Tafsir of Surah Ad-Dukhan - Verse 48

The Condition of the Idolators and Their Punishment on the Day of Resurrection

Allah tells us how He will punish the disbelievers who deny the meeting with Him:

إِنَّ شَجَرَةَ الزَّقُّومِ - طَعَامُ الاٌّثِيمِ

(Verily, the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinners.) Those who sinned by their words and in deeds. These are the disbelievers. More than one commentator stated that this referred to Abu Jahl; undoubtedly he is included among those referred to in this Ayah, but it is not specifically about him. Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' was reciting to a man:

إِنَّ شَجَرَةَ الزَّقُّومِ - طَعَامُ الاٌّثِيمِ

(Verily, the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinners.) The man said, "The food of the orphan." Abu Ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Say, the tree of Zaqqum is the food of the evildoer." i.e., he will not have any other food apart from that. Mujahid said, "If a drop of it were to fall on the earth, it would corrupt the living of all the people of earth." A similar Marfu` report has been narrated earlier.

كَالْمُهْلِ

(Like boiling oil,) means, like the dregs of oil.

كَالْمُهْلِ يَغْلِى فِى الْبُطُونِ - كَغَلْىِ الْحَمِيمِ

(it will boil in the bellies, like the boiling of scalding water.) means, because of its heat and rancidity.

خُذُوهُ

(Seize him) means the disbeliever. It was reported that when Allah says to the keepers of Hell, "Seize him," seventy thousand of them will rush to seize him.

فَاعْتِلُوهُ

(and drag him) means, drag him by pulling him and pushing him on his back. Mujahid said:

خُذُوهُ فَاعْتِلُوهُ

(Seize him and drag him) means, take him and push him.

إِلَى سَوَآءِ الْجَحِيمِ

(into the midst of blazing Fire.) means, into the middle of it.

ثُمَّ صُبُّواْ فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْحَمِيمِ

(Then pour over his head the torment of boiling water.) This is like the Ayah:

هَـذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُواْ فِى رَبِّهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارِ يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ - يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ

(boiling water will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins.) (22:19-20). The angel will strike him with a hooked rod of iron and split his head open, then he will pour boiling water over his head. It will go down through his body, melting through his stomach and intestines, until it goes through his heels; may Allah protect us from that.

ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْكَرِيمُ

(Taste you (this)! Verily, you were (pretending to be) the mighty, the generous.) means, they (the keepers of Hell) will say that to him by way of ridicule and rebuke. Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "This means, you are neither mighty nor generous." And Allah's saying:

إِنَّ هَـذَا مَا كُنتُمْ بِهِ تَمْتَرُونَ

(Verily, this is that whereof you used to doubt!) is like His saying:

يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ إِلَى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا - هَـذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ - أَفَسِحْرٌ هَـذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لاَ تُبْصِرُونَ

(The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing. This is the Fire which you used to deny. In this magic, or do you not see) (52: 13-15) Similarly Allah said:

إِنَّ هَـذَا مَا كُنتُمْ بِهِ تَمْتَرُونَ

(Verily, this is that where of you used to doubt!)

Commentary

Punishment and Reward of the Hereafter

In these verses, according to the style of the Qur'an, Allah describes Hell and the way the unbelievers will be punished, and Paradise and the way the believers will be rewarded.

Punishment of the Dwellers of Hell

"Indeed the tree of zaqqum... (44:43) ". Some necessary information regarding the reality of zaqqum has been given in Surah As-Saffat. Please see under (37:64-65). Here the Qur'an apparently indicates that the infidels will be given zaqqum to eat even before they enter Hell, because in this verse the Qur'an says that after having fed them with zaqqum they will be seized by the keepers of Hell and dragged into the middle of the blazing fire of Hell. According to some commentators, this is the meaning of (56:56) Surah –Al-Waqi'ah هَـٰذَا نُزُلُهُمْ يَوْمَ الدِّينِ (This will be their entertainment on the Day of Requital". They argue that the word nuzul (entertainment) originally refers to the starter food and provision served to guests to make them feel welcome before the main course of entertainment is served. The main course of food and provision served later on is called diyafah or ma'dubah. The wordings of the Qur'an do carry the possibility that the feeding of zaqqum could be after the entry into Hell. In this case the word nuzul would refer, by extension, to the main course of meals and provisions served. The verse under comment which speaks about 'dragging the dweller of Hell towards the middle of the blazing fire' means, he would already be in Hell but after feeding him zaqqum he will be dragged towards the middle of the fire to expose him to a greater degree of disgrace and torture. Allah knows best! (Condensed from Bayan-ul-Qur'an).

The picture of Hell painted by the Quran here and at other places is sufficient to shake every man who is serious about his future; it will make him rush towards the path of Paradise and away from the path of Hell. But those who are not serious about the Truth, who pay heed only to their own desires and who do not feel the necessity to consider the world of realities which lies outside their ambitions, will hear this and simply ignore it. For such people, these words will be like water running over a rock without a single drop penetrating its surface.