لَـَٔاكِلُونَ مِن شَجَرٍ مِّن زَقُّومٍ 52
Translations
Will be eating from trees of zaqqūm
Transliteration
La-akilun min shajarun min zaqqum
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes one of the punishments of the inhabitants of Hell—they will eat from the tree of Zaqqum, a bitter and foul tree that grows in the depths of Hell. Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that Zaqqum is specifically designed as a torment for the disbelievers, producing a repulsive fruit that burns the throat and causes extreme suffering. The repetition of this description throughout Surah Al-Waqi'ah emphasizes the certainty and severity of this punishment for those who reject Allah's signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Waqi'ah, a Meccan chapter that vividly describes the Day of Judgment and the fates of the righteous and the wicked. The surah was revealed to warn the Meccan polytheists of the inevitable reality of the afterlife and to motivate them toward righteousness. The detailed descriptions of Hell's punishment, including the tree of Zaqqum, serve as a powerful deterrent against disbelief.
Related Hadiths
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik in Sahih Muslim: The Prophet (ﷺ) said that the tree of Zaqqum will be one of the punishments of Hell, and its fruit resembles the heads of devils. Additionally, in Tirmidhi, there are hadiths describing the torments of Hell that contextualize Quranic descriptions of punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of the serious consequences of rejecting divine guidance and the reality of accountability in the afterlife, serving as a motivation to remain steadfast in faith and obedience to Allah. The graphic description of punishment is meant not to instill fear alone, but to encourage conscious awareness of one's choices and their eternal consequences.