إِذَا رَأَتْهُم مِّن مَّكَانٍۭ بَعِيدٍ سَمِعُوا۟ لَهَا تَغَيُّظًا وَزَفِيرًا 12
Translations
When it [i.e., the Hellfire] sees them from a distant place, they will hear its fury and roaring.
Transliteration
Idha ra'at-hum min makānin ba'īd sami'ū laha taghayyuẓan wa-zafīrā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Hellfire's response upon seeing the disbelievers from a distance—it emits sounds of fury (taghayyuẓ) and groaning (zafīr), depicting the vehemence of their punishment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this vivid imagery illustrates that Hell itself reacts with rage and anguish at the arrival of those who rejected Allah's signs, emphasizing the intensity and totality of the punishment awaiting the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Furqan (the Criterion), a Meccan surah that emphasizes divine justice and the consequences of denying the Message. The broader context describes the scene of Judgment Day when the disbelievers will be thrust into Hell, and this particular verse illustrates the graphic reality of their destination, serving to warn the Meccans of the inevitable accountability before Allah.
Related Hadiths
Related to themes of Hellfire's intensity: Sahih Bukhari records that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The fire of the children of Adam which they kindle is one of seventy parts of the fire of Hell,' emphasizing Hell's unimaginable severity. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Majah contains descriptions of Hell's sounds and manifestations, reinforcing this ayah's depiction of Hell as a conscious, reactive punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of the serious reality of the Afterlife and that rejection of truth carries immense consequences, motivating sincere repentance and devotion to Allah in this life. It also underscores that Allah's justice is absolute and inescapable—a sobering call to mindfulness of one's deeds and relationship with the Creator.
Related Ayahs
يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَـٰنِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
On the Day [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black. As for those whose faces turn black, [to them it will be said], "Did you disbelieve [i.e., reject faith] after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to reject."
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ ٱلْمُسْتَقَرُّ
To your Lord, that Day, is the [place of] permanence.
يَصْلَوْنَهَا يَوْمَ ٱلدِّينِ
They will [enter to] burn therein on the Day of Recompense,
قَالُوٓا۟ أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۚ قَالُوا۟ فَٱدْعُوا۟ ۗ وَمَا دُعَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ
They will say, "Did there not come to you your messengers with clear proofs?" They will say, "Yes." They will reply, "Then supplicate [yourselves], but the supplication of the disbelievers is not except in error [i.e., futility]."