al-Dhāriyāt

يَسْألُونَ أيَّانَ يَوْمُ الدِّينِ

يَوْمَ هُمْ عَلَی النَّارِ يُفْتَنُونَ

ذُوقُوا فِتْنَتَكُمْ هَذَا الَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

12. They inquire: “When will be the Day of Recompense?”

13. [It shall be] a Day when they will be burned over the Fire!

14. [It is said unto them:] “Taste you your trial! This is what you used to demand to be hastened!”

Inquiry aiming at understanding entails no problem, but it is blameworthy if the same aims at finding faults and denial of truth;

(“They inquire: “When will be the Day of Recompense?”).

The antecedent of

‘they’

in

“They inquire”

are those immersed in ignorance as mentioned in the preceding blessed Verses; those who have turned away from the Path of Truth and inquire from believers regarding the Day of Recompense sworn by in the Holy Qur’an as well as the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) in order to deride them.

“A Day when they will be burned over the Fire”

is the reply to their question whose predicate is omitted, namely the Day of Recompense is the Day on which you shall be burned and chastised and the angel responsible for inflicting chastisement upon disbelievers in Hell says unto them: “Taste your trial!” This is same Day promised by the Prophets warning disbelievers against the pain and torment in the Hereafter; but disbelievers refused to believe them; instead they hastened out of denial asking about the time of Recompense.

Now, they may taste their trial and acknowledge the truth thereof. It is also worthy of note that the Arabic word fitna is used originally in the sense of melting gold and silver in the crucible to separate pure gold or silver from impurities, though the world ad hoc signifies the severity of disbelievers’ torment.