Al-Muddaththir 74:35
The Cloaked One · Juz 29 · Page 576
إِنَّهَا لَإِحۡدَى ٱلۡكُبَرِ ٣٥
Indeed, it [i.e., the Fire] is of the greatest [afflictions]
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 74:31–36
وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُوْدَ رَبِّكَ اِلَّا هُو (...And no one knows the hosts of your Lord but He 74:31) Muqatil, among the leading authorities, says that this is rebuttal to Abu Jahl's statement. When he heard this verse which says that there are nineteen angels in charge of Hell, he addressed the youth of Quraish and said that Muhammad has only nineteen companions, so there is nothing to worry about. Baihaqi records a narrative from Suddi that when verse 30 was revealed, a foolish Quraishi unbeliever, Abul-Asalain by name, spoke out: '0 nation of Quraish, I alone am sufficient for the nineteen. I will take care of ten with my right arm, and nine with my left arm. Thus I will put an end to all nineteen of them.' On this occasion, this verse was revealed. '0 fools, first of all one angel is sufficient for all. Moreover, the number nineteen refers to the chiefs of angels. Under each of these angels, the number of Allah's angels is legion beyond human count or computation. Allah alone knows their number. They are ready at hand to carry out the punishment to the unbelievers and transgressors.'
In the next verses, there is the mention of the Hereafter and its horrors.
اِنَّهَا لَاِحْدَى الْكُبَرِ (saqar: Hell) is one of the greatest things....74:35) The pronoun in the phrase innaha refers to saqar 'Hell' which has been mentioned in one of the preceding verses. The word kubar is the plural of kubaa which is an adjective for dahiyah or musibah 'calamity'. The verse purports to say that Hell which the unbelievers will enter will be one of the greatest calamities. Besides, there will be many different kinds of torments and tortures.
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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]."