Surah 21:98
Show Full Scripture Context (21:98-103) — 6 Verses
إِنَّكُمۡ وَمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمۡ لَهَا وَٰرِدُونَ
‘Surely you, and what you were serving instead of God, are stones for Gehenna – you will go down to it.’
لَوۡ كَانَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ءَالِهَةٗ مَّا وَرَدُوهَاۖ وَكُلّٞ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
If these had been gods, they would not have gone down to it, but everyone (of them) will remain in it.
لَهُمۡ فِيهَا زَفِيرٞ وَهُمۡ فِيهَا لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ
In it (there is) a moaning for them, and in it they do not hear (anything else).
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقَتۡ لَهُم مِّنَّا ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰٓ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ عَنۡهَا مُبۡعَدُونَ
Surely those for whom the best (reward) has gone forth from Us – those will be (kept) far from it.
لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ حَسِيسَهَاۖ وَهُمۡ فِي مَا ٱشۡتَهَتۡ أَنفُسُهُمۡ خَٰلِدُونَ
They will not hear (even) a slight sound of it, and they will remain in what they themselves desired.
لَا يَحۡزُنُهُمُ ٱلۡفَزَعُ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرُ وَتَتَلَقَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ هَٰذَا يَوۡمُكُمُ ٱلَّذِي كُنتُمۡ تُوعَدُونَ
The great terror will not cause them sorrow, and the angels will meet them: ‘This is your Day which you were promised.’
{and all of them will abide therein forever.} means, the worshippers and the objects of their worship will all abide therein forever.
This is like the Ayah:
{they will have (in the Fire), Zafir and Shahiq} [11:106].
Zafir refers to their exhalation, and Shahiq refers to their inhalation.
The State of the Blessed
'Ikrimah said, "Mercy." Others said it means being blessed.
When Allah mentions the people of Hell and their punishment for their associating others in worship with Allah, He follows that with a description of the blessed who believed in Allah and His Messengers. These are the ones for whom the blessing has preceded from Allah, and they did righteous deeds in the world, as Allah says:
{For those who have done good is the best reward and even more} [10:26]
{Is there any reward for good other than good?} [55:60]
Just as they did good in this world, Allah will make their final destiny and their reward good; He will save them from punishment and give them a great reward.
means, they will not feel its heat in their bodies.
means, they will be safe from that which they fear, and they will have all that they love and desire. It was said that this was revealed to point out an exception in the case of those who are worshipped instead of Allah, and to exclude 'Uzayr and the Messiah from their number. Hajjaj bin Muhammad Al-A'war reported from Ibn Jurayj, and 'Uthman bin 'Ata' reported from Ibn 'Abbas:
Then He made an exception and said:
It was said that this referred to the angels and 'Isa, and others who are worshipped instead of Allah. This was the view of 'Ikrimah, Al-Hasan and Ibn Jurayj. Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said in his book of Sirah:
"According to what I have heard, the Messenger of Allah sat down one day with Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah in the Masjid, and An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came and sat down with them. There were also other men of Quraysh in the Masjid. The Messenger of Allah spoke, then An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came up to him and the Messenger of Allah spoke to him until he defeated him in argument. Then he recited to him and to them,
{Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) Hasab for Hell! (Surely) you will enter it.} Until His Statement,
Then the Messenger of Allah got up and went to sit with 'Abdullah bin Al-Zab'ari As-Sahmi. Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah said to 'Abdullah bin Al-Zab'ari, "By Allah, An-Nadr bin Al-Harith could not match the son of 'Abd Al-Muttalib in argument. Muhammad claims that we and these gods that we worship are fuel for Hell." 'Abdullah bin Az-Zab'ari said: "By Allah, if I meet with him I will defeat him in argument. Ask Muhammad whether everyone that is worshipped instead of Allah will be in Hell with those who worshipped him, for we worship the angels, and the Jews worship 'Uzayr, and the Christians worship Al-Masih, 'Isa bin Maryam." Al-Walid and those who were sitting with him were amazed at what 'Abdullah bin Az-Zab'ari said, and they thought that he had come up with a good point. He said this to the Messenger of Allah, who said:
«Everyone who likes to be worshipped instead of Allah will be with the ones who worshipped him, for indeed they are worshipping the Shaytan and whoever told them to worship him.»
Then Allah revealed the words:
{Verily, those for whom the good has preceded from Us, they will be removed far therefrom (Hell). They shall not hear the...
Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me (Allah)! This is the straight path} [43:63]."
What Ibn Az-Zab'ari said was a serious mistake, because the Ayah was addressed to the people of Makkah concerning their worship of idols which were inanimate and could not think. It was a rebuke for their worship of them, so Allah said:
How could this be applied to Al-Masih, 'Uzayr and others who did righteous deeds and did not accept the worship of those who worshipped them?
It was said that this means death, as was narrated by 'Abdur-Razzaq from Yahya bin Rabi'ah from 'Ata'. Or it was said that the greatest terror refers to the blast of the Trumpet, as Al-'Awfi said narrating from Ibn 'Abbas and Abu Sinan, Sa'id bin Sinan Ash-Shaybani. This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir in his Tafsir.
meaning, the angels will greet them on the Day of Resurrection when they emerge from their graves with the words:
meaning, hope for the best.
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 6, Page 501-505)