Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 50

(Ayah 50) {سَرَابِيْلُهُمْ مِّنْ قَطِرَانٍ: ’’سَرَابِيْلُ‘‘ ’’سِرْبَالٌ‘‘} is the plural, meaning shirt. The meaning of {’’ قَطِرَانٍ ‘‘} in Qamus and Lisan al-Arab is abhal, pine nut (chilgoza), and the resin that comes out from such trees, like pine or cedar, i.e., resin or gum turpentine, which burns quickly and has a very foul smell, and is applied to camels suffering from scabies. Like all translators, I too had previously translated it as sulfur, but upon consulting various lexicons during the exegesis, I found that { ’’ قَطِرَانٍ ‘‘} is resin (turpentine). Some scholars have translated it as tar. It seems that since its root {’’قَطْرٌ‘‘} carries the meaning of dripping, it can refer to all those liquid substances that are flammable, i.e., catch fire. (And Allah knows best.) It is narrated from Abu Malik Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ اَلنَّائِحَةُ إِذَا لَمْ تَتُبْ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهَا تُقَامُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَعَلَيْهَا سِرْبَالٌ مِنْ قَطِرَانٍ، وَدِرْعٌ مِنْ جَرَبٍ ] [ مسلم، الجنائز، باب التشدید في النیاحۃ : ۹۳۴ ] "A woman who wails, i.e., mourns and laments, if she does not repent before her death, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection in such a state that she will be wearing a shirt of {’’قَطِرَانٌ‘‘} and a garment of scabies." The recitation of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is {’’مِنْ قَطِرٍ آنٍ ‘‘}, meaning their shirts will be of molten copper, but the first recitation {’’ قَطِرَانٍ ‘‘ } is mutawatir and preferred. The specific mention of covering the faces with fire is because it is the most honorable part of the body; if this is its state, then what will be the state of the other parts?
This matter will be with the disbelievers, because Allah has made it forbidden for the fire to burn the marks of prostration on the believers. In a long hadith of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), in which some conditions of the Day of Resurrection are described, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ حَتّٰی إِذَا فَرَغَ اللّٰهُ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ، وَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُخْرِجَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَنْ أَرَادَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، أَمَرَ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ أَنْ يُخْرِجُوْا مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ كَانَ لاَ يُشْرِكُ بِاللّٰهِ شَيْئًا، مِمَّنْ أَرَادَ اللّٰهُ أَنْ يَرْحَمَهُ مِمَّنْ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إلَّا اللّٰهُ، فَيَعْرِفُوْنَهُمْ فِي النَّارِ بِأَثَرِ السُّجُوْدِ، تَأْكُلُ النَّارُ ابْنَ آدَمَ إِلاَّ أَثَرَ السُّجُوْدِ، حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَی النَّارِ أَنْ تَأْكُلَ أَثَرَ السُّجُوْدِ ] [ بخاری، التوحید، باب قول اللّٰہ تعالٰی : «وجوہ یومئذ ناضرۃ…» : ۷۴۳۷ ] "When Allah has finished judging between the servants and wishes to take out from the people of the Fire whomever He wills by His mercy, He will command the angels to bring out those who did not associate anything with Allah, from those upon whom Allah wants to have mercy, those who bear witness to 'La ilaha illallah.' The angels will recognize them by the marks of prostration in the Fire. The Fire will consume the son of Adam except for the mark of prostration. Allah has made it forbidden for the Fire to consume the mark of prostration."
From this hadith, it is also known that those who will be the last to come out of Hell will be those who are free from shirk and who have the marks of prostration on their bodies. Those who do not pray are deprived of this mark; they should consider their end.

50. 1. Which immediately blazes up from the Fire. Moreover, the Fire will also have covered their faces.

50. Their garments will be of tar [50], and the Fire will cover their faces.

[50] By ﴿قَطِران﴾ is meant every burning, filthy substance that burns with a foul smell, is thick, emits black smoke, and continues to burn for a long time without being extinguished. The temperature of its fire is extremely high. This fire will be clinging to the entire body of the criminals, and the face is especially mentioned because, in the outward structure of the body, the most noble part is the face, and the pain inflicted upon the face is more severe compared to other parts of the body.