Ibrahim 14:50
Abraham · Juz 13 · Page 261
سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٖ وَتَغۡشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ ٥٠
Their garments of liquid pitch and their faces covered by the Fire
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 14:49–51
The Condition of the criminals on the Day of Resurrection
Allah said,
يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الاٌّرْضُ غَيْرَ الاٌّرْضِ وَالسَّمَوَتُ
(On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens) `and the creations will be brought before their Lord, and you, O Muhammad, will witness the criminals who committed the crimes of Kufr and mischief,'
مُقْرِنِينَ
(Muqarranin) bound together, each with his or her like, just as Allah said,
احْشُرُواْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزْوَجَهُمْ
(Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions.) 37:22
وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ
(And when the souls are joined with their bodies.)81:7,
وَإَذَآ أُلْقُواْ مِنْهَا مَكَاناً ضَيِّقاً مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْاْ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُوراً
(And when they shall be thrown into a narrow place thereof, chained together, they will exclaim therein for destruction.) 25:13 and,
وَالشَّيَطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّآءٍ وَغَوَّاصٍ - وَءَاخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِى الاٌّصْفَادِ
(And also the Shayatin from the Jinn (including) every kind of builder and diver, and also others bound in fetters.)38:37-38 Allah said next,
سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٍ
(Their garments will be of Qatiran (pitch),) that is used to coat camels. Qatadah commented that Qatiran (tar) is one of the fastest objects to catch fire. Ibn `Abbas used to say that the Qatiran, mentioned in the Ayah, is dissolved lead. It is possible that this Ayah reads as: (سَرَابِيلُهُمْ مِنْ قَطِرٍآنٍ) refering to heated lead that has reached tremendous heat, according to Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr Al-Hasan and Qatadah. Allah said next,
وَتَغْشَى وُجُوهَهُمْ النَّارُ
(and fire will cover their faces), which is similar to His other statement,
تَلْفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ وَهُمْ فِيهَا كَلِحُونَ
(The Fire will burn their faces, and therein they will grin, with displaced lips.)23:104 Imam Ahmad recorded that Yahya bin Abi Ishaq said that Aban bin Yazid said that Yahya bin Abi Kathir said that Zayd bin Abi Salam said that Abu Malik Al-Ash`ari said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«أَرْبَعٌ فِي أُمَّتِي مِنْ أَمْرِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ لَا يَتْرُكُونَهُنَّ:الْفَخْرُ بِالْأَحْسَابِ، وَالطَّعْنُ فِي الْأَنْسَابِ، وَالْاسْتِسْقَاءُ بِالنُّجُومِ، وَالنِّيَاحَةُ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ، وَالنَّائِحَةُ إِذَا لَمْ تَتُبْ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهَا، تُقَامُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَعَلَيْهَا سِرْبَالٌ مِنْ قَطِرَانٍ وَدِرْعٌ مِنْ جَرَب»
(Four characteristics from the time of Jahiliyyah will remain in my Ummah, since they will not abandon them: boasting about their family lineage, discrediting family ties, seeking rain through the stars, and wailing for their dead. Verily, if she who wails, dies before she repents from her behavior, she will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection while wearing a dress of Qatiran and a cloak of mange.) Muslim collected this Hadith. Allah said next,
لِيَجْزِىَ اللَّهُ كُلَّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ
(That Allah may requite each person according to what he has earned.) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection. Allah said in another Ayah,
لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ
(That He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done.) 53:31 Allah said here,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ
(Truly, Allah is swift at reckoning.) when He wills to reckon a servants of His, for He knows everything and nothing ever escapes His observation. Verily, His power over all of His creation is the same as His power over one creature,
مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلاَ بَعْثُكُمْ إِلاَّ كَنَفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ
(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as a single person. )31:28 And this is why Mujahid said,
سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ
(swift at reckoning), means "keeping count."
Page 261
14:43
مُهۡطِعِينَ مُقۡنِعِي رُءُوسِهِمۡ لَا يَرۡتَدُّ إِلَيۡهِمۡ طَرۡفُهُمۡۖ وَأَفۡـِٔدَتُهُمۡ هَوَآءٞ ٤٣
Racing ahead, their heads raised up, their glance does not come back to them,1 and their hearts are void.
1 translator’s note
- This is their state at the time of resurrection from the graves. Their heads are upraised in fixed stares of terror, unable even to glance back. ↩
14:44
وَأَنذِرِ ٱلنَّاسَ يَوۡمَ يَأۡتِيهِمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَخِّرۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ قَرِيبٖ نُّجِبۡ دَعۡوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ ٱلرُّسُلَۗ أَوَلَمۡ تَكُونُوٓاْ أَقۡسَمۡتُم مِّن قَبۡلُ مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٖ ٤٤
And, [O Muḥammad], warn the people of a Day when the punishment will come to them and those who did wrong will say, "Our Lord, delay us for a short term; we will answer Your call and follow the messengers." [But it will be said], "Had you not sworn, before, that for you there would be no cessation?1
1 translator’s note
- Of the blessings which Allāh had bestowed upon you during life on earth. ↩
14:45
وَسَكَنتُمۡ فِي مَسَٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ فَعَلۡنَا بِهِمۡ وَضَرَبۡنَا لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ ٤٥
And you lived among the dwellings of those who wronged themselves, and it had become clear to you how We dealt with them. And We presented for you [many] examples."
14:46
وَقَدۡ مَكَرُواْ مَكۡرَهُمۡ وَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَكۡرُهُمۡ وَإِن كَانَ مَكۡرُهُمۡ لِتَزُولَ مِنۡهُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ ٤٦
And they had planned their plan, but with Allāh is [recorded] their plan, even if their plan had been [sufficient] to do away with the mountains.1
1 translator’s note
- An alternative meaning is "...and their plan was not [sufficient] to do away with the mountains," i.e., it had no effect against Allāh's will. ↩
14:47
فَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِفَ وَعۡدِهِۦ رُسُلَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٞ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٖ ٤٧
So never think that Allāh will fail in His promise to His messengers. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Owner of Retribution.1
1 translator’s note
- Refer to footnote for 3:5. ↩
14:48
يَوۡمَ تُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُۖ وَبَرَزُواْ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡوَٰحِدِ ٱلۡقَهَّارِ ٤٨
[It will be] on the Day the earth will be replaced by another earth, and the heavens [as well], and they [i.e., all creatures] will come out before Allāh, the One, the Prevailing,
14:49
وَتَرَى ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ يَوۡمَئِذٖ مُّقَرَّنِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَصۡفَادِ ٤٩
And you will see the criminals that Day bound together in irons,
14:50
سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٖ وَتَغۡشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ ٥٠
Their garments of liquid pitch and their faces covered by the Fire
14:51
لِيَجۡزِيَ ٱللَّهُ كُلَّ نَفۡسٖ مَّا كَسَبَتۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ٥١
So that Allāh will recompense every soul for what it earned. Indeed, Allāh is swift in account.
14:52
هَٰذَا بَلَٰغٞ لِّلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنذَرُواْ بِهِۦ وَلِيَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٞ وَٰحِدٞ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٥٢
This [Qur’ān] is notification for the people that they may be warned thereby and that they may know that He is but one God and that those of understanding will be reminded.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy