عَمَُّْ ْ 1521 اَلْغَاشِیَه
هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ ﴿۱﴾ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ ﴿۲﴾ عَامِلَةٌ نَاصِبَةٌ ﴿۳﴾ تَصْلَى نَارًا حَامِيَةً ﴿۴﴾ تُسْقَى مِنْ عَيْنٍ آنِيَةٍ ﴿۵﴾ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ ضَرِيعٍ ﴿۶﴾ لَا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنْ جُوعٍ ﴿۷﴾
﴾1﴿ Hal ataaka hadeesul ghaashiyah
﴾2﴿ Wujoohuny yawma 'izin khaashi'ah
﴾3﴿ Aamilatun naasibah
﴾4﴿ Taslaa naaran haamiyah
﴾5﴿ Tusqaa min 'aynin aaniyah
﴾6﴿ Laisa lahum ta'aamun illaa min daree'
﴾7﴿ Laa yusminu wa laa yughnee min joo'
﴾1﴿ Has the news of the overwhelming calamity reached you
﴾2﴿ Some faces on that day will be humbled
﴾3﴿ Toiling and exhausted
﴾4﴿ They will enter the scorching fire
﴾5﴿ They will be given drink from a boiling spring
﴾6﴿ They will have no food except from a thorny plant
﴾7﴿ Which neither nourishes nor satisfies hunger
Relevancy:
This surah has several connections with the previous surah. The first connection is that in Surah Al-A'la, those who fear Allah and the wretched ones are mentioned. In this surah, glad tidings and warnings are given for them.
Claim of this surah:
The warning is for the deniers, and the glad tidings are for the believers. It serves as a reminder through the Quran to recall Al-Ghashiyah (the Day of Judgment). It mentions the exclusive names of Allah and refers to His attributes of punishment and accountability.
Summary of the surah:
First, the warning to the deniers is given in ten ways until verse (7). Then, the glad tidings for the believers are mentioned in ten ways until verse (16). After that, four proofs of monotheism are presented, with references to four attributes of the admonisher (caller): submission, benefit, independence, and humility. Then, there is a command to remind through the Quran for the remembrance of the Day of Judgment and monotheism. Next, there is consolation in verse (22), and the surah concludes with a warning, similar to its beginning.
[1] In this reminder, the focus is on the Day of Judgment (Al-Ghashiyah), which is the calamity that overwhelms people with its terror. It is one of the names of the Day of Judgment or a name for the Hellfire, which engulfs the entire bodies of the inhabitants of Hell.
[2,3] This division of people into two groups is mentioned in these verses. One group, referred to as "Ashqā" (the wretched), is warned in ten ways. "Nāṣibah" refers to their toil and exhaustion, which could either be in this world—where they tire themselves with prayers, fasting, and other acts of worship—or in the Hereafter, where they endure hardship and suffering in the Hellfire. Imam Bukhari has stated that this refers to the Christian monks. Thus, it is understood that the general wording of the verse also encompasses innovation (bid'ah) in religion.
[4,5] (عَيْنٍ آنِيَةٍ) is derived from "أَنْي", which means "reaching its appointed time." The intended meaning here is that the spring has reached its final stage of heating, meaning it is extremely hot. This is similar to what is mentioned in Surah Ar-Rahman (verse 44).
[6,7] After mentioning their drink, their food is described, and each is an independent form of punishment. (ضَرِيعٍ) refers to a thorny plant that remains attached to the ground. When fresh, it is called "شبرق", but when it dries, it is called "ضريع". No animal goes near it due to its extreme bitterness, foul smell, and deadly poison.
Question: In Surah Al-Haqqah (36), the food of Hell is limited to "غسلين", while here it is "ضريع". How can both be correct?
Answer: This exclusivity is based on different categories of the inhabitants of Hell or different times in their punishment.
(لَا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنْ جُوعٍ) highlights two main benefits of food:
The greater benefit is nourishing the body.
The lesser benefit is satisfying hunger.
However, the food of Hell lacks both of these benefits.