As-Saffat 37:61–74

Wondering about not having to die anymore

When the man who has been mentioned here will peep into Jahannam to have a look at his disbelieving acquaintance, it has been mentioned that the same man will be so delighted with the blessings of Jannah that he will exclaim: "Is it that we do not have to die anymore?" It does not mean that he will not be certain of the eternal life of Jannah. Instead, it is like the case of a person who achieves the highest degree of happiness. Such a person would occasionally break into exclamations that show as if he does not believe his eyes on having received such enormous blessings. These remarks are of the same nature.

Towards the end, the noble Qur'an turns our attention to the essential lesson embedded in this event and says: لِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُونَ which means 'For this kind (of achievement), all workers must work.'

Commentary

After having described the conditions prevailing in Jahannam and Jannah briefly, Allah Ta’ ala has invited every human being to compare and decide as to which of the two conditions is better. It was said: أَذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ‌ نُّزُلًا أَمْ شَجَرَ‌ةُ الزَّقُّومِ that is, 'there are these blessings of Jannah mentioned here - are they better? Or, is it the tree of Zaqqum the fruits of which will be fed to the people of Jahannam?

The reality of Zaqqum

A tree by the name of Zaqqum is found in the territory of Tihamah, a part of the Arabian Peninsula, and ` Allamah ` Alusi has written that it is also found in other barren deserts. Some say that this is the same tree known as تھوھڑ thohar (Euphorbia neriifolia or antiquorum) in Urdu and Hindi. Some others point out to another tree known as nagphan (hood of serpent) found in India as being the zaqqum that appears to be more likely. Now, commentators differ in this matter. What tree is it the fruit from which the people of Jahannam will be given to eat? Is it one of the trees found somewhere in this world, or is it some other tree? Some support the view that it is what is found growing in this world. Some others say that the zaqqum of Jahannam is an entirely different thing. It has nothing to do with the earthly zaqqum. Apparently, the way there are snakes and scorpions in the mortal world, it seems they are there in Jahannam as well. But, it goes without saying, that the snakes and scorpions of the Jahannam will be far ferocious than their counterparts here. Similarly, the zaqqum of Jahannam will, though, be like the zaqqum of this world in terms of its genus, but it will be far too gruesome to look at, and far too unpalatable to eat. And Allah is pure and high who knows best.

In verse 63, it was said: إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهَا فِتْنَةً لِّلظَّالِمِينَ (We have made it [ the tree of zaqqum ] a test ['fitnah'] for the unjust). Here, according to some commentators, فِتْنَةً (fitnah) means punishment, that is, 'have turned this tree into a source of punishment.' But, most commentators say that it is more appropriate to translate 'fitnah' at this place as 'trial' or 'test'. The purpose here is to say that Allah wishes to test as to who believes in it, and who ridicules it. Consequently, what happened was that the disbelievers of Arabia failed this test. Rather than fear this punishment and believe, they opted for the method of confrontation and ridicule. According to Hadith narrations, when the verses of the Qur'an in which it has been mentioned that the disbelievers will be made to eat the fruit of zaqqum, Abu Jahl said to his accomplices: "Your friend (Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ) says that there is a tree in the Fire - although, fire eats the tree - while we, by God, do know this much that zaqqum is the name of butter-topped dates. So, come and eat this date and butter" (ad-Durr-ul-Manthur, p. 277, v. 5). In fact, in the language of the Berbers, dates topped with butter or cream were known as zaqqum, therefore, Abu Jahl made use of this opportunity to ridicule the prophet of Islam. To the two things he said,

Allah Ta'ala gave an answer in a single sentence by saying: إِنَّهَا شَجَرَ‌ةٌ تَخْرُ‌جُ فِي أَصْلِ الْجَحِيمِ (That is a tree that comes out in the bottom of Jahannam - 37:64). Thus, neither does it mean date and butter, nor the objection as to how could a tree survive in fire hold valid - particularly when that tree owes its very origin to the fire itself. Hence, Allah Ta ala has placed such properties in it that instead of getting burnt in fire, it is actually nurtured by it. For example, there are many life forms that would survive only in fire that does not burn them, in fact, makes them grow.

By saying: طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُ رُ‌ءُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ (Its fruits are like the heads of the shaitans.- 65), the fruits of zaqqum have been likened to the heads of the satans. Some commentators have translated the word: الشَّيَاطِينِ (ash-shayatin) in this verse as 'serpents' since the fruit of zaqqum resembles the hood of the serpent. Therefore, in Urdu and Hindi too, it is called 'nagphan' (hood of the serpent) for this very reason. But most

commentators have said that the word: الشَّيَاطِينِ (ash-shayatin) here should be taken in its well-recognized sense. Thus, it would mean that, in its ugliness, the fruit of zaqqum is like the head of the satans. Now, let there be no doubt here that nobody has seen the Shaitan, why then, would something be likened to him? The reason is that it is an imaginative simile. Speaking metaphorically, things ugly and grotesque are commonly likened to Shaitans, Jinns and ghosts. The purpose is only to express an extreme degree of ugliness. The simile used here is also of this very nature. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani and others).

The sense of the rest of the verses is clear from their translation.