In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. ‘Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammar.
Surah Sad.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“And with them are those of modest gaze, companions.” (38:52)
“This it is that ye are promised for the Day of Reckoning.” (38:53)
“Lo! this in truth is Our provision, which will never waste away.” (38:54)
For these righteous ones.
Women who restrain their gaze and affection solely for their spouses.
They desire no one else.
All of the same age.
This is what Allah promises you of honor in the Hereafter.
A provision that is never cut off from them.
This is because whenever they take a fruit from the fruits and eat it,
Another one like it replaces it.
This is it.
“This (is for the righteous). And lo! for the transgressors there with be an evil journey's end,” (38:55)
Hell, where they shall burn.
What a wretched resting place.
“Here is a boiling and an ice-cold draught, so let them taste it,” (38:57)
“And other (torment) of the kind in pairs (the two extremes)!” (38:58)
This is what has been described for these righteous ones.
Then He resumes the account regarding the disbelievers who transgressed against Him.
Indeed, they have the worst place of return and destination to which they will arrive on the Day of Resurrection.
How wretched is the bed they have spread for themselves: Hell.
They shall be given boiling water to drink.
And what flows from their festering wounds.
And other torments of the same nature as the boiling water, of various kinds and types.
It is possible that what is meant by "pairs" [in the verse]
Is the account of the boiling water and the scalding filth.
And others of its kind.
That is three, so they are called "pairs."
“Here is an army rushing blindly with you. (Those who are already in the Fire say): No word of welcome for them. Lo! they will roast at the Fire.” (38:59)
They are those who enter the Fire.
This is a faction and a group bursting in with you, O transgressors, into the Fire.
This refers to the entry of one disbelieving nation after another.
The transgressors who had entered the Fire before this bursting group will say,
"May their entry be constricted."
They are those who arrive at the Fire and enter it.
“They say: Nay, but you (misleaders), for you there is no word of welcome. Ye prepared this for us (by your misleading). Now hapless is the plight.” (38:60)
You brought it forward for us.
What a wretched place to settle.
The arriving group will say,
"Rather, it is you, O people, whose places are constricted."
You provided this place as a dwelling for us.
By leading us astray and calling us to disbelieve in Allah.
What a wretched place to reside in: Hell.
“They say: Our Lord! Whoever did prepare this for us, oh, give him double portion of the Fire!” (38:61)
The followers will say—and this is also the statement of the group that burst in—
"Our Lord, whoever brought this upon us," meaning,
Whoever prepared this for them in the world by calling them to the deeds that necessitated the Fire they have now entered,
"Increase his punishment twofold over the punishment he is already in."
“And they say: What aileth us that we behold not men whom we were wont to count among the wicked?” (38:62)
“Did we take them (wrongly) for a laughing-stock, or have our eyes missed them?” (38:63)
“Lo! that is very truth: the wrangling of the dwellers in the Fire.” (38:64)
The transgressors will say,
"What is the matter with us that we do not see men with us in the Fire
Whom we used to count in the world among the wicked?"
By this, they meant, as it has been mentioned,
Suhayb, Khabbab, Bilal, and Salman.
"We used to take them for mockery, ridiculing them."
"Yet they are with us today in the Fire?"
"Have our eyes missed them, such that we do not know where they are?"
This which I have told you regarding the mutual recriminations of the people of the Fire,
And their cursing of one another, and the disputing of the people of the Fire,
Is the absolute truth, so do not doubt it.
“Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I am only a warner, and there is no Allah save Allah, the One, the Absolute,” (38:65)
“Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I am only a warner, and there is no Allah save Allah, the One, the Absolute,” (38:65)
“Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the Mighty, the Pardoning.” (38:66)
Say, O Muhammad, to the polytheists of your people,
“Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I exhort you unto one thing only: that ye awake, for Allah's sake, by twos and singly, and then reflect: There is no madness in your comrade. He is naught else than a warner unto you in face of a terrific doom.” (34:46)
There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the One,
Who should have no partner in His dominion,
The Subduer of all that is beneath Him by His power,
The Owner of the heavens and the earth and all the creation between them.
He is the God, besides whom there is no god,
The Almighty in His retribution against those who disbelieve in Him,
The Perpetual Forgiver of the sins of those who repent among them.
“Say: It is tremendous tidings” (38:67)
You are turning away from Him.
“I had no knowledge of the Highest Chiefs when they disputed;” (38:69)
“It is revealed unto me only that I may be a plain warner.” (38:70)
Say, O Muhammad, this Qur'an is a great message.
You are turning away from it, not acting upon it.
Say, O Muhammad, I had no knowledge of the Exalted Assembly
When they were disputing regarding the affair of Adam,
Before my Lord revealed it to me,
So that He might teach me.
In my informing you of that,
There is clear evidence that this Qur'an is a revelation from Allah.
Say, O Muhammad, Allah does not reveal to me knowledge of that which I have no knowledge,
Such as the knowledge of the Exalted Assembly
And their dispute regarding the matter of Adam when He intended to create him,
Except that I am only a clear warner.
“When thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to create a mortal out of mire,” (38:71)
"So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down to him in prostration."
So the angels prostrated, all of them together.
“Saving Iblis; he was scornful and became one of the disbelievers.” (38:74)
When your Lord said, O Muhammad, to the angels,
“When thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to create a mortal out of mire,” (38:71)
"When I have completed his creation and breathed into him of My spirit,
Then fall down to him in prostration."
So the angels prostrated, all of them together, those who are in the heavens and the earth, except Iblis.
He grew arrogant regarding prostrating to him, out of pride and haughtiness.
And by his arrogance toward his Lord, he was among those who disbelieved in the prior knowledge of Allah.
He denied His Lordship and rejected the submission to Him that was required of him through obedience.
“He said: O Iblis! What hindereth thee from falling prostrate before that which I have created with both My hands? Art thou too proud or art thou of the high exalted?” (38:75)
“He said: O Iblis! What hindereth thee from falling prostrate before that which I have created with both My hands? Art thou too proud or art thou of the high exalted?” (38:75)
He said, "I am better than him; You created me from fire and created him from clay."
Allah said to Iblis, "O Iblis,
What prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands?
Have you grown too arrogant to prostrate to Adam?
So you abandoned prostrating to him out of arrogance?"
"Or were you already among those who are lofty and arrogant toward your Lord?"
Iblis said to his Lord,
"I did that, and I did not prostrate because I am better than him,
Because You created me from fire and created him from clay,
And fire consumes clay and burns it,
So fire is better than him.
I did not do that out of arrogance toward You,
Nor because I was among the lofty ones,
But I did it because I am more noble than him."
He said, "Then get out of it, for you are expelled."
“And lo! My curse is on thee till the Day of Judgment.” (38:78)
Allah said to Iblis,
"So get out of Paradise,
For you are cast out, reviled, and cursed.
And My curse shall be upon you from Paradise until the Day of Recompense and Reckoning for the servants."
He said, "My Lord, then respite me until the Day they are resurrected."
He said, "Indeed, you are of those respited,
Until the day of the time well-known."
Iblis said to his Lord,
"My Lord, since You have cursed me,
Then grant me a delay until the day You resurrect Your creation from their graves."
Allah said to Iblis,
"Indeed, you are of those whom I have respited until the day of the time well-known."
“He said: Then, by Thy might, I surely will beguile them every one,” (38:82)
"Except Your servants among them who are sincere."
Iblis said,
"By Your might and Your power,
I will surely mislead them all,
Except those among them whom You have made sincere for Your worship,
And protected from my misguidance."
“He said: The Truth is, and the Truth I speak,” (38:84)
"I will surely fill Hell with you and with those who follow you among them, all together."
Allah the Exalted said,
"I am the Truth, and I speak the Truth,
And the Truth is that I will surely fill Hell with you and with those who follow you among the children of Adam, all together."
“Say (O Muhammad, unto mankind): I ask of you no fee for this, and I am no simulating.” (38:86)
It is but a reminder to the worlds.
“And ye will come in time to know the truth thereof.” (38:88)
Say, O Muhammad, to the polytheists of your people,
"I do not ask of you for the Qur'an which I have brought to you from Allah any reward or recompense,
And I am not one who affects fabrication and falsehood."
Say to these polytheists of your people,
"This Qur'an is only a reminder from Allah to the worlds, both jinn and mankind."
And you shall surely know, O you who associate partners with Allah, the truth of this Qur'an,
And the reality of what it contains of promise and threat, after a while.