Al-Mursalat (77): Verse 29

Translation and Exegesis

This is the fifth category of warnings directed at the disbelievers: explaining the nature of their torment in the Hereafter.

{انطلقوا إلى ما كنتم به تكذبون} (Go forth to that which you used to deny!)

The meaning is that it will be said to them: "Go forth to the punishment you used to deny." It is apparent that the speakers are the gatekeepers of Hellfire.

The second instance of "Go forth" (وانطلقوا) is for emphasis. Ya'qub recited it as a past tense verb (تكذبون انطلقوا), implying they submitted to the command because they were compelled and unable to refuse. However, this interpretation is weak because the conjunction fa' (فـ) should have been used to link the end of the statement to its beginning.

The commentators mention that on the Day of Judgment, the sun will draw near to the heads of the creatures. They will have no clothing or covering, and the sun will scorch them, blacken their skin, and seize their breath. This day will be prolonged. Then, Allah, by His mercy, will save whomever He wills into a shade of His own. It is then that the believers will say: {فمنَّ الله علينا ووقانا عذاب السموم} (And Allah conferred favor upon us and protected us from the punishment of the scorching Fire).

Then, the deniers will be told: {انطلقوا إلى ما كنتم به تكذبون} (Go forth to that which you used to deny) of Allah's punishment and retribution.

{إلى ظل} (To a shade...)

This refers to the smoke of Hell, similar to the verse: {وظل من يحموم} (And a shade of black smoke).

Allah then described this shade with several attributes:

There are several interpretations for this:

1. Al-Hasan said: "I do not know what this shade is, nor have I heard anything about it."
2. Some say it means the Fire will surround them from above, below their feet, and encompass them from all sides. Calling the Fire a "shade" (ظل) is metaphorical, as it surrounds them from every direction, like the verse: {لَهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ} (They will have coverings of Fire above them and coverings of Fire below them). Allah also said: {يَوْمَ يَغْشَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ} (The Day the punishment will cover them from above them and from beneath their feet).
3. Qatadah said it refers to the smoke, based on the verse: {أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سَرَادِقُهَا} (Its canopy will encompass them). The canopy (سرادق) of the Fire is its smoke. One branch of this smoke will be on their right, another on their left, and a third branch from above them.
   • My view: This is not unlikely, as anger stems from the right, desire from the left, and the satanic power resides in the brain. The source of all emanations from a person regarding their beliefs and actions is these three aspects. Thus, these three springs generate three types of darkness. Alternatively, it can be said that there are three degrees: the sensory faculty (الحس), the imagination (الخيال), and the presumption (الوهم). These prevent the spirit from being illuminated by the lights of the Holy and Pure realm. Each of these three ranks has a specific type of darkness.
4. Some say this is a metaphor for the immense size of that smoke, as great smoke divides into many branches.
5. Abu Muslim suggests that the "three branches" might relate to what is mentioned afterward: that it is not shading, does not protect from the flame, and throws sparks like the palace.

This is a form of mockery and an allusion to the fact that their shade is not like the shade of the believers. It means that this shade offers no protection from the heat of the sun.

The phrase أَغْنِ عَنِّي وَجْهَكَ means "turn your face away from me," because one who is spared (مُغْنٍ) from something pushes it away, just as one who is in need draws near to it.

The author of Al-Kashshaf stated that this phrase is in the genitive case (مَغْنٍ), meaning "and nothing else will avail them against the flame."

Al-Qaffal suggested two possibilities for this:

1. This shade exists only within Hellfire, so it neither shades them from its heat nor shields them from its flame. Allah mentioned shade in Al-Waqi'ah: {فِي سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ * وَظِلٍّ مِنْ يَحْمُومٍ * لَا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ} (In scorching wind and scalding water, and a shade of black smoke, neither cool nor pleasing). This might describe the situation once they enter Hell. Then, {لَا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ} (neither cool nor pleasing) follows. It is possible that {لَا ظَلِيلٌ} corresponds to {لَا بَارِدٍ} (not cool), and {وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنَ اللَّهَبِ} corresponds to {وَلَا كَرِيمٍ} (not pleasing), meaning it offers no respite to which they can retreat from the flame of the Fire.
2. This might occur before they enter Hell, perhaps during the reckoning and presentation, where they are told this shade will not shield them from the sun's heat nor repel the flame of the Fire.

Another interpretation, offered by Qutrub, is that the "flame" (اللهب) here refers to thirst (العطش), as it is said: لَهِبَ لَهَبًا, and a thirsty man is called لَهْبَان.

Al-Wahidi said that the singular form can be شَرَرَة, شَرَر, شَرَارَة, or شَرَار. It refers to what flies off the fire, scattering in all directions. The root relates to spreading something out, like spreading out a garment in the sun.

Allah described the Fire, of which that shade is smoke, as throwing great sparks. The purpose is to show how immense that Fire is.

Allah then likened these sparks to two things:

1. Like Palaces (كَالْقَصْرِ)

There are two interpretations for القصر:

1. It refers to the structures known as palaces. Ibn Abbas meant great buildings.
2. It does not mean that. If we accept the first meaning, there are further interpretations:
   • It is the plural of قَصْرَة (with a quiescent ṣād), like تَمْرَة and تَمْر, or جَمْرَة and جَمْر. Al-Mubarrad said that a large, thick piece of firewood is called a قَصْرَة, and its plural is قَصْر. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abis asked Ibn Abbas about القصر, and he replied: "It is wood we used to store for winter, which we would cut up, and we called it القصر." This is the view of Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Muqatil, and Ad-Dahhak, though they specified it refers to the thick roots of palm trees and other trees.
   • Al-Kashshaf states that it was recited with two fatḥahs (كَالْقَصَر), meaning the necks of camels or the necks of palm trees, similar to شَجَرَة and شَجَر.
   • Ibn Mas'ud recited it as كَالْقُصُر (like رُهُن and رُهُن).
   • Sa'id ibn Jubayr recited it as كَالْقُصُر (plural of قَصْرَة, like حَاجَة and حُوَج).

2. Like Yellow Camels (كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالَةٌ صُفْرٌ)

This involves two issues:

Issue 1: The word جِمَالَة

جِمَالَة is the plural of جَمَل (camel), like رِجَالَة and رِجَال, or بُيُوتَات and بُيُوت.

• Ibn Abbas recited it as حَمَّالَات (with a ḍammah on the jīm), which is also the recitation of Ya'qub. There are several interpretations:
  1. It refers to thick ropes, the ropes of ships, also called الْقُلُوس. Some deny this, stating that ropes are known as الجَمَل (with a ḍammah on the jīm and a shaddah on the mīm), as in the verse: {حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ} (until the camel passes through the eye of a needle).
  2. It refers to pieces of copper. This is narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and Ibn Abbas, though most linguists are unfamiliar with this meaning.
  3. Al-Farra' suggested that الجِمَالَات (with a ḍammah) could be derived from something aggregated (مُجْمَل). One says أَجْمَلْتُ الْحِسَابَ (I summarized the calculation), and جَاءَ الْقَوْمُ جُمْلَةً (the people came as a group). The meaning would be that the spark rises as if it were a collected, thick, yellow mass. This is Al-Farra's view.
  4. Al-Farra' also suggested that جِمَالَات (with a ḍammah) could be the plural of جِمَال (with a ḍammah), which itself is the plural of جَمَل (with a fatḥah), just as رَخْل becomes رِخَال and رِخَال.

• The Second Recitation: جُمَلَة (with a kasrah on the jīm), which is the plural of جَمَل like حَجَر and حِجَارَة. Abu 'Ali said the tā' is added for the plural feminine form, as in فَحْل and فَحَالَة.
• The Fourth Recitation: جُمَلَة (with a ḍammah on the jīm), which is الْقَلْس (rope).
• As for صُفْرٌ (yellow), the majority hold that it means black tinged with yellow. Al-Farra' said: "No camel is blacker than that which is mixed with yellow." When sparks fly off and fall, if they retain some of the fire's color, they resemble a black camel mixed with a touch of yellow. Some scholars claim the meaning is purely yellow, not black, because a spark is only called a spark while it is fire, and fire is yellow. It only turns black when extinguished, at which point it is no longer called a spark. This view, in my opinion, is correct.

Issue 2: The nature of the comparison

Allah likened the sparks in size to palaces (القصر), and in color, quantity, succession, and speed of movement to yellow camels (الجمالات الصفر).

It is also said that the beginning of a spark is large, like a palace, and then it breaks apart into scattered, successive pieces like the yellow camels.

Ibn Abbas is reported to have said regarding {إِنَّهَا تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ كَالْقَصْرِ} that this comparison was specific to the lands of Arabia, where their palaces were short in height, resembling tents. When Abu al-'Ala' al-Ma'arri heard this, he altered it, comparing the spark to a tent made of leather (الطراف):

The author of Al-Kashshaf claimed he mentioned this in opposition to this verse. I say that the author of Al-Kashshaf should not have mentioned it, but since he did, we must investigate the matter.

We say that comparing the spark to the tent-covering (الطراف) conveys similarity in shape and size, in two ways:

1. The spark, before branching, is like a point of fire. When it branches, it expands, resembling a point that widens—like a tent whose top is a point and then gradually widens.
2. The spark is like a sphere or a cylinder, closely resembling a round tent.

The similarity in structure (النظم) is clear. This concludes the comparison in Al-Kashshaf.

However, the criticism of this comparison (الطراف) is based on several points:

1. The color of the spark is yellow mixed with black, a quality present in the yellow camels but absent in the leather tent.
2. The camels are moving, whereas the tent is stationary. Comparing the moving spark to the moving camels is more appropriate.
3. The sparks are successive, one following another. This is true of the yellow camels but not of the tent-covering.
4. A palace (القصر) is a place of safety and security for a person. Comparing the sparks to palaces serves as a warning that the affliction originates from the very place where safety was expected. The disbeliever's situation is similar: he expected good and safety from his religion, yet the affliction arose from that very religion. The tent is not something from which complete security is expected.
5. The Arabs believed that all beauty (الجمال) belonged to the King of Beauty, and the perfection of blessings was achieved through possessing blessings. This is why Allah said: {وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا جَمَالٌ حِينَ تُرِيحُونَ وَحِينَ تَسْرَحُونَ} (And for you is beauty in them when you bring them home to rest and when you lead them out to pasture). Comparing the sparks to black camels is thus a mockery, as if to say: "You expected honor, blessing, and beauty from your religion, but that beauty is these sparks, which are like camels." This meaning is absent in the tent-covering.
6. When camels are solitary or mixed together, anyone caught between their legs and feet at that time suffers severe affliction and great pain. Comparing the successive sparks to camels conveys the attainment of complete harm, which the tent-covering does not.
7. Palaces are generally larger in size than tent-coverings. The yellow camels are greater in number than the tent-coverings. Comparing the sparks to palaces and camels implies an increase in both size and number, which the comparison to the tent-covering does not convey. Since the goal is terrifying exaggeration, the first comparison is superior.
8. The comparison using two things to establish two attributes is stronger in proving those two attributes than comparing to one thing to establish those two attributes. If one hears {إِنَّهَا تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ كَالْقَصْرِ}, the mind immediately concludes that the intent is to establish the great size of the sparks. Then, upon hearing {كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالَةٌ صُفْرٌ}, the mind concludes the intent is to establish the quantity, succession, and color of the sparks. However, if one hears that the spark is like the tent-covering, the mind remains uncertain whether the comparison intends to establish size or color. The comparison to the tent-covering is ambiguous, while the comparison to the palaces and yellow camels is a detailed, repeated, and confirmed explanation. Since the purpose is terrifying exaggeration, the more complete and clear the description of the torment, the stronger the fear. Thus, this comparison is more complete.
9. The verse begins: {انْطَلِقُوا إِلَى ظِلٍّ} (Go forth to a shade). A person enjoys life when traveling if he is riding, and he finds pleasant shade when he is in his palace. Thus, comparing the spark to the palace and the camels is as if to say: "Your mount is these camels, and your shade is like this palace." This serves as mockery. This meaning is absent in the tent-covering.
10. It is known that the flying of palaces into the air is more astonishing than the flying of a tent, because palaces are constructed of brick, stone, and wood—bodies that are heavier and denser than a tent made of cloth or leather. The heavier and denser an object, the further its flight in the air. Therefore, the Fire that throws palaces into the air is stronger than the Fire that throws tent-coverings. Since the goal is to magnify the severity and power of the Fire, the comparison to palaces is superior.
11. The falling of a palace upon a person is more painful and injurious than the falling of a tent-covering. Comparing the sparks to palaces implies that when these sparks rise and fall upon the disbeliever, they cause severe pain. This serves as a sign that sparks like palaces will continuously fall upon him from the air, unlike the falling of a tent-covering, which does not cause extreme pain.
12. Camels are generally revered (مُوَقَّرَة). Comparing the sparks to camels suggests that with each spark comes countless types of affliction and tribulation that only Allah can count. It is as if to say: "These sparks are like revered camels, laden with various afflictions and trials." This meaning is absent in the tent-covering, making the comparison to the camels more complete.

These insights occurred to me simultaneously. If we supplicated Allah for more, He would grant us as much as we wished by His grace and mercy. However, these points are sufficient to establish the preference, and adding more would be superfluous. And Allah knows best.

Verses 31-33

{هَٰذَا يَوْمُ لَا يَنطِقُونَ} (This is a Day on which they will not speak,)

{وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ} (Nor will permission be granted to them to offer excuses.)

{وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ} (Woe on that Day to the deniers!)