سُوْرَةُ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ
Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 17
يَتَجَرَّعُهُۥ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُسِيغُهُۥ وَيَأْتِيهِ ٱلْمَوْتُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمَيِّتٍ ۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِۦ عَذَابٌ غَلِيظٌ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He will sip it unwillingly, and he will find a great difficulty to swallow it down his throat; and death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die and in front of him, will be a great torment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَتَجَرَّعُهُۥ
yatajarraʿuhu
He will sip it
وَلَا
walā
but not
يَكَادُ
yakādu
he will be near
يُسِيغُهُۥ
yusīghuhu
(to) swallowing it
وَيَأْتِيهِ
wayatīhi
And will come to him
ٱلْمَوْتُ
l-mawtu
the death
مِن
min
from
كُلِّ
kulli
every
مَكَانٍۢ
makānin
side
وَمَا
wamā
but not
هُوَ
huwa
he
بِمَيِّتٍۢ ۖ
bimayyitin
will die
وَمِن
wamin
And ahead of him
وَرَآئِهِۦ
warāihi
And ahead of him
عَذَابٌ
ʿadhābun
(is) a punishment
غَلِيظٌۭ
ghalīẓun
harsh
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah17) ➊ {يَتَجَرَّعُهٗ :} This is from the form "tafaʿʿul," which carries the meaning of effort or difficulty, meaning he will drink it sip by sip with difficulty, and it will be so bitter, foul-tasting, foul-smelling, and hot that he will hardly be able to swallow it, but the torment of thirst will force him to drink it, and once inside, it will cut up his intestines. See Surah Muhammad (15).
➋ {وَ يَاْتِيْهِ الْمَوْتُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ … :} And from every place, death will appear to come to him, because every single thing in Hell is enough to cause death, but in no way will he die, because there will be no death there. The "ba" in {’’ بِمَيِّتٍ ‘‘} emphasizes the negation, so "in no way" has been added in the translation. See Surah Fatir (36) and Surah A'la (13).
➌ { وَ مِنْ وَّرَآىِٕهٖ عَذَابٌ غَلِيْظٌ :} That is, after this, there is even more severe punishment. Now, the various forms of this are known only to Allah Almighty, many of which are mentioned in the Qur'an and Hadith, but here, as a form of punishment, the hunger that will be imposed and the eating of zaqqum is mentioned. He said: { اِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الزَّقُّوْمِ (43) طَعَامُ الْاَثِيْمِ (44) كَالْمُهْلِ يَغْلِيْ فِي الْبُطُوْنِ (45) كَغَلْيِ الْحَمِيْمِ (46) خُذُوْهُ فَاعْتِلُوْهُ اِلٰى سَوَآءِ الْجَحِيْمِ (47) ثُمَّ صُبُّوْا فَوْقَ رَاْسِهٖ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْحَمِيْمِ (48) ذُقْ اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْكَرِيْمُ} [الدخان : ۴۳ تا ۴۹ ] "Indeed, the tree of zaqqum is the food of the sinner. Like molten copper, it will boil in the bellies. Like the boiling of scalding water. Seize him, then drag him into the midst of the blazing Fire. Then pour over his head some of the torment of boiling water. Taste! Indeed, you are the mighty, the noble one!"
The severity of Hell's punishment cannot be imagined in the Hereafter, whose fire is seventy (70) times hotter than the fire here, but the description of the lightest punishment of Hell that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned gives some idea of the severe punishment, though true knowledge is not possible, nor can it be expressed. Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا مَنْ لَهُ نَعْلَانِ وَ شِرَاكَانِ مِنْ نَارٍ، يَغْلِيْ مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُهُ، كَمَا يَغْلِي الْمِرْجَلُ مَا يَرَی أَنَّ أَحَدًا أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ عَذَابًا، وَ إِنَّهُ لَأَهْوَنُهُمْ عَذَابًا ] [مسلم، الإیمان، باب أھون أھل النار عذابا : 213/364] "The one with the lightest punishment among the people of the Fire will be the one who has two sandals and two straps of fire, from which his brain will boil as a pot boils, and he will not think that anyone is being punished more severely than him, though he will be the one with the least punishment among them." [ نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنْ جَمِیْعِ عَذَابِ الدُّنْیَا وَالْآخِرَۃِ ]
➋ {وَ يَاْتِيْهِ الْمَوْتُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ … :} And from every place, death will appear to come to him, because every single thing in Hell is enough to cause death, but in no way will he die, because there will be no death there. The "ba" in {’’ بِمَيِّتٍ ‘‘} emphasizes the negation, so "in no way" has been added in the translation. See Surah Fatir (36) and Surah A'la (13).
➌ { وَ مِنْ وَّرَآىِٕهٖ عَذَابٌ غَلِيْظٌ :} That is, after this, there is even more severe punishment. Now, the various forms of this are known only to Allah Almighty, many of which are mentioned in the Qur'an and Hadith, but here, as a form of punishment, the hunger that will be imposed and the eating of zaqqum is mentioned. He said: { اِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الزَّقُّوْمِ (43) طَعَامُ الْاَثِيْمِ (44) كَالْمُهْلِ يَغْلِيْ فِي الْبُطُوْنِ (45) كَغَلْيِ الْحَمِيْمِ (46) خُذُوْهُ فَاعْتِلُوْهُ اِلٰى سَوَآءِ الْجَحِيْمِ (47) ثُمَّ صُبُّوْا فَوْقَ رَاْسِهٖ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْحَمِيْمِ (48) ذُقْ اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْكَرِيْمُ} [الدخان : ۴۳ تا ۴۹ ] "Indeed, the tree of zaqqum is the food of the sinner. Like molten copper, it will boil in the bellies. Like the boiling of scalding water. Seize him, then drag him into the midst of the blazing Fire. Then pour over his head some of the torment of boiling water. Taste! Indeed, you are the mighty, the noble one!"
The severity of Hell's punishment cannot be imagined in the Hereafter, whose fire is seventy (70) times hotter than the fire here, but the description of the lightest punishment of Hell that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned gives some idea of the severe punishment, though true knowledge is not possible, nor can it be expressed. Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا مَنْ لَهُ نَعْلَانِ وَ شِرَاكَانِ مِنْ نَارٍ، يَغْلِيْ مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُهُ، كَمَا يَغْلِي الْمِرْجَلُ مَا يَرَی أَنَّ أَحَدًا أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ عَذَابًا، وَ إِنَّهُ لَأَهْوَنُهُمْ عَذَابًا ] [مسلم، الإیمان، باب أھون أھل النار عذابا : 213/364] "The one with the lightest punishment among the people of the Fire will be the one who has two sandals and two straps of fire, from which his brain will boil as a pot boils, and he will not think that anyone is being punished more severely than him, though he will be the one with the least punishment among them." [ نَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنْ جَمِیْعِ عَذَابِ الدُّنْیَا وَالْآخِرَۃِ ]
