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ʾidhi l-ʾaghlālu fī ʾaʿnāqihim wa-s-salāsilu yusḥabūna
when they are dragged [with] iron collars and chains around their necks
— Ali Quli Qarai
40GhāfirغافرVerse 71 of 85
The Forgiver40. Ghāfirغافر
al-Ghāfir
The Forgiver
MeccanVerse 71 of 85
Surah al-Ghafir - Verses 71 - 72
71. When iron collars will be rounded over their necks and the chains they shall be dragged along,
72. In the boiling water, then they will be burned in the Fire.
The word aghlal is the plural form of ghull indicating “iron collar” as a token of debasement and denigration. Salasil is the pluralized form of silsila (“chain”) and the verbal forms yusbahun and yusjarun designate “they are dragged along” and “they are burned” respectively. Depiction of Resurrection and the diverse kinds of torments as reflected in Divine Revelation warns and fosters man and creates the fear of God in him. Thus the two blessed Verses in question say:
Some Qur’anic exegets maintain that they are filled with fire, though the two meanings are not inconsistent. The torment is actually a reaction against the deeds of those who obdurately and arrogantly disputed about Divine Ayat and denied them out of vanity and ignorance. Thus, they entangle themselves in the chains of blind imitations and biases and on that Day, they will be fettered with iron collars and shackles with utmost humility. They will be dragged along in boiling water and they will turn into kindling in Hell.