Ṭāghīn comes from the root طغو which means the highest point of a mountain that is
difficult to reach. It was also used for a flood that submerged everything inside it. The core meaning is of height and elevation that submerges or covers things around it like the flood that submerged everything inside it.13 When applied to a human being, it means a person who summits the heights of sins and arrogance, covering all the good around him or even submerging (oppressing) others around him to attain his desires. This word will be used for Pharaoh in the very next surah because he oppressed the Israelites.
The word maʾāb (place of return) comes from the root أوب which was used for bees, as well as for the deepest point of a well where water gathers. The core meaning is of returning. Bees return back to their hives no matter how far away they fly and the water keeps on returning and collecting to the deepest point of a well or basin whenever water is drawn from it.14
The imagery drawn is incredible. As mentioned above, طغو was used for the very
summit of a mountain. Consider this arrogant disbeliever. He summits this mountain of sin and arrogance and is at the top of it. While on the earth, this mountain was strong and solid (verse 7) which enabled him to stand on it - to commit sins freely and benefit from them - but ultimately, Allah crushed this mountain and turned it into floating dust. (verse 18) Now, since the mountain on which they were standing was crushed, they are in a freefall. As he is falling down, he looks below and what does he see? He sees Hell with its claws outstretched to grab him.
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًۭا
Indeed, Hell has been waiting intently in ambush Hell has been waiting for God to crush this mountain of sin and pride so it can pounce on them. It has been waiting intently for the day of separation. So they may fall into its clutches. Currently, as they are engrossed in their sins, pride and arrogance, they stand carefree on this mountain, oblivious to the fact that Hell is looking intently at them, lying hidden in ambush for them. This is an imagery drawn from the real events that occur on judgment day that were described earlier. Allah uses those events to draw imagery.
God will crush the pride of the haughty. He will humble the arrogant, and disgrace the boastful. He will crush their very foundation - the mountain of sin and arrogance on whose summit they stand. He will force them to fall from it by crushing this
mountain; and when they do fall, Hell pounces on them then and there. A perfectly set trap.
On earth, people get away with sins. Look around you, you will see many oppressors. They are standing securely on their oppressions and sins right now, but ultimately, Allah will crush their very foundations as Allah says:
فأَ تَى اللَّ هُ بُنْيَانَهُم مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ
Then Allah attacked their buildings from the foundations (16 :26) Secondly, the disbeliever will fall from this mountain of arrogance and sin - He will renounce his arrogance and sin to Allah, admit his faults and hence desire Allah to give him a second chance. He will ask Allah to return him to earth, but:
For the Ṭāghīn, a place of return
Ṭāghīn comes from the root طغو which means the highest point of a mountain that is
difficult to reach. It was also used for a flood that submerged everything inside it. The core meaning is of height and elevation that submerges or covers things around it like the flood that submerged everything inside it.13 When applied to a human being, it means a person who summits the heights of sins and arrogance, covering all the good around him or even submerging (oppressing) others around him to attain his desires. This word will be used for Pharaoh in the very next surah because he oppressed the Israelites.
The word maʾāb (place of return) comes from the root أوب which was used for bees, as well as for the deepest point of a well where water gathers. The core meaning is of returning. Bees return back to their hives no matter how far away they fly and the water keeps on returning and collecting to the deepest point of a well or basin whenever water is drawn from it.14
The imagery drawn is incredible. As mentioned above, طغو was used for the very
summit of a mountain. Consider this arrogant disbeliever. He summits this mountain of sin and arrogance and is at the top of it. While on the earth, this mountain was strong and solid (verse 7) which enabled him to stand on it - to commit sins freely and benefit from them - but ultimately, Allah crushed this mountain and turned it into floating dust. (verse 18) Now, since the mountain on which they were standing was crushed, they are in a freefall. As he is falling down, he looks below and what does he see? He sees Hell with its claws outstretched to grab him.
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًۭا
Indeed, Hell has been waiting intently in ambush Hell has been waiting for God to crush this mountain of sin and pride so it can pounce on them. It has been waiting intently for the day of separation. So they may fall into its clutches. Currently, as they are engrossed in their sins, pride and arrogance, they stand carefree on this mountain, oblivious to the fact that Hell is looking intently at them, lying hidden in ambush for them. This is an imagery drawn from the real events that occur on judgment day that were described earlier. Allah uses those events to draw imagery.
God will crush the pride of the haughty. He will humble the arrogant, and disgrace the boastful. He will crush their very foundation - the mountain of sin and arrogance on whose summit they stand. He will force them to fall from it by crushing this
mountain; and when they do fall, Hell pounces on them then and there. A perfectly set trap.
On earth, people get away with sins. Look around you, you will see many oppressors. They are standing securely on their oppressions and sins right now, but ultimately, Allah will crush their very foundations as Allah says:
فأَ تَى اللَّ هُ بُنْيَانَهُم مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ
Then Allah attacked their buildings from the foundations (16 :26) Secondly, the disbeliever will fall from this mountain of arrogance and sin - He will renounce his arrogance and sin to Allah, admit his faults and hence desire Allah to give him a second chance. He will ask Allah to return him to earth, but:
لِّطَّٰ غِينَ مَـَٔابًۭا
For the Ṭāghīn, a place of return
13 Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 3, p. 1331
14 Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p. ٦٣