Tafsir of Al-Jinn 72:17

It is permissible, according to this interpretation, for the pronoun to refer to the "transgressors" (al-qasitun), which is what is narrated from Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Mujahid, and Ibn Jubayr. As for considering it the "ideal" (al-muthla) path: it is said the definite article is for reference to the known, and the known is the path of the Jinn that is preferred over others. It is also said it is because designating it as the path, while anything else is not a path, implies it is the preferred one.

Others have said the meaning is: If the Jinn had remained steadfast on their own path—which is disbelief—and had not accepted Islam through listening to the Quran, We would have expanded provision for them as a form of istidraj (gradual enticement), so that We might cause them to fall into trial and punish them for the ingratitude of the blessing. A similar view is narrated from al-Dahhak, al-Rabi’ bin Anas, Zaid bin Aslam, and Abu Mijlaz; however, they directed the pronoun toward those who accepted Islam, saying: "If those among people who accepted Islam were to disbelieve, We would have given them to drink," etc. This is contrary to the apparent meaning, as it uses "remaining steadfast on the path" to mean "remaining steadfast on disbelief," and considers the aforementioned blessing to be istidraj without any contextual evidence. Furthermore, the saying of the Exalted, "And if the people of the cities had believed..." (7:96), supports the first view.

Al-Tayyibi claimed that the suffixing of this with the words of the Almighty: "And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord..." supports the second view, saying it is an emphasis on the content of the preceding warning; meaning: "That We may entice them so they pursue desires, which necessitate insolence and turning away from the remembrance of Allah the Exalted." There is room for critique in this. "Remembrance" (al-dhikr) is a verbal noun added to its object, used metaphorically for worship; or it is in the sense of "reminding" (al-tadhkir), added to its agent, and interpreted as "admonition." Some have said the meaning of "remembrance" is the Revelation; meaning: whoever turns away from the worship of his Lord, or from His admonition, or from His revelation.

"He will cause him to enter" (yuslukhu): It is imbued with the meaning of "We shall cause him to enter," and therefore it takes a second object—namely the words of the Almighty: "a mounting punishment" (adhaban sa’adan)—directly, without the preposition "fi" (in). Or, it is a case of omission and connection. Sa’adan is a verbal noun used as an adjective for emphasis or interpretation, meaning: We shall cause him to enter a punishment that mounts over the punished and overwhelms him. It has been interpreted as "arduous." It is said, "So-and-so is in a sa’ad regarding his affair," meaning in difficulty. From this is the saying of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "Nothing caused me as much difficulty (tasadda’ani) as the marriage sermon." That is, nothing was as arduous for me. It is as if he said that because it was their custom to mention all the qualities—inherited and acquired—possessed by the suitor, so it was arduous for him to improvise it, or it was arduous to speak the truth to the face of the suitor and his clan. It is also said that it was arduous because of the faces of the people looking at one another.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and Ibn Abbas said: Sa’ad is a mountain in Hell. Al-Khudri said: "Whenever they place their hands upon it, it melts." Ikrimah said: "It is a smooth rock in Hell that one is tasked with climbing; when he reaches its peak, he is cast back into Hell." Based on this, Abu Hayyan says it is permissible for it to be a substitution for "punishment" with the omission of an added word—meaning "a punishment of sa’ad"—or it is permissible for "punishment" to be the object of "He causes him to enter," and "sa'adan" to be a descriptor of that punishment.

The Kufans read yaslukhu with a ya (he), while the rest of the Seven read it with a nun (We). Ibn Jandab read it with a nun from aslaka (to cause to enter), and some of the Successors did likewise. Both are linguistic forms: salaka and aslaka. The poet described a defeated army saying: Until, when they caused them to enter into a thorn-bush, Driving them as the camel-drivers drive the stray.

A group read su’udan with two dammahs. Ibn Abbas and al-Hasan read it with a dammah on the sad and a fathah on the ayn. Al-Hasan said its meaning is: "There is no rest in it."