The End of the Disbelievers

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Haqqah Ayah 25-37 

69:25 And as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he shall say, ‘Ah! Would that I had not been given my book, 

69:26 and I had not known what my reckoning would be.

69:27 Ah! Would that it were the end! 

69:28 My wealth has not availed me! 

69:29 My power has gone from me!’ 

69:30 ‘Take and shackle him, 

69:31 Then, burn him in Hellfire. 

69:32 Then, in a chain of seventy cubits’ length insert him! 

69:33 Verily, he never believed in Allah, the Most Great, 

69:34 and he never urged the feeding of the needy. 

69:35 Hence, he today has not here a true friend, 

69:36 and no food save pus, 

69:37 which none eats save the sinners. 

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part mentions that the believers will receive the record of the deeds in their right hands and enter Paradise wherein they will enjoy lasting happiness. Then, this part mentions that the disbeliever will receive the record of his deeds in his left hand and suffer severe punishment in Hell. This agrees with the eloquent style of the Quran, which mentions something and then mentions its opposite to bring home the intended message, namely, the end of the believer will be happy, and the end of the disbeliever will be miserable. 

Tafsir

69:25 And as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he shall say, ‘Ah! Would that I had not been given my book, 

69:26 and I had not known what my reckoning would be.

69:27 Ah! Would that it were the end! 

On the Day of Judgment, the disbeliever will receive the record of his deeds in his left hand. When he sees the severe punishment awaiting him, he will regretfully say, ‘Ah! Would that I had not been given my book. I wish that I had not known what my reckoning would be. I thought that I would die and then nothing would be after my death. I believed that there would be no resurrection after death. Ah! I wish that it were the end! Would that it were the end and no resurrection nor reckoning would be after death!’

Qatada, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘69:27 Ah! Would that it were the end! On the Day of Judgment, the disbeliever will wish for death though it was the most hated thing to him in the worldly life.’ 

69:28 My wealth has not availed me! 

69:29 My power has gone from me!’ 

After receiving the record of his deeds in his left hand, the disbeliever will lament his evil end and will say, ‘My wealth has not availed me on the Day of Judgment. It does not protect me from the punishment of Allah. My power, authority, property, and excuses have gone from me. I have no power nor excuse to protect me against the punishment of Allah.’

Sayyid Qutb, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote, 

It is a long consideration, an extended lamentation, a desperate spirit, and a miserable tone. The context of the surah presents this consideration at length so that the listener imagines that it will never end. And that lamentation and regret will continue for an eternity, which is one of the miraculous presentations of the Quran that it prolongs presenting some situations, while it briefly presents others according to the psychological effect that it wants to impart. In this case, it aims to imprint the situation in the minds and reveal the deep grief behind this sorrowful scene. Hence, it prolongs and elaborates, with depth and details. Therefore, this miserable person would wish that he had never witnessed this gathering, had not been given his record of deeds, and had not known what his punishment would be. He will also wish that this Calamity would be the final blow that ends his very existence. Thus, he will be nothing after it. Then, he will lament that nothing of what he used to hold dear or gather can avail him in the least. Neither the wealth avail him, nor does the power remain. 

After this prolonged lamentation and sorrow, the command of Allah comes. He will command the angels responsible for punishing the disbelievers to take the disbelievers to Hell wherein they will suffer painful, lasting punishment. 

69:30 ‘Take and shackle him, 

69:31 Then, burn him in Hellfire. 

69:32 Then, in a chain of seventy cubits’ length inert him! 

Allah, Exalted be He, will say to the keepers of Hell among the angels, ‘Take and shackle the disbeliever and then throw him into Hell to be burned in its blazing fire. Then, insert him in a chain whose length is seven cubits so that it will surround him.’

Then, Allah, Exalted be He, mentions the causes that made the disbeliever enter Hell and suffer its lasting punishment. 

69:33 Verily, he never believed in Allah, the Most Great, 

69:34 and he never urged the feeding of the needy. 

69:35 Hence, he today has not here a true friend, 

69:36 and no food save pus, 

69:37 which none eats save the sinners. 

This miserable disbeliever deserves such painful punishment because he used to disbelieve in the Oneness of Allah, the Most Great, and he never urged himself nor other people to feed the needy. Hence, on the Day of Judgment, he will have no true friend, who can protect him from the severe punishment of Allah. Besides, he will have no food save pus, which comes out of the bodies of the dwellers of Hell. None will eat this disgusting food save the sinners, who disobey the commands of Allah and insist on sinning.

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Haqqah Ayah 25-37

• Just as the believer will be happy when receiving the record of his deeds in his right hand, the disbeliever will be extremely unhappy when receiving the record of his deeds in his left hand. He will wish that he had died and was nothing because of the severe punishment awaiting him.

• Surah Al-Haqqah mentions first the happy end of the believer and that he will enjoy lasting happiness in Paradise. Then, it mentions the miserable end of the disbeliever and that he will suffer lasting punishment in Hell.

• The believer will enter Paradise because he believes in the Oneness of Allah, obey His commands, and avoid His prohibitions. The disbeliever will enter Hell because he disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and disobey His commands.

• The disbeliever will be punished for not urging himself and other people to feed the needy.

• The disbeliever will find no true friend, who can protect him from the severe punishment of Hell.

• Pus, which is discharged from the bodies of the dwellers of Hell, will be the food of the disbeliever in Hell.

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