Ad-Dukhan (The Smoke): (40 - 50) Indeed, the Day of Decision...

It should be known that the purpose of His saying, {And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in play} (Ad-Dukhan: 38), is to establish the truth of resurrection and the Day of Judgment. Consequently, His statement follows immediately: {Indeed, the Day of Decision is their appointed time}.

There are several interpretations for naming the Day of Judgment the "Day of Decision" (Yawm al-Faṣl):

1. Al-Hasan said: On that Day, Allah will separate the people of Paradise from the people of the Fire.
2. It is the Day when He will judge and pass sentence among His servants.
3. For the believers, it is the Day of Separation in the sense that He separates them from everything they dislike. For the disbelievers, it is the Day He separates them from everything they desire.
4. It is the Day when the true state of every person will be revealed, leaving no room for doubt or ambiguity. Illusions and doubts will vanish, and only realities and clear proofs will remain.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said the meaning is: The Day when the Most Merciful separates His servants—all of them, the righteous and the wicked—at their appointed time.

Then He described that Day: {All of them}, meaning all of them assembled. {A Day when no ally will avail an ally at all}, meaning no relative will help a relative, {nor will they be helped}. This means that those from whom help is expected are either relatives by faith, lineage, or manumission—all of whom are called Mawla (ally/patron). Since help is not obtained from them, it is even more unlikely to be obtained from others.

This verse is similar to His saying: {And fear a Day when no soul will avail another soul at all... nor will they be helped} (Al-Baqarah: 123).

Al-Wahidi said: What is meant by {an ally will not avail an ally} refers to the disbelievers. Do you not see that He mentioned the believer afterward: {Except those upon whom Allah has mercy}? Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said this refers to the believer, for whom the Prophets and angels will intercede.

It should be known that after Allah established the proof that resurrection is true, and followed it by describing that Day, He then mentioned the warning for the disbelievers, followed by the promise for the righteous.

The warning for the disbelievers is His saying: {Indeed, the tree of Zaqqum is the food of the sinful}.

There are several issues concerning this:

Issue 1: The author of Al-Kashshaf mentioned that the letter Shīn in Shajarat (tree) was read with a kasra (Shi-jarat). He also mentioned three linguistic variations for the word: Shajarah (with fatḥa or kasra on the Shīn), Shiyarah (with a Yā’), and Shabarah (with a Bā’).

Issue 2: The discussion regarding the etymology of the word Zaqqum was previously covered in Surah As-Saffat, so there is no need to repeat it.

Issue 3: The Mu'tazila argued that the verse indicates this severe warning applies to the Athīm (sinful one), which is anyone who commits a sin, thus including the openly disobedient (Fussāq). The Answer: We have explained in Usul al-Fiqh that a singular noun preceded by the definite article (al-) primarily refers back to the previously mentioned context and does not imply generality. Here, the previously mentioned context is the disbeliever, so the reference is directed toward him.

Issue 4: The school of thought of Abu Hanifa permits reciting the Qur'an by meaning. He used as evidence the narration that Ibn Mas'ud was instructing someone to recite this verse, and the reciter said, "The food of the ignoble one (al-La'īm)." Ibn Mas'ud told him to say, "The food of the wicked one (al-Fājir)." This evidence, as we explained in Usul al-Fiqh, is extremely weak.

Then He said: {Like molten brass} (kal-muhl). It was read with both ḍammah and fatḥa on the Mīm, and its interpretation was previously mentioned in Surah Al-Kahf. Allah likened this food to Muhl—which is the dregs of oil, the scum of tar, molten copper, and other melted metals.

The discourse ends here regarding the food itself. Then He informed about its boiling in the bellies of the disbelievers: {It will boil in their bellies} (yaghlī fī al-buṭūn). It was also read with a Tā’ (taghlī).

• The one who reads with a Tā’ does so to agree with the feminine noun Shajarah (tree).
• The one who reads with a Yā’ refers it back to the food (ṭa'ām) in {the food of the sinful}, because the food is, in essence, the fruit of the tree.
• Abu 'Ubayd preferred the Yā’ because the mentioned substance, al-Muhl, is what undergoes the action (boiling), making the masculine reference more appropriate.

It must be known that the boiling cannot be attributed to the Muhl itself, because the Muhl is the likeness (the thing being compared to). Rather, what is compared to the Muhl boils, like the boiling of intensely hot water (ḥamīm).

Then He said: {Seize him}, meaning seize the sinful one, {and drag him to the midst of the Hellfire} (fa-ʿtallūhu). It was read with a kasra on the Tā’.

Al-Layth said: Al-'Atl is to grab a man by the nape of his neck and drag him (taʿtalluhu), meaning to pull him toward confinement or a place of restraint. Someone "grabs the reins of the she-camel and drags her" (yaʿtalluhā) when he seizes the head of the tether near the head and leads her with harsh force. Ibn as-Sikkit said: ʿTallaytuhu ilā as-sijn (I dragged him to prison) and aʿtallaytuhu if you call him with violent pushing. This is the view of all linguists regarding al-'Atl. They mentioned that both pronunciations, with ḍammah or kasra on the Tā’, are correct, similar to yaʿkufūn and yakʿufūn, or yaʿriḍūn and yaʿrūshūn.

His saying: {To the center of the Hellfire} (ilā sawā’ al-jaḥīm), meaning to the middle of the Hellfire. {Then pour over his head a torrent of scalding water} (ḥamīm).

The original structure might have been: "Then pour the ḥamīm over his head," or "The ḥamīm will be poured over their heads." However, this metaphor is more emphatic in exaggeration, as if saying: Pour the torment of that ḥamīm upon him. This is analogous to His saying: {Our Lord, pour down upon us patience} (Al-Baqarah: 25).

{Taste! Indeed, you are the mighty, the noble!} (Ad-Dukhan: 49). There are several interpretations for this address:

1. It is addressed to him in mockery, meaning: You are the opposite of mighty and noble.
2. Abu Jahl had said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): "No one between these two mountains is mightier or nobler than me. By Allah, neither you nor your Lord can do anything to me."
3. You used to boast not in Allah, so look at what you have ended up in.

It was also read as Innak (with a kasra on the Nūn), meaning Li-annaka (because you are...).

Then He said: {Indeed, this is what you used to doubt} (mumtarūn), meaning this torment is what you used to doubt. The intent here is what was mentioned at the beginning of the Surah where He said: {But they are in doubt, playing} (Ad-Dukhan: 9).

{Indeed, the righteous will be in a secure station,} {In Gardens and Springs,} {Wearing silk and brocade, facing one another.} {Thus. And We will marry them to wide-eyed maidens.} {They will call therein for every kind of fruit, secure.} {They will not taste death therein, except the first death, and He will protect them from the punishment of the Blaze.} {As a bounty from your Lord. That is the great attainment.} {For indeed, We have made it easy in your tongue so that they may be reminded.} {So wait; indeed, they are waiting.}