Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 97

(Ayah 97) ➊ {وَ مَنْ يَّهْدِ اللّٰهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ … :} After answering their doubts about Prophethood, now they are given a warning. The meaning is that no human can find the path of truth on his own strength, or on the basis of his intellect, knowledge, or anything else, nor can he remain steadfast on it. Rather, it is only Allah’s grace and support that shows someone the path of truth, and if, due to a person’s wretchedness and stubbornness, Allah’s grace does not accompany him, then no power in the world can bring him to the right path. The purpose of this is to console you, O Prophet (peace be upon him). (Razi) In {’’ وَ مَنْ يَّهْدِ اللّٰهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ‘‘}, the rightly guided is mentioned in the singular form, and in {’’وَ مَنْ يُّضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ اَوْلِيَآءَ ‘‘}, the misguided are mentioned in the plural form. The wisdom in this is that the path of guidance is one, and those who walk on it are one group, whereas the paths of misguidance are countless, and the groups walking on them are innumerable. (And Allah knows best)

➋ { وَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ … :} That is, they will walk on their faces, just as in the world they used to walk on their feet. It is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked: “How will people be gathered on their faces?” So he (peace be upon him) said: [ أَلَيْسَ الَّذِيْ أَمْشَاهُ عَلَی الرِّجْلَيْنِ فِي الدُّنْيَا قَادِرًا عَلٰی أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُ عَلٰی وَجْهِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ؟ ] “The One who made them walk on their feet is able to make them walk on their faces on the Day of Resurrection.” [ بخاری، التفسیر، سورۃ الفرقان، باب قولہ : « الذین یحشرون علٰی وجوہہم إلٰی جہنم » : ۴۷۶۰۔ مسلم : ۲۸۰۶ ] Another meaning is that on the Day of Resurrection, they will be dragged on their faces and thrown into Hell, as He said: «يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُوْنَ فِي النَّارِ عَلٰى وُجُوْهِهِمْ ذُوْقُوْا مَسَّ سَقَرَ » [ القمر : ۴۸ ] “The Day they are dragged on their faces into the Fire, [it will be said], ‘Taste the touch of Hell.’” Both situations can be meant: that on the Day of Gathering, they will come walking upside down on their faces, then the angels will drag them on their faces and throw them into Hell.

➌ { عُمْيًا وَّ بُكْمًا وَّ صُمًّا :} Blind, dumb, and deaf. In some verses, their seeing, speaking, and hearing on the Day of Resurrection is mentioned, so one reconciliation is that during the different times of the Day, which is equal to fifty thousand years, their states will be different. Another is that they will be deprived of seeing the Divine Beauty and the blessings of Paradise, will not hear any pleasant news, nor will they have the power to present any argument. Otherwise, in terms of the apparent five senses, they will be very much able to hear and see. See Surah Maryam (38) and Surah Tur (15, 14).

➍ {كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنٰهُمْ سَعِيْرًا : ’’ خَبَتْ ‘‘} The original is {’’خَبَوَتْ‘‘}, from {’’خَبَا يَخْبُوْ‘‘} it is the third person feminine singular past tense, active voice, the verbal noun is {’’خَبْوًا وَ خُبُوًّا‘‘}, meaning the lessening or extinguishing of the fire’s intensity, i.e., the punishment will never be lightened, as He said: «فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَ لَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُوْنَ » [ البقرۃ : ۸۶ ] “So the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be helped.”

97. 1 It is also in Allah's control who accepts faith through my preaching and invitation, and who does not; my duty is only to convey the message.
97. 2 It is mentioned in the hadith that the companions expressed amazement as to how people will be gathered on their faces. The Prophet ﷺ said, the same Allah who granted them the ability to walk on their feet is also capable of making them walk on their faces.
97. 3 That is, just as they remained blind, deaf, and dumb regarding the truth in the world, on the Day of Resurrection, as a recompense, they will be blind, deaf, and dumb.

Whomever Allah guides, he alone is rightly guided; and whomever He lets go astray, you will find no protectors for them besides Him. And on the Day of Resurrection, We will gather them on their faces—blind [115], dumb, and deaf. Their abode will be Hell; whenever its fire subsides, We will intensify it for them.

[115]
Similarity Between Deeds and Their Recompense:

There is great similarity between a person's deeds and the reward or punishment for those deeds, and this very similarity will manifest in its true form on the Day of Resurrection. For example, those people who, in this world, chose the wrong path instead of the straight one and walked in a crooked manner instead of uprightness, they too will be made to walk in a crooked manner there. In this world, they walked on their feet; on the Day of Resurrection, they will be made to walk on their faces and presented thus. When this verse was revealed, one of the noble Companions ؓ asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! How will this happen?" So he ﷺ replied: "If Allah can make one walk on their feet, He is also able to make one walk on their face." [بخاری، کتاب الرقاق باب، کیف الحشر]

Similarly, those people who did not even tolerate listening to the truth in this world will actually be made deaf there, and those who refused to speak the truth or bear witness to it with their tongues will, as punishment, be made mute. And those who did not bother to see or reflect upon the signs of Allah scattered throughout the universe will, as retribution for this crime, be made blind there. Then, in this state, they will be thrown into Hell, and they will have such a continuous and everlasting punishment in which there will be neither any reduction nor any pause.