Thus one says: “He kaffata a thing,” when he enclosed it and gathered it together. 182/b Al-Farra’ said: He means that it gathers them while alive upon its surface, in their homes and dwellings, and gathers them when dead within its belly—that is, it contains them. (1)

“Living and dead. (26) And We placed therein lofty, firmly set mountains, and gave you fresh water to drink. (27) Woe, that Day, to the deniers! (28) ‘Proceed to that which you used to deny. (29) Proceed to a shadow with three branches—(30) neither shading nor availing against the flame. (31) Indeed, it throws sparks as large as a palace.’ (32)”

This is the meaning of His saying, “Living and dead. And We placed therein firmly set mountains”—that is, mountains—“lofty,” meaning high; “and gave you fresh water to drink,” meaning sweet water. “Woe, that Day, to the deniers!” Muqatil said: “All of this is more wondrous than the Resurrection.” Then He informs that they will be told on the Day of Resurrection: “Proceed to that which you used to deny.”

“Proceed to that which you used to deny” in this world. “Proceed to a shadow with three branches”: that is, the smoke of Hell; when it rises, it branches out and separates into three divisions. It has also been said that a neck will emerge from the Fire and divide into three branches: the light will stand over the heads of the believers, the smoke over the heads of the hypocrites, and the pure flame over the heads of the disbelievers.

He then describes that shadow, saying: “Neither shading”—it gives no shade from the heat—“nor availing against the flame.” Al-Kalbi said: “It does not ward off the flame of Hell from you.” The meaning is that when they seek shade beneath that shadow, it will not protect them from the heat of the flame. “Indeed, it”—meaning Hell—“throws sparks,” namely, what flies forth from the Fire; its singular is shararah—“as large as a palace,” that is, a huge building. Ibn Mas‘ud said: “It means fortresses.”

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Ayyash said: “I asked Ibn ‘Abbas about the saying of the Exalted: ‘Indeed, it throws sparks as large as a palace.’ He replied: ‘They are large pieces of cut timber. We would take timber and cut it into lengths of three cubits, or longer or shorter than that, and store it for the winter; we used to call it qasr.’”

Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and al-Dahhak said: “They are the trunks of palm trees and other large trees. The singular is qasrah, as in”