Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:12

His, the Exalted’s, saying: "When it sees them..." (to the end of the verse) is an attribute of the Blazing Fire (al-Sa'ir). The feminine pronoun refers to the Fire (al-Nar). It has been said that this is because it is a proper noun for Hell (Jahannam), as reported from al-Hasan. The objection to this is that if it were so, it would be prohibited from taking the definite article 'al-' (the), and it would be diptote due to being feminine and a proper noun.

The response is that the entry of 'al-' intends to acknowledge its original nature as an adjective, and 'al-' does enter proper nouns for this reason, such as in al-Hasan and al-'Abbas. It is also said that it is declined (diptote to triptote) for the sake of harmonious flow and adhering to the ending of the verse (the fasilah), or because it is interpreted as a "place," and its feminine gender here is for variation.

Attributing vision to it is literal, according to the apparent meaning, as is the attribution of rage and roaring (zafir) hereafter. There is no impossibility in Allah, the Exalted, creating the Fire as a living entity that is enraged and roaring against the disbelievers. Thus, there is no need to interpret away the apparent meanings indicating that it possesses perception, such as this verse, His, the Exalted’s, saying: "On the day We say to Hell, 'Are you full?' and it says, 'Are there any more?'" (Qaf: 30), and the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as reported in Sahih al-Bukhari: "The Fire complained to its Lord, saying: 'My Lord, parts of me have consumed others,' so He permitted it two breaths: one in winter and one in summer," and other such texts. If what al-Tabarani and Ibn Marduyah recorded via Makhul from Abu Umamah is authentic—that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever lies upon me intentionally, let him take his seat between the eyes of Hell." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, does Hell have eyes?" He said: "Yes, have you not heard Allah, the Exalted, saying: 'When it sees them from a distant place'? Does it not see them with two eyes?"—then what we have stated is the correct view.

Its attribution to the Fire rather than to them (the disbelievers) is to signal that the rage and roaring stem from it due to the agitation of its anger toward them upon seeing them.

"From a distant place" is the furthest point from which one can be seen. It is reported that this is a distance of five hundred years. Adam ibn Abi Iyas recorded in his Tafsir from Ibn Abbas that it is a distance of one hundred years, and this was narrated from al-Suddi and al-Kalbi. It is also reported from Ka'b, and it is said: a distance of one year; this was narrated by al-Tabarsi from Imam Abu 'Abdullah, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with him, and in Irshad al-'Aql al-Salim, it is attributed to al-Suddi and al-Kalbi.

"They hear from it a raging sound"—that is, the sound of rage, so that the verb "hearing" may correctly relate to it. In Mufradat al-Raghib, al-ghayz (rage) is the most intense form of anger, and al-taghayyuz (raging) is the outward manifestation of that rage, which may occur with an audible sound, as in this verse. It is said that "hearing" here is intended as absolute perception, as if it were said: "They perceived from it rage."

"And a roaring" (zafir): This is the expelling of breath after extending it, according to al-Qamus. Al-Raghib said: "It is the drawing in and out of breath until the ribs swell from it," and its usage became common for the sound produced by that breath. There is no doubt that this is something to which the act of hearing can relate. Therefore, they encountered difficulty in linking "hearing" to "rage" but not to "roaring," so they interpreted them as you have heard. Some said that what is mentioned is of the category of the saying: "You saw your wife, having gone out, wearing a sword and a spear," implying: "They heard from it a rage and perceived a roaring," with each being returned to what is suitable for it. Others said the speech is meant as hyperbole, by making rage—even though it is not from the things that are heard—a heard object. The tanwin in it and in zafir is for emphasis and magnitude.

In the narrations, there is evidence indicating the intensity of its roaring, may Allah, the Exalted, protect us from it. Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded with a sound chain from Ibn Abbas that it roars a roar such that no one remains but that he is terrified. Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Jarir, and others recorded from 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr that he said regarding the saying of the Exalted, "They hear from it": Hell roars a roar so that no angel brought near nor prophet sent remains but that his limbs tremble, to the extent that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, will fall upon his knees and say: "My Lord, I do not ask You today except for myself."

Abu Nu'aym recorded from Ka'b saying: "When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah the Exalted will gather the first and the last on one plain, and the angels will descend in rows. Allah the Exalted will say to Jibril, peace be upon him: 'Bring Hell,' and he will bring it, led by seventy thousand reins. When it is at a distance of one hundred years from the created beings, it will roar a roar from which the hearts of the created fly. Then it will roar a second roar, and no angel brought near nor prophet sent will remain but that he will fall upon his knees. Then it will roar a third time, and the hearts will reach the throats, and minds will be bewildered. Every person will flee to his deeds, to the extent that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, will say: 'By my intimate friendship [with You], I do not ask You except for myself.' Musa, peace be upon him, will say: 'By my speaking with You, I do not ask You except for myself.' 'Isa, peace be upon him, will say: 'By how You honored me, I do not ask You except for myself; I do not even ask You for Maryam who gave birth to me.' And Muhammad, peace be upon him, will say: 'My nation, my nation! I do not ask You today for myself.' The Majestic, Glorified be His Majesty, will answer him: 'Those who are My allies from your nation, there is no fear upon them, nor will they grieve. By My Might, I will surely soothe your eyes.' Then the angels, peace be upon them, will stand before Allah the Exalted, awaiting what they are commanded." These reports are apparent in that the Fire is what roars and that the roaring is literal.

Some claimed that its roaring is the sound of its flame and its combustion. It is said that both the seeing, the raging, and the roaring belong to its keepers (Zabaniyah), and the attribution to it is by way of omitting the noun (the possessor). This is narrated from al-Jubba'i. It is also said that His, the Exalted’s, saying "It sees them" is like the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "The fire of the believer and the disbeliever do not see each other," and their saying: "Their houses see each other and look at each other," as if some see others, by way of metaphorical metonymy and general figurative speech. It is permitted that it be a type of parable. Regardless, the meaning is: when it is within their sight. And His, the Exalted’s, saying: "They hear from it a raging sound" is based on comparing the sound of its boiling to the sound of one who is enraged and roaring; it contains an explicit or implied metaphor, and it is possible that it is parabolic.

Al-Zamakhshari mentioned this interpretation, presenting it first. Some Imams mentioned that this is the doctrine of the Mu'tazilah, because they made bodily structure a condition for life. In al-Kashf, it is more plausible that this is not because structure is a condition—for where is the knowledge that the structure of the Hereafter's fire is not prepared for life?—but rather because it is necessary to deviate from the apparent meaning by making something known for its inanimate nature into something living and speaking. Thus, it was an report contrary to the customary, or it was taken as the figurative, parabolic language common in their speech, especially in the speech of Allah and His messengers, peace be upon them. Since the path has become clear, be the judge in abandoning the apparent for this or that. Opening this door does not lead to the doctrine of the philosophers as the author of al-Intisaf imagined, nor does it contradict our obligation to submit to apparent meanings, for what they claim is also not the apparent.

And you know, after setting aside the debate regarding what was mentioned, that interpreting it literally here is more effective in inducing terror. Perhaps this eases the matter of a report that is contrary to the customary. If this is authentic, then the previous report is not, but if it is authentic, one should not deviate from what it necessitates. No one has a right to speak alongside the speech of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for he is the most knowledgeable of the Book's apparent and hidden meanings.