55:35 Ar-Rahmaan (The Beneficent)

ثم ذكر ما أعد لهم في ذلك الموقف العظيم فقال: { يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شواظ من نار [ونحاس فلا تنصران فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان } أي: يرسل عليكما] لهب صاف من النار. { ونحاس } وهو اللهب، الذي قد خالطه الدخان، والمعنى أن هذين الأمرين الفظيعين يرسلان عليكما يا معشر الجن والإنس، ويحيطان بكما فلا تنتصران، لا بناصر من أنفسكم، ولا بأحد ينصركم من دون الله.

قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس الشواظ هو لهب النار وقال سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس الشواظ الدخان وقال مجاهد هو اللهب الأخضر المنقطع وقال أبو صالح الشواظ هو اللهب الذي فوق النار ودون الدخان وقال الضحاك "شواظ من نار" سيل من نار. وقوله تعالى "ونحاس" قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس "ونحاس" دخان النار وروي مثله عن أبي صالح وسعيد بن جبير وأبي سنان وقال ابن جرير والعرب تسمي الدخان نحاسا بضم النون وكسرها والقراءة مجمعة على الضم ومن النحاس بمعنى الدخان قول نابغة جعدة: يضيء كضوء سـراج السليط لم يجعل الله فيه نحاسا يعني دخانا هكذا قال. وقد روى الطبراني من طريق جويبر عن الضحاك أن نافع بن الأزرق سأل ابن عباس عن الشواظ فقال هو اللهب الذي لا دخان معه فسأله شاهدا على ذلك من اللغة فأنشده بيت أمية بن أبي الصلت في حسان: ألا من مبلغ حسان عني مغلغلة تدب إلى عكاظ أليس أبوك فينا كان قينا لدى القينات فسلا في الحفاظ يمانيا يظل يشد كيرا وينفخ دائبا لهب الشواظ قال صدقت فما النحاس؟ قال هو الدخان الذي لا لهب له فهل تعرفه العرب؟ قال نعم أما سمعت نابغة بني ذبيان يقول: يضيء كضوء سراج السليط لم يجعل الله فيـه نحاسا؟ وقال مجاهد: النحاس الصفر يذاب فيصب على رؤوسهم وكذا قال قتادة وقال الضحاك ونحاس سيل من نحاس والمعنى على كل قول لو ذهبتم هاربين يوم القيامة لردتكم الملائكة والزبانية بإرسال اللهب من النار والنحاس المذاب عليكم لترجعوا ولهذا قال "فلا تنتصران فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان".

A Warning for Humans and Jinn

Ibn Jurayj said that the Ayah,

سَنَفْرُغُ لَكُمْ

(We shall attend to you,) means, `We shall judge you,' while Al-Bukhari said that it means, "We shall recompense you. Surely, nothing will busy Allah from attending to anything else." This type of speech pattern is common in the Arabic language. For example, one would say, "I will attend to you," even when one is not busy with anything else. Allah's saying;

أَيُّهَا الثَّقَلاَنِ

(O you Thaqalan!) refers to the humans and the Jinns, as in the Hadith;

«يَسْمَعُهَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا الثَّقَلَيْن»

(Everyone will be able to hear it, except the Thaqalayn.) In another narration that explains it, the Prophet said,

«إِلَّا الْإِنْسَ وَالْجِن»

(...except mankind and the Jinns.) Allah said,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny), then,

يمَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُواْ مِنْ أَقْطَـرِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ فَانفُذُواْ لاَ تَنفُذُونَ إِلاَّ بِسُلْطَـنٍ

(O assembly of Jinn and men! If you are able to pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! But you will never be able to pass them, except with authority (from Allah)!) meaning, `you will never be able to escape Allah's orders and decrees, because it encompasses you. You will never be able to avoid or avert His rule and judgement over you, you are surrounded by it wherever you may be.' This is also about the Gathering when the angels, comprising seven lines in every direction, will surround the creatures. None of the creatures will be able to escape on that Day,

إِلاَّ بِسُلْطَـنٍ

(except with authority) meaning, except with the commandment from Allah,

يَقُولُ الإِنسَـنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ - كَلاَّ لاَ وَزَرَ - إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ

(On that Day man will say: "Where (is the refuge) to flee" No! There is no refuge! Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day.)(75:10-12),

وَالَّذِينَ كَسَبُواْ السَّيِّئَاتِ جَزَآءُ سَيِّئَةٍ بِمِثْلِهَا وَتَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ مَّا لَهُمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ كَأَنَّمَا أُغْشِيَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ قِطَعًا مِّنَ الَّيْلِ مُظْلِماً أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ

(And those who earned evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is the like thereof, and humiliating disgrace will cover them. No defender will they have from Allah. Their faces will be covered as it were with pieces from the darkness of night. They are the dwellers of Fire, they will abide therein forever.)(10:27) Allah's statement,

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلاَ تَنتَصِرَانِ

(There will be sent against you both, Shuwaz of fire and Nuhas, and you will not be able to defend yourselves.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that Shuwaz is the flame of fire. Abu Salih said, "It is the flame above the fire below the smoke." Ad-Dahhak said,

شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ

(Shuwaz of fire) "A flood of fire." Allah said;

وَنُحَاسٌ

(and Nuhas) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas; "The smoke of the fire." Similar was reported from Abu Salih, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Sinan. Ibn Jarir said that the Arabs used to call the smoke of the fire, Nuhas and Nihas. But he said that the scholars of Qur'anic recitation said that in this Ayah, the word recited is Nuhas. Mujahid said, "Molten brass poured over their heads." Qatadah held the same view. Ad-Dahhak said,"Nuhas is liquid copper." The Ayah means, `if you, mankind and the Jinns, try to escape on the Day of Resurrection, then the angels, including those among them who guard Hellfire, will bring you back by directing smoke of fire and molten brass on you.' Allah's statement,

فَلاَ تَنتَصِرَانِفَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(and you will not be able to defend yourselves. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny)

فَإِذَا انشَقَّتِ السَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ وَرْدَةً كَالدِّهَانِ فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Against you will be unleashed a heat of fire shuwāz can either mean that the flame thereof has no smoke or that it does have it with it and a flash of brass without any flame and you will not be able to seek help you will not be able to defend yourselves against this nay it will drive you to the site of the Gathering.

يُرْ‌سَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ‌ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَ‌انِ (A flame of fire and a smoke will be loosed against you, and you will not [ be able ] to defend... 55:35) Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and other leading authorities on Qur'anic exegesis have said that the word shuwaz with refers to 'flame or fire without smoke' and the word nuhas refers to 'smoke in which there is no flame'. This verse too addresses the two species of creation, the jinns and mankind. It addresses them and describes how fire and smoke will be unleashed against them. The verse could mean that after the reckoning is over, and the disbelievers are sent to the Hell, they will experience two different types of punishment. In some places there will be only fire and flame, with no smoke at all. In other places there will be only smoke and no flame or fire. Other Qur'anic exegetes regard this verse as a supplement to the preceding one, and assign the following meaning to it: O jinn and mankind, it is not within your power to cross the bounds of the heavens. If you do attempt to escape on the Day of Resurrection, then the angels [ including those guarding the Hellfire ] will bring you back by directing the flames of fire and smoke. The verb فَلَا تَنتَصِرَ‌انِ fala-tantasiran is derived from اِنتِصَار intisar which means 'to help someone to defend him against a calamity' and thus the words فَلَا تَنتَصِرَ‌انِ fala-tantasiran signify that the jinns and mankind will not be able to help each other against Divine punishment, try as they might.