Al-Mutaffifin المطففين

Destruction for those who give less measure

The Arabs used a measuring container called a Mikyāl, in which goods were measured by filling it up to a defined level - usually the rim. When the contents reached that level, it was considered a full unit and priced accordingly. If someone wanted to cheat, he would not typically alter the bottom of the container, but rather manipulate the top level ( )الطُّ فَاف . When giving to others, he would reduce

the level slightly below the rim, giving less than what was due while making it appear full.

It is a small, marginal manipulation at the very boundary. A barely noticeable reduction or increase yet Allah affirms a place in Hell for these manipulators and cheaters for this action. They are not robbing people of thousands or even hundreds but rather a handful of pennies.

With regards to the word Wayl - translated as destruction - it means punishment, grief, and destruction. There are hadiths narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that Wayl refers to a valley in Hell in which the disbeliever is thrown. Al-Aṣmaʿī points out that whenever Allah uses the word Wayl for someone, then that person has earned a place in Hell. So these people, although they cheated people for a few pennies, have reserved a place in Hell for themselves for this action.

This surah is concerning those who wrong other people and how Allah will give justice to those whom these people wronged. This crime of cheating people of a few pennies stands for a larger reality that Allah will give people justice against those who

wronged them, even for the smallest misdeeds. Since Allah will do this for even the smallest of actions, it naturally follows that He will do the same for bigger actions of injustice.

After establishing the fact that justice will in fact be served to people for their actions, in this surah Allah mentions those who have been wronged and oppressed by other people and how they will be redeemed and their oppressors be made to pay for their oppression.

Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full

When taking for himself, he would fill the rim completely. Now, the standard is to use the preposition min (from) instead of ( عَلَىٰ ʿalā) with the word ( اكتالوا take measure). Since their taking of measure from people involved harm to them and an unjust imposition upon them, ( عَلَىٰ ʿalā) was placed in the position of ( مِنْ min) to indicate that.

But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss

This verse seems simple on sight but is quite complex.

Firstly, the norm is to use the verbs ( كالو give by measure) and ( وزنو give by weight)

with the preposition lām but that is not the case here. The preposition lām is omitted. The people of Hijaz allowed omitting the lām and used these two verbs with the lām as well as without it.⁶⁴ So even though it is grammatically correct to use these verbs without being accompanied by the lām, it is still a usage that is rare in Arabic. So the question arises, why do this? Why use these verbs without the lām, which though grammatically correct, is still a rare usage? The reason is quite beautiful. The Qurʾān omits one small barely noticeable letter when describing their cheating that is also barely noticeable. Just as most people will miss that one letter is skipped here because of how delicate this omission is, so do people miss the cheating done to them by these people because of how barely noticeable the amount is. Secondly, it is also possible that what is omitted is not the letter lām, but rather the object itself. The verse is actually, “But when they measure their measured goods or weigh their weighed goods, they cause loss.” The Qurʾān leaves out the possessed noun, and leaves only the possessor - the people who are buying things from them. Why? Because this would then drive the focus on the people they wrong, not the amount they take. Yes they take the amount but the important thing is that they wrong people! It is not the grains they steal that are important - it is a barely noticeable amount - but the fact that they wrong people! This is consistent with the

last verse as well which breaks the norm by using the preposition ( على over) instead of the letter lām to show how they exert dominance and wrong people in their dealings.

In my view, both of these are equally plausible and I hold that these both to be true. So now, they give less to people but take it in full. Justice for them but injustice for others. A man who brings benefit to himself at the cost of others, but does not want others to do the same to him. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Be just to others just as you want others to be just to you, or in other words, the golden rule. The previous surah described the disobedience of men with regards to the rights of Allah, whereas this surah describes man’s disobedience with regards to the rights of other men. Both of them stem from the same cause - denial of recompense on judgment day. Hence,

⁶⁴ Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 191

Do they not think - those - that they will be raised?

The use of the word ( ظن think) is to highlight their mental state. It does not even cross their mind nor do they entertain the slightest thought that they will be resurrected and held to account. Their mind is occupied with the goal of benefiting themselves here and now, with no regard for hereafter.

The standard norm of Arabic is again broken inside this verse by use of the demonstrative pronoun (those) instead of a pronoun. Demonstrative pronouns in Arabic point to something as possessing the quality being talked about itself unlike pronouns. Secondly, it also denotes, as al-Ālūsī points out, the fact that they are unique and set apart from other people in this quality of not thinking that they will be raised alive on judgment day because these people are being especially pointed out by the use of demonstrative pronoun instead of the pronoun. Among all those who deny judgment day, these people are the worst in this regard. This quality of denying recompense is found most strongly and in the worst manner in these people.⁶⁵

The main goal of the person who does this is the luxury of this world and he exploits people for its sake. He does an action that benefits him in this world, but costs him his afterlife. If he truly believed in judgment day, would he have cheated? No. Allah is diagnosing the root of the problem. The false notion that people will not be taken to account for their actions leads people to commit sins and crimes. When a firm belief in judgment day settles inside the heart, people will desist from doing wrong. If a person who claims to believe in judgment day does it, it means that this belief has not settled in his heart.

⁶⁵ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 374

For a great day

Commentary covering verses 5–6

First, the words Rabb of ʿĀlamīn. Rabb means the Master, the caretaker, and the nurturer as has been explained in earlier surahs, whereas ʿĀlamīn refers to mankind and Jinn since they serve as Allah’s signs as is the position of Zamakhsharī, and is supported by Ibn Abbas as well.

The word yawm (a day) is in accusative case again just like the last verse of surah alinfiṭār. Ibn ʿĀshūr again holds the position that since the second part of the construct phrase is a verbal sentence, this is allowed, but as pointed before, that only holds true when the verb is in past tense, not an imperfect verb as in here. Al Alūsi says that yawm is governed by the word ( مبعوثون they will be raised) in verse 4, which would

make yawm an adverb of time, which seems to be the correct position to me.⁶⁶ In simple English, this would translate to, ‘They will be resurrected on a day mankind stands for Rabb of ʿĀlamīn.’

The use of the preposition ‘for’ instead of ‘on’ in both verses, contains multiple meanings. Firstly, they will be raised for His command, and for the sake of His judgment only, nothing else. This goes back to the last verse of the previous surah where Allah said that all command, power and control will belong to Allah alone. This has been mentioned by al-Rāzī and al-Ālūsī.

In addition, Ibn ʿĀshūr says something really interesting. The proposition ‘for’ conveys that since Allah is the Rabb of ʿĀlamīn, it necessitates that people stand before Him on judgment day to receive His judgment and ruling.⁶⁷ It is a necessary consequence of Allah being Rabb of ʿĀlamīn. The context of this surah is about people who wrong others, even in small amounts. Allah is the Rabb, the kind and loving Master who nurtures and takes care of His subjects. This necessitates that He brings justice to those who have been wronged, in any shape or manner, of even a few pennies like the people who have been wronged by given less measure. Hence, since Allah is the Rabb, He will redeem all those who have been wronged and will bring them justice by pronouncing judgment on the wrongdoers.

The use of the future imperfect verb (stands) is for the mental evocation of the scene, so that the reader can paint the picture in his brain of the whole scene happening in front of him.

Lastly, notice the flow of the surah thus far. It started with those people who give slightly less measure to people and rob them of a few pennies. We would normally assume this amount to be insignificant and hence, would even ignore it. Think of it, if someone robbed you of a handful of wheat grains, or lentils, you would not even bat an eye. It is worth almost nothing. But after mentioning this relatively small crime, Allah repeatedly highlights the greatness and immense nature of judgment day. Zamakhsharī summarizes the whole picture beautifully:

ووصفه ذاته ، وقيام الناس فيه لله خاضعين ، ووصف اليوم بالعظم ، وفي هذا الإنكار والتعجيب وكلمة الظن برب العالمين بيان بليغ لعظم الذنب وتفاقم الإثم في التطفيف وفيما كان في مثل حاله من الحيف وترك القيام

بل في كل قول وعمل ، والعمل على السوية والعدل في كل أخذ وإعطاء ، بالقسط

“In this denunciation or rejection (of the act of defrauders), in the expression of

amazement (in verse 4) and the use of the word ‘( ظن think’ in verse 4), in describing

the Day of Judgment as great and mighty, in the depiction of people standing before Allah in submissive obedience, and in His describing Himself as the Rabb of ʿĀlamīn, there is a powerful and eloquent clarification of the gravity of their sin and the enormity of their crime in defrauding people by giving measure, as well as in all matters that resemble this injustice, including neglecting to uphold proper justice and fairness, and failing to act with equity not only in all matters of giving and taking, but also in every word and action.”

⁶⁶ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 374
⁶⁷ Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 193

On a day mankind stands for Rabb of ʿĀlamīn

Commentary covering verses 5–6

First, the words Rabb of ʿĀlamīn. Rabb means the Master, the caretaker, and the nurturer as has been explained in earlier surahs, whereas ʿĀlamīn refers to mankind and Jinn since they serve as Allah’s signs as is the position of Zamakhsharī, and is supported by Ibn Abbas as well.

The word yawm (a day) is in accusative case again just like the last verse of surah alinfiṭār. Ibn ʿĀshūr again holds the position that since the second part of the construct phrase is a verbal sentence, this is allowed, but as pointed before, that only holds true when the verb is in past tense, not an imperfect verb as in here. Al Alūsi says that yawm is governed by the word ( مبعوثون they will be raised) in verse 4, which would

make yawm an adverb of time, which seems to be the correct position to me.⁶⁶ In simple English, this would translate to, ‘They will be resurrected on a day mankind stands for Rabb of ʿĀlamīn.’

The use of the preposition ‘for’ instead of ‘on’ in both verses, contains multiple meanings. Firstly, they will be raised for His command, and for the sake of His judgment only, nothing else. This goes back to the last verse of the previous surah where Allah said that all command, power and control will belong to Allah alone. This has been mentioned by al-Rāzī and al-Ālūsī.

In addition, Ibn ʿĀshūr says something really interesting. The proposition ‘for’ conveys that since Allah is the Rabb of ʿĀlamīn, it necessitates that people stand before Him on judgment day to receive His judgment and ruling.⁶⁷ It is a necessary consequence of Allah being Rabb of ʿĀlamīn. The context of this surah is about people who wrong others, even in small amounts. Allah is the Rabb, the kind and loving Master who nurtures and takes care of His subjects. This necessitates that He brings justice to those who have been wronged, in any shape or manner, of even a few pennies like the people who have been wronged by given less measure. Hence, since Allah is the Rabb, He will redeem all those who have been wronged and will bring them justice by pronouncing judgment on the wrongdoers.

The use of the future imperfect verb (stands) is for the mental evocation of the scene, so that the reader can paint the picture in his brain of the whole scene happening in front of him.

Lastly, notice the flow of the surah thus far. It started with those people who give slightly less measure to people and rob them of a few pennies. We would normally assume this amount to be insignificant and hence, would even ignore it. Think of it, if someone robbed you of a handful of wheat grains, or lentils, you would not even bat an eye. It is worth almost nothing. But after mentioning this relatively small crime, Allah repeatedly highlights the greatness and immense nature of judgment day. Zamakhsharī summarizes the whole picture beautifully:

ووصفه ذاته ، وقيام الناس فيه لله خاضعين ، ووصف اليوم بالعظم ، وفي هذا الإنكار والتعجيب وكلمة الظن برب العالمين بيان بليغ لعظم الذنب وتفاقم الإثم في التطفيف وفيما كان في مثل حاله من الحيف وترك القيام

بل في كل قول وعمل ، والعمل على السوية والعدل في كل أخذ وإعطاء ، بالقسط

“In this denunciation or rejection (of the act of defrauders), in the expression of

amazement (in verse 4) and the use of the word ‘( ظن think’ in verse 4), in describing

the Day of Judgment as great and mighty, in the depiction of people standing before Allah in submissive obedience, and in His describing Himself as the Rabb of ʿĀlamīn, there is a powerful and eloquent clarification of the gravity of their sin and the enormity of their crime in defrauding people by giving measure, as well as in all matters that resemble this injustice, including neglecting to uphold proper justice and fairness, and failing to act with equity not only in all matters of giving and taking, but also in every word and action.”

⁶⁶ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 374
⁶⁷ Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 193

No! Truly, the writings of the Fujjār is in Sijjīn

Commentary covering verses 7–9

“No!” serves as a strong divine disapproval of this act of theirs, and also as a call to desist from their actions.

The word ‘fujjār’ has been explained in the previous surah.

“Writings” refers to the writing of the deeds of the person written by the angels that are stationed above him to record his actions, and watch all his actions as described in the previous surah. Allah describes the angels as kātibīn - writing - and uses the word Kitāb here which are both of the same root. People normally translate Kitāb as ‘book’, Kitāb can also be in the meaning of writing (maktūb) as if to say that whatever the angels write of the deeds of these people, is stored inside sijjīn. I prefer this opinion.

Secondly, the word sijjīn is the crux of this small passage. It comes from the root sīn jīm nūn which was used for a prison, for soft iron that can be molded to form different objects, as well as for trenches dug around the roots of palm trees when water is not naturally drawn towards them. Interestingly, these trenches were called sijjīn itself, the same word used in the verse. The core meaning is to confine or contain something inside a tight space.⁶⁸ This meaning is apparent in the prison, the soft iron described is used to make objects that restrain people such as chains, shackles and clamps, and the trenches force water into a tight space (the roots). So sijjīn literally means a pit or a trench to restrain something inside it. Much has been said about what sijjīn means in this verse which in my opinion, is unnecessary since Allah Himself answers what sijjīn is and we will tie it together at that point. Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī quote a number of scholars who said sijjīn means the lowest part of the earth and I think they are all coming to this conclusion because of the root meaning itself. It is clear to me that sijjīn refers to something lowly, and physically below not only because of the root meaning, but also because later on in the surah, Allah will say that the writings of the righteous, as opposed to the fujjār are in ʿIlliyīn, and ʿIlliyīn comes from the root ʿayn lām alif which means height and elevation. So if the book of deeds of righteous is lofty and on high, it naturally follows that the book of the unrighteous is lowly and below. This does not mean it refers to the lowest earth as Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī mention, but to a point that is physically and otherwise lowly and despised.

But instead of delving into opinions regarding what sijjīn is, we need only look at the next two verses:

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌۭ

What can make you understand what Sijjīn is?

كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ

A marqūm book Firstly, the question is asked to draw attention and to highlight the grand nature of what is about to be told.

Allah calls sijjīn a marqūm book or writing. Marqūm is generally taken to mean something inscribed or written which is largely correct, but if we look at its root usages, we see something really interesting. It comes from the root rāʾ qāf mīm which was used for a meadow, a place in a valley where water gathers, as well as for a land with scattered patches of vegetation. The core meaning is of a distinct, limited patch standing out from its surroundings like a meadow within the surrounding dry land, patches of vegetation within otherwise barren land and a spot where water gathers in a valley.⁶⁹ Sijjīn is a book, confined inside a tight space. It stands out from its surroundings but not in a way we would normally expect. Since it was literally used for a pit dug inside the earth, it stands out as a deep pit in a vast area. Imagine a wide, expansive and homogenous area with a pit in the centre that stands out. Inside that canyon is the book in which the writings of the angels of the actions of the fujjār go. This is a closed off and confined pit. So there is one massive book inside which the actions of all Fujjār are recorded. It is as if each individual has a chapter of this book reserved for him. Secondly, marqūm can also mean something that is marked distinctly so that it stands out. Sijjīn could be a book that is distinctly marked by a mark or symbol of wretchedness and misery on the day of resurrection.

⁶⁸ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 962
⁶⁹ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 841

What can make you understand what Sijjīn is?

Commentary covering verses 7–9

“No!” serves as a strong divine disapproval of this act of theirs, and also as a call to desist from their actions.

The word ‘fujjār’ has been explained in the previous surah.

“Writings” refers to the writing of the deeds of the person written by the angels that are stationed above him to record his actions, and watch all his actions as described in the previous surah. Allah describes the angels as kātibīn - writing - and uses the word Kitāb here which are both of the same root. People normally translate Kitāb as ‘book’, Kitāb can also be in the meaning of writing (maktūb) as if to say that whatever the angels write of the deeds of these people, is stored inside sijjīn. I prefer this opinion.

Secondly, the word sijjīn is the crux of this small passage. It comes from the root sīn jīm nūn which was used for a prison, for soft iron that can be molded to form different objects, as well as for trenches dug around the roots of palm trees when water is not naturally drawn towards them. Interestingly, these trenches were called sijjīn itself, the same word used in the verse. The core meaning is to confine or contain something inside a tight space.⁶⁸ This meaning is apparent in the prison, the soft iron described is used to make objects that restrain people such as chains, shackles and clamps, and the trenches force water into a tight space (the roots). So sijjīn literally means a pit or a trench to restrain something inside it. Much has been said about what sijjīn means in this verse which in my opinion, is unnecessary since Allah Himself answers what sijjīn is and we will tie it together at that point. Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī quote a number of scholars who said sijjīn means the lowest part of the earth and I think they are all coming to this conclusion because of the root meaning itself. It is clear to me that sijjīn refers to something lowly, and physically below not only because of the root meaning, but also because later on in the surah, Allah will say that the writings of the righteous, as opposed to the fujjār are in ʿIlliyīn, and ʿIlliyīn comes from the root ʿayn lām alif which means height and elevation. So if the book of deeds of righteous is lofty and on high, it naturally follows that the book of the unrighteous is lowly and below. This does not mean it refers to the lowest earth as Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī mention, but to a point that is physically and otherwise lowly and despised.

But instead of delving into opinions regarding what sijjīn is, we need only look at the next two verses:

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌۭ

What can make you understand what Sijjīn is?

كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ

A marqūm book Firstly, the question is asked to draw attention and to highlight the grand nature of what is about to be told.

Allah calls sijjīn a marqūm book or writing. Marqūm is generally taken to mean something inscribed or written which is largely correct, but if we look at its root usages, we see something really interesting. It comes from the root rāʾ qāf mīm which was used for a meadow, a place in a valley where water gathers, as well as for a land with scattered patches of vegetation. The core meaning is of a distinct, limited patch standing out from its surroundings like a meadow within the surrounding dry land, patches of vegetation within otherwise barren land and a spot where water gathers in a valley.⁶⁹ Sijjīn is a book, confined inside a tight space. It stands out from its surroundings but not in a way we would normally expect. Since it was literally used for a pit dug inside the earth, it stands out as a deep pit in a vast area. Imagine a wide, expansive and homogenous area with a pit in the centre that stands out. Inside that canyon is the book in which the writings of the angels of the actions of the fujjār go. This is a closed off and confined pit. So there is one massive book inside which the actions of all Fujjār are recorded. It is as if each individual has a chapter of this book reserved for him. Secondly, marqūm can also mean something that is marked distinctly so that it stands out. Sijjīn could be a book that is distinctly marked by a mark or symbol of wretchedness and misery on the day of resurrection.

⁶⁸ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 962
⁶⁹ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 841

A marqūm book

Commentary covering verses 7–9

“No!” serves as a strong divine disapproval of this act of theirs, and also as a call to desist from their actions.

The word ‘fujjār’ has been explained in the previous surah.

“Writings” refers to the writing of the deeds of the person written by the angels that are stationed above him to record his actions, and watch all his actions as described in the previous surah. Allah describes the angels as kātibīn - writing - and uses the word Kitāb here which are both of the same root. People normally translate Kitāb as ‘book’, Kitāb can also be in the meaning of writing (maktūb) as if to say that whatever the angels write of the deeds of these people, is stored inside sijjīn. I prefer this opinion.

Secondly, the word sijjīn is the crux of this small passage. It comes from the root sīn jīm nūn which was used for a prison, for soft iron that can be molded to form different objects, as well as for trenches dug around the roots of palm trees when water is not naturally drawn towards them. Interestingly, these trenches were called sijjīn itself, the same word used in the verse. The core meaning is to confine or contain something inside a tight space.⁶⁸ This meaning is apparent in the prison, the soft iron described is used to make objects that restrain people such as chains, shackles and clamps, and the trenches force water into a tight space (the roots). So sijjīn literally means a pit or a trench to restrain something inside it. Much has been said about what sijjīn means in this verse which in my opinion, is unnecessary since Allah Himself answers what sijjīn is and we will tie it together at that point. Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī quote a number of scholars who said sijjīn means the lowest part of the earth and I think they are all coming to this conclusion because of the root meaning itself. It is clear to me that sijjīn refers to something lowly, and physically below not only because of the root meaning, but also because later on in the surah, Allah will say that the writings of the righteous, as opposed to the fujjār are in ʿIlliyīn, and ʿIlliyīn comes from the root ʿayn lām alif which means height and elevation. So if the book of deeds of righteous is lofty and on high, it naturally follows that the book of the unrighteous is lowly and below. This does not mean it refers to the lowest earth as Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī mention, but to a point that is physically and otherwise lowly and despised.

But instead of delving into opinions regarding what sijjīn is, we need only look at the next two verses:

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌۭ

What can make you understand what Sijjīn is?

كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ

A marqūm book Firstly, the question is asked to draw attention and to highlight the grand nature of what is about to be told.

Allah calls sijjīn a marqūm book or writing. Marqūm is generally taken to mean something inscribed or written which is largely correct, but if we look at its root usages, we see something really interesting. It comes from the root rāʾ qāf mīm which was used for a meadow, a place in a valley where water gathers, as well as for a land with scattered patches of vegetation. The core meaning is of a distinct, limited patch standing out from its surroundings like a meadow within the surrounding dry land, patches of vegetation within otherwise barren land and a spot where water gathers in a valley.⁶⁹ Sijjīn is a book, confined inside a tight space. It stands out from its surroundings but not in a way we would normally expect. Since it was literally used for a pit dug inside the earth, it stands out as a deep pit in a vast area. Imagine a wide, expansive and homogenous area with a pit in the centre that stands out. Inside that canyon is the book in which the writings of the angels of the actions of the fujjār go. This is a closed off and confined pit. So there is one massive book inside which the actions of all Fujjār are recorded. It is as if each individual has a chapter of this book reserved for him. Secondly, marqūm can also mean something that is marked distinctly so that it stands out. Sijjīn could be a book that is distinctly marked by a mark or symbol of wretchedness and misery on the day of resurrection.

⁶⁸ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 962
⁶⁹ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 2, p. 841

Destruction that day for the deniers

This goes back to judgment day as well as to sijjīn to say - destruction that day for those who deny that their actions are being recorded in sijjīn; from and by means of sijjīn. Sijjīn contains the record of their evil actions that will ultimately be the cause of their destruction.

For those who deny the day of dīn

Their denial of sijjīn and of the fact that their actions are being recorded necessarily entails they deny being taken to account on judgment day. I have explained in the previous surah that the genitive construction (day of dīn) is to highlight the salient and most prominent feature of that day. What is that day defined by? By people being taken to account for their actions.

As such, their denial of the day of dīn acts not as a badal (apposition) or ‘atf bayān (appositional clarification) of verse 10 as commonly understood, but as a separate quality that is necessarily entailed by the first.

And none deny it, except every transgressor and Athīm

Commentary covering verses 12–14

One obvious meaning is that the one who denies that he will ever be taken to account, will consider himself free to do whatever he wants. A criminal will only commit more crimes if he thinks he will never be caught. So this denial of judgment day and of being taken to account, serves as the cause of their transgressions and sins. So in this case, denial of judgment day comes first, and sins follow naturally.

But this passage paints an additional picture. The first meaning holds and is true, but here Allah is saying that it is precisely because of their sins themselves that they deny judgment day. Sins come before denial of judgment day, not after. It is these transgressions and sins that lead a person to deny recompense itself. This is explicitly supported by verse 14.

Athīm means slowness at its root and refers to all sins and disobedience to Allah. Sins slow a person down from good, they make him lag behind from goodness and virtue.

The next ayah describes them as calling the Qurʾān as legends of former peoples i.e a made up book that consists of old myths and legends. This denotes a denial of the Qurʾān being divine. The next verse forms the crux of this passage.

كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

No! Rather, rust is over their hearts. What they were earning Linguistically, Qalb (heart) means the inner part or core of something. So this word refers to the well known organ in the chest as well as to our inward faculty of intellect and reason.⁷⁰

The word ( كلا No!) is a negation of what they said earlier. The Qurʾān is not composed

of myths and legends said by previous generations, but the truth itself. You cannot come to this conclusion not because of a flaw in the Qurʾān, but because your hearts have been blinded and covered by the rust and stain of your sinful actions - of you wronging other people. Notice how this goes back to surah ’Abasa where Allah criticized the disbeliever for burying the seed of good deep inside him. Simply put, do you expect one who cheats and wrongs other human beings to have a heart that will be receptive to good and purity? A heart that rejoices in causing harm and grief to others is filthy. Whereas revelation is good and pure. Purity cannot combine with impurity. If you add clean water to a glass of unclean water, the pure water becomes impure as well. Both cannot co-exist independently inside the same space. Hence, when revelation comes in contact with their hearts, their filthy hearts perceive it as impure.

The word Rān (stain or rust) was also used in the meaning of covering or overpowering something as pointed out by Ibn ʿĀshūr and Abu Ḥayyān. They point out that this verb was used for wine when it intoxicates and overpowers the brain, for a person who gets caught in a problem from which he cannot escape (as if the problem overpowers him), as well as for a patient who becomes unconscious - as if the sickness overpowers him so much that he loses consciousness. In this case, this verse would be rendered as - “No! Rather, what they were earning has covered their hearts.”

If you take Rān to mean stain or rust, and not as a verb, then the sentence “What they were earning” would be an apposition (badal) of Rān. In other words, after saying that Rān has covered their hearts, Allah explains what Rān is. It is their sinful deeds that they were continuously committing. The deliberate harm they were doing to other people.

Next Allah defines Rān as what they were earning, because they cheated people to earn money. They were not earning money alone by cheating them, but also stain and rust over their hearts and intelligence.

Just as rust wears a thing away, eats it up and consumes it up, so have their evil deeds of wronging people eaten up and consumed the perception of right and wrong inside their hearts. Every deliberate act of wrong done to another human being eats away at the innate good placed inside our hearts by Allah.

⁷⁰ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 4, p. 1828; Lisā n al-Arab

When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “Legends of the former peoples.”

Commentary covering verses 12–14

One obvious meaning is that the one who denies that he will ever be taken to account, will consider himself free to do whatever he wants. A criminal will only commit more crimes if he thinks he will never be caught. So this denial of judgment day and of being taken to account, serves as the cause of their transgressions and sins. So in this case, denial of judgment day comes first, and sins follow naturally.

But this passage paints an additional picture. The first meaning holds and is true, but here Allah is saying that it is precisely because of their sins themselves that they deny judgment day. Sins come before denial of judgment day, not after. It is these transgressions and sins that lead a person to deny recompense itself. This is explicitly supported by verse 14.

Athīm means slowness at its root and refers to all sins and disobedience to Allah. Sins slow a person down from good, they make him lag behind from goodness and virtue.

The next ayah describes them as calling the Qurʾān as legends of former peoples i.e a made up book that consists of old myths and legends. This denotes a denial of the Qurʾān being divine. The next verse forms the crux of this passage.

كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

No! Rather, rust is over their hearts. What they were earning Linguistically, Qalb (heart) means the inner part or core of something. So this word refers to the well known organ in the chest as well as to our inward faculty of intellect and reason.⁷⁰

The word ( كلا No!) is a negation of what they said earlier. The Qurʾān is not composed

of myths and legends said by previous generations, but the truth itself. You cannot come to this conclusion not because of a flaw in the Qurʾān, but because your hearts have been blinded and covered by the rust and stain of your sinful actions - of you wronging other people. Notice how this goes back to surah ’Abasa where Allah criticized the disbeliever for burying the seed of good deep inside him. Simply put, do you expect one who cheats and wrongs other human beings to have a heart that will be receptive to good and purity? A heart that rejoices in causing harm and grief to others is filthy. Whereas revelation is good and pure. Purity cannot combine with impurity. If you add clean water to a glass of unclean water, the pure water becomes impure as well. Both cannot co-exist independently inside the same space. Hence, when revelation comes in contact with their hearts, their filthy hearts perceive it as impure.

The word Rān (stain or rust) was also used in the meaning of covering or overpowering something as pointed out by Ibn ʿĀshūr and Abu Ḥayyān. They point out that this verb was used for wine when it intoxicates and overpowers the brain, for a person who gets caught in a problem from which he cannot escape (as if the problem overpowers him), as well as for a patient who becomes unconscious - as if the sickness overpowers him so much that he loses consciousness. In this case, this verse would be rendered as - “No! Rather, what they were earning has covered their hearts.”

If you take Rān to mean stain or rust, and not as a verb, then the sentence “What they were earning” would be an apposition (badal) of Rān. In other words, after saying that Rān has covered their hearts, Allah explains what Rān is. It is their sinful deeds that they were continuously committing. The deliberate harm they were doing to other people.

Next Allah defines Rān as what they were earning, because they cheated people to earn money. They were not earning money alone by cheating them, but also stain and rust over their hearts and intelligence.

Just as rust wears a thing away, eats it up and consumes it up, so have their evil deeds of wronging people eaten up and consumed the perception of right and wrong inside their hearts. Every deliberate act of wrong done to another human being eats away at the innate good placed inside our hearts by Allah.

⁷⁰ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 4, p. 1828; Lisā n al-Arab

No! Rather, rust is over their hearts - what they were earning

Commentary covering verses 12–14

One obvious meaning is that the one who denies that he will ever be taken to account, will consider himself free to do whatever he wants. A criminal will only commit more crimes if he thinks he will never be caught. So this denial of judgment day and of being taken to account, serves as the cause of their transgressions and sins. So in this case, denial of judgment day comes first, and sins follow naturally.

But this passage paints an additional picture. The first meaning holds and is true, but here Allah is saying that it is precisely because of their sins themselves that they deny judgment day. Sins come before denial of judgment day, not after. It is these transgressions and sins that lead a person to deny recompense itself. This is explicitly supported by verse 14.

Athīm means slowness at its root and refers to all sins and disobedience to Allah. Sins slow a person down from good, they make him lag behind from goodness and virtue.

The next ayah describes them as calling the Qurʾān as legends of former peoples i.e a made up book that consists of old myths and legends. This denotes a denial of the Qurʾān being divine. The next verse forms the crux of this passage.

كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

No! Rather, rust is over their hearts. What they were earning Linguistically, Qalb (heart) means the inner part or core of something. So this word refers to the well known organ in the chest as well as to our inward faculty of intellect and reason.⁷⁰

The word ( كلا No!) is a negation of what they said earlier. The Qurʾān is not composed

of myths and legends said by previous generations, but the truth itself. You cannot come to this conclusion not because of a flaw in the Qurʾān, but because your hearts have been blinded and covered by the rust and stain of your sinful actions - of you wronging other people. Notice how this goes back to surah ’Abasa where Allah criticized the disbeliever for burying the seed of good deep inside him. Simply put, do you expect one who cheats and wrongs other human beings to have a heart that will be receptive to good and purity? A heart that rejoices in causing harm and grief to others is filthy. Whereas revelation is good and pure. Purity cannot combine with impurity. If you add clean water to a glass of unclean water, the pure water becomes impure as well. Both cannot co-exist independently inside the same space. Hence, when revelation comes in contact with their hearts, their filthy hearts perceive it as impure.

The word Rān (stain or rust) was also used in the meaning of covering or overpowering something as pointed out by Ibn ʿĀshūr and Abu Ḥayyān. They point out that this verb was used for wine when it intoxicates and overpowers the brain, for a person who gets caught in a problem from which he cannot escape (as if the problem overpowers him), as well as for a patient who becomes unconscious - as if the sickness overpowers him so much that he loses consciousness. In this case, this verse would be rendered as - “No! Rather, what they were earning has covered their hearts.”

If you take Rān to mean stain or rust, and not as a verb, then the sentence “What they were earning” would be an apposition (badal) of Rān. In other words, after saying that Rān has covered their hearts, Allah explains what Rān is. It is their sinful deeds that they were continuously committing. The deliberate harm they were doing to other people.

Next Allah defines Rān as what they were earning, because they cheated people to earn money. They were not earning money alone by cheating them, but also stain and rust over their hearts and intelligence.

Just as rust wears a thing away, eats it up and consumes it up, so have their evil deeds of wronging people eaten up and consumed the perception of right and wrong inside their hearts. Every deliberate act of wrong done to another human being eats away at the innate good placed inside our hearts by Allah.

⁷⁰ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 4, p. 1828; Lisā n al-Arab

No! Truly they, from their Rabb - that day - will be barred

This time, ( كلا No!) is a call to stop and desist from rusting and staining the hearts. The meaning of Rabb has been explained before.

Secondly, this verse affirms that we will see Allah on judgment day according to the standard position of the first three generations of the Muslims, as well the major scholars after them. We will see Allah, but our vision of Him, will not fully grasp or encompass Him as the Qurʾān says:

لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ ٱلْأَبْصَٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ ٱلْأَبْصَٰرَ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ

Vision cannot grasp Him, but He grasps all vision; He is the Subtle, the Aware (6:103) With that said, and the apparent meaning affirmed, this implies further meanings in addition to these people being barred from seeing Allah because the verse omits the first part of the construct phrase to create generality. They will be barred from seeing Allah. They will be barred from the mercy of Allah. They will be barred from talking to Allah. They will be declared unfit to engage with the king. Just as a king only accepts

those subjects into his court who are worthy to enter it, so will Allah not accept them into His court, into His presence, love, care, and mercy on judgment day. The use of the word Rabb compliments these meanings as well. For example, imagine your mother, who raised you with deep love, gets upset with you so much that she refuses to even see you until death itself. This will hurt you more then lets say, your cousin who visits you once a year turning away from you. The more the love that exists, the more the separation will hurt. Now Allah is your Rabb and He is more loving to us than our own mothers as has been stated in a ḥadīth. On judgment day, the disbeliever will recognize this, he will admit the favors Allah bestowed on him in the world, the kindness Allah displayed to him, and the blessings with which Allah blessed him in this life. He will admit that Allah showed him more love than his own mother. In fact, the love his mother showed to him is also because of Allah Himself. When he gets barred from Allah, he will be more hurt and overwhelmed, than if his mother refuses to see him until death. To communicate this hurt and pain that the disbeliever will experience on judgment day, Allah uses the word Rabb, instead of the name “Allah.” This is also why the phrase “their Rabb” is foregrounded and advanced for emphasis and prominence.

“That day” goes back to verse 6, to the day when mankind stands for the Rabb of ʿĀlamīn. Remember, Allah said that since He is the Rabb, it necessitates that He bring people to account on judgment day and bring justice to those who were wronged. Here, He emphasizes that He was the Rabb of those who wronged others as well. But they misused his kindness to wrong people who are also under His care. Hence, He must redeem them.

Thumma, they shall be those burn in the blaze

Thumma can mean two things. Firstly, it could indicate a sequence in time, in which case it would mean that after being barred from Allah, they will be thrown into Hell. Secondly, it can indicate a sequence in status. Meaning, they will be barred from their Lord, and even greater punishment than that is the fact that they will be thrown into the fire. Scholars debated widely over this meaning because being barred from Allah is the ultimate misfortune, so how can the fire be given a greater status? The answer lies in the context. As explained above, being barred from Allah implies not only the fact that they will not see Allah on judgment day, but also that they will be barred from entering into His presence. When Allah refuses to let them enter His court and to accept them into His presence, this humiliates them. They are not worthy to enter His presence. The context is of humiliating and disgracing them because of their

actions. So first they will be disgraced by not being considered worthy of entering into Allah’s court and being able to see Him, and then they will be further humiliated inside Hell via various forms of punishment. Al-Ālūsī pointed out that for these people, who do not love Allah, being barred from Allah is not as big a punishment as it is for the believers. For the believer who loves Allah, nothing surpasses the punishment of being barred from Allah, but for the disbeliever, who neither loves nor believes in Allah, being punished in the fire is the bigger punishment. This verse is emphasized two fold by the use of the word إن and the letter lām. This style of speech is used when addressing those who deny what you are saying to them. These people, who wrong other people, deny they will ever enter the fire for their deeds. If they did, they would stop.

Lastly, the phrase “who burn in the blaze” is a genitive construction. (iḍāfah) A genitive construction in Arabic, indicates an action having been completed already in the past. For example, if I use a genitive construction with reading a book in Arabic, it means that I have already completed reading the book. So what does it mean in this verse? The language literally means that they have already entered the fire. Two things. Number one, this is a form of warning. In semitic languages, a future event that is yet to occur, can be spoken of in the past tense as if it already happened to denote the sure certainty that it will indeed happen. The Qurʾān mostly speaks of judgment day in the past tense, not in the future, to communicate that judgment is absolutely certain to happen, as certain as an event that has already occurred in the past. So in this verse, this serves as a warning to those who wrong other people. You are absolutely certain to burn in the fire because of your actions. Secondly, consider how we say in normal English, “He sealed his fate then and there”, for an action that is absolutely sure to lead to consequences in the future. Imagine someone runs a business and makes a poor decision, that is sure to lead to bad consequences in the future. Those consequences have not yet been faced, but they are sure to in the future. We say that this person sealed the fate of his business then and there with that poor decision, even though the business is running smoothly at the time these words are spoken. Same is the case here. These people sealed their fate, of entering hell fire, when they wronged other people. They may be safe and sound right now, but it is simply a ticking clock. Your fate is sealed with no way out. The only way to undo this, is to undo the wrong you have done. So this serves not only as a statement of pure fact that they have sealed their fate, but it is also a call to these people to undo the wrong they did to others and to redeem themselves, before Allah Himself redeems those they have wronged. Just by using a genitive

construction, a usage so subtle that it has even gone unnoticed by almost all scholars, Allah conveys these profound meanings.

Thumma, it is said to them, “This is what you used to consider a lie.”

Thumma again means two things which have been explained above.

The words به seem extra. As a matter of fact, even without this phrase, the meaning remains complete. There are two possibilities here.

Firstly, its use is subject to what is being denied. If what is being denied is the person himself, Ba is omitted. Whereas, if the object of denial is what that person is saying, then Ba is used. Since they are rejecting Hellfire, Ba was used.

Secondly, it could be that the Ba is ( سببية causal). You used to consider the messengers

a lie because of this punishment. Because the messengers warned you of this punishment, you called them a liar. I go by this because this ties in with what has come before in verse 14. They used to deny justice being delivered to people for their actions because their sins and evil deeds had covered up and rusted their hearts. Now, they deny messengers because they confirm and preach this very thing they deny. So one thing leads to another. They commit evil deeds, which blacken their hearts and suck the life out of them. This leads them to deny justice being delivered to people. Now that they believe justice is false, anyone who believes justice to be true, will be deemed a liar by them because he is affirming a false thing in their opinion.

Allah is pointing out the root cause to these people, which He also highlighted in the last verse by using the genitive construction. The main cause of your wickedness are your actions. Redeem yourselves, undo the wrong that you did to people, to restore life and strength to your hearts. Once you do this, when your hearts come back to life, you will recognize the truth of this message and of judgment day. If you don’t do this, then the occasion on which you become certain of judgment day, will be when you see it for yourselves, by which time it will be too late. The fire waits for you as a just recompense for your actions if you do not repent and undo your wrongs.

No! Truly, the book of the Abrār is in the ʿilliyyūn

⁷² al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 384

Commentary covering verses 18–21

Now, the subject shifts to believers and the surah’s structure will change as well as will be pointed out below. We have already covered the meaning of Abrār. ʿIlliyyūn at its root means elevation and loftiness. Additionally, the word itself employs a very emphatic pattern, and on top of this emphatic pattern, it is plural, and the plural pattern employed is used for living beings like humans. This plural pattern is for the sake of emphasis as well, and to hyperbolize the purity, holiness and beauty of ʿilliyyūn. This is contrasted with Sijjīn that was described as being lowly and chained off.

ʿIlliyyūn is so named because it is the source or means by which one reaches loftiness or because it by itself is presented in an elevated and lofty place.⁷¹ Since the passage itself says that the angels closest to Allah stand as witness to it, and also because of the multiple devices of emphasis used to magnify its loftiness, ʿilliyyūn is in the highest heaven, or in the highest level of paradise itself, below the throne of Allah. 72. It can also mean that the closest, and the greatest angels will bear witness to its contents on judgment day. Scholars delved into different opinions on ʿilliyyūn in addition to these but since the surah itself describes it as a marqūm book, we need not delve into them.

The question - what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn - is to magnify its grand nature. What can make you understand the true reality and grand nature of this book? This also serves to honor those whose names and deeds are recorded inside it.

كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ A marqūm book We covered the meaning of marqūm earlier. Sijjīn stood out from its surroundings, down below, in a deep pit, in a closed and confined space. Whereas, ʿilliyyūn stands out even in the seventh heaven, the most lofty heaven. Even among the presence of the greatest and most noble angels of God, ʿilliyyūn stands out, due to its purity, nobility, greatness and honor. It is the most prominent object in the highest heaven.

Secondly, since marqūm also means being especially marked, such that it stands out, ʿilliyyūn could be a book that is distinctly marked by a mark or symbol of nobility and good fortune on the day of resurrection.

يَشْهَدُهُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ

Those brought near witness it This indicates that it is in the highest heaven as mentioned earlier. But there is a verse in surah al - Baqarah that needs to be brought up;

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

When your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a caliph.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” (2:30) The angels who bear witness to the ʿilliyyūn are the same angels who objected to man’s creation. They bear witness to it because the Abrār and their righteous actions serve as a testification against their objection to man’s creation.

⁷¹ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 383

And what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn?

Commentary covering verses 18–21

Now, the subject shifts to believers and the surah’s structure will change as well as will be pointed out below. We have already covered the meaning of Abrār. ʿIlliyyūn at its root means elevation and loftiness. Additionally, the word itself employs a very emphatic pattern, and on top of this emphatic pattern, it is plural, and the plural pattern employed is used for living beings like humans. This plural pattern is for the sake of emphasis as well, and to hyperbolize the purity, holiness and beauty of ʿilliyyūn. This is contrasted with Sijjīn that was described as being lowly and chained off.

ʿIlliyyūn is so named because it is the source or means by which one reaches loftiness or because it by itself is presented in an elevated and lofty place.⁷¹ Since the passage itself says that the angels closest to Allah stand as witness to it, and also because of the multiple devices of emphasis used to magnify its loftiness, ʿilliyyūn is in the highest heaven, or in the highest level of paradise itself, below the throne of Allah. 72. It can also mean that the closest, and the greatest angels will bear witness to its contents on judgment day. Scholars delved into different opinions on ʿilliyyūn in addition to these but since the surah itself describes it as a marqūm book, we need not delve into them.

The question - what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn - is to magnify its grand nature. What can make you understand the true reality and grand nature of this book? This also serves to honor those whose names and deeds are recorded inside it.

كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ A marqūm book We covered the meaning of marqūm earlier. Sijjīn stood out from its surroundings, down below, in a deep pit, in a closed and confined space. Whereas, ʿilliyyūn stands out even in the seventh heaven, the most lofty heaven. Even among the presence of the greatest and most noble angels of God, ʿilliyyūn stands out, due to its purity, nobility, greatness and honor. It is the most prominent object in the highest heaven.

Secondly, since marqūm also means being especially marked, such that it stands out, ʿilliyyūn could be a book that is distinctly marked by a mark or symbol of nobility and good fortune on the day of resurrection.

يَشْهَدُهُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ

Those brought near witness it This indicates that it is in the highest heaven as mentioned earlier. But there is a verse in surah al - Baqarah that needs to be brought up;

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

When your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a caliph.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” (2:30) The angels who bear witness to the ʿilliyyūn are the same angels who objected to man’s creation. They bear witness to it because the Abrār and their righteous actions serve as a testification against their objection to man’s creation.

⁷¹ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 383

A marqūm book

Commentary covering verses 18–21

Now, the subject shifts to believers and the surah’s structure will change as well as will be pointed out below. We have already covered the meaning of Abrār. ʿIlliyyūn at its root means elevation and loftiness. Additionally, the word itself employs a very emphatic pattern, and on top of this emphatic pattern, it is plural, and the plural pattern employed is used for living beings like humans. This plural pattern is for the sake of emphasis as well, and to hyperbolize the purity, holiness and beauty of ʿilliyyūn. This is contrasted with Sijjīn that was described as being lowly and chained off.

ʿIlliyyūn is so named because it is the source or means by which one reaches loftiness or because it by itself is presented in an elevated and lofty place.⁷¹ Since the passage itself says that the angels closest to Allah stand as witness to it, and also because of the multiple devices of emphasis used to magnify its loftiness, ʿilliyyūn is in the highest heaven, or in the highest level of paradise itself, below the throne of Allah. 72. It can also mean that the closest, and the greatest angels will bear witness to its contents on judgment day. Scholars delved into different opinions on ʿilliyyūn in addition to these but since the surah itself describes it as a marqūm book, we need not delve into them.

The question - what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn - is to magnify its grand nature. What can make you understand the true reality and grand nature of this book? This also serves to honor those whose names and deeds are recorded inside it.

كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ A marqūm book We covered the meaning of marqūm earlier. Sijjīn stood out from its surroundings, down below, in a deep pit, in a closed and confined space. Whereas, ʿilliyyūn stands out even in the seventh heaven, the most lofty heaven. Even among the presence of the greatest and most noble angels of God, ʿilliyyūn stands out, due to its purity, nobility, greatness and honor. It is the most prominent object in the highest heaven.

Secondly, since marqūm also means being especially marked, such that it stands out, ʿilliyyūn could be a book that is distinctly marked by a mark or symbol of nobility and good fortune on the day of resurrection.

يَشْهَدُهُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ

Those brought near witness it This indicates that it is in the highest heaven as mentioned earlier. But there is a verse in surah al - Baqarah that needs to be brought up;

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

When your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a caliph.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” (2:30) The angels who bear witness to the ʿilliyyūn are the same angels who objected to man’s creation. They bear witness to it because the Abrār and their righteous actions serve as a testification against their objection to man’s creation.

⁷¹ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 383

Those brought near witness it

Commentary covering verses 18–21

Now, the subject shifts to believers and the surah’s structure will change as well as will be pointed out below. We have already covered the meaning of Abrār. ʿIlliyyūn at its root means elevation and loftiness. Additionally, the word itself employs a very emphatic pattern, and on top of this emphatic pattern, it is plural, and the plural pattern employed is used for living beings like humans. This plural pattern is for the sake of emphasis as well, and to hyperbolize the purity, holiness and beauty of ʿilliyyūn. This is contrasted with Sijjīn that was described as being lowly and chained off.

ʿIlliyyūn is so named because it is the source or means by which one reaches loftiness or because it by itself is presented in an elevated and lofty place.⁷¹ Since the passage itself says that the angels closest to Allah stand as witness to it, and also because of the multiple devices of emphasis used to magnify its loftiness, ʿilliyyūn is in the highest heaven, or in the highest level of paradise itself, below the throne of Allah. 72. It can also mean that the closest, and the greatest angels will bear witness to its contents on judgment day. Scholars delved into different opinions on ʿilliyyūn in addition to these but since the surah itself describes it as a marqūm book, we need not delve into them.

The question - what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn - is to magnify its grand nature. What can make you understand the true reality and grand nature of this book? This also serves to honor those whose names and deeds are recorded inside it.

كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ A marqūm book We covered the meaning of marqūm earlier. Sijjīn stood out from its surroundings, down below, in a deep pit, in a closed and confined space. Whereas, ʿilliyyūn stands out even in the seventh heaven, the most lofty heaven. Even among the presence of the greatest and most noble angels of God, ʿilliyyūn stands out, due to its purity, nobility, greatness and honor. It is the most prominent object in the highest heaven.

Secondly, since marqūm also means being especially marked, such that it stands out, ʿilliyyūn could be a book that is distinctly marked by a mark or symbol of nobility and good fortune on the day of resurrection.

يَشْهَدُهُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ

Those brought near witness it This indicates that it is in the highest heaven as mentioned earlier. But there is a verse in surah al - Baqarah that needs to be brought up;

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

When your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a caliph.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” (2:30) The angels who bear witness to the ʿilliyyūn are the same angels who objected to man’s creation. They bear witness to it because the Abrār and their righteous actions serve as a testification against their objection to man’s creation.

⁷¹ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 383

Truly, the righteous are in comfort

The exact same words as the previous surah. We covered its linguistic meanings there.

Notice how Allah changes the structure of the surah. When He mentioned where the actions of the wicked are recorded, He followed it up by mentioning their wicked actions, and then their destination because of those actions. Whereas, when He mentions the recording of the deeds of the Abrār, He does not mention their deeds, rather directly mentions their destination. Furthermore, even after mentioning their destination of paradise, He will follow it up with mentioning the wicked deeds of the fujjār, not the believers. This is because the subject matter of this surah, are the fujjār and their actions, not the Abrār. So Allah focuses on their actions, not those of the Abrār.

On comfortable couches/ enclosures, looking

Arā‘ik is translated as comfortable couches and refers to curtained couches or enclosures. Because of its root meaning of remaining still and attached to something, these are couches or enclosures in which you remain comfortable and do not have to change your position because it starts hurting or becomes uncomfortable.

Secondly, what are they looking at? Nothing is mentioned. From the context, it could be going back to verse 15 and hence, they will be looking at Allah. They will look at Allah with ease and comfort, not being disturbed or made uncomfortable by His glory. This is attested to in a ḥadīth:

لَا تُضَ امُّ ونَ فِي رُؤْيَتِهِ ، إِنَّ كُمْ سَ تَرَوْنَ رَبَّ كُمْ كَ مَا تَرَوْنَ هَذَا الْقَمَرَ

Indeed, you will see your Lord just as you see this moon; you will not experience any difficulty, crowding, or obstruction in seeing Him.⁷³ But by not specifying the object, Allah generalizes the meaning, just as He did in verse 15 as explained there. First and foremost, they will be looking at Allah, and this is the greatest experience that can be experienced. Secondly, they will be gazing around at the blessings and luxuries Allah has given them. Everywhere they look, they will see blessings upon blessings. They look here, there are blessings that make them happy, they look there and there are blessings there as well. They will be looking at everything that delights their souls and fills them with joy. But there will

be one more thing they will be looking at, that ties this surah together, which will be mentioned later and we will cover it there.

⁷³ Sahih al-Bukhari 7434

You will recognize in their faces, radiance of pleasure.

The person being addressed is the reader - you and me. This is a common way of speech in Arabic when describing great matters. When you see their faces, you will realize that they are owners of blessings and comfort.

Radiance of pleasure is to be understood as radiance from pleasure. They looked at Allah and the bliss and serenity they experienced from it was so much that it came out. It is bliss and pleasure that does not remain hidden inside, but comes out and is visible. The bliss they feel, makes their faces shine with light, and makes them beautiful, and soft.⁷⁴

⁷⁴ Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 205

They are given to drink from Raḥīq Makhtūm

Raḥīq means the purest, finest and most refined essence of wine that is not adulterated in the least with anything else. Makhtūm means sealed. They are made to drink from the purest and finest wine that was never tasted before. “Sealed” here means that it was withheld before from everyone, in the worldly life as well as in the hereafter, and now they are the first ones ever to taste it.

The last of it is musk, so in that purity alone, let the competitors compete

After they take their last sip, the last thing they experience is the smell of musk, which is the best and most luxurious scent available in those times to the Arabs, and even today. It is as if the person drinking this drink is so overcome with its perfect taste that he does not even notice the scent of musk. It is only when he finishes the drink and puts the cup away, does he notice the scent. Otherwise, the fragrance itself is not itself exclusive to the ending.⁷⁵

The words “in that” are foregrounded for emphasis and to create exclusivity. Hence, I added the word “only” in the translation. In that alone, not the wine and luxury of this world, let the competitors compete. The surah started with the mention of those who wrong others to gain worldly benefit. Wine is often associated with luxury and wealth. Those who cheated others in scale did so to gain wealth and luxury in this world. This by itself is a competition. I need to cheat this person, to consume his money, so that I can get more wealthy, which leads me to live a more luxurious life. Also, the last of it being musk represents a deeper meaning in addition to the remarkable taste of the drink. The last thing they experience is purity. Musk is an extremely pure scent. The wine of this world, the last of it is impurity - intoxication, and as mentioned, wine is often associated with wealth and luxury. Do not strive for things that end with impurity, but for ones that end in purity. The person who drinks wine and gets intoxicated, bears the fruit of getting intoxicated, not of its taste, however delicious it may be. The taste goes away, but his intoxication remains as a blot on his character, as a cause of being looked down on by others, and as a cause of condemnation by Allah. He may also do things in his intoxication for which he will have to bear longstanding consequences. This is the same case with the luxury of this world, when gained through unlawful means like those who cheat others in scale, the end result of it is the fire, not the luxury of this world. Even inside this world, your wealth and property remains constantly under threat. How many people lose their wealth instantly? Strive for things that end in a good and pure outcome. The luxury of the hereafter, is all pure and good. Even the wine itself, a drink which is known to lead to evil results, leads to good consequences in the hereafter. Wine was mentioned specifically because it serves as a perfect example of the reversal of states in the hereafter. Even the most commonly known thing to lead to a bad consequence - wine - leads to a good outcome - the most pure scent known - in the hereafter.

Lastly, the words Tanāfus (compete) and Mutanāfisūn (competitors) both come from the same root (Nafs) which means the soul. These two words, when used for objects, denote one that is desired and sought after by the souls. The word Nafīs comes from the same root which means purity. So the meaning is not as simple as in the translation though I tried to cover it by adding the word ‘purity.’ Compete with each other, race ahead of each other, in seeking purity. How do you seek this purity described in this verse? By doing good to each other, not cheating or wronging others. Rather than stealing and robbing people of their wealth, give them the full measure. Compete with this good then. Do things that are even better than this. Give in charity to the poor. Another person who sees this, let him compete and try to race ahead of this good, let him take in and bring up an orphan for example. Compete in good, in purity. When you see a person do good, compete with him by doing actions

that are even better. Compete in this, not in evil, not in amassing worldly wealth. This is the competition, rooted in righteousness, selflessness and piety that the Qurʾān calls for. Not for the selfish competition where each person tries to beat the other in worldly benefits, which causes conflict and hate.

⁷⁵ Ibn Abbā s and Ibn Jurayr. See also al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 387

It’s mixture is from Tasnīm

Commentary covering verses 27–28

Tasnīm comes from the root sīn nūn mīm which means elevation but it has the meaning of lightness inside it as well.⁷⁶ The Arabs used to mix their wines with water to delay the intoxicating effect. Sometimes, the wine was so strong that it intoxicated them immediately. To delay this intoxicating effect, they used to mix it with water. In paradise, Raḥīq will be mixed with Tasnīm. The wine of paradise does not cause intoxication.⁷⁷ Then why mix it with Tasnīm?

Tasnīm is a spring as the next verse says so itself. It is so called because it is the best drink in paradise or that it is a spring on high, even running midair, that by itself comes down and mixes into Raḥīq as it is handed out to be drunk.⁷⁸ Tasnīm is the best drink in paradise. The Arabs used to dilute their wine with water to delay its intoxicating effect. In paradise, wine will be mixed with the best drink possible, not to remove its intoxicating effect (since it does not have any) nor to dilute its taste (as water does when mixed with wine), but to further enhance its taste. Tasnīm is the best drink in paradise, even better than the wine they were given. When it gets mixed, it only increases its taste, not dilutes it.

عَيْنًۭا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ

A spring, from which those brought close, drink Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī narrate a number of scholars saying that the best of the best people in paradise, will drink Tasnīm directly from its source whereas those who were below them in righteousness, will only drink it mixed with Raḥīq; on the basis of categorization of the people of paradise into two groups in surah al-Wāqiʿah and this runs true with what this surah says. Allah called on people to compete in righteousness. Here, He describes those who got ahead of others. The foremost among the believers in righteousness will drink Tasnīm directly from its stream while those below them in rank will only have access to it mixed with Raḥīq. Remember that the wine itself tasted so perfect that its incredible scent of musk went unnoticed. Tasnīm surpasses even that. It refers to the pinnacle of taste in paradise. Its taste is not specified, but if a lesser drink can cause the scent of musk to be forgotten, it is better than that.

Secondly, there are a number of possible meanings of this verse as noted by alĀlūsī: ● ● ● ●

Tasnīm is a spring from which they drink A spring from which they get refreshed by drinking They drink while taking pleasure in it They drink while being satisfied with it

All of these are based on the meaning of the preposition Ba.

Worldly drinks may refresh the body or delight the palate. Tasnīm penetrates deeper and refreshes the very soul of the drinker and brings complete inward satisfaction. It is a drink whose taste is not confined to the tongue nor its refreshment and satisfaction to the body. Rather, it reaches the very depths of the soul. Lastly, Allah described the angels with the same words - those brought close - as He does here with the Abrār. This shows that these people have reached the highest level of paradise, right below the throne of God. We often hear in folklore of the angelic realm and imagine wild possibilities of how such a world would be. These people will realize it, attain it, and be the inhabitants of it. Hence, by using the words “those brought close”, Allah is saying that they have reached the highest realm, the very peak of all creation, which, in addition to what is described above, contains such things, that no eye has seen, nor a thought of it has occurred to anyone.⁷⁹ Instead of detailing what those things are like He does with Raḥīq and Tasnīm, He contains all of those inside “those who brought close” to convey their unimaginable nature.

⁷⁶ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 3, p. 1087
⁷⁷ Q. 37:47
⁷⁸ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 389
⁷⁹ Sahih al-Bukhari 7498

A spring, from which those brought close, drink

Commentary covering verses 27–28

Tasnīm comes from the root sīn nūn mīm which means elevation but it has the meaning of lightness inside it as well.⁷⁶ The Arabs used to mix their wines with water to delay the intoxicating effect. Sometimes, the wine was so strong that it intoxicated them immediately. To delay this intoxicating effect, they used to mix it with water. In paradise, Raḥīq will be mixed with Tasnīm. The wine of paradise does not cause intoxication.⁷⁷ Then why mix it with Tasnīm?

Tasnīm is a spring as the next verse says so itself. It is so called because it is the best drink in paradise or that it is a spring on high, even running midair, that by itself comes down and mixes into Raḥīq as it is handed out to be drunk.⁷⁸ Tasnīm is the best drink in paradise. The Arabs used to dilute their wine with water to delay its intoxicating effect. In paradise, wine will be mixed with the best drink possible, not to remove its intoxicating effect (since it does not have any) nor to dilute its taste (as water does when mixed with wine), but to further enhance its taste. Tasnīm is the best drink in paradise, even better than the wine they were given. When it gets mixed, it only increases its taste, not dilutes it.

عَيْنًۭا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ

A spring, from which those brought close, drink Ṭabarī and Qurṭubī narrate a number of scholars saying that the best of the best people in paradise, will drink Tasnīm directly from its source whereas those who were below them in righteousness, will only drink it mixed with Raḥīq; on the basis of categorization of the people of paradise into two groups in surah al-Wāqiʿah and this runs true with what this surah says. Allah called on people to compete in righteousness. Here, He describes those who got ahead of others. The foremost among the believers in righteousness will drink Tasnīm directly from its stream while those below them in rank will only have access to it mixed with Raḥīq. Remember that the wine itself tasted so perfect that its incredible scent of musk went unnoticed. Tasnīm surpasses even that. It refers to the pinnacle of taste in paradise. Its taste is not specified, but if a lesser drink can cause the scent of musk to be forgotten, it is better than that.

Secondly, there are a number of possible meanings of this verse as noted by alĀlūsī: ● ● ● ●

Tasnīm is a spring from which they drink A spring from which they get refreshed by drinking They drink while taking pleasure in it They drink while being satisfied with it

All of these are based on the meaning of the preposition Ba.

Worldly drinks may refresh the body or delight the palate. Tasnīm penetrates deeper and refreshes the very soul of the drinker and brings complete inward satisfaction. It is a drink whose taste is not confined to the tongue nor its refreshment and satisfaction to the body. Rather, it reaches the very depths of the soul. Lastly, Allah described the angels with the same words - those brought close - as He does here with the Abrār. This shows that these people have reached the highest level of paradise, right below the throne of God. We often hear in folklore of the angelic realm and imagine wild possibilities of how such a world would be. These people will realize it, attain it, and be the inhabitants of it. Hence, by using the words “those brought close”, Allah is saying that they have reached the highest realm, the very peak of all creation, which, in addition to what is described above, contains such things, that no eye has seen, nor a thought of it has occurred to anyone.⁷⁹ Instead of detailing what those things are like He does with Raḥīq and Tasnīm, He contains all of those inside “those who brought close” to convey their unimaginable nature.

⁷⁶ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 3, p. 1087
⁷⁷ Q. 37:47
⁷⁸ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 389
⁷⁹ Sahih al-Bukhari 7498

Truly, those who committed Jurm, used to, at those who believed, laugh

This verse seems straightforward at a hindsight but if you tie it down with the context of the surah, it conveys remarkable meanings. It shows that the disbelievers described earlier, who rejected the notion of justice being handed out to people for their actions, and ultimately denied the attribute of justice for Allah itself, deep down in their hearts, recognize the truth of it. Their hearts know and bear witness to its truthfulness.

As we move into this section, we need to remind ourselves of what has come before. The disbelievers reject judgment day not because of any legitimate reason they presume to have, but rather simply because their hearts are covered up and rusted by their sins. Jurm means a big sin and it is not used except for a sin or crime that is huge in magnitude.⁸⁰ Hence, jurm refers to their actions that have rusted their hearts, as well as to their mockery of the believers.

The context of this surah is those who wrong other people. People who wrong others do it mostly to gain worldly benefit and to get ahead of others in the race of worldly wealth. This is the case with those who cheat others in scale. This surah called on people to stop competing with each other in the race to attain worldly benefits, especially by wronging others, and rather focus on competing with each other in good deeds to attain everlasting wealth and purity.

Now their mockery of the believers seems to be devoid of any pursuit of worldly benefit at first glance. You do not gain any benefit by mocking others. It only serves as a tool to bring others down. Mockery stems out of spite, hate and jealousy. These are people who try to bring harm to others even if it doesn’t benefit them, but only for the sake of bringing them harm. Like a student who fails his exams, but out of spite and jealousy, mocks those who passed it. The spite and jealousy he holds hidden inside his heart, comes out in the form of mockery. These people mock the believers because they attained something at which they failed. But in addition to all this, it represents another deeper fact.

Remember these are people who try to surpass others in worldly benefits, regardless of the means. This is the mentality of the cheater in scales. This mentality leads us to understand what another meaning this verse represents.

The words “at those who believe” are foregrounded to show that they mocked believers simply because of their faith, nothing else. They did so for two reasons. Firstly, when they saw the believers leave off trying to surpass others in attaining worldly benefits, and instead become obedient to God and only restrict themselves to what Allah permitted them to, and leave off what He forbade on them, they mocked them as those who had foolishly withheld themselves from enjoying their lives. They are leaving off luxury and wealth because of their faith. What utter idiots to leave off these luxuries and to prefer living in even poverty if it must be so, rather than engaging in actions such as even cheating and deceiving others to get out of their poverty. We have a modern version of it as well. Modern society is centered on sexual freedom. What utter idiots to leave off enjoying sexual pleasures until marriage. Who would leave sexual intercourse until marriage, and not enjoy him/herself now and here except losers or those whom nobody would touch etc. This all represents a guilty conscience that recognizes that the believers are on the truth. Again, keep in mind the mentality of these people which centers on racing ahead of others in wealth, pleasure and luxury. Why would they mock them? There is no benefit to mocking is there? How will mocking them increase your luxury and wealth? It is as if deep down, they recognize inside their hearts the truth of judgment day, that people will in fact be rewarded for their good deeds because when they see these believers, deep down, they realize that these people are getting ahead of them in the competition, that they are racing ahead of them in actions that will in fact be rewarded and lead to luxury. They are getting ahead of them in attaining wealth and pleasure. Deep down, they know this, their hearts bear witness to it. So to bring them down, they start mocking them. They try to divert them away from the straight path so they may lose their progress, stop getting ahead of them in the competition and hence be even with them. The Qurʾān says this in other places:

وَدُّوا۟ لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ كَمَا كَفَرُوا۟ فَتَكُونُونَ سَوَآءًۭ

They dearly desire for you to disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you may all be equal. (4:89) Lastly, they do it just for the pleasure of it. It gives them pleasure and that rush of dopamine. Their rusted hearts cannot find pleasure except in evil and they have hence turned the state of their hearts upside down. Hearts originally took joy in good, this is how Allah created us; but they changed their state to take pleasure in wronging people. This ties in well with the root meaning of jurm which means to cut something off.⁸¹ They have cut off their hearts from their original state, to a new evil state. This will be reinforced by the coming verses.

⁸⁰ Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 210
⁸¹ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p. 302

When they passed by them, they exchanged mocking glances

When the believers passed by them, they would exchange sneering looks with each other, nudge one another with their eyes, silently mock them through hidden gestures, and make other such facial signals. One thing to note about the word

يتغامزون is that it means pressing or prodding at its root. So these gestures were

hurtful to the believers who would notice them.

And when they returned to their families, they returned satiated

Interestingly, the verb ‘returned’ comes from the same root as the word ‘heart’ in verse 14. The root means the inner part of something. From this, it came to be used to mean flipping something to expose its inner part. From this flipping over, this root came to be used in the meaning of changing a state to its opposite, and from this idea of turning something over, Arabs used this root for returning from where someone came.⁸² But there is wisdom in using this root instead of saying رجعوا or عادوا , both of which

mean to return and have frequent uses in the Qurʾān itself. Allah is highlighting the state of their hearts that lead them to commit these actions. Their actions are being mentioned but with special focus on the root and cause of these actions - their rusted hearts. This has already been explained in detail in verse 29, but Allah keeps on focusing on their hearts to show that they mock and hurt others because of their own sins, not because of the fault of others. Secondly, since they flipped the state of their hearts, and changed it to the opposite of their original state, Allah will exact justice like for like by flipping the table on them as will come later. Also, the verb ‘returned’ is mentioned twice. It would have been enough to say “When they returned to their families, they jested” or “When they returned to their families, they were joyful/ jestful.”

The repetition of the verb serves to drive the point home. To strongly establish what they did in the mind of the listener, since it is something that deserves attention. Remember that their mocking was hurtful to the believers. This action of theirs, when they returned to their families, being proud and overjoyed with mocking and hurting the believers, deserves your special attention. Why? Because now Allah will flip the table. Allah is highlighting their sin, pay attention to what they did, because what they are about to receive on judgment day is exactly what they themselves did on the earth.

Lastly, when the verb is repeated in the manner in which it is done in this verse, an accompanying explanation with a preposition is the norm in Arabic, but here the preposition is not there. Going by the norm, this would have been rendered as “when they returned to their families, they would return amusing themselves by talking about the believers.”

The preposition may be omitted because it is understood from the context 83 but a better explanation is that the omission is to generalize the meaning. They would return amusing themselves with what they did to the believers and by speaking ill of them, as well as being joyful and proud over what they were - of disbelieving in Allah, of their sins,being happy over the profits they made by cheating, and being joyful over the wrong they did to others by other means.⁸⁴ A man normally returns to his family after having completed his day’s work. So this does not simply denote them returning to their families, but their entire day, and hence their entire lives. This is how they live their lives day by day. This is what they do consistently, day after day. This is their way of life, of taking pride in doing wrong to others.

Lastly, earlier in the surah, the people of paradise were satiated by Tasnīm, whereas these people are satiated by their evil actions in this world.

⁸² Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 4, p. 1828
⁸³ Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 212
⁸⁴ al-Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, vol. 31, p. 102

And when they saw them, they would say, “Indeed, those are truly lost “

Dual use of emphasis by using إن and Lām together, which as explained earlier, is

used when addressing someone who does not believe in what you are saying to him. This verse is not simply denoting their speech to others, but their effort in trying to convince other people, as well as the believers, that they are upon falsehood, and hence they should leave Islam, and stop prohibiting worldly pleasures and luxuries upon themselves which Islam forbids on them.

While they were not sent upon them as guardians.

To protect them from falling into error.

Secondly, the words “upon them” are advanced. Simply put, they were not made responsible over them, but over someone else, namely, their own souls and their own families.

Therefore, this day, those who believed, will, at the Kuffār, laugh

You laughed at them, they laugh at you now. Notice the word Kuffār which is a hyperbole form of the word Kāfir. We have covered its meaning in surah ʿAbasa. Why transition from Fujjār to Kuffār all of a sudden? Fujjār denoted their impulsiveness into sins. How they tried to compete and get ahead of each other in doing wrong. Kuffār intensifies the scope and magnitude of their actions. They did not just rush into any sins, but into the worst kind of sins and disobedience.

The words “at the kuffār” are advanced and hence, a better rendition of this verse is, “Therefore this day, those who believed will laugh at the kuffār, not the kuffār at those who believed.”⁸⁵ This would then be emphasizing a reversal of states. In the hereafter, the believer will laugh at the disbeliever now because of their way of life - of being engulfed by the fire and being constantly tormented. The believers would laugh at them because they knew that the disbelievers were upon nothing, and because they sold the permanent bliss for temporary pleasure; and because they have succeeded in attaining everlasting bliss, not the fleeting pleasure of the world. By holding on and by being patient for a short amount of time, they gained permanent comfort. So they were seated on couches, and looked at how the disbelievers were being punished inside Hell, and how they would be screaming inside it, and calling for death and destruction upon themselves and cursing those who led them to this fate.⁸⁶

⁸⁵ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 28, p. 392
⁸⁶ al-Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, vol. 31, p. 103

On comfortable couches/ enclosures, looking

This is the other thing they would be looking at that I mentioned in verse 23. They will be redeemed. They will look at those who tormented them in this world, get tormented instead. The oppressed getting justice against his oppressor. Their redemption at the hands of Allah, will provide them additional comfort on top of the many unimaginable blessings Allah had prepared for them. The repetition of this verse is no accident because among the things believers will look at in paradise, two have been explicitly mentioned. Seeing Allah and seeing their oppressors getting punished. Seeing Allah is such a blessing in itself that it deserved a separate verse. Getting redemption from the oppressor holds great importance for the one who has been wronged and hence, it was mentioned separately.

Have the disbelievers been returned what they were doing?

Most translations translate Ṣawāb as ‘reward’ but its root meaning is for something scattered to return and come together.⁸⁷ It is as if when someone does an action, the deed has gone forth, and something returns in exchange for it.

This is a question that will be asked to the believers who were oppressed and wronged by these disbelievers. When they see the disbelievers being punished, Allah asks them if they have been redeemed. Those who wronged you, they are in the fire burning as you watch them engulfed and wail in pain. Have you been redeemed? Has justice been delivered to you? Have they been given what they sent forth? Yes, we are redeemed. Justice has been delivered, and the truth has been exposed for all to see. We were on the truth, we were correct to prefer this world over the last, and now, we have everlasting bliss.

⁸⁷ Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p. 228