فِى سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ 42
Translations
[They will be] in scorching fire and scalding water
Transliteration
Fī samūmin wa hamīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the punishment of the inhabitants of Hell, who will be immersed in scorching wind (samūm) and boiling water (hamīm). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, samūm refers to an intensely hot, dry wind that burns from the outside, while hamīm is the boiling fluid of the people of Hell that scalds from within. Together, these torments represent the comprehensive nature of hellish punishment affecting both the external and internal states of the damned.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Waqi'ah, a Meccan chapter that vividly depicts the Day of Judgment and the states of the blessed and damned. The broader context describes the three categories of people on the Day of Resurrection, with verses 42-44 specifically addressing the condition of those in Hell (the companions of the left hand), emphasizing the certainty and severity of their punishment.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report various hadiths about the Fire of Hell, including the Prophet's (ﷺ) description that 'the heat of the Fire is seventy times more intense than the heat of this world's fire.' Additionally, Tirmidhi records that the Prophet warned that the people of Hell will experience various forms of punishment according to their deeds.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of Hell's torment, motivating believers to obey Allah's commands and avoid disobedience in this life. It underscores that ultimate justice is guaranteed in the Hereafter, encouraging patience through worldly hardships and steadfastness in faith.
Related Ayahs
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
بَلِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ
But the Hour is their appointment [for due punishment], and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.
وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَآ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكُمْ وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ ٱلْعَذَابِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened and its keepers will say, "Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the word [i.e., decree] of punishment has come into effect upon the disbelievers."
وَإِن كُلٌّ لَّمَّا جَمِيعٌ لَّدَيْنَا مُحْضَرُونَ
And indeed, all of them will yet be brought present before Us.