Al-Furqan 25:34
The Criterion · Juz 19 · Page 363
ٱلَّذِينَ يُحۡشَرُونَ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمۡ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ شَرّٞ مَّكَانٗا وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلٗا ٣٤
The ones who are gathered on their faces to Hell - those are the worst in position and farthest astray in [their] way.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 25:32–34
The Reason why the Qur'an was revealed in Stages, the Refutation of the Disbelievers, and their Evil
Allah tells us about the many objections raised by the disbelievers, their stubbornness, and how they spoke of things which were none of their concern. They said:
لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةً وَحِدَةً
("Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once") meaning, why was this Qur'an, which was revealed to him, not sent down all at one time, as the previous Books, the Tawrah, Injil, Zabur and other Divine Books Allah answered them, telling them that it was revealed in stages over twenty-three years, according to events and circumstances, and whatever rulings were needed, in order to strengthen the hearts of the believers, as He says:
وَقُرْءانًا فَرَقْنَاهُ
(And (it is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts)...) (17:106). Allah says:
لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلاً
(that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages.) Qatadah said it means: "We have explained it." `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said it means: "We have given its interpretation."
وَلاَ يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ
(And no example or similitude do they bring,) This means no arguments or doubts,
إِلاَّ جِئْنَكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيراً
(but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof.) They do not say anything in an attempt to oppose the truth, but We respond to them with the truth of that same matter, more clearly and more eloquently than anything they say. Abu `Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Qur'an was sent down all at once to the first heaven on Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power), then it was revealed over twenty years." Allah says:
وَلاَ يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلاَّ جِئْنَكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيراً
(And no example or similitude do they bring, but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof.) and:
وَقُرْءانًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَهُ تَنْزِيلاً
(And (it is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages) (17:106). Then Allah tells us about the terrible state of the disbelievers when they are raised on the Day of Resurrection and gathered into Hell:
الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ أُوْلَئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً
(Those who will be gathered to Hell on their faces, such will be in an evil state, and most astray from the path. ) In the Sahih, it is reported from Anas that a man said, "O Messenger of Allah, how will the disbeliever be gathered on his face on the Day of Resurrection" The Prophet said:
«إِنَّ الَّذِي أَمْشَاهُ عَلَى رِجْلَيْهِ قَادِرٌ أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»
(The One Who caused him to walk on his two feet is able to make him walk on his face on the Day of Resurrection.)
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25:33
وَلَا يَأۡتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلَّا جِئۡنَٰكَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَأَحۡسَنَ تَفۡسِيرًا ٣٣
And they do not come to you with an example [i.e., argument] except that We bring you the truth and the best explanation.
25:34
ٱلَّذِينَ يُحۡشَرُونَ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمۡ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ شَرّٞ مَّكَانٗا وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلٗا ٣٤
The ones who are gathered on their faces to Hell - those are the worst in position and farthest astray in [their] way.
25:35
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلۡنَا مَعَهُۥٓ أَخَاهُ هَٰرُونَ وَزِيرٗا ٣٥
And We had certainly given Moses the Scripture and appointed with him his brother Aaron as an assistant.
25:36
فَقُلۡنَا ٱذۡهَبَآ إِلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَدَمَّرۡنَٰهُمۡ تَدۡمِيرٗا ٣٦
And We said, "Go both of you to the people who have denied Our signs." Then We destroyed them with [complete] destruction.
25:37
وَقَوۡمَ نُوحٖ لَّمَّا كَذَّبُواْ ٱلرُّسُلَ أَغۡرَقۡنَٰهُمۡ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ لِلنَّاسِ ءَايَةٗۖ وَأَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ عَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا ٣٧
And the people of Noah - when they denied the messengers,1 We drowned them, and We made them for mankind a sign. And We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment.
1 translator’s note
- Their denial of Noah was as if they had denied all those who brought the same message from Allāh. ↩
25:38
وَعَادٗا وَثَمُودَاْ وَأَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلرَّسِّ وَقُرُونَۢا بَيۡنَ ذَٰلِكَ كَثِيرٗا ٣٨
And [We destroyed] ʿAad and Thamūd and the companions of the well1 and many generations between them.
1 translator’s note
- Said to be a people who denied Prophet Shuʿayb or possibly those mentioned in Sūrah Yā Seen, 36:13-29. ↩
25:39
وَكُلّٗا ضَرَبۡنَا لَهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلَۖ وَكُلّٗا تَبَّرۡنَا تَتۡبِيرٗا ٣٩
And for each We presented examples [as warnings], and each We destroyed with [total] destruction.
25:40
وَلَقَدۡ أَتَوۡاْ عَلَى ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلَّتِيٓ أُمۡطِرَتۡ مَطَرَ ٱلسَّوۡءِۚ أَفَلَمۡ يَكُونُواْ يَرَوۡنَهَاۚ بَلۡ كَانُواْ لَا يَرۡجُونَ نُشُورٗا ٤٠
And they have already come upon the town which was showered with a rain of evil [i.e., stones]. So have they not seen it? But they are not expecting resurrection.1
1 translator’s note
- So they do not benefit from lessons of the past. ↩
25:41
وَإِذَا رَأَوۡكَ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي بَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ رَسُولًا ٤١
And when they see you, [O Muḥammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one whom Allāh has sent as a messenger?
25:42
إِن كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنۡ ءَالِهَتِنَا لَوۡلَآ أَن صَبَرۡنَا عَلَيۡهَاۚ وَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوۡنَ ٱلۡعَذَابَ مَنۡ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا ٤٢
He almost would have misled us from our gods had we not been steadfast in [worship of] them." But they are going to know, when they see the punishment, who is farthest astray in [his] way.
25:43
أَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيۡهِ وَكِيلًا ٤٣
Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him?