لَا يَصْلَىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلْأَشْقَى 15
Translations
None will [enter to] burn therein except the most wretched one
Transliteration
Lā yaslāhā illā al-ashqā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah states that only the most wretched and sinful (al-ashqā) will be cast into the Hellfire. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret al-ashqā as referring to those who persist in grave sins and reject the truth despite clear signs. The ayah emphasizes that entering Hell is reserved for those who reject faith and persist in disobedience, highlighting divine justice in punishment.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Layl was revealed in Mecca during the early period of Islam, addressing the fundamental themes of accountability and the afterlife. This ayah appears within a passage describing the contrasting fates of the righteous and the wicked on the Day of Judgment, reinforcing the Quranic theme that consequences are determined by one's spiritual state and choices.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The Fire has eighty thousand gatekeepers, each with eighty thousand soldiers' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim describes the severity of punishment: 'The least torment in Hell is that a man will have two shoes of fire that will cause his brains to boil.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah's punishment is just and measured, reserved for those who willfully reject truth and persist in transgression. It should inspire Muslims to seek repentance, avoid grave sins, and remember that sincere faith and righteous deeds are the means of salvation.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِينَ سَعَوْ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا مُعَـٰجِزِينَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِّن رِّجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ
But those who strive against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature.
أَلْقِيَا فِى جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ
[Allāh will say], "Throw into Hell every obstinate disbeliever,
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِى رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۚ وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
Say, "Is it other than Allāh I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things? And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."