69:29 Al-Haaqqa (The Reality)

{ هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ } أي: ذهب واضمحل فلم تنفع الجنود الكثيرة، ولا العدد الخطيرة، ولا الجاه العريض، بل ذهب ذلك كله أدراج الرياح، وفاتت بسببه المتاجر والأرباح، وحضر بدله الهموم والغموم والأتراح.

تفسير ابن عباس: هلكت عنه حجتي. وهو قول مجاهد وعكرمة والسدي والضحاك. وقال ابن زيد: يعني سلطانيه في الدنيا الذي هو الملك. وكان هذا الرجل مطاعا في أصحابه; قال الله تعالى

The Bad Condition of Whoever is given His Record in His Left Hand

These Ayat inform about the condition of the wretched people when one of them is given his Record (of deeds) in his left hand when the people are brought before Allah. At this time he will be very remorseful.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـبَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَـبِيَهْ - وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ - يلَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ

((He) will say: "I wish that I had not been given my Record! And that I had never known how my account is! Would that it had been my end!...") Ad-Dahhak said, "Meaning a death which is not followed by any life." Likewise said Muhammad bin Ka`b, Ar-Rabi` and As-Suddi. Qatadah said, "He will hope for death even though in the worldly life it was the most hated thing to him."

مَآ أَغْنَى عَنِّى مَالِيَهْ - هَلَكَ عَنِّى سُلْطَـنِيَهْ

(My wealth has not availed me; my power has gone from me.) means, `my wealth and my honor did not protect me from the punishment of Allah and His torment. Now the matter has ended with me alone and I have no helper nor anyone to save me.' At this Allah says,

خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ - ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ

(Seize him and fetter him; then throw him in the blazing Fire.) meaning, He will command the guardians of Hell to forcibly remove him from the gathering place, fetter him - meaning put iron collars on his neck - then carry him off to Hell and cast him into it, meaning they will submerge him in it. Allah said,

ثُمَّ فِى سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعاً فَاْسْلُكُوهُ

(Then fasten him on a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!) Ka`b Al-Ahbar said, "Every ring of it will be equal to the entire amount of iron found in this world." Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Jurayj both said, "Each cubit will be the forearm's length of an angel." Ibn Jurayj reported that Ibn `Abbas said,

فَاْسْلُكُوهُ

(Then fasten him) "It will be entered into his buttocks and pulled out of his mouth. Then they will be arranged on this (chain) just like locusts are arranged on a stick that is being roasted." Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "It will be ran into his behind until it is brought out of his two nostrils so he will not be able to stand on his two feet." Imam Ahmad recorded from `Abdullah bin `Amr that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَوْ أَنَّ رَصَاصَةً مِثْلَ هذِهِ وأشار إلى جُمْجُمَةٍ أُرْسِلَتْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ، وَهِيَ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسِمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ، لَبَلَغَتِ الْأَرْضَ قَبْلَ اللَّيْلِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا أُرْسِلَتْ مِنْ رَأْسِ السِّلْسِلَةِ لَسَارَتْ أَرْبَعِينَ خَرِيفًا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَبْلُغَ قَعْرَهَا أَوْ أَصْلَهَا»

(If a drop of lead like this - and he pointed to a skull bone - were sent from the heaven to the earth, and it is a distance of five hundred years travel, it would reach the earth before night. And if it (the same drop of lead) were sent from the head of the chain (of Hell), it would travel forty fall seasons, night and day, before it would reach its (Hell's) cavity or base.) At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith and he said, "This Hadith is Hasan." Concerning Allah's statement,

إِنَّهُ كَانَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ - وَلاَ يَحُضُّ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ

(Verily, he used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great, and urged not on the feeding of the poor.) meaning, he did not establish the right of Allah upon him, of obedience to Him and performing His worship. He also did not benefit Allah's creation nor did he give them their rights. For verily, Allah has a right upon the servants that they worship Him alone and not associate anything with Him. The servants of Allah also have a right upon each other to good treatment and assistance in righteousness and piety. For this reason, Allah commanded performance of the prayer and the payment of Zakah. When the Prophet was (in his last moments) near death he said,

«الصَّلَاةَ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُم»

(The prayer (As-Salah) and your right hand possessions (i.e., slaves).) Allah says,

فَلَيْسَ لَهُ الْيَوْمَ هَـهُنَا حَمِيمٌ - وَلاَ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ - لاَّ يَأْكُلُهُ إِلاَّ الْخَـطِئُونَ

(So no friend has he here this Day. Nor any food except filth from the washing of wounds. None will eat it except the Khati'un.) meaning, there is no one today who can save him from the punishment of Allah, nor any close friend or intercessor whose request would be honored. He will have no food here except for the filthy washing of wounds. Qatadah said, "It will be the worst food of the people of the Hellfire." Ar-Rabi` and Ad-Dahhak both said, "It (Ghislin) is a tree in Hell." Shabib bin Bishr reported from `Ikrimah that Ibn `Abbas said, `Ghislin will be the blood and fluid that will flow from their flesh." `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, `Ghislin is the pus of the people of the Hellfire."

My authority my strength my argument has gone from me’ the final hā’ in kitābiyah ‘my book’ hisābiyah ‘my account’ and sultāniyah ‘my authority’ is for consonantal quiescence; and it is retained when reciting with a pause as well as without a pause in accordance with the authoritative version of the Qur’ānic text and the transmitted reports; some elide it when reciting without a pause.

هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ (My power has gone from me for good...69:29). The word sultan, literally, yields the sense of 'power or overpowering'. Therefore, a government or state is referred to as saltanah and a ruler is referred to as sultan. In other words, when people gain power and political ascendancy in the world, they become proud, hold sway over other people, perpetrate injustices and commit atrocities. But in the Hereafter all that will vanish and be lost, and the unjust and proud rulers will have no army to obey or support them. They will be miserable and helpless creatures who will not be able to defend themselves.

The word sultan also stands for 'authority, proof or argument' in which case it would mean: 'Today I have no argument in favour of protecting myself against punishment'.