Sad 38:62
The Letter "Saad" · Juz 23 · Page 457
وَقَالُواْ مَا لَنَا لَا نَرَىٰ رِجَالٗا كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَشۡرَارِ ٦٢
And they will say, "Why do we not see men whom we used to count among the worst?1
1 translator’s note
- They are referring to the believers. ↩
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 38:55–64
The Final Return of the Doomed
Having mentioned the final of the blessed, Allah follows that with mention of the final return of the doomed when they are resurrected and brought to account. Allah says:
هَذَا وَإِنَّ لِلطَّغِينَ
(This is so! And for the Taghin), which refers to those who disobey Allah, may He be glorified, and oppose the Messengers of Allah, peace be upon them,
لَشَرَّ مََابٍ
(will be an evil final return.) means, the worst final return. Then Allah explains it by saying,
جَهَنَّمُ يَصْلَوْنَهَا
(Hell! Where they will enter) means, they will enter it and it will overwhelm them on all sides.
جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا فَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ - هَذَا فَلْيَذُوقُوهُ حَمِيمٌ وَغَسَّاقٌ
(and worst (indeed) is that place to rest! This is so! Then let them taste it -- Hamim and Ghassaq.) Hamim is something that has been heated to the ultimate degree, and Ghassaq is the opposite, something that is so intensely cold that it is unbearable. Allah says:
وَءَاخَرُ مِن شَكْلِهِ أَزْوَجٌ
(And other of similar kind (oppasite pairs) -- all together!) means, and other things of this kind, a thing and its opposite, serving as punishments. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, concerning the Ayah:
وَءَاخَرُ مِن شَكْلِهِ أَزْوَجٌ
(And other of similar kind -- all together!) "Different kinds of punishments." Others said, such as intense cold and intense heat, and drinking Hamim and eating the bitter tree of Az-Zaqqum, and being lifted up and thrown down, and other kinds of paired opposites, all of which are means of punishment.
The Disputes of the People of Hell
هَذَا فَوْجٌ مُّقْتَحِمٌ مَّعَكُمْ لاَ مَرْحَباً بِهِمْ إِنَّهُمْ صَالُو النَّارِ
(This is a troop entering with you (in Hell), no welcome for them! Verily, they shall enter in the Fire!) Here Allah tells us what the people of Hell will say to one another. This is like the Ayah:
كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا
(Every time a new nation enters, it curses its sister nation (that went before)) (7:38), which means, instead of greeting one another, they will curse one another, accuse one another of being liars and reject one another. When a new group arrives, the keepers of Hell will say,
هَذَا فَوْجٌ مُّقْتَحِمٌ مَّعَكُمْ لاَ مَرْحَباً بِهِمْ إِنَّهُمْ صَالُو النَّارِ
(This is a troop entering with you (in Hell), no welcome for them! Verily, they shall enter in the Fire!) meaning, because they are of the people of Hell.
قَالُواْ بَلْ أَنتُمْ لاَ مَرْحَباً بِكُمْ
(Nay, you (too)! No welcome for you!) means, those who are coming in will say,
بَلْ أَنتُمْ لاَ مَرْحَباً بِكُمْ أَنتُمْ قَدَّمْتُمُوهُ لَنَا
(Nay, you (too)! No welcome for you! It is you who brought this upon us,) meaning, `you called us to that which led us to this fate.'
فَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ
(so evil is this place to stay in!) means, evil is this abode and this destination.
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا مَن قَدَّمَ لَنَا هَذَا فَزِدْهُ عَذَاباً ضِعْفاً فِى النَّارِ
(They will say: "Our Lord! Whoever brought this upon us, add to him a double torment in the Fire!"). This is like the Ayah,
قَالَتْ أُخْرَاهُمْ لاٍّولَهُمْ رَبَّنَا هَؤُلاءِ أَضَلُّونَا فََاتِهِمْ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا مِّنَ النَّارِ قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَكِن لاَّ تَعْلَمُونَ
(The last of them will say to the first of them: "Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire." He will say: "For each one there is double (torment), but you know not.") (7:38), which means that each of them will be punished as he deserves.
وَقَالُواْ مَا لَنَا لاَ نَرَى رِجَالاً كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُمْ مِّنَ الاٌّشْرَارِ - أَتَّخَذْنَهُمْ سِخْرِيّاً أَمْ زَاغَتْ عَنْهُمُ الأَبْصَرُ
(And they will say: "What is the matter with us that we see not men whom we used to count among the bad ones Did we take them as an object of mockery, or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them") Here Allah tells us that when they are in Hell, the disbelievers will notice that they do not see people who they thought were misguided, while they thought of themselves as believers. They will say, `why do we not see them with us in the Fire' Mujahid said, "This is what Abu Jahl will say; he will say, `what is the matter with me that I do not see Bilal and `Ammar and Suhayb and so-and-so...' This is an example; all the disbelievers are like this, they think that the believers will go to Hell, so when the disbelievers enter Hell, they will wonder why they do not see them there, and they will say,
مَا لَنَا لاَ نَرَى رِجَالاً كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُمْ مِّنَ الاٌّشْرَارِأَتَّخَذْنَهُمْ سِخْرِيّاً
(What is the matter with us that we see not men whom we used to count among the bad ones Did we take them as an object of mockery,) means, in this world,
أَمْ زَاغَتْ عَنْهُمُ الأَبْصَرُ
(or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them) means, they will try to console themselves with this wishful thinking, so they will say, perhaps they are here in Hell with us, but we have not laid eyes on them. Then they will find out that they (the believers) are in the lofty levels of Paradise, as Allah says:
وَنَادَى أَصْحَبُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَبَ النَّارِ أَن قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا قَالُواْ نَعَمْ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن لَّعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّلِمِينَ
(And the dwellers of Paradise will call out to the dwellers of the Fire (saying): "We have indeed found true what our Lord had promised us; have you also found true what your Lord promised (warned)" They shall say: "Yes." Then a crier will proclaim between them: "The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers.") until:
ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ
(Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve.) (7:44-49)
إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَحَقٌّ تَخَاصُمُ أَهْلِ النَّارِ
(Verily, that is the very truth -- the mutual dispute of the people of the Fire!) means, `this that We have told you, O Muhammad, about the dispute among the people of Hell and their cursing one another, is true and there is no doubt concerning it.'
Page 457
38:62
وَقَالُواْ مَا لَنَا لَا نَرَىٰ رِجَالٗا كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَشۡرَارِ ٦٢
And they will say, "Why do we not see men whom we used to count among the worst?1
1 translator’s note
- They are referring to the believers. ↩
38:63
أَتَّخَذۡنَٰهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا أَمۡ زَاغَتۡ عَنۡهُمُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ ٦٣
Is it [because] we took them in ridicule, or has [our] vision turned away from them?"
38:64
إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَحَقّٞ تَخَاصُمُ أَهۡلِ ٱلنَّارِ ٦٤
Indeed, that is truth [i.e., reality] - the quarreling of the people of the Fire.
38:65
قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مُنذِرٞۖ وَمَا مِنۡ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡوَٰحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ ٦٥
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I am only a warner, and there is not any deity except Allāh, the One, the Prevailing,1
1 translator’s note
- Refer to footnotes in 12:39. ↩
38:66
رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفَّٰرُ ٦٦
Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Exalted in Might,1 the Perpetual Forgiver."2
38:67
قُلۡ هُوَ نَبَؤٌاْ عَظِيمٌ ٦٧
Say, "It is great news
38:68
أَنتُمۡ عَنۡهُ مُعۡرِضُونَ ٦٨
From which you turn away.
38:69
مَا كَانَ لِيَ مِنۡ عِلۡمِۭ بِٱلۡمَلَإِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰٓ إِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ ٦٩
I had no knowledge of the exalted assembly [of angels] when they were disputing [the creation of Adam].
38:70
إِن يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّ إِلَّآ أَنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ نَذِيرٞ مُّبِينٌ ٧٠
It has not been revealed to me except that I am a clear warner."
38:71
إِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّي خَٰلِقُۢ بَشَرٗا مِّن طِينٖ ٧١
[So mention] when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I am going to create a human being from clay.
38:72
فَإِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهُۥ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ ٧٢
So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul,1 then fall down to him in prostration."
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 15:29. ↩
38:73
فَسَجَدَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعُونَ ٧٣
So the angels prostrated - all of them entirely,
38:74
إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٧٤
Except Iblees;1 he was arrogant and became among the disbelievers.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:34. ↩
38:75
قَالَ يَٰٓإِبۡلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسۡجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقۡتُ بِيَدَيَّۖ أَسۡتَكۡبَرۡتَ أَمۡ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡعَالِينَ ٧٥
[Allāh] said, "O Iblees, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands?1 Were you arrogant [then], or were you [already] among the haughty?"
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:19. ↩
38:76
قَالَ أَنَا۠ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡهُ خَلَقۡتَنِي مِن نَّارٖ وَخَلَقۡتَهُۥ مِن طِينٖ ٧٦
He said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay."
38:77
قَالَ فَٱخۡرُجۡ مِنۡهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٞ ٧٧
[Allāh] said, "Then get out of it [i.e., Paradise], for indeed, you are expelled.
38:78
وَإِنَّ عَلَيۡكَ لَعۡنَتِيٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٧٨
And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense."
38:79
قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرۡنِيٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ٧٩
He said, "My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected."
38:80
قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنظَرِينَ ٨٠
[Allāh] said, "So indeed, you are of those reprieved
38:81
إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡوَقۡتِ ٱلۡمَعۡلُومِ ٨١
Until the Day of the time well-known."
38:82
قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغۡوِيَنَّهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٨٢
[Iblees] said, "By Your might, I will surely mislead them all
38:83
إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنۡهُمُ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ٨٣
Except, among them, Your chosen servants."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy