Al-Mutaffifin 83:8
The Defrauding · Juz 30 · Page 588
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٞ ٨
And what can make you know what is sijjeen?
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 83:7–8
Sijjin and ` illiyin
كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٍ (Never! [ i.e. they should never forget that Day.] Indeed the Record of Deeds of the sinners is in sijjin. [ 83:71' The word sijjin is derived from sajana which means to 'imprison in a narrow place'. According to Qamus, the word sijjin means 'eternal imprisonment'. Traditions indicate that sijjin is a special place where the souls of the non-believers are kept, and in the same place, the Record of the evil deeds of every wicked person is kept separately. It is also possible that in this there is a consolidated book in which the deeds of all the non-believers of the world are recorded.
Where is this place? According to a lengthy hadith reported by Sayyidna Bara' Ibn ` Azib ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that sijjin is beneath the seventh level of the earth, and ` illiyin is in the seventh heaven beneath the Divine Throne. [ Baghawi, and Ahmad etc., as quoted by Mazhari ]. According to certain Traditions, sijjin is the seventh earth which contains the souls of the disbelievers, and ` illiyin is the seventh heaven which contains the souls of the believers.
The Locale of Paradise and Hell
Baihaqi has recorded a narration from Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Salam ؓ that Paradise is in the heaven, and Hell is in the earth. Ibn Jarir cites in his commentary on the authority of Sayyidna Mu'adh Ibn Jabal ؓ a narrative of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، according to which he was asked about the meaning of the following verse:
وَجِيءَ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِجَهَنَّمَ
'and Jahannam (Hell), on that day, will be brought forward, [ 89:23] '
The Holy Prophet ﷺ was asked from where the Hell be brought forward? He replied: "From the seventh earth." These narratives indicate that Hell will be brought forward from the seventh earth. It will suddenly flare up there, and all the oceans will join its blazing fire, and come forward in full view of all. This interpretation is reconcilable with narratives that define sijjin as the name of a place in Hell. [ Mahari ]. And Allah knows best!
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83:7
كـَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٖ ٧
No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in sijjeen.
83:8
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٞ ٨
And what can make you know what is sijjeen?
83:9
كِتَٰبٞ مَّرۡقُومٞ ٩
It is [their destination1 recorded in] a register inscribed.
1 translator’s note
- The lowest depths of Hell. ↩
83:10
وَيۡلٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ١٠
Woe, that Day, to the deniers,
83:11
ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ١١
Who deny the Day of Recompense.
83:12
وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢
And none deny it except every sinful transgressor.
83:13
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٣
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."
83:14
كـَلَّاۖ بَلۡۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ١٤
No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., their sins. ↩
83:15
كـَلَّآ إِنَّهُمۡ عَن رَّبِّهِمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّمَحۡجُوبُونَ ١٥
No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., they will not be able to see Him. ↩
83:16
ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمۡ لَصَالُواْ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ١٦
Then indeed, they will [enter and] burn in Hellfire.
83:17
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ ١٧
Then it will be said [to them], "This is what you used to deny."
83:18
كـَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ ١٨
No! Indeed, the record of the righteous is in ʿilliyyūn.
83:19
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ ١٩
And what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn?
83:20
كِتَٰبٞ مَّرۡقُومٞ ٢٠
It is [their destination1 recorded in] a register inscribed
1 translator’s note
- The highest elevations of Paradise. ↩
83:21
يَشۡهَدُهُ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ ٢١
Which is witnessed by those brought near [to Allāh].
83:22
إِنَّ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ ٢٢
Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure
83:23
عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ٢٣
On adorned couches, observing.
83:24
تَعۡرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمۡ نَضۡرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٢٤
You will recognize in their faces the radiance of pleasure.
83:25
يُسۡقَوۡنَ مِن رَّحِيقٖ مَّخۡتُومٍ ٢٥
They will be given to drink [pure] wine1 [which was] sealed.
1 translator’s note
- Which is delicious and does not intoxicate. ↩
83:26
خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسۡكٞۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلۡمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ ٢٦
The last of it1 is musk. So for this let the competitors compete.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., its lingering odor. ↩
83:27
وَمِزَاجُهُۥ مِن تَسۡنِيمٍ ٢٧
And its mixture is of Tasneem,1
1 translator’s note
- The highest spring in Paradise and the most favored drink of its inhabitants. ↩
83:28
عَيۡنٗا يَشۡرَبُ بِهَا ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ ٢٨
A spring from which those near [to Allāh] drink.
83:29
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجۡرَمُواْ كَانُواْ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَضۡحَكُونَ ٢٩
Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed.
83:30
وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِهِمۡ يَتَغَامَزُونَ ٣٠
And when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances.
83:31
وَإِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُواْ فَكِهِينَ ٣١
And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting.
83:32
وَإِذَا رَأَوۡهُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ ٣٢
And when they saw them, they would say, "Indeed, those are truly lost."
83:33
وَمَآ أُرۡسِلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَٰفِظِينَ ٣٣
But they had not been sent as guardians over them.
83:34
فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡكُفَّارِ يَضۡحَكُونَ ٣٤
So Today1 those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers,
1 translator’s note
- On the Day of Judgement. ↩