| An-Nisā’ (The Women): (145) Indeed, the hypocrites are in...

> > And in this [verse] are several issues:

Issue 1: Al-Layth said: Ad-dark (الدرك) means the deepest bottom of a thing, like the sea or similar. Based on this, what is meant by Ad-dark al-Asfal (the lowest stratum/depth) is the deepest bottom of Hell. The root of this word comes from idrāk (الإدراك), meaning to catch up with or reach. Hence, idrāk aṭ-ṭa‘ām (the food being digested/reached the stomach) or idrāk al-ghulām (the boy reaching puberty). Thus, ad-dark refers to the layer one reaches below another. Its apparent meaning is that Hell has layers, and the most severe part is the lowest one. Al-Ḍaḥḥāk said: Ad-daraj (الدرج) is when things are one above the other, whereas ad-dark (الدرك) is when things are one below the other.

Issue 2: Ḥamzah, Al-Kisā’ī, and Ḥafṣ (from ‘Āṣim) recited it as {fī ad-dark} (في الدرك) with a quiescent rā’ (سكون الراء). The rest recited it with a fatḥah (opening vowel) on the rā’ (فتحها). Al-Zajjāj said: They are two linguistic variations, like ash-sham‘ (الشمع) and ash-sham‘ (الشمع) [referring to two valid pronunciations of the same word]. However, Abū Ḥātim preferred opening the rā’ because it is more commonly used. Abū Ḥātim said: The plural of ad-dark is adrāk (أدراك), like jamal (جمل) and ajmal (أجمل), or faras (فرس) and afras (أفرس). The plural of ad-dark is also adruk (أدرك), like fils (فلس) and aflas (أفلس), or kalb (كلب) and aklab (أكلب).

Issue 3: Ibn Al-Anbārī said: Allah described the hypocrites as being in the lowest stratum (ad-dark al-asfal). He also said regarding the people of Pharaoh: {The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening} (Ghāfir: 46). So, which punishment is more severe: that of the hypocrites or that of the people of Pharaoh? He answered that it is possible that the most severe torment is reserved for the lowest stratum, and both groups will be gathered there.

Issue 4: Since the punishment of the hypocrite is more severe than that of the disbeliever, this is because the hypocrite shares the same level of disbelief as the disbeliever, but adds another type of disbelief to it: mocking Islam and its adherents. Furthermore, because they outwardly profess Islam, they can learn the secrets of the Muslims and then inform the disbelievers of these secrets, thus multiplying the tribulation caused by these hypocrites. For these reasons, Allah made their punishment greater than the punishment of the disbelievers.

Then the Almighty said: {And you will never find for them a helper}. This is a threat to them. Our scholars used this verse as evidence for establishing intercession (shafā‘ah) for the sinful among the people who perform prayer. They argue that Allah specifically mentioned this threat for the hypocrites. If this outcome (lack of a helper) applied to others besides the hypocrites, then this verse would not serve as a deterrent against hypocrisy as hypocrisy itself. This is not an argument based on the logic of the negative premise (dalīl al-khiṭāb), but rather the reasoning is that Allah mentioned it in the context of deterring hypocrisy; if the outcome occurred even without the specific condition (hypocrisy), it would cease to be a deterrent against hypocrisy as hypocrisy.

Then the Almighty said:

# ! 7 < { Except for those who repent, set things right, hold fast to Allah, and purify their religion for Allah. Then those will be with the believers, and Allah will grant the believers a great reward. } > 7 !

<