Tafsir of Al-Ghashiyah 88:7

{It} does not nourish, nor does it avail against hunger.

Regarding its grammatical placement, it is in the state of a genitive case as an adjective for ḍarī‘ (camel-thorn). The meaning is that their food is not from the food of humans; rather, it is thorns, and thorns are what camels graze upon and are fond of. This, however, is a specific type from which they (the camels) recoil and do not approach. The two benefits of food—namely, the satisfaction of hunger and the acquisition of strength and bodily nourishment—are negated from it. If you wish, you may say it is something detestable, at which one expresses wretchedness, beseeches Allah the Exalted to deliver them from it, and finds in it absolutely none of the benefits of nourishment.

If it is in the place of an adjective for the implicit "food"—since the underlying structure is: "They have no food except the food of ḍarī‘"—the meaning is close to what has been mentioned. It is not permissible for it to be an adjective for the explicitly mentioned [noun] (i.e., ḍarī‘ itself), for then it would not indicate that their food is restricted to ḍarī‘, but rather that the food of theirs which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger is restricted to it, which corrupts the meaning.

As for it having no grammatical place because it is a new sentence (musta’nafah), the first view is more apparent. It is narrated that the disbelievers of Quraysh said upon the beginning of the verse, "Our camels would grow fat upon *ḍarī‘," so this was revealed: It does not nourish... etc. It is said: They were either lying or obstinate in saying that—which is the apparent case—so their claim is refuted by denying both nourishment and satiety. Or, they were being truthful, in which case the meaning is: "Their food is from a ḍarī‘ not of the same species as your ḍarī‘; it is merely non-nourishing and does not avail against hunger." According to the first, it is a reinforcing adjective (in refutation of what they claimed), not an explanatory one, as there is no ambiguity. According to the second, it is a specifying adjective. In either case, the indefiniteness of "hunger" (jū’) is for contempt—meaning it does not avail against any hunger whatsoever. The delay in negating the "availing" (of hunger) is to observe the rhyme scheme and to use it as a means to explicitly negate both matters. Had it been placed first, there would have been no need to mention the negation of nourishment, as the negation of availing against hunger necessitates the negation of nourishment. For this reason, "nor" (lā) was repeated to emphasize the negation.

In al-Irshād, it is stated that the negation of both matters regarding it is not because they have the capacity for satiety and nourishment but it simply fails to provide them, but rather that there is neither capacity on their part nor provision on its part. This is because their hunger and thirst are not of the type known in this earthly life—an incidental state occurring to a human when nature demands the replacement of what has decomposed in the body, which makes him desire food and drink, such that he finds pleasure in them when consuming them, is satisfied by them when they settle in the stomach, and derives strength and nourishment from them upon digestion. Rather, their hunger consists of being compelled—when the fire rages within their entrails—to insert something dense to fill them and extinguish the flames therein. As for their having a desire for any food, finding pleasure in eating it, being satisfied by it, and deriving strength from it—that is far removed! Likewise, their thirst consists of being compelled—when the ḍarī‘ is eaten and becomes inflamed in their bellies—to seek something fluid and cold to extinguish it, without having any pleasure in drinking it or deriving any strength from it at all. This is the meaning of what has been narrated: Allah the Exalted will inflict hunger upon them such that they are compelled to eat ḍarī‘; when they eat it, He will inflict thirst upon them such that they are compelled to drink the boiling water (ḥamīm), which will roast their faces and tear their intestines—may Allah protect us and all Muslims from that.

This concludes [the quote]. This contradicts the apparent meaning, and the likes of this should not be said based on opinion. We have not found any evidence to support it that would warrant interpreting the literal meanings away. The truth is that they have hunger, thirst, and a craving for food and drink, just as the hungry and thirsty in this world have a craving for them. However, for them there, these have reached the extreme by the decree of Allah the Exalted, without an ordinary cause in the manner of this world. Thus, they are compelled to the ḍarī‘ and the boiling water, just as one who is overcome by hunger and thirst in this world is compelled to consume detestable and repulsive food and drink. Yet, they do not benefit from what they consume; rather, they increase in torment upon torment. We ask Allah the Exalted for pardon and well-being, by His grace and generosity.