum طَعَامُ (Will be) food الْاَثِیْمِ (of) the sinner(s) كَالْمُهْلِ ۛۚ Like the murky oil یَغْلِیْ it will boil فِی in الْبُطُوْنِۙ the bellies كَغَلْیِ Like boiling الْحَمِیْمِ (of) scalding water خُذُوْهُ Seize him فَاعْتِلُوْهُ and drag him اِلٰی into سَوَآءِ (the) midst الْجَحِیْمِۗۖ (of) the Hellfire ثُمَّ Then صُبُّوْا pour فَوْقَ over رَاْسِهٖ his head مِنْ of عَذَابِ (the) punishment الْحَمِیْمِؕ (of) the scalding water ذُقْ ۙۚ Taste! اِنَّكَ Indeed you اَنْتَ [you] (were) الْعَزِیْزُ the mighty الْكَرِیْمُ the noble اِنَّ Indeed هٰذَا this مَا (is) what كُنْتُمْ you used (to) بِهٖ [about it] تَمْتَرُوْنَ doubt اِنَّ Indeed الْمُتَّقِیْنَ the righteous فِیْ (will be) in مَقَامٍ a place اَمِیْنٍۙ secure فِیْ In جَنّٰتٍ gardens وَّ عُیُوْنٍۚۙ and springs یَّلْبَسُوْنَ Wearing garments مِنْ of سُنْدُسٍ fine silk وَّ اِسْتَبْرَقٍ and heavy silk مُّتَقٰبِلِیْنَۚۙ facing each other كَذٰلِكَ ۫ Thus وَ زَوَّجْنٰهُمْ And We will marry them بِحُوْرٍ (to) companions with beautiful eyes عِیْنٍؕ (to) companions with beautiful eyes یَدْعُوْنَ They will call فِیْهَا therein بِكُلِّ for every kind فَاكِهَةٍ (of) fruit اٰمِنِیْنَۙ secure لَا Not یَذُوْقُوْنَ they will taste فِیْهَا therein الْمَوْتَ the death اِلَّا except الْمَوْتَةَ the death الْاُوْلٰی ۚ the first وَ وَقٰىهُمْ And He will protect them عَذَابَ (from the) punishment الْجَحِیْمِۙ (of) the Hellfire فَضْلًا A Bounty مِّنْ from رَّبِّكَ ؕ your Lord ذٰلِكَ That هُوَ it الْفَوْزُ (will be) the success الْعَظِیْمُ the great فَاِنَّمَا Indeed یَسَّرْنٰهُ We have made it easy بِلِسَانِكَ in your tongue لَعَلَّهُمْ so that they may یَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ take heed فَارْتَقِبْ So watch اِنَّهُمْ indeed they مُّرْتَقِبُوْنَ۠ (too are) watching
(44:43) The tree of al-Zaqqum38
(44:44) shall be the food of the sinful.
(44:45) Like dregs of oil,39 it will boil in their bellies
(44:46) like boiling water.
(44:47) “Seize him and drag him to the middle of the Blazing Fire,
(44:48) then pour boiling water over his head as chastisement.
(44:49) Taste this, you are a person mighty and noble!
(44:50) This is what you used to doubt.”
(44:51) Verily the God-fearing shall be in a secure place40
(44:52) amidst gardens and springs.
(44:53) Attired in silk and brocade,41 they shall be arrayed face to face.
(44:54) Thus shall it be: and We shall espouse them to fair, wide-eyed maidens.42
(44:55) While resting in security, they shall call for all kinds of fruit.43
(44:56) They shall not taste death except the death in this world. And Allah will save them from the chastisement of Hell44
(44:57) as a favour from your Lord. That is the great triumph.
(44:58) (O Prophet), We have made this Book easy in your tongue so that they may take heed.
(44:59) Wait, then; they too are waiting.45
38. For a detailed note on zaqqum see al-Saffat 37, n. 34, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. IX, p. 293.
39. The word al-muhl carries the following meanings: molten metal, pus, blood, molten tar-coal and dregs of oil or lava. (al-Razi, al-Tafsir al- Kabir, comments on Surah al-Dukhan 44: 43) It appears that the juice of the zaqqum tree will be like dregs of oil.
40. Quite different will be the state of the God-fearing who will be in a ‘secure place’ which will be characterized by perfect peace and tranquility and will be free of sorrow, grief, worry, fear, danger, hardship and suffering. The Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘The inmates of Paradise will be told that they will always enjoy sound health and will never fall ill.
Likewise, they will live forever and will never die. They will enjoy eternal prosperity and will never be afflicted with any adversity. They will enjoy eternal youth and will never grow old’. (Muslim, Kitab al-Jannah wa Sifah Na‘imiha wa Ahliha, Bab fi Dawam Na‘im Ahl al-Jannah).
41. Sundus and istabraq respectively denote fine and thick silken fabric.
42. Hur is the plural form of hawra’ and signifies in Arabic a fair complexioned woman. As for ‘in, it is the plural form of ‘ayna’ and is used to describe women with large eyes. (For further details, see al-Saffat 37, nn. 28-9, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. IX, p. 291.)
43. The inmates of Paradise will be free to obtain whatever they wish. They will ask their attendants to provide them with whatever they want and the same will be immediately be brought to them. Even in one’s own home, one cannot freely get all one wants for one has to pay and arrange for it. In Paradise, however, people will be free to have anything on an unlimited scale. Nor will there be any chance that supplies will be exhausted.
44. Two points contained within the verse are noteworthy: (i) After an account of the bounties of Paradise, deliverance from Hell is specifically mentioned. It is obvious that one values the reward of one’s obedience more when one comes to know the punishment of disobedience. This also gives one the additional satisfaction of having avoided a terrible punishment. (ii) God ascribes to His grace that some people will enter Paradise and will, thus, be safe from the Hellfire. This is stated so as to bring home to them the truth that no one can attain success unless they are aided by God’s grace. It is an altogether different point that one will be rewarded for one’s good deeds. Let it be realized that one is inspired to do good only by God’s grace. Moreover, even the best deed is not absolutely free from imperfection. God, out of His grace, accepts man’s efforts and confers rewards upon him. Were God to take man strictly to account, no one would be able to enter Paradise by dint of his good deeds alone. An observation made by the Prophet (peace be on him) further amplifies this point: ‘Do good deeds to the best of your ability. However, know that no one will be admitted to Paradise only on the basis of his record of deeds’. When those who were present asked the Prophet (peace be on him) whether that applied to him as well, he replied: ‘Yes, I too will not enter Paradise by dint of my deeds unless God covers me with His Mercy. Only God’s Mercy will help me gain entry into it.’ (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Dukhan 44: 57.)
45. If the people concerned refuse to pay any heed to admonition, they should look forward to the doom that will overtake them. Likewise, . the Prophet's adversaries too should wait and see how resplendent the finale of his mission will be.