al-Wāqi‘ah

وَأمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ الضَّالِّينَ

فَنُزُلٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ

وَتَصْلِيَةُ جَحِيمٍ

إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ

فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ

92. But if he be of the erring deniers,

93. Then for him is an entertainment with boiling water in Hell.

94. Then, it shall be his fate to enter Hellfire.

95. Indeed, this is an absolute Truth with certainty.

96. Therefore, glorify with praises the Name of your Lord, the Most Great.

In the first three blessed Verses in question, mention is made of the third group, aforementioned as ashab shamal:

("those on the Left Hand"),

saying: "If he happens to be of the erring deniers, then for him is an entertainment with boiling water and venomous winds. Then it shall be his fate to enter Hellfire." In other words, they taste Divine torments at the threshold of death. They experience the bitter taste of the chastisements of Resurrection in the graves and purgatory. Since the blessed Verses treat of the disposition of the dying person, the phrase:

"an entertainment with boiling water"

(nuzulu min hamim) refers to torments in Hell, whereas:

"it shall be his fate to enter Hellfire"

(tasliyatu jahim) alludes to torments on the Day of Resurrection. The same significance is also attested in numerous traditions narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt (as).²⁰ It is also worthy of note that

"the erring deniers"

(mukadhdhibin al-dhalin) are mentioned together; "the erring" refers to those who have deviated from the Straight Path, whereas "the deniers" alludes to denying Resurrection, Divine Unity, and the Prophethood of the Noble Prophet (S). Such emphatic expression may also reflect that those in error may include the oppressed, and the defaulters who entertain neither enmity nor obduracy against the Truth and Divine Favors may be bestowed upon them.²¹ In contrast, obdurate deniers shall have the aforesaid fate. It is also worthy of note that the Arabic word hamim connotes boiling water or hot and venomous winds and the word tasliya denotes burning and entering fire.

The blessed Verses 95 and 96 are saying:

"Indeed, this is an absolute Truth with certainty. Therefore, glorify with praises the Name of your Lord, the Most Great."

Qur’an exegetes maintain that truth of certainty ("haqq al-yaqin") is appositive genitive, connoting that what was said about the three groups, those nearest unto Divine Threshold, those on the Right Hand, and the deniers is absolute truth and one of certainty. It is also possible that since there are degrees as to certainty, the most sublime of which is truth of certainty, namely the true, perfect and undoubted certainty. It is also noteworthy that the demonstrative pronoun:

"this"

(hadha) herein makes a reference to the states of the three aforementioned groups. Some Qur’an exegetes also maintain that the antecedent of the demonstrative pronoun is the entirety of the contents of the blessed Chapter in question or that of the Holy Qur’an. However, the former interpretation sounds more consistent with the meaning of the blessed Verse in question. Another noteworthy point is that the verbal form fasabbih

("then glorify")

with the ramification (tafri‘) particle fa’ alludes to the truth that what was said above regarding the three groups is absolute justice. Thus, man is required to glorify his Lord of any injustice. It may also connote that if man intends to avoid the fate of the third group, he is supposed to glorify God Almighty of associating any partners with Him or ascribing injustice to Him which entails denial of Resurrection. Finally, in their exegesis on the last blessed Verse, many Qur’an exegetes maintain that following the Revelation of the blessed Verse, the Noble Prophet (S) said:

"Recite it in your genuflexions [in your prayers],"

namely say

"Praise be unto God, the Greatest, and to His Praise."

When the blessed Verse 'Glorify with praises the Name of your Lord, the Most Great' he said:

"Recite it in your prostrations [in your prayers] and say: 'Praise be unto my Lord, the Most Sublime.'" ²²

O Lord, place us amongst those nearest to Your Threshold, those on the Right Hand, and Your close friends. Bestow upon us Your Rawh and Rayhan and Your Paradise abounding in Blessings. Amen! O Lord of the Worlds!

Footnotes

1. 20. Tafsir Nur al-Thiqalayn.
2. 21. Tafsir Nur, vol. 11, p. 547; Tafsir Makhzan al-‘Irfan; Tafsir Nimuna, under the blessed Verse in question.
3. 22. Abu al-Futuh Razi's Tafsir; Ruh al-Ma‘ani, Qurtubi's Ruh al-Bayan; Durr al-Manthur; Maraghi's Tafsir; Tafsir Majma‘ al-Bayan; Tafsir Minhaj al-Sadiqin; under the blessed Verse in question.