Tafsir of Al-Hajj 22:22

"Whenever they desire to escape therefrom" — meaning, whenever they are on the verge of escaping from the Fire and draw near to its exit, as it is narrated that its flames strike them and lift them up, and when they are at its peak, they are struck with iron maces, causing them to fall back into it for seventy autumns. The term "desire" is used metaphorically for being on the verge and drawing near, as in His saying, "which was on the point of collapsing" (18:77). Some have assigned the pronoun in "therefrom" to the garments, but that is weak.

His saying, "from anguish" is a substitution of inclusion (badal al-ishtimal) for the pronoun in "therefrom," with the preposition repeated, while the connecting link is omitted. The indefiniteness signifies magnitude; the intent is "from intense anguish" among its various anguishes. Alternatively, it may be a causal object (maf‘ul lahu) for the exit—meaning, whenever they desire to exit from it on account of the intense anguish that afflicts them from its torment. Anguish is their state, and it is well-known. Some have said: it is here an infinitive of ghamamtu al-shay’a, meaning "I covered it," implying: whenever they desire to exit from the covering of torment upon them, or from that which covers them of the torment.

"They will be turned back into it" — meaning, into its depths, by being driven back from its upper reaches to its lowest parts without them ever exiting it, for there is no exit for them, as is the well-known state of their condition. Evidence for this is provided by His saying, "and they shall not be able to come out from it" (5:37). The choice of "in it" (fiha) rather than "to it" (ilayha) indicates this. It has been said that "being turned back" is a metaphor for remaining. It has also been said that the meaning is: whenever they desire to exit from it and succeed in exiting, they are turned back into it; thus, the turning back is contingent upon the exiting, and the condition is omitted to indicate the swiftness with which the turning back follows the desire. It is possible that they do attain exit, and the intent behind His saying, "and they shall not be able to come out from it," is the negation of continuity—meaning, they will not continue to be outside—not the negation of the act of exiting itself. Often, the verb ‘āda (to return) is followed by "in" (fi) simply to denote settling and stability.

Some have said: the exit is not from the Fire itself, but rather from the specific places prepared for their torment within it. The meaning is: whenever one of them desires to exit from his place prepared for him in the Fire to another place within it, and does exit from it, he is returned to it. This is as you see. This returning, as it is said, is by the keepers striking them with iron maces.

His saying, "and taste" — on this estimation, it is conjoined to "be turned back," meaning: and it is said to them, "Taste the torment of the burning fire."

22. The discussion regarding this has already passed, and the command is for the purpose of degradation.