Tafsir of Al-Mu'minoon 23:101-105

The Believers (Al-Mu'minun): Verses 101–105

[101] Fa-idhā nufikha fī s-sūri (So when the Trumpet is blown,)

Know that when the Almighty stated, {And behind them is a barrier (Barzakh) until the Day they are resurrected} (Al-Mu'minun: 100), He then mentioned the states of that Day, saying: {So when the Trumpet is blown}.

There are three opinions regarding this:

1. The Trumpet is an instrument: It is an apparatus into which a great sound is blown, which God has made a sign for the destruction of the world and the resurrection of the dead. It is narrated from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) that the Trumpet has one horn (Qarn) into which the blowing occurs.
2. The Trumpet refers to the collection of souls: The meaning is, "So when the souls are blown into the Trumpets." This is the view of Al-Hasan. Some recited it with an Fath (vowel 'a') on the Waw (و) and both Fath and Kasr (vowel 'i') according to Abu Razīn, which serves as evidence for those who interpret Sūr (صور) as the plural of Sūrah (صورة - form/image).
3. The blowing is a metaphor: The blowing into the Trumpet is a metaphor for the Resurrection and the Gathering.

The first opinion is preferable due to the Hadith, and the statement {Then it will be blown into it a second time} (Az-Zumar: 68) indicates that the intended meaning is not the blowing into the soul to give it life, as that action is not repeated.

[102] Fā lā ansāba baynahum yawma’idhin wa lā yatasā’alūn (Then there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask after one another.)

It is known that when God resurrects them, kinship ties are established because the resurrected entity is the child and the parent. Therefore, the meaning cannot be the negation of kinship in reality, but rather the negation of its effect or consequence. This negation occurs in several ways:

1. Negation of mutual affection: Kinship normally entails sympathy and compassion, as one might say in this world, "I ask you by God and by the ties of kinship to do this." God negates this because every person among the inhabitants of the Fire will be preoccupied with themselves, which prevents them from turning toward their relatives. This is also true in this world: when a person faces great pain, they forget their child and parent.
2. Negation of worldly boasting and inquiry: Kinship normally leads to boasting in this world and asking about others' lineage. In the Hereafter, they will not be concerned with such matters.
3. Metaphor for intense fear: This is a metaphor for extreme terror. Every person will be preoccupied with themselves, to the exclusion of their children, brothers, and the clan that shelters them—so how much more so regarding other matters?

Ibn Mas'ud (may God be pleased with him) said: On the Day of Resurrection, a servant (male or female) will be taken before all witnesses, and a crier will announce: "Behold, this is so-and-so. Whoever has a right upon him, let him come forward to claim his right." A woman might then rejoice if a right is proven for her against her mother, sister, father, brother, son, or husband. Then the verse is recited: {Then there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask after one another}.

Qatadah said: "On the Day of Resurrection, nothing is more hateful to a person than seeing someone he knows, for fear that something might be established as a right against him." Then he recited: {That Day a man will flee from his brother And his mother and his father} (Abasa: 34).

Al-Sha'bi said: 'Aisha (may God be pleased with her) asked, "O Messenger of God, will we not recognize each other on the Day of Resurrection?" God Almighty says: {Then there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask after one another.} The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: "Three moments cause every soul to be heedless: when every person is given their book, at the Scales, and upon the Bridge (Sirat) of Hell."

Some atheists objected, saying that the verse {nor will they ask after one another} and {Nor will a close friend ask about a close friend} (Al-Ma'arij: 10) contradict {And some of them will turn to others, questioning one another} (As-Saffat: 27) and {They will recognize each other} (Yunus: 45).

The response to this objection is multifaceted:

1. The Day of Resurrection spans fifty thousand years, containing different times and states. They will recognize and question each other in some of these states, and be bewildered in others due to the intensity of the terror.
2. When the first blast occurs on the Trumpet, they will be preoccupied with themselves, preventing them from asking. When the second blast occurs, some will turn to others and say: {They will say, "Woe to us! Who has raised us from our resting place?" [This is] what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers had told the truth.} (Ya-Sin: 52).
3. The negation refers to asking about the rights related to kinship.
4. The statement {nor will they ask after one another} describes the disbelievers due to their intense fear.

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{Then some of them will turn to others, questioning one another} describes the people of Paradise once they enter it.

Know that God has clarified that after the blowing of the Trumpet comes the Reckoning, explaining the states of the fortunate and the wretched. It is also said that since God explained that in the Hereafter there is nothing but the weighing of the scales (heavy or light), every accountable person must inevitably belong to either the people of Paradise and success or the people of the Fire. This refutes the view that some among them deserve neither reward nor punishment, or that reward and punishment are equal for them.

Then, God described the state of the fortunate by saying: {So those whose scales are heavy—it is they who are the successful} (Al-Mu'minun: 102).

Regarding the Scales, there are opinions:

1. It is a metaphor for justice.
2. The Scales are the good deeds. Whoever brings deeds of weight and value is the triumphant winner. Whoever brings deeds that have no weight, like what is mentioned in {And those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a plain, which the thirsty man thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is not a thing} (An-Nur: 39), will remain eternally in Hell. Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with them both) said: Al-Mawāzīn (Scales) is the plural of Mawzūn (weighed things), meaning the deeds that have weight and value with God, derived from {We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight} (Al-Kahf: 105), meaning measure or value.
3. It is a physical scale with a tongue and two pans, in which good deeds are weighed in their most beautiful form, and evil deeds in their ugliest form. Whoever's good deeds are heavy will be led to Paradise, and whoever's evil deeds are heavy will go to the Fire. The full discussion on this topic was previously covered in Surah Al-Anbiya (The Prophets).

As for the wretched, God described them with four things:

1. They have lost themselves: Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with them both) said they were defrauded because their dwelling places became the inheritance of the believers. It is also said they were prevented from benefiting from themselves due to being in torment.
2. {In Hell they will abide}: The evidence for the eternity of the disbelievers in the Fire is clear. The author of Al-Kashshāf said: {In Hell they will abide} is either an apposition (Badal) to Khasirū anfusahum (lost themselves), or a second predicate for Ula'ika (those), or the predicate of an omitted subject.
3. {The Fire will scorch their faces}: Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with them both) said this means the Fire will strike and consume their flesh and skin. Al-Zajjaj said: Lafh (scorching) and Nafkh (blowing) are the same, but Lafh has a more severe effect.
4. {And they therein will be in distress (Kālihūn)}: Kuluuh means the lips will contract and pull away from the teeth, as seen on roasted heads. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The Fire will disfigure them, causing their upper lip to contract until it reaches the middle of their head, and their lower lip will hang down until it reaches their navel." It is also read as Kuliḥūn.

Then, after describing their torment, God recounts what will be said to them as a reprimand and rebuke: {Did you not recite My verses to you,}—meaning, despite their clarity—{and you used to deny them?} Consequently, you have justly deserved the painful torment you are in.

The Mu'tazila argued that the verse indicates that they entered this torment only because of their evil actions. If the actions of the servants were created by God, then this would not be sound.

The response is: If a person capable of obedience and disobedience commits disobedience without any determining factor (murajjih), its occurrence from him is accidental, not volitional, and thus he deserves no punishment. If there was a determining factor, that factor is not his action (otherwise, infinite regress would result). In that case, the occurrence of the obedience (or disobedience) would be necessitated (idhtirārī), not chosen (ikhtiyārī), and thus he deserves no reward (or punishment).

[107] Qālū rabbanā ghalabat ‘alaynā shiqwatunā wa kunna qawman ḍāllīn (They will say, "Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray.)

[108] Rabbanā akhrijnā minhā fa-in ‘udnā fa-innanā ẓālimūn ("Our Lord, remove us from it; and if we should return [to sin], then indeed, we are wrongdoers.")

[109] Qāla akhsa’ū fīhā wa lā tukallimūn (He will say, "Be dismissed therein, and do not speak to Me.")

[110] Innahu kāna farīqun min ‘ibādī yaqūlūna rabbanā āmannā faghfir lanā warḥamnā wa anta khayru ar-rāḥimīn ("Indeed, there was a group of My servants who were saying, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of the merciful.'")

[111] Fattakhadhtumūhum sukhriyyan ḥattā ansawkum dhikrī wa kuntum minhum taḍḥakūn ("But you took them in ridicule until they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them.")

[112] Innī jazaytu-humu l-yawma bimā ṣabarū annahum humu l-fā’izūn ("Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience, that they are the successful ones.")