Al-Takathur: (5-7) Nay, if you only knew with knowledge of certainty...

Then the Almighty said: {Nay! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty, You would surely see the Hellfire, Then you would surely see it with the eye of certainty.} (102:5-7)

There are several issues concerning this:

Issue 1: The Omitted Response to Law (If)

There is consensus that the response (the jawab) to the conditional particle law (if) is omitted. The phrase {You would surely see the Hellfire} is not the response to law.

Two points support this:

The negation of what would be the response to law implies affirmation, and its affirmation implies negation. If {You would surely see the Hellfire} were the response, this sight would have to be non-existent, which is false, as this sight is certainly going to occur.
- If it is argued that this sight refers to seeing it with the heart in this world, then we say that abandoning the apparent meaning goes against the fundamental principle.
The subsequent statement, {Then you will surely be asked that Day about the bounty} (102:8), is a definite report of something that will occur. Connecting it to something that does not exist or occur is poor style (qabīh in naẓm).

Omitting the response in such a context is often more eloquent. A man might say to another: "If you did this, [something would happen]," without stating the consequence. Similarly, Allah says: {If only the disbelievers knew the time when the Fire will be kept back from their faces and from their backs} (34:32), and no response follows.

If we accept the omission, scholars have mentioned several possibilities for the omitted response:

Al-Akhfash said: The response is the preceding statement: {What has diverted you} (102:1), meaning: If you knew with knowledge of certainty, the preoccupation with abundance would not have diverted you.
Abu Muslim said: If you knew what was obligatory upon you, you would adhere to it; or if you knew for what purpose you were created, you would be occupied with that.
The response was omitted so that imagination could run wild, making the warning greater. It is as if He meant: "If you knew with knowledge of certainty, you would do things indescribable and incomprehensible, but you are misguided and ignorant."

As for the phrase {You would surely see the Hellfire}, the lām (the 'L' prefix) indicates that it is the response to an implied oath (qasam). This oath serves to emphasize the threat, confirming that what is promised is beyond doubt. The repetition, connected by thumma (then), intensifies the warning and increases the terror.

Issue 2: The Repetition of Kallā (Nay/Indeed Not)

The Almighty repeated the word kallā, which is used for deterrence/reproach. This repetition is appropriate because in each instance, it is followed by a different consequence than the other. It is as if Allah is saying: "Do not do this, for you deserve such and such punishment; do not do this again, for you deserve another harm." This repetition is not disliked but rather pleasing to them. Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) interpreted kallā in this context to mean ḥaqqan (truly/indeed), as if saying: "Truly, if you knew with knowledge of certainty..."

Issue 3: Concerning {Knowledge of Certainty} (ʿIlm al-Yaqīn)

There are two interpretations:

It means "a certain knowledge" (ʿilman yaqīnan). This is an instance where the described object (mawsūf) is attributed to its attribute (ṣifah), similar to {And the Home of the Hereafter} (wa-ladār al-ākhirah), or saying masjid al-jāmiʿ (the congregational mosque) or ʿām al-awwal (the first year).
The certainty here refers to death, resurrection, and the Day of Judgment. Death itself is named certainty in the verse: {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty} (15:99). This is because when death and the Hereafter occur, certainty arrives, and doubt vanishes. The meaning is: If you knew the knowledge of death, what one encounters with it, after it in the grave, and in the Hereafter, the preoccupation with abundance and boasting would not have diverted you from the remembrance of Allah. Furthermore, a person might say, "I know the knowledge of such-and-such," meaning I have mastered it. And "So-and-so knows the knowledge of medicine or arithmetic," because sciences are types, making it appropriate to say, "I know the knowledge of X."

Issue 4: The Urgency of Knowledge

Knowledge is one of the strongest motivators for action. If the time for action is still ahead, then knowledge serves as a promise and admonition. If the time for action has passed (i.e., after death), then knowledge becomes regret and remorse. This is illustrated by the story of Dhul-Qarnayn when he entered the darkness and found pebbles. Those with him took some pebbles. When they exited the darkness, they found the pebbles were jewels. Those who took some were distressed because they hadn't taken more, and those who took none were also distressed. Such will be the state of the inhabitants of the Resurrection.

Issue 5: A Great Threat to Scholars

This verse indicates a great threat to scholars. It implies that if they truly grasped the harm inherent in preoccupation with abundance and boasting, they would abandon it. This necessitates that whoever does not abandon preoccupation with abundance and boasting has not attained that certainty. Woe to the scholar who does not act upon his knowledge, and woe to him again!

Issue 6: The Repetition of Seeing (Ru’yah)

There are several interpretations for repeating the vision:

Emphasis of the Threat: Perhaps the people disliked hearing the threat, so it was repeated. The use of the nūn (in laturrūna) implies compulsion; meaning, if left to yourselves, you might not see it, but you will be forced to see it whether you like it or not.
Distance and Proximity: The first sight is from afar, as in {When they see it from a place far off, they will hear its raging sound} (25:12) and {And the Hellfire will be displayed for everyone who sees} (79:36). The second sight occurs when they reach the edge of the Fire.
Arrival vs. Entry: The first sight is upon arrival, and the second is upon entering it. This interpretation is considered weak because the verse continues with {Then you will surely be asked}, and questioning precedes entry.
Promise vs. Observation: The first sight relates to the promise, and the second is direct observation.
Continuous Vision: The repetition implies seeing the Hellfire multiple times, signifying continuous and uninterrupted vision, as they will be eternally confined there. It is a warning: If you doubt or disbelieve it now, you will see it with an eternal, continuous vision, removing all your doubts. This is like the saying: {Do you see any disparity in the creation of the Most Merciful? ... Then return your vision again twice} (67:3-4), meaning, look as many times as you wish, you will find no flaw. Similarly here, the repetition does not just mean twice, but continuous viewing.

Regarding the specialization of the second sight with certainty: In the first instance, they might see only the flames. In the second, they will see the pit itself, the manner of falling into it, and the harmful creatures within it. This second vision is undoubtedly clearer. The wisdom in moving from the less apparent knowledge to the more apparent is a consequence of their previous neglect, as they were content with mere conjecture and did not seek further clarity.

Issue 7: The Reading of Laturrūna

The common reading (qirā’at al-ʿāmma) is with an open tā’ (لَتَرَوُنَّ - la-tarawunna), meaning "you will see."

It has also been read with a closed tā’ (لَتُرَوُنَّ - la-turawunna), derived from ra’aytuhu (to be shown something). This reading is attributed to Ibn ‘Āmir and Al-Kisā’ī, implying: "You will be shown the Hellfire." Consequently, they read the second instance (لَتُرَوْنَهَا) with an open tā’ (you will see it). This second reading confirms that once they are shown it, they will see it. The common reading of the second instance (لَتُرَوْنَهَا) with the open tā’ serves as emphasis and carries all the aforementioned benefits.

The common reading is preferable for two reasons:

Al-Farrā’ said: The common reading is more akin to Arabic usage because it implies severity (taghlīẓ); the Hellfire should not be treated lightly by suggesting it is merely shown to them.
Abu ‘Alī said: The meaning of {You would surely see the Hellfire} is "You would surely see the punishment of the Hellfire." Do you not see that the believers also witness the Hellfire, based on the verse {And there is none of you but shall pass over it} (19:71)? Since this is the case, the threat lies in seeing its punishment, not just the structure itself. This is supported by verses like {When they see the punishment} and {And when the wrongdoers see the punishment}. This indicates that the reading la-tarawunna (you will see) is stronger than la-turawunna (you will be shown).

Tafsir of At-Takathur 102:5-7

Mafatih al-Ghayb