Ma'arif al-Qur'an · Tafsir · in English
Maryam 19:68–72
19:68Page 310
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحۡشُرَنَّهُمۡ وَٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ ثُمَّ لَنُحۡضِرَنَّهُمۡ حَوۡلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيّٗا ٦٨
So by your Lord, We will surely gather them and the devils; then We will bring them to be present around Hell upon their knees.1
لَنَحْشُرَنَّهُمْ وَالشَّيَاطِينَ ثُمَّ لَنُحْضِرَنَّهُمْ
"We will definitely gather them together with the devils, then We will definitely make them present." - 19:68.
This verse may be interpreted in two ways. First, that on the Day of Judgment every infidel will be brought before God along with his own devil, and this suggests that this is a reference to the gathering of infidels and their devils. But if it is interpreted in a general sense to include all believers and infidels then the meaning of the devils being gathered with all of them would be that while the infidels will be gathered with their devils, the believers would also be gathered at the same time and place. Thus the devils will be gathered along with the infidels as well as with the believers.
حَوْلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيًّا
"Around the Jahannam fallen on their knees." - 19:68.
On the Day of Resurrection every one - believers, infidels, the blessed and the wretched - will be assembled around Hell. Everyone will be seized with awe and terror, and they will all be on their knees, then the believers and the blessed will be taken across Hell and admitted into Paradise, so that having viewed the extreme suffering of Hell they may all the better enjoy their own state of felicity, and at the same time rejoice at the punishment which has been inflicted upon the infidels.
19:69–70Page 310
ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمۡ أَشَدُّ عَلَى ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ عِتِيّٗا ٦٩
Then We will surely extract from every sect those of them who were worst against the Most Merciful in insolence.
ثُمَّ لَنَحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ أَوۡلَىٰ بِهَا صِلِيّٗا ٧٠
Then, surely it is We who are most knowing of those most worthy of burning therein.
ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ
"Then We will certainly draw out from every group." - 19:69.
The word is applied to a particular person or the followers of a particular faith, and it also means a sect. The meaning of the verse is that the most rebellious from amongst the different sects of the infidels will be picked out. Some commentators say that the sinners will be committed to Hell in the order of the intensity of their sins, i.e. those sinners will be driven in first whose sins are most intense and those with less intense sins, will follow them, and so on.
19:71–72Page 310
وَإِن مِّنكُمۡ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَاۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ حَتۡمٗا مَّقۡضِيّٗا ٧١
And there is none of you except he will come to it.1 This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed.
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَواْ وَّنَذَرُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيّٗا ٧٢
Then We will save those who feared Allāh and leave the wrongdoers within it, on their knees.
وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا
"And there is none among you who is not to arrive at it." - 19:71.
This means that everybody - be he a believer or an infidel - will go across Hell. However, this does not mean that they would go to stay in it; they would only go across it. But even if the word means "entry", then the pious believers on entry into Hell will feel no discomfort because its fires will cool down and will do no harm to them. Sayyidna Abu Sumayya ؓ has related that The Holy Prophet ﷺ once said that:
"Everybody whether he is a pious man or a sinner will initially enter Hell, but for the pious believers the fire will cool down just as the fire of Namrud cooled down when Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was cast into it. Thereafter, the believers will be taken to Paradise."
This view is confirmed by the next sentence ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا which mens then We will save those who feared Allah - 19:72. A similar view has also been expressed by Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، thus even if the word وُرُود occurring in the Qur'an is taken to mean دُخُول (entry), then the word دُخُول will be interpreted as synonymous with the word عُبُور (going across). Thus there is no contradiction in the meaning of the word.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences