Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (934)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(1–9) “In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Woe to every scoffer and slanderer, who amasses wealth and counts it over and over, thinking that his wealth will make him immortal! No indeed! He will surely be cast into the Crusher. And what will make you comprehend what the Crusher is? It is Allah’s kindled Fire, which penetrates to the hearts. It will be sealed over them, behind extended columns.”

“Woe” means a threat of ruin and severe punishment “to every scoffer and slanderer”: one who disparages people through his actions and maligns them through his words. A scoffer is one who finds fault with people and assails them through gestures and actions, while a slanderer is one who disparages them through his words.

Another characteristic of this scoffer and slanderer is that his sole concern is amassing wealth, counting it, and taking pleasure in it. He has no desire to spend it on charitable causes, maintaining ties of kinship, or anything of that nature. In his ignorance, he “thinks that his wealth will make him immortal” in this world. Consequently, all his toil and effort are devoted to increasing his wealth, which he imagines will prolong his life. He does not realize that miserliness cuts lives short and lays homes to ruin, whereas righteousness prolongs life.

“No indeed! He will surely be cast”—that is, thrown—“into the Crusher. And what will make you comprehend what the Crusher is?” This magnifies it and conveys the terrifying gravity of its affair.

He then explains it by saying: “It is Allah’s kindled Fire,” whose fuel is people and stones, “which,” due to its intensity, “penetrates to the hearts”—that is, it passes through their bodies and reaches their hearts.

Despite this extreme heat, they will be confined within it, having despaired of ever leaving it. He therefore says: “It will be sealed over them”—that is, closed—“behind extended columns” placed behind the doors so that they cannot escape: “Whenever they wish to emerge from it, they will be returned to it.”

[We seek refuge in Allah from that, and we ask Him for pardon and well-being.]

Commentary on Sūrat al-Fīl

It is a Meccan surah

﴿١ - ٩﴾ ﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ * الَّذِي جَمَعَ مَالا وَعَدَّدَهُ * يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ * كَلا لَيُنْبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ * وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ * نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ * الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الأفْئِدَةِ * إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ * فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ﴾ . ﴿وَيْلٌ﴾ أي: وعيد، ووبال، وشدة عذاب ﴿لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ﴾ الذي يهمز الناس بفعله، ويلمزهم بقوله، فالهماز: الذي يعيب الناس، ويطعن عليهم بالإشارة والفعل، واللماز: الذي يعيبهم بقوله. ومن صفة هذا الهماز اللماز، أنه لا هم له سوى جمع المال وتعديده والغبطة به، وليس له رغبة في إنفاقه في طرق الخيرات وصلة الأرحام، ونحو ذلك، ﴿يَحْسَبُ﴾ بجهله ﴿أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ﴾ في الدنيا، فلذلك كان كده وسعيه كله في تنمية ماله، الذي يظن أنه ينمي عمره، ولم يدر أن البخل يقصف الأعمار، ويخرب الديار، وأن البر يزيد في العمر. ﴿كَلا لَيُنْبَذَنَّ﴾ أي: ليطرحن ﴿فِي الْحُطَمَةِ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ﴾ تعظيم لها، وتهويل لشأنها. ثم فسرها بقوله: ﴿نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ﴾ التي وقودها الناس والحجارة ﴿الَّتِي﴾ من شدتها ﴿تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الأفْئِدَةِ﴾ أي: تنفذ من الأجسام إلى القلوب. ومع هذه الحرارة البليغة هم محبوسون فيها، قد أيسوا من الخروج منها، ولهذا قال: ﴿إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ﴾ أي: مغلقة ﴿فِي عَمَدٍ﴾ من خلف الأبواب ﴿مُمَدَّدَةٍ﴾ لئلا يخرجوا منها ﴿كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا﴾ . [نعوذ بالله من ذلك، ونسأله العفو والعافية] . تفسير سورة الفيل وهي مكية