Tafsir of Al-Lail 92:14

Abu al-Zubayr read it as tatallaza (تتلظى).

If you ask: How can He say, "None shall enter it but the most wretched" (92:15) and "But the most righteous shall be kept away from it" (92:17), when it is known that every wretched person will enter it and every righteous person will be kept away from it? It is not exclusive to the "most wretched" to enter, nor to the "most righteous" to be saved. And if you claim that the Fire is indefinite, intending a specific fire reserved only for the "most wretched," what do you do with the statement "But the most righteous shall be kept away from it"? For it is known that even the most sinful of Muslims will be kept away from that specific fire, not just the "most righteous" among them.

I say: The verse is presented as a comparison between the states of a great figure among the polytheists and a great figure among the believers. The intent is to exaggerate their contradictory qualities. Thus, it was said: "The most wretched," and he was made exclusive to the entering of the Fire, as if the Fire were created for no one but him. And it was said: "The most righteous," and he was made exclusive to salvation, as if Paradise were created for no one but him. It is said that they are Abu Jahl (or Umayyah ibn Khalaf) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).

"He gives his wealth to purify himself" (92:18): Yatazakka is derived from zaka’ (growth/purity). It means he seeks to be pure before Allah, not desiring show or reputation. Or, it is the tafa‘‘ul form of zakah (alms).

If you ask: What is the grammatical position of yatazakka?

I say: It is in two states:

1. If you consider it a substitute (badal) for yu’ta (he gives), it has no position, as it falls under the ruling of the relative clause (silah), and relative clauses have no position.
2. If you consider it a state (hal) for the pronoun in yu’ta, its position is accusative (nasb).

"Seeking the countenance of his Lord" (92:20): This is an exception from a different genus (istithna’ munqati‘), meaning "the favor." The meaning is: No one has any favor to be repaid by him, except for the seeking of the countenance of his Lord. It is like saying, "There is no one in the house except a donkey."

Yahya ibn Wathab read it as illa ibtigha’u (in the nominative case), following the dialect of those who say, "There is no one in the house except a donkey." He cited as evidence for both dialects the verse of Bishr ibn Abi Hazim: "It became empty and desolate, with no companion in it / Except for the wild cows and the ostriches roaming." And the saying of the poet: "A land in which there is no companion / Except for the gazelles and the camels."

It is also permissible for ibtigha’a to be a maf‘ul lahu (causative object) based on the meaning, for the sense of the speech is: He does not give his wealth except for the sake of seeking the countenance of his Lord, not to repay a favor.

"And he will surely be satisfied" (92:21): A promise of reward that will satisfy him and bring coolness to his eyes.

From the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Whoever recites Surah wa-l-layl, Allah will give him until he is satisfied, will grant him well-being from hardship, and will make ease easy for him."