إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ 6
Translations
When they were sitting near it.
Transliteration
Idh hum 'alayha qu'ud
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the companions of the Fire (the disbelievers) sitting upon it, witnessing their punishment. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir interpret this as depicting the eternal state of the damned, who will be forced to remain in Hell. The verse emphasizes the finality and inescapability of their torment, contrasting with the bliss of the righteous in Paradise mentioned earlier in the surah.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Buruj is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of persecution of early Muslims in Mecca. This particular ayah is part of the concluding section (85:4-9) that contrasts the fate of believers and disbelievers, serving to console the Prophet and believers by reminding them of divine justice and the inevitable consequences of rejecting faith.
Related Hadiths
The concept is reinforced in various hadiths about the punishment of Hell. Notably, a hadith in Sahih Muslim describes the Hellfire's torment and those condemned to it, emphasizing that their punishment is eternal and they cannot escape. Additionally, Surah An-Nisa (4:169) relates thematically to the eternal nature of Hell's punishment for disbelievers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of divine justice and the serious consequences of turning away from faith, encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their commitment to Allah and to reflect upon the ultimate accountability that awaits all souls.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ
Nor any food except from the discharge of wounds;
يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَانِ
There will be sent upon you a flame of fire and smoke, and you will not defend yourselves.
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُوا۟ وَٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِى وَرُسُلِى هُزُوًا
That is their recompense - Hell - for what they denied and [because] they took My signs and My messengers in ridicule.
قَالَ فَٱذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ أَن تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّن تُخْلَفَهُۥ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِكَ ٱلَّذِى ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا ۖ لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ نَسْفًا
[Moses] said, "Then go. And indeed, it is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, 'No contact.' And indeed, you have an appointment [in the Hereafter] you will not fail to keep. And look at your 'god' to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and blow it [i.e., its ashes] into the sea with a blast.