Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 72

(Ayah 72){ ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي الَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوْا …:} That is, then We will save the pious from Hell (by letting them safely cross the Sirat or after they have fallen into Hell from the Sirat) and will leave the disbelievers fallen therein forever. The Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, the righteous, and the common Muslims will cross over the Sirat above Hell according to their deeds, either swiftly or stumbling, and the disbelievers and the more intensely sinful Muslims will fall from the bridge into Hell. Then Allah Almighty will take out the believers from Hell after their punishment is complete, or through intercession, or merely by His grace, and only the disbelievers and polytheists will remain in the Fire forever. The evidence for this is the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned seeing the Lord Almighty in the Hereafter. In it, he said: [ ثُمَّ يُؤْتِي بِالْجَسْرِ فَيُجْعَلُ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَيْ جَهَنَّمَ، قُلْنَا يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ ! وَمَا الْجَسْرُ؟ قالَ مَدْحَضَةٌ مَزِلَّةٌ عَلَيْهِ خَطَاطِيْفُ وَكَلاَلِيْبُ، وَحَسَكَةٌ مُفَلْطَحَةٌ لَهَا شَوْكَةٌ عَقِيْفَةٌ تَكُوْنُ بِنَجْدٍ، يُقَالُ لَهَا السَّعْدَانُ، الْمُؤْمِنُ عَلَيْهَا كَالطَّرْفِ وَكَالْبَرْقِ وَكَالرِّيْحِ وَكَأَجَاوِيْدِ الْخَيْلِ وَالرِّكَابِ، فَنَاجٍ مُسَلَّمٌ، وَنَاجٍ مَخْدُوْشٌ، وَمَكْدُوْسٌ فِيْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ، حَتّٰی يَمُرَّ آخِرُهُمْ يُسْحَبُ سَحْبًا، فَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَشَدَّ لِيْ مُنَاشَدَةً فِي الْحَقِّ، قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْجَبَّارِ، وَ إِذَا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ نَجَوْا فِيْ إِخْوَانِهِمْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ رَبَّنَا إِخْوَانُنَا كَانُوْا يُصَلُّوْنَ مَعَنَا وَيَصُوْمُوْنَ مَعَنَا وَيَعْمَلُوْنَ مَعَنَا، فَيَقُوْلُ اللّٰهُ تَعَالَی : اذْهَبُوْا فَمَنْ وَجَدْتُمْ فِيْ قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالَ دِيْنَارٍ مِنْ إِيْمَانٍ فَأَخْرِجُوْهُ … فَيَشْفَعُ النَّبِيُّوْنَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ فَيَقُوْلُ الْجَبَّارُ بَقِيَتْ شَفَاعَتِيْ، فَيَقْبِضُ قَبْضَةً مِنَ النَّارِ فَيُخْرِجُ أَقْوَامًا قَدِ امْتُحِشُوْا ] [ بخاری، التوحید، باب : «وجوہ یومئذ ناضرۃ…» : ۷۴۳۹، عن أبي سعید الخدري رضی اللہ عنہ ] "Then the bridge (Hasr) will be brought and placed over the middle of Hell." We said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is this bridge (Hasr)?" He said, "It is very slippery, upon it are grappling hooks and barbs, and very wide camel thorns, which have bent hooks, found in Najd, called Sa'dan. The believer will cross over it as quickly as the blink of an eye, or like lightning, or like the wind, or like the best horsemen and camel riders. Then some will be saved unharmed, some will be wounded but saved, and some will be thrown into the Fire of Hell, until the last of them will pass over, dragging himself." Then you will not demand from me for any right that has been established for you more intensely than the believers will demand from the Compeller (Allah Almighty) for their brothers on that Day. And when they see that they have been saved, they will say, "O our Lord! Our brothers used to pray with us, fast with us, and do deeds with us." So Allah Almighty will say, "Go and take out whoever you find in whose heart is faith equal to a dinar..." (It is a long hadith in which it is mentioned that those with faith equal to half a dinar, then those with faith equal to a particle, will be taken out of the Fire.) Thus, the Prophets, angels, and believers will intercede, then the Compeller will say, "My intercession remains," so He will take a handful out of the Fire, and will bring out people who have become like charcoal."

72. 1. Its explanation is stated in Sahih hadith as follows: A bridge will be placed over Hell, which every believer and disbeliever will have to cross. Believers will cross according to their deeds, some as quickly as the blink of an eye, some like lightning, some like the wind, some like birds, and some like excellent horses and other mounts. Thus, some will cross completely safe, some will be wounded but will still cross the bridge, and some will fall into Hell, from where they will later be taken out through intercession. But disbelievers will not succeed in crossing this bridge and all will fall into Hell. This is also supported by the hadith in which it is mentioned that "Whoever has three children who died before reaching puberty, the Fire will not touch him except only to fulfill the oath" (al-Bukhari). This oath is the same as mentioned in this verse حَتْمًا مَّقْضِیًّا (a decree absolutely determined), meaning his entry into Hell will be only to the extent of passing over the bridge. (For details, see Ibn Kathir and Aysar al-Tafasir)

The tafsir of this ayah is included with the following verse(s).