Tafsir of Surat al-Zumar
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Question: I ask you to kindly explain these verses from Surat al-Zumar and clarify their meaning [al-Zumar: 71-75].
Answer: These verses depict the conditions of people on the Day of Resurrection, the conditions of the disbelievers, and the conditions of the believers. The disbelievers are driven to Hellfire, which is the Fire—may Allah protect us from it—and when they reach it, its doors are opened for them to enter. At that time, the angels rebuke them, threaten them, and question them with a question of rebuke, because they are the ones who brought this terrible situation and this dire strait upon themselves by not responding to the messengers of Allah in this world. For Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, sent to them
the messengers to guide them and save them from this punishment and this situation, had they responded to the messengers. So the angels question them with a question of rebuke:[Az-Zumar 39:71]. They acknowledge it and admit upon themselves that the sin is theirs, and that they are the ones who wronged themselves by not responding to the messengers and not complying with what is in the revealed books. In this is an increase of torment for them and rebuke for them, and their excuse is cut off at that time. As for the believers, they are driven to Paradise because they obeyed the messengers and acted according to the revealed books, so Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, saved them from what these disbelievers fell into. The angels greet them with good news, offer them peace, and congratulate them on the honor they have received from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. The reason for this is that they are good, their deeds are good, and their souls are good [Az-Zumar 39:73], abiding forever in bliss and joy. Then Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, concluded this great scene by stating that the noble angels surround His Throne, Glorified and Exalted is He, and that they glorify Allah and declare Him free from all defects and flaws,And its reward for both groups: regarding the disbelievers and the believers, a just recompense. And He is praised for it, Glorified and Exalted is He. In the end, all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, for what He decreed, planned, judged, and made just, and for giving every right its due and settling the account of every worker with what is fitting for him. So He is praised, Glorified and Exalted is He, for that, and to Him is praise in the first and the last, and He is the Wise, the All-Aware.
Question: In the saying of Allah the Exalted[Az-Zumar 39:71], what is the meaning of His saying (in groups)?
Answer: Groups are gatherings.
Question: And what is the meaning of His saying, the Exalted:[Az-Zumar 39:71]?
Answer: Divine decree and destiny; because Allah decreed this recompense for them due to their disbelief and stubbornness, caused by those before them. So Allah decreed that for them because of what came from themselves; because they did not respond to the messengers of Allah, and did not comply with what came in His heavenly books. So He decreed this decree for them because of their evil deeds.
Question: And what is the meaning of His saying, the Exalted:[Az-Zumar 39:74]?
Answer: That Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, bequeaths Paradise to the believers, as He said, the Exalted: [al-Mu'minun: 10, 11],And it was said regarding the meaning of the verse: Indeed, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, bequeaths to the believers the dwellings of the disbelievers in Paradise. If the disbelievers had believed, they would have had dwellings in Paradise, but by their disbelief they were deprived of it, so the believers inherited it.
Question: What is the meaning of "we shall take up residence", meaning: we occupy?
Answer: "We shall take up residence" means we choose and expand in it.
Question: Is there a secret in the presence or absence of the letter waw in His saying in the first verse:[Az-Zumar 39:71],And in the other verse describing the state of the righteous: [Az-Zumar 39:73] ؟
Answer: Some exegetes said: This waw indicates that the gates of Paradise are eight, and this waw is called the waw of the eight, as in His saying, the Exalted: [al-Kahf: 22]. So this waw indicates that the gates of Paradise are eight, and it is likely taken from the letters of the phrases.
And Ibn al-Qayyim has an opinion on this,He says: that Paradise is precious and the believers do not enter it except after it is opened. The first to open the gate of Paradise is Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and the first to enter it from the nations is his Ummah. So they do not enter it as soon as they arrive, but it must be opened; because it is precious and valuable. As for the Fire—may Allah protect us from it—they enter it from the moment they reach it, and it is open, and they enter it against their will and desire.
(71) And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, "Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the word of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers. (72) [To them] it will be said, "Enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and wretched is the residence of the arrogant." (73) But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein," [they will enter]. (74) And they will say, "Praise to Allah, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers." (75) And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne, exalting [Allah] with praise of their Lord. And it will be judged between them in truth, and it will be said, "[All] praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds."
وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنْذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا قَالُوا بَلَى وَلَكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ قِيلَ ادْخُلُوا أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُ وَأَوْرَثَنَا الْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَاءُ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ وَتَرَى الْمَلَائِكَةَ حَافِّينَ مِنْ حَوْلِ الْعَرْشِ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَقِيلَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَAnswer: These verses depict the conditions of people on the Day of Resurrection, the conditions of the disbelievers, and the conditions of the believers. The disbelievers are driven to Hellfire, which is the Fire—may Allah protect us from it—and when they reach it, its doors are opened for them to enter. At that time, the angels rebuke them, threaten them, and question them with a question of rebuke, because they are the ones who brought this terrible situation and this dire strait upon themselves by not responding to the messengers of Allah in this world. For Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, sent to them
the messengers to guide them and save them from this punishment and this situation, had they responded to the messengers. So the angels question them with a question of rebuke:
Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord
أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ رَبِّكُمْyou have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein
طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَQuestion: In the saying of Allah the Exalted
And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups
وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًاAnswer: Groups are gatherings.
Question: And what is the meaning of His saying, the Exalted:
but the word of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers.
وَلَكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَAnswer: Divine decree and destiny; because Allah decreed this recompense for them due to their disbelief and stubbornness, caused by those before them. So Allah decreed that for them because of what came from themselves; because they did not respond to the messengers of Allah, and did not comply with what came in His heavenly books. So He decreed this decree for them because of their evil deeds.
Question: And what is the meaning of His saying, the Exalted:
and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will
وَأَوْرَثَنَا الْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَاءُAnswer: That Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, bequeaths Paradise to the believers, as He said, the Exalted:
(10) Those are the inheritors (11) Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally.
أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَQuestion: What is the meaning of "we shall take up residence", meaning: we occupy?
Answer: "We shall take up residence" means we choose and expand in it.
Question: Is there a secret in the presence or absence of the letter waw in His saying in the first verse:
until, when they reach it, its gates are opened
حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَاuntil, when they reach it while its gates have been opened
حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَاAnswer: Some exegetes said: This waw indicates that the gates of Paradise are eight, and this waw is called the waw of the eight, as in His saying, the Exalted:
and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog
وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْAnd Ibn al-Qayyim has an opinion on this,He says: that Paradise is precious and the believers do not enter it except after it is opened. The first to open the gate of Paradise is Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and the first to enter it from the nations is his Ummah. So they do not enter it as soon as they arrive, but it must be opened; because it is precious and valuable. As for the Fire—may Allah protect us from it—they enter it from the moment they reach it, and it is open, and they enter it against their will and desire.