The Spider — Verse 54

How the Idolators asked for the Torment to be hastened on Allah tells us of the ignorance of the idolators and how they asked for the punishment of Allah to be hastened so that it would befall them quickly. This is like the Ayah, وَإِذْ قَالُواْ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (And when they said: "O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.") (8:32). And Allah says here: وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَوْلاَ أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَّجَآءَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ (And they ask you to hasten on the torment, and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them.) Were it not for the fact that Allah has decreed that the punishment should be delayed until the Day of Resurrection, the torment would have come upon them quickly as they demanded. Then Allah says: وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَوْلاَ أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَّجَآءَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ - يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَـفِرِينَ (And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they perceive not! They ask you to hasten on the torment. And verily, Hell, of a surety, will encompass the disbelievers.) means, `they ask you to hasten on the punishment, but it will undoubtedly befall them.' يَوْمَ يَغْشَـهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ (On the Day when the torment (Hellfire) shall cover them from above them and from beneath their feet,) This is like the Ayah, لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ (Theirs will be a bed of Hell, and over them coverings (of Hell-fire)) (7:41). لَهُمْ مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِّنَ النَّارِ وَمِن تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ (They shall have coverings of Fire, above them and coverings (of Fire) beneath them) (39:16). لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ حِينَ لاَ يَكُفُّونَ عَن وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلاَ عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ (If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs) (21:39). The Fire will cover them from all sides, which is more effective as a physical punishment. وَيِقُولُ ذُوقُواْ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (and it will be said: "Taste what you used to do.") This is a threat and a rebuke, which is a form of psychological punishment, as in the Ayah, يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُواْ مَسَّ سَقَرَ - إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَـهُ بِقَدَرٍ (The Day they will be dragged on their faces into the Fire (it will be said to them): "Taste you the touch of Hell!" Verily, We have created all things with a measurement.) (54:48-49) يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ إِلَى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا - هَـذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ - أَفَسِحْرٌ هَـذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لاَ تُبْصِرُونَ - اصْلَوْهَا فَاصْبِرُواْ أَوْ لاَ تَصْبِرُواْ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing. This is the Fire which you used to deny. Is this magic or do you not see Enter you therein (taste you therein its heat) and whether you are patient of it or impatient of it, it is all the same. You are only being requited for what you used to do.) (52:13-16)

And they ask you to hasten the chastisement in this world. And lo! Hell shall encompass the disbelievers

يستعجلونك بالعذاب في الدنيا، وهو آتيهم لا محالة إمَّا في الدنيا وإما في الآخرة، وإن عذاب جهنم في الآخرة لمحيط بهم، لا مفرَّ لهم منه.

أي يستعجلون العذاب وهو واقع بهـم لا محالة قال شعبة عن سماك عن عكرمة قال في قوله "وإن جهنم لمحيطة بالكافرين" قال البحر وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا علي بن الحسين. حدثنا عمر بن إسماعيل بن مجالد حدثنا أبي عن مجاهد عن الشعبي أنه سمع ابن عباس يقول "وإن جهنم لمحيطة بالكافرين" وجهنم هو هذا البحر الأخضر تنتثر الكواكب فيه وتكور فيه الشمس و القمر ثم يوقد فيكون هو جهنم وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا أبو عاصم أخبرنا عبدالله بن أمية حدثني محمد بن حيي أخبرني صفوان بن يعلى عن أبيه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "البحر هو جهنم" قالوا ليعلى فقال: ألا ترون أن الله تعالى يقول "نارا أحاط بهم سرادقها" قال لا والذى نفس يعلى بيده لا أدخلها أبدا حتى أعرض على الله ولا يصيبني منها قطرة حتى أعرض على الله تعالى هذا تفسير غريب وحديث غريب جدا والله أعلم.

ثم كرر - سبحانه - أقوالهم على سبيل التعجيب من حالهم ، والتسلية للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم عما لقيه منهم . فقال : ( يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بالعذاب وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بالكافرين ) .آى : يستعجلونك - أيها الرسول الكريم - بالعذاب ، الذى لا يطلبه أحد فى ذهنه مثقال ذرة من عقل ، والحال أن ما استعجلوه سينزل بهم لا محالة ، وستحيط بهم جهنم من كل جانب .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ (54)يقول تعالى ذكره: يستعجلكَ يا محمد هؤلاء المشركون بمجيء العذاب ونـزوله بهم، والنار بهم محيطة، لم يبق إلا أن يدخلوها. وقيل: إن ذلك هو البحر.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا محمد بن المثنى، قال: ثنا محمد بن جعفر، قال: ثنا شعبة، عن سماك، قال: سمعت عكرمة يقول في هذه الآية ( وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ ) قال: البحر.أخبرنا ابن وكيع، قال: ثنا غندر، عن شعبة، عن سماك، عن عكرمة، مثله.

( يستعجلونك بالعذاب ) أعاده تأكيدا ( وإن جهنم لمحيطة بالكافرين ) جامعة لهم لا يبقى أحد منهم إلا دخلها .

يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ (54) وفي إعادة : { يستعجلونك بالعذاب } تهديد وإنذار بأخذهم ، فجملة : { وإن جهنم } معطوفة على جملة : { وليأتينهم بغتة } فهما عذابان كما هو مقتضى ظاهر العطف .والإحاطة كناية عن عدم إفلاتهم منها .والمراد { بالكافرين } المستعجلون ، واستُحضروا بوصف الكافرين للدلالة على أنه موجب إحاطة العذاب بهم . واستعمل اسم الفاعل في الإحاطة المستقبلة مع أن شأن اسم الفاعل أن يفيد الاتصاف في زمن الحال ، تنزيلاً للمستقبل منزلة زمان الحال تنبيهاً على تحقيق وقوعه لصدوره عمن لا خلاف في إخباره .ويتعلق : { يوم يغشاهم العذاب } ب ( محيطة ) ، أي تحيط بهم يوم يغشاهم العذاب . وفي قوله : { يغشاهم العذاب من فوقهم ومن تحت أرجلهم } تصوير للإحاطة . والغشيان : التغطية والحجب .وقوله : { من فوقهم } بيان للغشيان لتصويره تفظيعاً لحاله كقوله : { ولا طائر يطير بجناحيه } [ الأنعام : 38 ] وتأكيداً لمعنى الغشيان لرفع احتمال المجاز ، فهو في موضع الحال من { العذاب } وهي حال مؤكدة .وقوله : { ومِن تحت أرجلهم } احتراس عما قد يُوهمه الغشيان من الفوقية خاصة ، أي تصيبهم نار من تحتهم تتوهج إليهم وهم فوقها ، ولما كان معطوفاً على الحال بالواو وكان غير صالح لأن يكون قيداً ل { يغشاهم }

هذا، وإن لم ينزل عليهم العذاب الدنيوي، فإن أمامهم العذاب الأخروي، الذي لا يخلص منهم أحد منه، سواء عوجل بعذاب الدنيا أو أمهل. { وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ } ليس لهم عنها معدل ولا متصرف، قد أحاطت بهم من كل جانب، كما أحاطت بهم ذنوبهم وسيئاتهم وكفرهم، وذلك العذاب، هو العذاب الشديد.

يستعجلونك بالعذاب أي يستعجلونك وقد أعد لهم جهنم وأنها ستحيط بهم لا محالة فما معنى الاستعجال . وقيل : نزلت في عبد الله بن أبي أمية وأصحابه من المشركين حين قالوا : أو تسقط السماء كما زعمت علينا كسفا .

Man’s deeds make his Paradise and his deeds make his Hell too. Were it possible to view the consequences of the deeds of one who had adopted the way of denial and insolence, it would be seen that his apparently great deeds actually signalled the punishment which he merited and which lay in wait for him. Death is but to come and dispatch him to the world he has built for himself. Most of a man’s arrogance is nothing more than the result of his ignorance of the reality pertaining to his own existence. If this ignorance were to be replaced by knowledge, he would become a completely different man.

The status of the narrations of the People of the Book quoted by the commentators in their commentaries is also the same. The object of their reproduction in the commentaries is meant to highlight their historical position. They cannot be used for determining what is permitted (halal) and what is not permitted حَرَام (haram). مَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَابٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ إِذًا لَّارْ‌تَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ (And you have never been reciting any book before this, nor have you been writing it with your right hand, had it been so, the people of falsehood would have raised doubts. - 29:48). That is Before the revelation of the Qur'an you could neither read nor write, rather you were unlettered (اُمِّی). If it was not so, and you were literate, then there could have been a possibility of doubt for the infidels to put the blame that you were repeating what you had read in, the earlier books, Torah and Injil, and it was not a new revelation sent down on you by way of prophethood.' It was a great honour and miracle for the Holy Prophet ﷺ to be unlettered Allah Ta’ ala had demonstrated so many evident and clear miracles to prove the prophethood of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، and it was one of those miracles that He made him unlettered. Neither he could read anything nor could he write at all. Forty years of his life were spent in this fashion before the eyes of the people of Makkah. He did not have any acquaintance with the People of the Book wherefrom he could have learnt anything. In fact, there were no People of the Book living in Makkah. Suddenly, at the age of forty years, such a speech started flowing from his mouth that was a miracle not only in its theme and meaning, but also in the pinnacle of its eloquence. Some scholars have tried to prove that he was unlettered in the beginning, but later Allah Ta’ ala taught him how to read and write. In support of their contention they quote a hadith regarding the incident of Hudaibiyah, which says that when the agreement between the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the infidels of Makkah was being written, it was started by the Muslims with the words, مِن مُحَمَّدِ عبد اللہ وَ رسَوُلِہٖ - (From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His messenger). On this the disbelievers of Makkah objected that his being the messenger of Allah was the real bone of contention, and if they had accepted him as a messenger of Allah, there would not have been any dispute among them. Therefore, they would not accept the words ` and His messenger' along with his name. Sayyidna Ali ؓ had written this agreement, so, the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked him to erase it, to which he declined out of respect and reverence for him. Then the Holy Prophet ﷺ took the paper in his own hand, and after erasing the words ` His messenger' wrote مِن مُحَمَّدِ بن عَبدَاللہِ (From Muhammad, the son of ` Abdullah). In this narration, the act of writing has been attributed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ which led some people to think that he knew how to write. But the correct position is that the act of writing was attributed to him in the narration as a colloquial expression. It is a fairly common idiom spoken quite widely that if someone gets something written by an ascribe, the writing is attributed to the former, even though he has not written it himself. The other possibility is that Allah Ta’ ala made him write this bit miraculously on this occasion. Also, by writing just a few words, one cannot be called a literate, but would still remain an unlettered. Furthermore, it would not be an honour for him to be labeled as literate, rather the honour is in him being an unlettered.

(They bid you) O Muhammad (hasten on the doom) in the life of this world, (when lo! Hell verily will encompass the disbelievers) and gather them all together.