Tafsir

How the Disbelievers will be driven to Hell

Allah tells us how the doomed disbeliever will be driven to Hell by force, with threats and warnings. This is like the Ayah: يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ إِلَى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا (The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing.) (52:13) swhich means, they will be pushed and forced towards it, and they will be extremely thirsty, as Allah says: يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ الْمُتَّقِينَ إِلَى الرَّحْمَـنِ وَفْداً - وَنَسُوقُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ وِرْداً (The Day We shall gather those who have Taqwa unto the Most Gracious, like a delegation.

And We shall drive the criminals to Hell, in a thirsty state.) (19:85-86) When they are in that state, they will be blind, dumb and deaf, and some of them will be walking on their faces: وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا مَّأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَاهُمْ سَعِيرًا(and We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf; their abode will be Hell; whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire) (17:97). حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَبُهَا(till when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened.) means, as soon as they arrive, the gates will be opened quickly, in order to hasten on their punishment.

Then the keepers of Hell, who are stern angels, severe and strong, will say to them by way of rebuking and reprimanding: أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ(Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves,) meaning, `of your own kind, so that you could have spoken to them and learned from them,' يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـتِ رَبِّكُمْ(reciting to you the Ayat of your Lord,) means, `establishing proof against you that what they brought to you was true,' وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَا(and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours) means, `warning you of the evil of this Day.' The disbeliever will say to them: بَلَى(Yes,) meaning, `they did come to us and warn us and establish proof and evidence against us,' وَلَـكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ(but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!) means, `but we rejected them and went against them, because we were already doomed, as it was decreed that we would be, because we had turned away from the truth towards falsehood.' This is like the Ayat: كُلَّمَا أُلْقِىَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَآ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ(Every time a group is cast therein, its keeper will ask: "Did no warner come to you" They will say: "Yes, indeed a warner came to us, but we denied him and said: `Allah never revealed anything; you are only in great error."' And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!") (67:9-10) which means, they will feel regret and will blame themselves.

فَاعْتَرَفُواْ بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسُحْقًا لاًّصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ (Then they will confess their sin. So, away with the dwellers of the blazing Fire!) (67:11) means, they are lost and doomed. قِيلَ ادْخُلُواْ أَبْوَبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا(It will be said (to them): "Enter you the gates of Hell, to abide therein...") means everyone who sees them and the situation they are in, will testify that they deserve the punishment. These words are not attributed to any specific person, but they are said as an indication that the entire universe will bear witness that they deserve what they are suffering, in accordance with the judgement of the Most Just, the All-Knowing.

Allah says: قِيلَ ادْخُلُواْ أَبْوَبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا(It will be said (to them): "Enter you the gates of Hell, to abide therein...") meaning, `to stay there forever; you will never leave or depart.' فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَـبِّرِينَ(And (indeed) what an evil abode of the arrogant!) means, `what an evil destiny and what an evil place to stay, because of your arrogance in this world and your refusal to follow the truth; this is what has led you to this, what an evil state and what an evil final destination!'