Tafsir for verse: 39:16
لَهُم مِّن فَوۡقِهِمۡ ظُلَلٞ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمِن تَحۡتِهِمۡ ظُلَلٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ يُخَوِّفُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ عِبَادَهُۥۚ يَٰعِبَادِ فَٱتَّقُونِ ١٦ ﴿16
16For them there are canopies of fire on top of them and canopies (of fire) underneath them. That is the thing against which Allah warns His servants. “So, O servants of Mine, fear Me.”
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Commentary

And when it was known that this is clear in itself; the caller - with what is in it of ugliness - that there is no loss other than it; he detailed it by saying - in a mocking manner towards them -: ﴿For them﴾; for the habit of the preposition 'lam' when accompanying the genitive - especially the pronoun - is to convey the beloved to the pronoun; especially with the mention of the shadows; and he indicated their closeness to them; by affirming the preposition; so he said: ﴿From above them are shadows﴾; and when that implied to them comfort; he removed that by saying: ﴿From the Fire﴾; and that is more severe than if he had made them understand the evil from the beginning; and when there was in the abode - whatever it was; in any case it was - a type of comfort with tranquility; he clarified that they are suspended in the throes of turmoil; the flames lift them at times; and it brings them down again by its reflection upon them; so they have no abode at all; just as grain is in water on the fire; boiling up and down; it does not settle at the bottom of the pot at all; due to his saying: ﴿And from beneath them﴾; and when the existence of the shade - taken from shadow - is from below; in utmost strangeness; he repeated it; and did not suffice with the first; and did not repeat the mention of the Fire; for understanding it in the below is more fitting; so he said: ﴿Shadows﴾; and among what indicates what I understood; of the lack of abode; is what Al-Bukhari narrated; in his Sahih; from Samurah ibn Jundub - may Allah be pleased with him - who said: "The Prophet ﷺ when he prayed a prayer would turn to us with his face; and say: 'Who among you saw a dream tonight?'; and he asked us one day; we said: No; he said: 'But I saw two men coming to me; and they took me by the hand; and brought me to the holy land'; and he mentioned it at length; until he said: 'Then we went to a hole like a furnace; its top is narrow and its bottom is wide; a fire is kindled beneath it; and there are men and women in it; naked; and the flames come to them from beneath them; and when it approaches, they rise until they almost come out; and when it dies down, they return';" and he mentioned it; and it is long and great; then he made them happy with the fornicators.

And when this is a terrifying matter; and they do not fear it; nor do they turn away from their misguidance by it; he mentioned its benefit; with an increase in its magnification; so he said: ﴿That﴾; meaning: the great matter of significance; ﴿Allah frightens﴾; meaning: the greatest King; whose attributes are might and pride; ﴿with it His servants﴾; meaning: those who have a minority of turning to Him; so that they may increase in faith with their faith; and He protects them from it; and when He prepared them for the addition to Him; and frightened them with His might; He turned to them when they were prepared to listen; alerting that it is a frightening call of entreaty; so he said: ﴿O My servants, so fear Me﴾; meaning: make a barrier between yourselves and what angers Me, a protection from what pleases Me; so that I may be pleased with you.

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