Explanation of the verses

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IntroductionThe Severity of Punishments in Hell

The punishment in Hell will be so severe on the Day of Judgment that the sinner will desire that he sacrifice his children, wife and relatives who have always supported him and even the entire mankind to save himself. The verse says:

“They will be made to see each other. The guilty ones would desire that they could save themselves from their chastisement by their children.”(1)

What we learn from this des c r i p tion is that the sinner will try to save himself from punishment in exchange of all that he has and even the entire population of mankind. But nothing will be accepted from him and he will face the severe torments decreed for him.

The second verse speaks about the remorse of the sinners regarding the negligence of their duties and then the verse says:

“On that day His (God’s) chastisement will like none can inflict. And His bonds will be such that none can bind.”(2)

So from this verse we discern that the punishment is both unique and severe.

These des c r i p tions have an educative side to enhance the value of divine punishments and this is also because people consider God to be the “ all-forgiving” who will never punish his creation or that His punishments will be very light but this results in people becoming more daring in their sins . Therefore, Qura’n speaks very plainly about these terrifying punishments so that people will get over their whims and reform their deeds.

The same meaning is conveyed in the third verse. It speaks about those who turn their backs to the divine truth and says:

“God will chastise him with a great punishment.”

The term “Azaabal Akbar” tell us about the punishment on the Day of Judgment and the severest punishment in this world is very light compared to it. In verse 21 of Surah Sajdah it says that “We will the light punishment before the severest one so that they may reform”

It should be noted that at times the evil people in this world like the people of Apostle Lot were very severely punished and their entire population was wiped out with their cities but these punishments are light compared to the ones in Hell for they are incomprehensible for us.

The fourth verse describes another torment for the sinners. The disbelievers in God’s justice will be told, “It will be said “Go the shadows with three columns (which gives) no shade for coolness and is of no use against the fierce blaze. It sends up sparks like huge buildings as if tawny camels.”

Strange facts have been revealed about the fire of Hell in this verse.

The first point is that the disbelievers in the divine justice and other great sinners will be told, “Go to the shadows” but which shadow? It is the shadow which will be suffocating and will have three columns, one to head and the other two to the sides left and right and it is shadow that covers them from all sides. It will not be like the shadow in Paradise or in the gardens full of ease but a shadow full of heat that can burn.

There will be many parts of this fire and each one will be full of heat, yellow in color like the “tawny camels” that run here and there. If the shadow will like this then how will we describe its fire? What a profound and illustrating des c r i p tion it is. People take to shadows to save themselves from heat but here there will be no shadow except that of the flames and smoke. It was difficult for people in the olden days to comprehend it but with the megaton bombs being used today we can have a fair idea about it. The flames and cinders of the great fires fill the atmosphere with heat and burn it and here the Qura’n speaks only about the shadow of the fire in the hereafter. (3)

“Qasr” may be referring to the palatial buildings of the sinners and the des c r i p tion of the fires of hell with these high rises is very meaningful for they inflame the hearts of the oppressed. The other meaningful des c r i p tion is comparing the fires of hell as yellow with the camels of the Arabs which were regarded as great assets by the vain. There is another meaningful interpretation. Some people may say that there is no connection between these flames or fires with that of high rise buildings and yellow camels for one is very big while the other is small.

We should note that each of these des c r i p tions points to a certain feature. The first one is about the largeness of these flames and the second is about their numbers and speed in which they spread like the camels that scatter in the desert or to describe the continuity of the sparks. Its large flames represent great structures and the smaller sparks are like yellow camels.

The word “Jimalah” is the plural of “Jamal” or camels. Hijr is like Hijarah and Sufr is the plural of Asfar which means yellow and at times dark yellow but the first meaning is better.

There is yet another des c r i p tion of the Hell and its punishments in the fifth verse. It says:

“It will be avoided by the most unfortunate one who will enter the great fire in which he will neither die nor live.”

This punishment describes the severity of the chastisement which the sinners in Hell will be for eternity (They will neither die and be oblivious to the pain not live and find peace) this is often seen in this world where a person is in dilemma struggling between life and death.

The great fire has been compared with the smaller sparks which refers to the torments in this world.

Imam Sadiq is reported to have said:

“The fire in your world is but a percentage of the fire with 70 parts which has been doused after throwing water 70 times on it. Had it not been so then no person would be able to bear it or go near it. (4)

The same meaning has also been conveyed Imam Ali and even the Holy Messenger.

Some commentators have said that the term “Naaral Kubraa” refers to a certain portion of Hell which has the severest punishment. (5) But the first explanation is better and more correct. These are all the finer points about the fire of Hell and its vastness.

 


 

1. The word “Fasila” is derived from “Fasl’ and means severance and here it means the disconnection with the people the sinner lived.
2. The words “Azaabah” and “Wasaaqa” revert to God. Some commentators like Aloosi in Ruhul Ma’ani and Barsui in Ruhul Bayan that it reverts to mankind but this seems far fetched.
3. Some commentators believe that the word “Innahaa” refers to the Fire which i9s feminine though the verse does not speak about “Naar’ but we discern it through the mention of the shadows of the smoke. It is better that we take it as a reference to the all encompassing and strangulating or choking shadows of the smoke. The condition of the fire can be highlighted through it.
4. Tafsir Imam Askari as copied in Behar-ol-Anwar vol.8 page 288 hadith 21
5. Tafsir Al Mizan vol.20 for this verse.

 

IntroductionThe Severity of Punishments in Hell
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