The Pilgrimage — Verse 21

The Reason for Revelation It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that Abu Dharr swore that this Ayah -- هَـذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُواْ فِى رَبِّهِمْ (These two opponents dispute with each other about their Lord;) was revealed concerning Hamzah and his two companions, and `Utbah and his two companions, on the day of Badr when they came forward to engage in single combat. This is the wording of Al-Bukhari in his Tafsir of this Ayah. Then Al-Bukhari recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said, "I will be the first one to kneel down before the Most Merciful so that the dispute may be settled on the Day of Resurrection." Qays (sub-narrator) said, "Concerning them the Ayah was revealed: هَـذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُواْ فِى رَبِّهِمْ (These two opponents dispute with each other about their Lord;) He (Qays) said, "They are the ones who came forward (for single combat) on the day of Badr: `Ali, Hamzah and `Ubaydah vs., Shaybah bin Rabi`ah, `Utbah bin Rabi`ah and Al-Walid bin `Utbah." This was reported only by Al-Bukhari. Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid commented on this Ayah, "Such as the disbeliever and the believer disputing about the Resurrection." According to one report Mujahid and `Ata' commented on this Ayah, "This refers to the believers and the disbelievers." The view of Mujahid and `Ata' that this refers to the disbelievers and the believers, includes all opinions, the story of Badr as well as the others. For the believers want to support the religion of Allah, while the disbelievers want to extinguish the light of faith and to defeat the truth and cause falsehood to prevail. This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir, and it is good. The Punishment of the Disbelievers فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارِ (then as for those who disbelieved, garments of fire will be cut out for them,) meaning, pieces of fire will be prepared for them. Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "Of copper, for it is the hottest of things when it is heated." n هَـذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُواْ فِى رَبِّهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارِ يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ - يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ (boiling water will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt (or vanish away) what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins.) meaning, when the boiling water --which is water that has been heated to the ultimate degree- is poured down over their heads. Ibn Jarir recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: «إِنَّ الْحَمِيمَ لَيُصَبُّ عَلَى رُؤُوسِهِمْ فَيَنْفُذُ الْجُمْجُمَةَ حَتَّى يَخْلُصَ إِلَى جَوْفِهِ، فَيَسْلُتَ مَا فِي جَوْفِهِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ قَدَمَيْهِ، وَهُوَ الصِّهْرُ، ثُمَّ يُعَادُ كَمَا كَان» (The boiling water will be poured over their heads and will penetrate their skulls until it reaches what is inside, and what is inside will melt until it reaches their feet. This is the melting, then he will be restored to the state he was before.) It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who said it is Hasan Sahih. This was also recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim, who then recorded that `Abdullah bin As-Sariy said, "The angel will come to him, carrying the vessel with a pair of tongs because of its heat. When he brings it near to his face, he will shy away from it. He will raise a hammer that he is carrying and will strike his head with it, and his brains will spill out, then he will pour the brains back into his head. This is what Allah says in the Ayah: يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ (With it will melt what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins.)" وَلَهُمْ مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ (And for them are hooked rods of iron.) Ibn `Abbas said, "They will be struck with them, and with each blow, a limb will be severed, and they will cry out for oblivion." كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُواْ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُواْ فِيهَا (Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein,) Al-A`mash reported from Abu Zibiyan that Salman said, "The fire of Hell is black and dark; its flames and coals do not glow or shine." Then he recited: كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُواْ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُواْ فِيهَا (Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein,) وَذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ ("Taste the torment of burning!") This is like the Ayah: وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّذِي كُنتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ (and it will be said to them: "Taste you the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.") 32:20. The meaning is that they will be humiliated by words and actions.

And there will be hooked rods of iron for them for their heads to be beaten with.

هذان فريقان اختلفوا في ربهم: أهل الإيمان وأهل الكفر، كل يدَّعي أنه محقٌّ، فالذين كفروا يحيط بهم العذاب في هيئة ثياب جُعلت لهم من نار يَلْبَسونها، فتشوي أجسادهم، ويُصبُّ على رؤوسهم الماء المتناهي في حره، ويَنزِل إلى أجوافهم فيذيب ما فيها، حتى ينفُذ إلى جلودهم فيشويها فتسقط، وتضربهم الملائكة على رؤوسهم بمطارق من حديد. كلما حاولوا الخروج من النار -لشدة غمِّهم وكربهم- أعيدوا للعذاب فيها، وقيل لهم: ذوقوا عذاب النار المحرق.

وقوله " ولهم مقامع من حديد " قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا حسن بن موسى حدثنا ابن لهيعة حدثنا دراج عن أبي الهيثم عن أبي سعيد عن رسول الله قال " لو أن مقمعا من حديد وضع في الأرض فاجتمع له الثقلان ما أقلوه من الأرض " وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا موسى بن داود حدثنا ابن لهيعة حدثنا دراج عن أبي الهيثم عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " لو ضرب الجبل بمقمع من حديد لتفتت ثم عاد كما كان ولو أن دلوا من غساق يهراق في الدنيا لأنتن أهل الدنيا " وقال ابن عباس في قوله " ولهم مقامع من حديد " قال يضربون بها فيقع كل عضو على حياله فيدعون بالثبور.

والضمير فى قوله - سبحانه - : ( وَلَهُمْ مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ) يعود إلى الكفرة المعذبين بهذا الحميم الذى تصهر به البطون .والمقامع : جمع مقمعة - بكسر الميم وسكون القاف وفتح الميم الثانية - ، وهى آلة تستعمل فى القمع عن الشىء ، والزجر عنه ، يقال : قمع فلان فلانا إذا قهره وأذله .أى : وخصصت لهؤلاء الكافرين مضارب من حديد تضربهم بها الملائكة على رءوسهم زيادة فى إذلالهم وقهرهم .وقيل : إن الضمير فى " لهم " يعود على خزنة النار . أى : ولخزنة النار مضارب من حديد يضربون بها هؤلاء الكافرين .وعلى كلا القولين فالآية الكريمة تصور هوان هؤلاء الكافرين أكمل تصوير .

وقوله: ( وَلَهُمْ مَقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ) تضرب رءوسهم بها الخزنة إذا أرادوا الخروج من النار حتى ترجعهم إليها.

قوله تعالى ( ولهم مقامع من حديد ) سياط من حديد واحدتها مقمعة قال الليث : المقمعة شبه الجرز من الحديد من قولهم قمعت رأسه إذا ضربته ضربا عنيفا وفي الخبر : " لو وضع مقمع من حديد في الأرض ثم اجتمع عليه الثقلان ما أقلوه من الأرض " .

وَلَهُمْ مَقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ (21) والمقامع : جمع مِقمعة بكسر الميم بصِيغة اسم آلة القَمع . والقمع : الكف عن شيء بعنف . والمقمعة : السوط ، أي يُضربون بسياط من حديد .

{ وَلَهُمْ مَقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ } بيد الملائكة الغلاظ الشداد، تضربهم فيها وتقمعهم

ولهم مقامع من حديد أي يضربون بها ويدفعون ؛ الواحدة مقمعة ، ومقمع أيضا كالمحجن ، يضرب به على رأس الفيل . وقد قمعته إذا ضربته بها . وقمعته وأقمعته بمعنى ؛ أي قهرته وأذللته فانقمع . قال ابن السكيت : أقمعت الرجل عني إقماعا إذا طلع عليك فرددته عنك . وقيل : المقامع المطارق ، وهي المرازب أيضا . وفي الحديث بيد كل ملك من خزنة جهنم مرزبة لها شعبتان ، فيضرب الضربة فيهوي بها سبعين ألفا . وقيل : المقامع سياط من نار ، وسميت بذلك لأنها تقمع المضروب ، أي تذلله .

Broadly speaking, all groups fall into only two categories, namely, the upholders of Truth and their opponents. In the present world, those who quarrel with the proponents of the Truth erroneously imagine that they have innumerable arguments in their favour. It is their lack of seriousness which makes them enter into meaningless discussions, as if they had convincing arguments. Since they do not want to admit the Truth, they pick false and senseless quarrels with it. In the Hereafter, such people will be punished severely for their rejection of the Truth; and from this punishment they will never have any respite.

Commentary هَـٰذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُوا (These are two opponents who have disputed about their Lord - 22:19). This verse, with its general words, deals with two sets of people, namely the Muslims and the infidels whether they belong to the earliest times or to later ages. However, the particular event in the background of which it was revealed about two groups of men who faced each other in combat on the battleground of Badr. Sayyidna Hamzah and ` Ubaidah ؓ stepped out of the Muslim ranks, whereas ` Utbah bin Rabi'ah, his son Walid and his brother Shaibah came out to challenge them. In the ensuing fight the three unbelievers were slain, Sayyidna and Hamzah ؓ emerged unscathed, while Sayyidna ` Ubaidah ؓ was mortally wounded and expired at the feet of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The revelation of this verse in relation to these warriors of the field of Badr is well established on the authority of traditions contained in Bukhari and Muslim, but it is evident that its message is not exclusive for them alone, but embraces the entire Muslim community of all times and ages.

And for them are hooked rods of iron) of hot rods of iron with which they will be hit on their heads.