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Thus they cast doubt upon the Quran, saying, “It contradicts itself.”1
As for His words, “Enter, O people of Pharaoh, the severest torment,” this refers to the punishment of the very Fire in which they are already engulfed.
Concerning His words, “For I shall punish him with a punishment I do not inflict on anyone else in all the worlds,” that is because Allah transformed them into swine; He punished them through that metamorphosis in a way He has never punished anyone else among humankind.
And regarding His words, “Indeed, the hypocrites will surely be in the lowest depths of the Fire.”
(1) Al-Shinqiti, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Concerning the verse, “Qala Allahu inni munazziluha ‘alaykum fa-man yakfur ba‘du minkum fa-inni u‘adhdhibuhu ‘adhaban la u‘adhdhibuhu ahadan mina al-‘alamin” (Allah said: I will send it down to you; whoever among you disbelieves thereafter, I shall punish him with a punishment I will inflict on no one else in the worlds) [al-Maida 115].
This noble verse indicates that, on the Day of Resurrection, the most severely punished people will be those who disbelieved among the companions of the Table.
Some other verses may appear to contradict this, such as: “Inna al-munafiqina fi al-darki al-asfali mina al-nar” (Surely the hypocrites are in the lowest depth of the Fire) [al-Nisa 145], and: “Wa-yawma taqumu al-sa‘atu adkhilu ala Fir‘awna ashad-da al-‘adhab” (And on the Day when the Hour is established it will be said: Admit Pharaoh’s people to the most severe torment) [Ghafir 46].
The reply is that there is no conflict between these two verses, because both Pharaoh’s people and the hypocrites will be in the lowest tiers of Hell enduring the most intense punishment; neither verse states that one group’s punishment exceeds the other’s.
As for the phrase “fa-inni u‘adhdhibuhu…” (I shall punish him…), it can be answered in two ways:
1. Ibn Kathir explains that “the worlds” (al-‘alamin) refers to the people of their own time; thus no difficulty arises. A similar usage is found in: “Wa-inni faddaltukum ‘ala al-‘alamin” (and I favored you above all people) [al-Baqarah 47], as noted earlier.
2. Others say the verse speaks of a worldly punishment—namely, their transformation into swine. Nonetheless, the fact that it concerns the punishment of the Hereafter is supported by the report transmitted by Ibn Jarir from ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Amr—may Allah be pleased with them both—who said: “The three groups that will suffer the harshest punishment on the Day of Resurrection are: the hypocrites, those who disbelieved among the people of the Table, and Pharaoh’s household.”
Source: Daf‘ Iham al-Idtirab, 1/80.
فشكُّوا في القرآن وقالوا:
إنه ينقض بعضه بعضًا١.
أما قوله:
{أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ}
.
يعني عذاب ذلك النار الذي هم فيه.
وأما قوله:
{فإِنِّي أُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا لا أُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ}
.
وذلك أن الله مسخهم خنازير. فعذبهم بالمسخ ما لم يعذب من سواهم من الناس،
وأما قوله:
{إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ}
.
١ قال الشنقيطي رحمه الله: قوله تعالى: {قَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بَعْدُ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنِّي أُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا لا أُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ} [المائدة: ١١٥] .
هذه الآية الكريمة تدل على أن أشد الناس عذابًا يوم القيامة من كفر من أصحاب المائدة.
وقد جاء في بعض الآيات ما يوهم خلاف ذلك كقوله: {إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنْ النَّارِ} [النساء: ١٤٥] وقوله: {وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ} [غافر: ٤٦] .
والجواب أن آية: {أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ} وآية: {إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ} لا منافاة بينهما؛ لأن كلا من آل فرعون والمنافقين في أسفل دركات النار في أشد العذاب، وليس في الآيتين ما يدل على أن بعضهم أشد عذابًا من الآخر.
وأما قوله: {فَإِنِّي أُعَذِّبُه} الآية، فيجاب عنه من وجهين:
الأول: وهو ما قاله ابن كثير: إن المراد بالعالمين عالمو زمانهم، وعليه فلا إشكال، ونظيره قوله تعالى: {وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ} [البقرة: ٤٧] كما تقدم.
الثاني: ما قاله البعض: من أن المراد به العذاب الدنيوي، الذي هو مسخهم خنازير، ولكن يدل أنه عذاب الآخرة ما رواه ابن جرير عن عبد الله بن عمرو -رضي الله عنهما- أنه قال: أشد الناس عذابًا يوم القيامة ثلاثة: المنافقون ومن كفر من أصحاب المائدة وآل فرعون.
انظر: دفع إيهام الاضطراب "٨٠/١٠".