Al-Muddaththir 74:31
The Cloaked One · Juz 29 · Page 576
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ ٣١
And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allāh intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allāh send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And it [i.e., mention of the Fire] is not but a reminder to humanity.
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Tanwir al-Miqbas
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Commentary on 74:31
(We have appointed) We set on the dwellers of the Fire (only angels) the keepers of the Fire (to be wardens of the Fire, and their number have We made) and We have not mentioned the fewness of the keepers of the Fire save (to be a stumbling block) except in order to be a calamity (for those who disbelieve) the disbelievers of Mecca: Abu'l-Ashadd Ibn Usayd Ibn Kildah who said: �I will take care of seventeen angels, nine on my back and eight on my chest; therefore you should take care of the other two�; (that those to whom the scripture) the Torah, i.e. 'Abdullah Ibn Salam and his followers, for it is written in the Torah that the number of the keepers of the Fire is nineteen (hath been given may have certainty, and that believers may increase in faith) when they know that what is in their Scripture is similar to that which is in the Torah; (and that those to whom the Scripture hath been given) 'Abdullah Ibn Salam and his followers, when they see that there is no difference between what is in the Qur'an and that which is in the Torah (and believers) also for the same reason (may not doubt; and that those in whose hearts there is disease) doubt and hypocrisy, (and disbelievers) the Jews and Christians; and it is said: the disbelievers of Mecca, (may say: What meaneth Allah by this similitude) when he mentioned the small number of angels who are in charge of the Fire? (Thus Allah sendeth astray) through this similitude (whom He will) whomever deserves it, (and whom He will) and whomever deserves (He guideth) by means of this similitude. (None knoweth the hosts of your Lord) among the angels (save Him. This is) i.e. Saqar, the fourth gate of the Fire (naught else than a Reminder unto mortals) an admonition to people in order to warn them.
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74:18
إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ ١٨
Indeed, he thought and deliberated.1
1 translator’s note
- About what he would say concerning the Qur’ān and how he might discredit the Prophet (ﷺ). ↩
74:19
فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ ١٩
So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
74:20
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ ٢٠
Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
74:21
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ٢١
Then he considered [again];
74:22
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ ٢٢
Then he frowned and scowled;
74:23
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ ٢٣
Then he turned back and was arrogant
74:24
فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ يُؤۡثَرُ ٢٤
And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others].
74:25
إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوۡلُ ٱلۡبَشَرِ ٢٥
This is not but the word of a human being."
74:26
سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ ٢٦
I will drive him into Saqar.1
1 translator’s note
- One of the proper names of Hell. ↩
74:27
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ ٢٧
And what can make you know what is Saqar?
74:28
لَا تُبۡقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ ٢٨
It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned],
74:29
لَوَّاحَةٞ لِّلۡبَشَرِ ٢٩
Altering [i.e., blackening] the skins.
74:30
عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ ٣٠
Over it are nineteen [angels].
74:31
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ ٣١
And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allāh intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allāh send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And it [i.e., mention of the Fire] is not but a reminder to humanity.
74:32
كـَلَّا وَٱلۡقَمَرِ ٣٢
No! By the moon
74:33
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذۡ أَدۡبَرَ ٣٣
And [by] the night when it departs
74:34
وَٱلصُّبۡحِ إِذَآ أَسۡفَرَ ٣٤
And [by] the morning when it brightens,
74:35
إِنَّهَا لَإِحۡدَى ٱلۡكُبَرِ ٣٥
Indeed, it [i.e., the Fire] is of the greatest [afflictions]
74:36
نَذِيرٗا لِّلۡبَشَرِ ٣٦
As a warning to humanity -
74:37
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمۡ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوۡ يَتَأَخَّرَ ٣٧
To whoever wills among you to proceed1 or stay behind.
1 translator’s note
- To righteousness by acceptance of the warning. ↩
74:38
كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ رَهِينَةٌ ٣٨
Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., subject or held responsible. ↩
74:39
إِلَّآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٣٩
Except the companions of the right,1.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the righteous who receive their records in their right hands. ↩
74:40
فِي جَنَّٰتٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ٤٠
[Who will be] in gardens, questioning each other
74:41
عَنِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٤١
About the criminals,
74:42
مَا سَلَكَكُمۡ فِي سَقَرَ ٤٢
[And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?"
74:43
قَالُواْ لَمۡ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ ٤٣
They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,
74:44
وَلَمۡ نَكُ نُطۡعِمُ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ ٤٤
Nor did we used to feed the poor.
74:45
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلۡخَآئِضِينَ ٤٥
And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it],
74:46
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٤٦
And we used to deny the Day of Recompense
74:47
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلۡيَقِينُ ٤٧
Until there came to us the certainty [i.e., death]."