سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 71
وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَآ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ ٱلْعَذَابِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿71﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups till, when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the arrival of the prisoners). And its keepers will say, "Did not the Messengers come to you 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 torment has been justified against the disbelievers!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَسِيقَ
wasīqa
And (will) be driven
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
جَهَنَّمَ
jahannama
Hell
زُمَرًا ۖ
zumaran
(in) groups
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
until
إِذَا
idhā
when
جَآءُوهَا
jāūhā
they reach it
فُتِحَتْ
futiḥat
(will) be opened
أَبْوَٰبُهَا
abwābuhā
its gates
وَقَالَ
waqāla
and (will) say
لَهُمْ
lahum
to them
خَزَنَتُهَآ
khazanatuhā
its keepers
أَلَمْ
alam
Did not
يَأْتِكُمْ
yatikum
come to you
رُسُلٌۭ
rusulun
Messengers
مِّنكُمْ
minkum
from you
يَتْلُونَ
yatlūna
reciting
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
to you
ءَايَـٰتِ
āyāti
(the) Verses
رَبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
(of) your Lord
وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ
wayundhirūnakum
and warning you
لِقَآءَ
liqāa
(of the) meeting
يَوْمِكُمْ
yawmikum
(of) your Day
هَـٰذَا ۚ
hādhā
this
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They (will) say
بَلَىٰ
balā
Yes
وَلَـٰكِنْ
walākin
But
حَقَّتْ
ḥaqqat
has been justified
كَلِمَةُ
kalimatu
(the) word
ٱلْعَذَابِ
l-ʿadhābi
(of) punishment
عَلَى
ʿalā
against
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
l-kāfirīna
the disbelievers
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.
(Ayah 71) ➊ {وَ سِيْقَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا اِلٰى جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا : ’’سَاقَ يَسُوْقُ سَوْقًا‘‘} (n) To drive someone from behind by putting someone ahead, this expresses the humiliation of the one being driven. The word {’’قَادَ يَقُوْدُ‘‘} is used for leading someone behind oneself by staying ahead. {’’ زُمَرًا ‘‘ ’’زُمْرَةٌ‘‘ } is the plural, meaning the group behind which there is another group. {’’زُمْرَةٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ‘‘} refers to the group behind which another group is coming.
➋ In the previous verses, the mention was of the decision with truth on the Day of Resurrection; in these verses, the implementation of that decision is mentioned. Thus, first, those deserving punishment are mentioned, because the context is to admonish and warn those who, even after hearing so much admonition and so many arguments, persisted in disbelief.
➌ That is, when the crime of the disbelievers is proven and the decision is made, they will be driven in groups, forcibly herded towards Hell, as He said: « يَوْمَ يُدَعُّوْنَ اِلٰى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا » [ الطور : ۱۳ ] "The Day they will be thrust toward the Fire of Hell with a (violent) thrust." The division into different groups will either be according to the gradation of disbelief, that the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths, and there will be some who will only be made to wear shoes of fire, or according to time, that the earlier people will enter first and the later ones after them. (See Al-A'raf: 38) One division will also be according to the different types of criminals, for example, the group of thieves, the group of adulterers, etc. See Surah As-Saffat (22) and Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (19).
➍ { حَتّٰۤى اِذَا جَآءُوْهَا فُتِحَتْ اَبْوَابُهَا:} That is, upon their arrival, the gates of Hell, which were previously closed, will be opened, just as the gates of a prison are opened only upon the arrival of criminals and then closed upon them, so that they remain imprisoned there.
➎ {وَ قَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَاۤ : ’’خَزَنَةٌ‘‘ ’’خَازِنٌ‘‘} is the plural, just as {’’طَلَبَةٌ‘‘ ’’طَالِبٌ‘‘} is the plural. The gatekeeper is called Khazin, because usually gatekeepers are present where there is a treasure of valuable things. For the description of the gatekeepers of Hell, see Surah At-Tahrim (6).
➏ { اَلَمْ يَاْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنْكُمْ … :} The harsh-hearted, harsh-tongued, and powerful angels of Hell will not ask them this question but will say it to reproach and scold them; this will be an additional torment along with the physical punishment. See Surah Al-An'am (120) and Surah Al-Mulk (8 to 11).
➐ { قَالُوْا بَلٰى وَ لٰكِنْ … :} That is, yes, they did come and they did warn, but we kept doing such deeds that the word of Allah, which He had spoken about filling Hell with disbelieving jinn and humans (see As-Sajdah: 13), proved true for us.
➋ In the previous verses, the mention was of the decision with truth on the Day of Resurrection; in these verses, the implementation of that decision is mentioned. Thus, first, those deserving punishment are mentioned, because the context is to admonish and warn those who, even after hearing so much admonition and so many arguments, persisted in disbelief.
➌ That is, when the crime of the disbelievers is proven and the decision is made, they will be driven in groups, forcibly herded towards Hell, as He said: « يَوْمَ يُدَعُّوْنَ اِلٰى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا » [ الطور : ۱۳ ] "The Day they will be thrust toward the Fire of Hell with a (violent) thrust." The division into different groups will either be according to the gradation of disbelief, that the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths, and there will be some who will only be made to wear shoes of fire, or according to time, that the earlier people will enter first and the later ones after them. (See Al-A'raf: 38) One division will also be according to the different types of criminals, for example, the group of thieves, the group of adulterers, etc. See Surah As-Saffat (22) and Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (19).
➍ { حَتّٰۤى اِذَا جَآءُوْهَا فُتِحَتْ اَبْوَابُهَا:} That is, upon their arrival, the gates of Hell, which were previously closed, will be opened, just as the gates of a prison are opened only upon the arrival of criminals and then closed upon them, so that they remain imprisoned there.
➎ {وَ قَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَاۤ : ’’خَزَنَةٌ‘‘ ’’خَازِنٌ‘‘} is the plural, just as {’’طَلَبَةٌ‘‘ ’’طَالِبٌ‘‘} is the plural. The gatekeeper is called Khazin, because usually gatekeepers are present where there is a treasure of valuable things. For the description of the gatekeepers of Hell, see Surah At-Tahrim (6).
➏ { اَلَمْ يَاْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنْكُمْ … :} The harsh-hearted, harsh-tongued, and powerful angels of Hell will not ask them this question but will say it to reproach and scold them; this will be an additional torment along with the physical punishment. See Surah Al-An'am (120) and Surah Al-Mulk (8 to 11).
➐ { قَالُوْا بَلٰى وَ لٰكِنْ … :} That is, yes, they did come and they did warn, but we kept doing such deeds that the word of Allah, which He had spoken about filling Hell with disbelieving jinn and humans (see As-Sajdah: 13), proved true for us.
