خُذُوهُ فَٱعْتِلُوهُ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ 47
Translations
[It will be commanded], "Seize him and drag him into the midst of the Hellfire,
Transliteration
Khudhuhu fa'ataluhu ila sawaa' al-jahim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the angels or keepers of Hell seizing a disbeliever and dragging him toward the middle or depths of Hell. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this depicts the harsh reality of punishment in the Hereafter, emphasizing the irrevocable nature of divine justice for those who rejected faith. The phrase 'sawaa' al-jahim' (the midst/depths of Hell) conveys the severity and completeness of the punishment awaiting the deniers.
Revelation Context
Surah Ad-Dukhan is a Meccan chapter that vividly portrays scenes of the Day of Judgment and the fate of believers versus disbelievers. This particular ayah occurs within a passage describing the fate of those who rejected Allah's signs and mocked the Prophet (peace be upon him), providing vivid imagery meant to inspire fear of Allah's judgment among the Meccan audience.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The most merciful of my ummah toward my ummah is Abu Bakr, and the most severe in the matter of Allah is Umar' (Tirmidhi). More directly, numerous hadiths describe the severity of Hell's punishment, such as in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet described the vastness and horror of Hellfire to motivate righteousness.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder of accountability before Allah and the inescapable consequences of rejecting divine guidance. Believers should use such vivid Quranic descriptions not merely to instill fear, but to strengthen resolve in obedience and cultivate genuine God-consciousness (taqwa) in daily life.
Related Ayahs
يَقُولُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ ٱلْمَفَرُّ
Man will say on that Day, "Where is the [place of] escape?"
أَلْقِيَا فِى جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
[Allāh will say], "Throw into Hell every obstinate disbeliever,
جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْقَرَارُ
[It is] Hell, which they will [enter to] burn, and wretched is the settlement.
وَأَنِ ٱحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ وَٱحْذَرْهُمْ أَن يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنۢ بَعْضِ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُصِيبَهُم بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَفَـٰسِقُونَ
And judge, [O Muḥammad], between them by what Allāh has revealed and do not follow their inclinations and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allāh has revealed to you. And if they turn away - then know that Allāh only intends to afflict them with some of their [own] sins. And indeed, many among the people are defiantly disobedient.