the regions of the heavens and the earth,” that is, from their sides and extremities. “Then pass beyond.” Its meaning is: If you are able to flee from death by leaving the regions of the heavens and the earth, then flee and depart from them. [The meaning is:] Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, as He—mighty is His mention—said: “Wherever you may be, death will overtake you” (al-Nisa’, 78).

It was also said that this will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection: If you are able to pass beyond the extremities of the heavens and the earth and thereby render your Lord powerless, so that He has no power over you, then pass beyond. “You will not pass beyond except by authority,” meaning, by dominion. It was also said: by proof. Authority is the power by which one gains mastery over a matter; thus dominion, power, and proof are all forms of authority. That is, wherever you turn, you remain within My dominion and authority.

It is related from Ibn ‘Abbas that he said: Its meaning is: If you are able to know what is in the heavens and the earth, then know it—but you will not know it except by authority, that is, by clear proof from Allah. (2) It was also said that His words, “except by authority,” mean: except unto authority, as in His saying, “and He has certainly been good to me” (Yusuf, 100), meaning: unto me.

“So which of your Lord’s favors will you two deny? A flame of fire and molten copper will be sent against you, and you will not be able to defend yourselves.” (34–35)

“So which of your Lord’s favors will you two deny?” It is reported that the angels will surround all creatures along with a tongue of fire; then they will be called: “O company of jinn and mankind, if you are able to pass beyond”—to the end of the verse. This is the meaning of His saying—exalted is He: “A flame of fire will be sent against you.”

“A flame of fire will be sent against you.” Ibn Kathir recited it with the letter shin vowelled with kasrah, while the others recited it with dammah; both are dialectal variants, like siwar and suwar for a herd of cattle. It is flame without smoke; this is the view of most Quran commentators. Mujahid said: It is the green flame that breaks off from the fire.

“And molten copper.” Ibn Kathir and Abu ‘Amr recited “and molten copper” in the genitive, coordinated with “fire,” while the rest recited it in the nominative, coordinated with “flame.”

Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and al-Kalbi said: “Molten copper” means smoke; this is also ‘Ata’s narration from Ibn ‘Abbas.

The sense of the nominative reading is: A flame will be sent against you, and molten copper will be sent—meaning, this will be sent at one time and that at another. It is also possible for both to be sent together without either mixing with the other. The genitive reading, coordinated with “fire,” is weak, since there cannot be a flame made of molten copper. It may, however, be understood as ellipsis: a flame from fire and something of molten copper. Yet it has also been related that flame is not composed of both fire and smoke together.