وَإِذَآ أُلْقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مَكَانًا ضَيِّقًا مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْا۟ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًا 13
Translations
And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction.
Transliteration
Wa idha ulqoo minha makanan dayyiqan muqarranin da'aw hunalika thubuura
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the punishment of the inhabitants of Hell when they are cast into a narrow, confined space while bound together in chains. Ibn Kathir explains that 'muqarranin' (bound together) refers to their being chained and shackled, and in their distress and despair, they call out 'thubuura' (destruction/ruin upon us), expressing their anguish and hopelessness. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the physical confinement combined with their inability to escape symbolizes the complete helplessness and despair of those punished in the Fire.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Furqan (The Criterion), a Meccan surah that elaborates on scenes of the Day of Judgment and the contrasting fates of the righteous and the wicked. The surah provides vivid descriptions of Hell's punishment to warn the disbelievers of Mecca about the consequences of their rejection of the message. This particular ayah is part of a sequence describing the torment awaiting those who deny the truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding the punishment of the Fire: 'The smallest punishment in Hell is that a person will have burning coals placed beneath his feet, causing his brain to boil' (Sahih Muslim 2876). Additionally, the Quran frequently mentions those in Hell calling for destruction (thubuura), as referenced in Surah Yunus 10:52: 'It will be said: 'Taste the punishment!''
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder of the reality of Hell's punishment and the urgency of sincere repentance and faith in this life. For believers, it reinforces the importance of seeking Allah's mercy and following His guidance, while for those estranged from faith, it presents a stark warning of the inescapable consequences of persistent disbelief and wrongdoing.
Related Ayahs
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّا مِّنَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ هَادِيًا وَنَصِيرًا
And thus have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper.
وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّفْسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
And those who do not invoke with Allāh another deity or kill the soul which Allāh has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.
وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ رَسُولًا
And when they see you, [O Muḥammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one whom Allāh has sent as a messenger?
بَلْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِٱلسَّاعَةِ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِٱلسَّاعَةِ سَعِيرًا
But they have denied the Hour, and We have prepared for those who deny the Hour a Blaze.