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Tafsir of Al-Balad 90:20

Surah Al-Balad 90:20

ﱈ ﱉ ﱊ

Over them will be fire closed in.

Tafsir

Mafatih al-Ghayb

Verse range: 90:20

Open in Qurani

Surah Al-Balad (The City), Verse 20:

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ

Upon them will be a Fire, closed in.

Issues Discussed:

Issue 1: The Meaning and Derivation of "مُؤْصَدَةٌ" (Mu'ṣadah)

Linguists like Al-Farra', Al-Zajjaj, and Al-Mubarrid state that one can say:

  • آصَدْتُ البابَ (Āṣadtu al-bāb)
  • أَوْصَدْتُهُ (Awṣadtuhu)

This means "I closed the door."

  1. Regarding the Qira'ah (Recitation) with Hamza (مُؤْصَدَةٌ):
    • It is derived from آصَدْتُ (Āṣadtu), where the passive participle (اسم المفعول) is formed with a Hamza.
    • Alternatively, it could be derived from أَوْصَدْتُ (Awṣadtu), but the Hamza is added based on the dialect that vocalizes the Wāw with a Hamza when preceded by a ḍammah, similar to مُؤْسِي (mu'sī).
  1. Regarding the Qira'ah without Hamza (مُوصَدَةٌ - Muwṣadah):
    • Possibility A: It is derived from أَوْصَدْتُ (Awṣadtu), and the passive participle is formed without a Hamza, similar to how مَوْعِد (mawʿid) is formed from أَوْعَدْتُ (awʿadtu).
    • Possibility B: It is derived from آصَدْتُ (Āṣadtu), but the Hamza is lightened (takhfīf) by changing it to a Wāw, similar to the lightening of جُؤْنَة (ju'nah) to جُونَة (jūnah) and بُؤْس (bu's) to بُوس (būs).

Al-Farra' mentions that from this root also comes الأَصِيد (al-aṣīd) and الوَصِيد (al-waṣīd), which means a tightly shut door.

Interpretation based on this: Muqatil said that نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ means their doors are sealed shut. Thus, no door will be opened for them, no smoke will escape, and no fresh air will enter for all eternity. Another view is that it signifies the complete encirclement of the Fire around them, as in the verse: {Their enclosure surrounds them} (Al-Kahf: 29).

Issue 2: Grammatical Status of "مُؤْصَدَةٌ"

The word مُؤْصَدَةٌ (Mu'ṣadah) refers to the doors (الأَبْوَاب). It functions as an adjective describing the Fire (نَارٌ) under the implied structure: "Upon them is a Fire whose doors are sealed."

When the iḍāfah (genitive construction) is dropped, the tanwīn (indefiniteness) returns because the two forms (the muḍāf and the adjective following the muḍāf ilayh) are interchangeable.

And Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, knows best the truth. May peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and his companions.