Al-Fajr: (25 - 26) On that Day, none will punish...

There are two issues concerning this verse:

Issue 1: The Recitations of يُعَذَّبُ and يُوثَقُ

The common recitation (of the majority) is with a kasra (i.e., يُعَذَّبُ and يُوثَقُ), meaning they are in the passive voice (Form II).

Qatadah said: The meaning is: On that Day, no one from creation will punish with the punishment of God, nor will anyone from creation be bound with the binding of God. The meaning is that no one from creation can reach the intensity of God's punishment and binding.

Abu 'Ubaydah criticized this interpretation, saying: This explanation is weak because on the Day of Judgment, no one other than God will be administering punishment. So how can it be said: "No one will punish with a punishment like His"?

This objection has been answered in several ways:

1. First Answer: The implied meaning is: No one in this world will punish with the punishment God gives the disbeliever on that Day, nor will anyone in this world be bound with the binding God gives the disbeliever on that Day. The meaning is similarity in severity and exaggeration (i.e., no worldly punishment compares to God's punishment).
2. Second Answer: The meaning is that no one will undertake the punishment of God on the Day of Judgment; that is, the command on that Day belongs to Him alone, and no one else has authority.
3. Third Answer (The view of Abu 'Ali al-Farisi): The implied meaning is: No one from the Zabāniyah (angels of Hell) will punish someone like the punishment they are subjected to. Here, the pronoun in عَذَابِهِ (His punishment) refers back to the human being being punished.

Al-Kisā'ī recited لَا يُعَذَّبُ and لَا يُوثَقُ with a fatḥa (i.e., لَا يُعَذِّبُ and لَا يُوثِقُ), meaning they are in the active voice (Form I). Abu 'Ubaydah preferred this recitation.

It is reported that Abu 'Amr reverted to this recitation (لَا يُعَذِّبُ and لَا يُوثِقُ) late in his life, based on the narration that the Messenger of God (PBUH) recited them with fatḥa (active voice).

In this active recitation, the pronoun (ـهُ) refers to the described person (the disbeliever). It is also said that the pronoun refers to Abī ibn Khalaf.

This active recitation has two interpretations:

1. No one will punish someone like his punishment, nor bind someone with chains and fetters like his binding, due to the extremity of his disbelief and corruption.
2. No person among people will punish a disbeliever with a punishment like his punishment. This is like the verse: $\text{{And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another}}$ (Fāṭir: 18).

Al-Wāḥidī said: This second interpretation is the most sound of the views.

Issue 2: The Meaning of عَذَاب and وَثَاق

In both recitations, العَذَاب (punishment) means the act of punishing (التَّعْذِيب), and الوَثَاق (binding) means the act of binding (الإِيثَاق), similar to how العَطَاء (giving) means the act of giving (الإِعْطَاء) in the verse:

[Verse 7: {O tranquil soul...}]