The Recompense of the People of the Right and the People of the Left

 

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Muddathir Ayah 38-56 

The Recompense of the People of the Right and the People of the Left

74:38 Every soul is pledged for what it has earned, 

74:39 save the people of the Right, 

74:40 in Gardens, asking one another 

74:41 about the evil-doers,

74:42 ‘What led you into Saqar?’

74:43 They shall say, ‘We were not of those who prayed,

74:44 and we fed not the needy,

74:45 and we used to engage in vain talks with vain talkers, 

74:46 and we used to deny the Day of Judgment, 

74:47 until the Certain came to us.’

74:48 Then, the intercession of the intercessors shall not avail them.

74:49 Then, what is the matter with them that they turn away from the Reminder,

74:50 as if they were startled asses 

74:51 that fled from a lion?

74:52 Rather, every person of them wants to be given pages, spread.

74:53 No! But, they do not fear the Hereafter.

74:54 No! Indeed, it is a Reminder.

74:55 Then, whoever wills shall remember it.

74:56 And they do not remember, except that Allah wills; He is worthy to be feared and worthy to forgive.

Relationship with the Previous Part

Allah, Exalted be He, warns the disbelievers of His severe punishment in Hell in the previous part. He also informs them that the only path of salvation is believing in His Oneness and performing righteous deeds for His sake. Then, the following part emphasizes the purport of the previous part. It mentions that those who believe in the Oneness of Allah will be saved from Hell and its severe torment and the disbelievers will enter Hell and suffer its lasting torment.

Tafsir

74:38 Every soul is pledged for what it has earned, 

74:39 save the people of the Right, 

74:40 in Gardens, asking one another 

74:41 about the evil-doers,

Every soul will be pledged for what it has earned of deeds. It will not be set free until it fulfills the rights and penalties that it is required to give save the people of the right, namely, the sincere believers. They have set themselves free by obeying the commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions. They will be in Paradise and enjoy its lasting happiness. They will ask one another about the conditions of the evildoers, who wrong themselves by disobeying the commands of Allah. 

Abdul Allah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him said, ‘74:38 Every soul is pledged for what it has earned, 74:39 save the people of the Right,] Every soul will be called to account for its deeds.’

74:40 in Gardens, asking one another 

74:41 about the evil-doers,

74:42 ‘What led you into Saqar?’

The people of the right, who believe in the Oneness of Allah and obey His commands, will ask one another about the conditions of the evildoers. When they see the evildoers in Hell, they will ask them, ‘What led you into Saqar?’ The inquiry is for reprimand and rebuke. Saqar is one of the names of Hell. 

74:43 They shall say, ‘We were not of those who prayed,

74:44 and we fed not the needy,

74:45 and we used to engage in vain talks with vain talkers, 

74:46 and we used to deny the Day of Judgment, 

74:47 until the Certain came to us.’

When the believers, the people of the right, asked the evildoers, the dwellers of Hell, about what caused them to enter it, they said, ‘We were not of those who pray the obligatory prayer, we were not of those who feed the needy, we used to engage in vain talks with vain talkers, and we used to deny the occurrence of the Day of Judgment until the certain event of death, which made us certain that what we used to deny would take certainly has come.’

The evildoers entering Hell and suffering its severe punishment is a just penalty for their sins. They refuse to perform the obligatory prayer, reject feeding the needy, speak false speech intentionally, and deny the occurrence of the Day of Judgment. 

74:48 Then, the intercession of the intercessors shall not avail them.

The intercession of the intercessors will not avail the wrongdoers, who wrong themselves by disobeying the commands of Allah. No one will intercede with Allah on their behalf. Intercession of the intercessors among the angels, the Prophets of Allah, and the righteous will only avail the believers, who believe in the Oneness of Allah. 

74:49 Then, what is the matter with them that they turn away from the Reminder,

74:50 as if they were startled asses 

74:51 that fled from a lion?

The interrogation is for astonishment at the insistence of the disbelievers on disbelieving in the Oneness of Allah and turning away from the path of guidance.

The Reminder is the Quran and its guidance and noble teachings. 

What is the matter with the disbelievers, who refuse to believe in the Oneness of Allah and deny the occurrence of the Day of Judgment? Why do they insist on turning away from the Quran though its guidance and teachings will lead them to salvation in the worldly life and the Hereafter? The disbelievers turn away from the Quran and its guidance as if they were startled assess that fled from a lion. They act as if they run away from a danger though the truth is that they run away from what will bring them happiness in the life of this world and the Hereafter and throw themselves in the abyss of destruction and loss. Indeed, the disbelievers do not have any logical reason as turn away from the truth and the path of guidance. 

74:52 Rather, every person of them wants to be given pages, spread.

The disbelievers believe that the admonitions of the Quran are not sufficient, and they want that every person of them to be given spread pages to be able to read that Allah has commanded them to obey Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him]. 

Their attitude proves that they are arrogant and refuse to follow the right path out of stubbornness since Messenger Muhammad has brought them sufficient proof confirming that he is the Messenger of Allah.

Qatada, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘[74:52 Rather, every person of them wants to be given pages, spread.] Some people said, ‘O Muhammad, if you want that we follow your religion, you should bring books to every one of us in which we are commanded to follow you.’ 

74:53 No! But, they do not fear the Hereafter.

This is a criticism and a refutation of the disbelievers’ position. No! The matter is not as the disbelievers claim; rather, they do not fear the Hereafter and they do not believe in the occurrence of the Day of Judgment and reckoning on that day. If they fear the Hereafter, they will not want that everyone should be given a record. 

74:54 No! Indeed, it is a Reminder.

74:55 Then, whoever wills shall remember it.

No! Indeed, the matter is not as the disbelievers claim about the noble Quran when they say it is magic and the speech of a human being. Verily, the noble Quran is a reminder that Allah revealed to His creatures to remind them of the truth and guide them to the right path. The Quran contains guidance that guides man to what brings him happiness in the life of this world and the Hereafter. Then, whoever wills shall remember it and learn from its lessons and teachings. Verily, the Quran is easy, and complying with its commands and teachings is easy for whoever wants to benefit from its guidance. 

In other words, O people, if you are truthful, determined, and prepared to benefit from the guidance of the Quran, go ahead without any delay. 

74:56 And they do not remember, except that Allah wills; He is worthy to be feared and worthy to forgive.

Whoever wills shall remember and benefit from the lessons and admonitions of the Quran, but this remembrance will not take place save by the will of Allah. Allah, Exalted be He, is worthy to be feared by avoiding prohibitions and He is worthy to forgive the sins of those who obey His commands and seek His forgiveness.  

In other words, benefiting from the guidance of the Quran will not occur save by the will of Allah because He is the Creator and everything in this universe is under His control. The will of the created beings has no value save by the will of Allah. 

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Muddathir Ayah 38-56

• Every soul will be called to account for its deeds in the worldly life and recompensed according to them, good or evil.

• Every soul can save itself from the punishment of Allah by believing in His Oneness and performing righteous deeds for His sake.

• The people of the right, the believers in the Oneness of Allah, will be saved from Hell and its lasting torment.

• Paradise will be the dwelling of the believers in Hereafter. They will enjoy lasting happiness therein.

• Denying the occurrence of the Day of Judgment is a great sin, which causes the deniers to lose. 

• Not performing the obligatory prayer, not giving the zakat, and engaging in false talks are great sins.

• Intercession will not be given to those who die as disbelievers.

• Weak belief in the resurrection on the Day of Judgment causes man to deviate from the right path.

• Allah, Exalted be He, is the only God who deserves to be feared, and He is the One who can forgive the sins of the sinners. Thus, He should be feared and sought His forgiveness.

The Noble Quran Surah Al-Muddathir English Translation 

Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah Al-Muddathir English Translation 

The Keepers of Hell

Tafsir of Surah Ibrahim Ayah: 13-18 The Disbelievers’ Fate

The Noble Quran Juz Tabarak English Translation and Tafsir Kindle Edition

 

The Keepers of Hell

 

English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Muddathir Ayah 31-37 

The Keepers of Hell

74:31 And We have not made the keepers of Hell but angels. And We have not made their number but as a trial for those who disbelieve, that those who have been given the Book should become certain and those who believe should increase in faith. And those who have been given the Book and the believers may not be in doubt. And those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah  want by this similitude?’ Thus, Allah lets go astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the hosts of your Lord save Him. And this is nothing but a reminder for people.

74:32 No! By the moon,

74:33 and the night when it retreats,

74:34 and the dawn when it brightens. 

74:35 Indeed, it is one of the greatest things,

74:36 a warning to mankind,  

74:37 to whoever of you wishes to go forward or lag behind. 

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part mentions that the keepers of Hell are nineteen without specifying to which class they belong. In addition, the wisdom behind this number is not clear and it increases the stubbornness of the disbelievers. Therefore, Allah, Exalted be He, mentions that the keepers of Hell do not belong to the same class of the dwellers of Hell so that they will not sympathize with them. They are not like human beings; rather, they are very strong angels, and one of them can destroy a complete town only with a single cry.

Tafsir

74:30 Over it are nineteen.

74:31 And We have not made the keepers of Hell but angels. And We have not made their number but as a trial for those who disbelieve, that those who have been given the Book should become certain and those who believe should increase in faith. And those who have been given the Book and the believers may not be in doubt. And those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah  want by this similitude?’ Thus, Allah lets go astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the hosts of your Lord save Him. And this is nothing but a reminder for people.

Allah, Exalted be He, refers to some aspects of His ability and wisdom in these ayat, and some afflictions that He tests His slaves with to distinguish those whose faith is strong from those whose faith is weak.

Allah, Exalted be He, has made the keepers of Hell strong, stern angels, which falsify and refute the claim of the disbelievers, like abu Jahl, who claimed that every ten of among his people could defeat one of the keepers of Hell. Allah says that He has made the keepers of Hell strong angels, and no one can defeat or overpower them. 

It was said that a man called Aba Al-Ashad, Kildah Ibn Aseed Ibn Khalaf, said, ‘O people of Quraysh, you can take care of two of the keepers of Hell, and I shall suffice you seventeen of them.’ He said so because he admired his strength. Abu Al-Ashad was very strong. It was said that he used to stand over the cowhide and ten men would try to remove it from under his feet, but the cowhide would be torn into pieces and Abu Al-Ashad would never move from his place. 

74:31 And We have not made the keepers of Hell but angels. And We have not made their number but as a trial for those who disbelieve…

Allah, Exalted be He, has made the keepers of Hell strong, tough angels, who never disobey His commands and do as they are commanded. No human being can overcome them, nor resist their commands. Allah has made the number of Hell’s keepers nineteen to test the disbelievers. This test increases their disbelief and denial. They would mock Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] when recited the Quran to them.

Imam Ar-Razi said, ‘Making the number of the keepers of Hell nineteen has become a trial from two sides. First, the disbelievers say, ‘Why do they not become twenty? What is the reason for specifying this number?’ Second, the disbelievers will say, ‘How will those nineteen keepers of Hell be able to punish all created beings among the human beings and the jinn from the time Allah began their creation until the Day of Judgment? As for the believers, they will not give any attention to these two questions.’ 

  …that those who have been given the Book should become certain and those who believe should increase in faith.    

Moreover, Allah, Exalted be He, has made the number of the keepers of Hell nineteen to make those who have been given the Book among the Jews and the Christians certain that Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] is truthful about the revelation that he received from Allah. The former divine Scriptures mention this number of the keepers of Hell, just as the Quran does. In addition, Allah has made the number of the keepers of Hell nineteen so that the faith of the believers may increase and become firmer and stronger. They will be certain that their Prophet and Messenger Muhammad is truthful about the news of the unseen that he received through the divine revelation, as he told them the same number that was mentioned in the former divine Scripture. 

Imam Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘Allah, Exalted be He, mentions that He has mentioned that the number of the keepers of Hell are nineteen to test the people. Those who have been given the Scripture will be certain that he is truthful because he says the exact number that was mentioned in the divine Scriptures that were revealed to their Prophets and Messengers. As for the believers, their faith will increase since they are certain that their Prophet and Messenger Muhammad is truthful.’ 

And those who have been given the Book and the believers may not be in doubt.

This is an affirmation of what is mentioned in the previous part. Allah, Exalted be He, has made the number of the keepers of Hell nineteen to make the people of the Scripture certain of the truthfulness of Messenger Muhammad and make the faith of the believers increase. In addition, Allah, Exalted be He, has made their number nineteen to remove any doubt that the people of the Scripture and the believers may have. 

And those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah  want by this similitude?’

Those in whose hearts is a disease among the hypocrites and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah want by making the number of the keepers of Hell nineteen? They will be astonished by the fact that the number of the keepers of Hell as if they are astonished at a similitude. They will seek to know the wisdom behind making the number nineteen. However, their intention is not to know why Allah has made the number of keepers of Hell nineteen.  They say so to deny that Allah has revealed such a fact to His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad. 

Thus, Allah lets go astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.      

Allah lets go astray whom He wills among the disbelievers and the hypocrites, in whose hearts is a disease as they deny the fact that Allah has made the number of the keepers of Hell nineteen. Similarly, Allah guides those whom He wills among the believers to the right path as they believe in what Allah has revealed to His Messenger Muhammad. 

And none knows the hosts of your Lord save Him. And this is nothing but a reminder for people.

O noble Messenger Muhammad, ‘None knows the hosts of your Lord save Him. No one knows how strong the hosts of your Lord are save Him. The keepers of Hell are nothing, but some of the soldiers of Allah. Indeed, Allah has made Hell, and the number of its keepers nothing but a reminder for people so that they may fear Him and obey His commands. Those who deeply think about Hell, its severe punishment, and its strong keepers will worship Allah sincerely, perform righteous deeds for the sake of Allah, and avoid His prohibitions. 

It should be noted that Allah does not force people to go astray; rather, the intended meaning is that Allah has made clear the path of guidance and misguidance and sent His Prophets and Messengers to invite people to follow the right path and warn them of the evil outcome of following the path of misguidance. After that, man is free to choose to follow the path of guidance or misguidance, but he will bear the fruits of his choice. 

74:32 No! By the moon,

74:33 and the night when it retreats,

74:34 and the dawn when it brightens. 

No! The matter is not as the disbelievers claim. They deny that the number of the keepers of Hell is nineteen and that Hell will be their abode. 

By the moon that Allah has determined its phases, by the night that Allah causes to retreat so that the day comes with its brightness, and by the dawn when it brightens. 

Allah can swear by whatever thing of the creatures, but the created being can only swear by Allah. The oath to emphatically refute the claim of the disbelievers. 

 74:35 Indeed, it is one of the greatest things,

74:36 a warning to mankind,  

74:37 to whoever of you wishes to go forward or lag behind. 

Indeed, Hell with its nineteen keepers is one of the greatest things that deserve to be feared. Its torment is severe and no one can bear it. Verily, Hell is a warning to mankind. Those who wish to go forward by obeying the commands of Allah will do their best to avoid Hell. On the other hand, those who wish to lag behind by disobeying the commands of Allah will follow the path of misguidance, which will lead them to loss by entering Hell and suffering its severe torment. 

Indeed, those whose hearts are covered by sins and whose souls seek only to satisfy their whims choose to lag behind. They willingly follow the path of misguidance whose end will be Hell. 

Abdul Allah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said, ‘[74:37 to whoever of you wishes to go forward or lag behind.] Whoever wished to go forward by obeying the commands of Allah, and whoever wishes to lag behind will disobey Him.’ 

Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Muddathir Ayah 31-37

• The keepers of Hell are nineteen strong angels. No human being, no matter how strong he is, can overcome or resist them.

• Making the number of the keepers of Hell nineteen is a trial. The disbelievers will mock this number as they think that they can defeat them easily. On the other hand, the believers will increase in faith as they are certain that Allah is able and He has made them nineteen for wisdom that He only knows. 

• The people of the Scripture among the Jews and Christians will be certain of the truthfulness of Messenger Muhammad because the number of the keepers of Hell agrees with what is mentioned in their Scriptures.

• Hell with its severe torment is a warning to human begins. Those who wish to go forward by obeying the commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions will do their best to avoid it. On the other hand, those who wish to lag behind by disobeying the commands of Allah will not take heed of the warning. 

• Allah, Exalted be He, has made the path of guidance and misguidance clear, sent His Prophets and Messengers to invite them to follow the right path and give people the choice to follow the path they want, but they will bear the outcome of their choice. 

• No one knows the number of the hosts of Allah.

• Hell with its great torment is one of the great calamities. 

• Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the moon, the night, and the dawn as they are some of the wondrous creatures that He created. Their creation indicates the perfect ability of Allah. 

The Noble Quran Surah Al-Muddathir

Tafsir Ibn Kahtir Surah Al-Muddathir

Tafsir of Surah Ibrahim Ayah: 47-52 Reward of the Wicked

Introduction to English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Muddathir

The Noble Quran Juz Tabarak English Translation and Tafsir Kindle Edition