Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (288)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(40, 41) “Indeed, those who denied Our signs and were too arrogant to accept them—the gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle. Thus do We recompense the wicked. Hell will be a bed beneath them and coverings above them. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.”

Allah Most High informs us of the punishment awaiting those who denied His signs and did not believe in them, even though they were clear signs, and who were too arrogant to accept them and would not submit to their rulings. Instead, they denied them and turned away. They are bereft of every hope of good: the gates of heaven will not be opened for their souls when they die and rise, seeking to ascend to Allah. They will seek permission, but permission will not be granted. Just as their souls did not ascend in this world through faith in Allah, knowledge of Him, and love for Him, neither will they ascend after death, for recompense corresponds to the nature of the deed.

The verse implies that the gates of heaven will be opened for the souls of the believers who submit to Allah’s command and affirm His signs, until they ascend to Allah and reach whatever place Allah wills in the higher realm. There they will rejoice in nearness to their Lord and in being favored with His pleasure.

Regarding His statement about the inhabitants of the Fire, “Nor will they enter Paradise until a camel passes”—meaning the well-known animal—“through the eye of a needle”: that is, until the camel, one of the largest animals in physical size, passes through the needle’s opening, which is among the narrowest of openings. This makes their entry contingent upon an impossibility. In other words, just as it is impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, it is likewise impossible for those who deny Allah’s signs to enter Paradise. Allah Most High says, “Indeed, whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode.” ⦗289⦘ He says here, “Thus do We recompense the wicked”—those whose wickedness was abundant and whose transgression was severe.

“Hell will be a bed beneath them”—that is, a bed spread beneath them—“and coverings above them”—that is, canopies of punishment enveloping them.

“Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers” who wronged themselves: a fitting recompense. Your Lord is never unjust to His servants.

﴿٤٠، ٤١﴾ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا عَنْهَا لا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَلا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُجْرِمِينَ * لَهُمْ مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ وَمِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ . يخبر تعالى عن عقاب من كذب بآياته فلم يؤمن بها، مع أنها آيات بينات، واستكبر عنها فلم يَنْقَد لأحكامها، بل كذب وتولى، أنهم آيسون من كل خير، فلا تفتح أبواب السماء لأرواحهم إذا ماتوا وصعدت تريد العروج إلى الله، فتستأذن فلا يؤذن لها، كما لم تصعد في الدنيا إلى الإيمان بالله ومعرفته ومحبته كذلك لا تصعد بعد الموت، فإن الجزاء من جنس العمل. ومفهوم الآية أن أرواح المؤمنين المنقادين لأمر الله المصدقين بآياته، تفتح لها أبواب السماء حتى تعرج إلى الله، وتصل إلى حيث أراد الله من العالم العلوي، وتبتهج بالقرب من ربها والحظوة برضوانه. وقوله عن أهل النار ﴿وَلا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ﴾ وهو البعير المعروف ﴿فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ﴾ أي: حتى يدخل البعير الذي هو من أكبر الحيوانات جسما، في خرق الإبرة، الذي هو من أضيق الأشياء، وهذا من باب تعليق الشيء بالمحال، أي: فكما أنه محال دخول الجمل في سم الخياط، فكذلك المكذبون بآيات الله محال دخولهم الجنة، قال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ﴾ ⦗٢٨٩⦘ وقال هنا ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُجْرِمِينَ﴾ أي: الذين كثر إجرامهم واشتد طغيانهم. ﴿لَهُمْ مِنْ جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ﴾ أي: فراش من تحتهم ﴿وَمِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ﴾ أي: ظلل من العذاب، تغشاهم. ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ لأنفسهم، جزاء وفاقا، وما ربك بظلام للعبيد.