Surah Fatir 35:36
ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ
And for those who disbelieve will be the fire of Hell. [Death] is not decreed for them so they may die, nor will its torment be lightened for them. Thus do we recompense every ungrateful one.
Tafsir of Fatir 35:36
Tafsir
Al-Kashshaf
Verse range: 35:36
{فَيَمُوتُوا} The answer to the negation. Its accusative case is due to an implied *an* (to). It is also read as {فَيَمُوتُونَ} (fa-yamūtūn), as a conjunction to {يُقْضَى} (yuqḍā), bringing it under the ruling of the negation. That is: "Death is not decreed upon them, so they do not die," similar to His saying: {وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ} (And they are not permitted to offer excuses).
{كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ} "Like that" recompense, "We recompense" (najzī). It is also read as {يُجَازَى} (yujāzā - passive) and {نَجْزِي} (najzī) with the *nun*.
{يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا} They cry out (yataṣārakhūn). It is the *ifti‘āl* form derived from *ṣurākh*, which is shouting with effort and intensity. A poet said: *Like the cry of a pregnant woman abandoned by her midwife.* It is used for seeking help when the one crying out exerts their voice due to distress.
If you ask: Why was it not sufficient to say "righteous deeds" (ṣāliḥan), as it was sufficient in His saying: {فَارْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا} (So return us [to the world] that we might do righteousness)? What is the benefit of adding {غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ} (other than what we used to do), given that it implies they would do other righteous deeds besides the ones they had already done?
I say: Its benefit is to increase the intensity of their regret over what they did of non-righteous deeds, while acknowledging it. As for the misconception, it is dispelled by the clarity of their state in disbelief and committing sins, for they used to think they were on a righteous path, as God Almighty said: {وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا} (While they think that they are doing well in work). So they said: "Bring us out, we will do righteousness other than what we used to think was righteous, so we will do that."
{أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم} A rebuke from God. It means: "We will say to them..." It is also read as {أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُمْ} (from *a‘dhara* with assimilation). It encompasses every lifespan in which the accountable person was able to rectify their affairs, even if it was short; though the rebuke is greater for those with long lives.
From the Prophet (ﷺ): "The age in which God leaves no excuse for the son of Adam is sixty years." From Mujahid: Between twenty and sixty. It is also said: Eighteen or seventeen.
{وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ} The Messenger (ﷺ). It is also said: Gray hair. It is also read as {وَجَاءَتْكُمُ النُّذُرُ} (The warners have come to you).
If you ask: Upon what is {وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ} conjoined? I say: Upon the meaning of {أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم}, because its wording is that of an inquiry, but its meaning is that of an informative statement. It is as if it were said: "We have indeed granted you long life, and the warner has come to you."