Tafsir of Al-Lail 92:14

Surah Al-Layl (The Night): Verse 14

فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ

"So I have warned you of a Fire that blazes fiercely."

• تَلَظَّىٰ (Taladhdhā) means it is intensely burning, flaming up, and glowing fiercely. From this root comes Ladhā (a name for Hellfire).

لَّا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى

"None shall enter it except the most wretched one."

• Ibn Abbas said this verse was revealed concerning Umayyah ibn Khalaf and those like him who denied Muhammad and the prophets before him.
• It is also said that الْأَشْقَى (Al-Ashqā - the most wretched) means الشَّقِيّ (Ash-Shaqiyy - the wretched/unfortunate), just as one might say, "You are not alone in it" (meaning, not the only one).
  • Thus, the meaning is: None shall enter it except the disbeliever who is wretched because he denied the signs of Allah and turned away (تَوَلَّىٰ) from obeying Allah.

Discussion on the Scope of Punishment (Al-Razi's Critique of the Murji'ah)

The Murji'ah (a theological group) use this verse to argue that divine threat (وعيد) applies only to disbelievers. Al-Qadi (Al-Baqillani) argued that this verse cannot be taken literally, citing three points:

1. Literal Implication: If the verse means "None shall enter it except the most wretched one who denied and turned away," it implies that a disbeliever who did not deny or turn away would not enter the Fire—which is absurd.
2. Encouragement to Sin (Ighra'): It implies that Allah is telling the believer who affirmed the truth and did not deny or turn away: "Whatever sin you commit, it will not harm you." This goes beyond mere encouragement to sin and approaches permissibility, which is far removed from Allah (Exalted is He).
3. Contradiction with the Next Verse: The subsequent verse, {وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى} ("And the most pious shall be kept far from it" - 17), indicates that the verse is not meant to be taken literally. It is known that the sinner (Fasiq) is not the most pious (Al-Atqā), as that term implies the highest degree of piety. If the first verse implied the sinner does not enter the Fire, the second implies the sinner is not kept far from it. Since every accountable person who is not kept far from the Fire must enter it, interpretation is necessary.

Two Interpretations to Reconcile the Text:

1. Specific Fire: The phrase نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ refers to a specific level or type of Fire (since Hell has different degrees, as per {إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرَكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ}). This verse only states that this specific blazing Fire is entered only by the most wretched one, not that other sinners avoid the other levels of Hellfire.
2. Degree of Deservingness: The phrase refers to all Fires, but الْأَشْقَى is the one most deserving of entering it. The establishment of this superior degree of deservingness is unique to this most wretched person.

Al-Razi concludes that Al-Qadi's arguments are weak.

Al-Razi's Rebuttal to Al-Qadi's Arguments

Rebuttal to Point 1 (Implying non-disbelievers are safe):

• Every disbeliever must, by necessity, deny the Prophet's claim and turn away from contemplating the evidence for his truthfulness. Therefore, every disbeliever fits the description of being the "most wretched" who {كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ}. Since all disbelievers fall under this description, Al-Qadi's concern is dismissed.

Rebuttal to Point 2 (Encouragement to Sin):

• This is weak. Deterrence from sin is achieved by the immediate condemnation (Dhamm) in this life and the wrath of Allah (meaning He does not honor, revere, or reward them). Perhaps Allah punishes them by another means. No evidence proves that entering the Fire is the only method of punishment.

Rebuttal to Point 3 (Contradiction with {وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى}):

• The second verse only implies the status of those not most pious through the Mufhum Mukhalafah (implication of the contrary), which Al-Qadi himself rejects as a valid form of proof. Furthermore, if we accept this implication, it means anyone not most pious must enter the Fire, which would necessitate that children and the insane enter Hell—which is false.

Rebuttal to Point 4 (Specific Fire Interpretation):

• This is weak. While نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ could mean a specific fire, Allah describes all of Hellfire with this attribute elsewhere, such as in {كَلَّا إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ * نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ} (Indeed, it is a blazing Fire, tearing away the scalp).

Rebuttal to the Second Interpretation (Most Deserving):

• This is weak because it abandons the apparent meaning without proof.

Al-Razi's Conclusion on the Verse

Since Al-Qadi's arguments are proven weak, how do we answer the question if we do not rule out punishment for the sinners (Fussāq)?

Two Answers:

1. Al-Wahidi's View: The meaning of لَّا يَصْلَاهَا (Lā Yaṣlāhā) is not absolute entry. In linguistic terms, "a disbeliever ṣallā the Fire" means he was subjected to it, enduring its severity and heat. We (Sunnis) hold that this complete endurance is only established for the disbeliever. As for the sinner (Fasiq), either he will not enter it, or if he does enter, he will be delivered from it.
2. Qualification by Other Verses: The general meaning of this verse is qualified by other verses that explicitly mention threats of punishment for sinners.

And Allah knows best.

Surah Al-Layl (The Night): Verses 17-19

وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى

"And the most pious shall be kept far from it,"

الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّىٰ

"Who gives his wealth to purify himself,"

وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَىٰ

"And has no favor from anyone that he must repay."