Tafsir of Al-Muddathir 74:42

Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One): Verse 42

What has caused you to enter Saqar (Hellfire)?

The purpose of this question is to increase their reprimand and shame. The meaning is: What has detained you in this lowest level of the Fire?

They answered that this torment is due to four matters:

1. {They will say: We were not of those who prayed} (i.e., performed the obligatory prayers).
2. {Nor did we used to feed the poor} (i.e., pay the obligatory Zakat).

These two points must be understood as referring to the obligatory prayer and the obligatory Zakat, because it is not permissible for them to be punished for abandoning something that was not obligatory.

3. {And we used to plunge with those who plunged [into vain talk]} (i.e., engaging in falsehoods and idle chatter).
4. {And we used to deny the Day of Recompense} (i.e., the Day of Resurrection) {until there came to us the Certainty} (i.e., Death). Allah the Exalted says: {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the Certainty} (Al-Hijr: 99).

The meaning is that they persisted in denying the Resurrection until the time of their death arrived. The literal wording suggests that every individual among those people possessed all four of these characteristics.

Our scholars (Ashabuna) use this verse as evidence that disbelievers are punished for abandoning the secondary branches (furu') of the religious laws. We have detailed the comprehensive discussion on this matter in Al-Mahsul concerning the principles of jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh).

If it is asked: Why was the denial (of the Day of Recompense) mentioned last, even though it is the most egregious of the four characteristics?

We reply that the intent is that after they were characterized by those three matters, they were also deniers of the Day of Recompense. The purpose is to magnify this sin, similar to the saying: {Then he would be among those who believe} (Al-Balad: 17), where belief is mentioned last to emphasize its importance.

Then Allah the Exalted said:

{So no intercession of intercessors will benefit them.}