'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted is He: "Like molten brass that boils in the bellies, like the boiling of scalding water. Take him and drag him into the middle of the Hellfire. Then pour over his head from the punishment of scalding water. Taste, indeed you are the mighty, the honorable. Indeed, this is what you used to doubt." Indeed, the righteous will be in a secure position, in gardens and springs. They will wear garments of fine silk and brocade, facing each other. Thus, We have married them to fair ones with large, beautiful eyes. They will call therein for every kind of fruit, secure. They will not taste therein death except for the first death, and He will protect them from the punishment of the Hellfire. This is a favor from your Lord; that is the great success. So We have made it easy in your tongue, that perhaps they will remember. So wait, indeed they are waiting." Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, said: "The molten brass is the dregs of oil and its impurities." Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, also said: "The molten brass is what has melted from gold, silver, iron, lead, and similar things." Al-Hasan said: Ibn Mas'ud was in charge of the treasury for Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, in Kufa. One day he melted broken silver, and when it flowed, he said: 'Let those at the door enter.' So they entered, and he said to them: 'This is the closest thing we have seen in this world to molten brass.' Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The meaning is that when the disbeliever eats from this tree in Hell, it will act in his stomach like the molten brass does from burning and corruption. Nafi', Abu Amr, Hamzah, Al-Kisai, and Asim in the narration of Abu Bakr read: "boils" with a 'taa', meaning: the tree, and this is the reading of Amr ibn Maymun, Abu Ruzayn, Al-Hasan, Al-A'raj, Abu Ja'far, Shaiba, Ibn Muhaisn, and Talhah. Ibn Kathir, Ibn Amir, and Asim in the narration of Hafs read: "boils" with a 'yaa', meaning the food, and this is the reading of Mujahid and Al-Hasan - with a difference from him - and "the scalding water" is the hot water that erupts from its boiling. And His saying, exalted is He: "Take him and drag him" means: It will be said on that Day to the angels regarding this sinful one: 'Take him and drag him.' And "the dragging" is to lead with force and humiliation and a strong, continuous push, as is done with one who has committed crimes. Ibn Kathir, Nafi', and Ibn Amir read: "drag him" with a 'taa' being pronounced, while the others read it with a 'kasra'. The 'dhamma' has been narrated from Abu Amr, and likewise both readings have been narrated from Al-Hasan, Qatadah, and Al-A'raj. And "the middle" means the center, and it is said: the honored, and that is always associated; the honored is always from something like this, it is indeed in the center. And in the verse, there is what necessitates that the disbeliever will have scalding water poured over his head, which boils in it from melting. This is as in His saying, exalted is He: "Scalding water will be poured over their heads" [Al-Hajj: 19]. And to this, some of the governors of Medina referred, for he would pour wine over the head of one who drank it or had it with him as a punishment and a lesson for him. This was mentioned by Ibn Habib in Al-Wadihah.

And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "Taste, indeed you are the Mighty, the Honorable" is an address in the meaning of this reprimand. It is narrated from Qatadah that when Abu Jahl said: "It has been revealed: 'Indeed, the tree of Zaqqum' [Al-Dukhan: 43] 'the food of the sinful' [Al-Dukhan: 44]: Does Muhammad threaten me - blessings and peace be upon him - while I am between its two mountains more honorable and more esteemed than me?" So these verses were revealed, and at the end of them: "Taste, indeed you are the Mighty, the Honorable," meaning: according to your words. And this is as Jarir said: Did it not exist - in the marks that have been marked by it... a reminder, O flower of Yemen? He says it to the poet who named himself by it, and that is in his saying: Inform Kulayb and inform her poet... that I am the Mighty and that I am the flower of Yemen. So the verse of Jarir came in this mockery. And the majority read: "Indeed you are" with a kasra on the alif, while Al-Kisai alone read: "Annak" with a fatha on the alif. The meaning is the same in intent, even if the source differs. And with a fatha on the alif, it was read on the pulpit by Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them, and it was attributed to him by Al-Kisai who followed him in it. And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "Indeed, this is what you used to doubt" is an expression of a saying said to the disbelievers at their punishment, meaning: this is the Hereafter and Hellfire which you used to doubt in. Then He mentioned, glorified and exalted is He, the state of the pious after mentioning the state of the disbeliever to clarify the difference. Nafi and Ibn Amer read: "In a secure position" with a damma on the meem, and this is the reading of Abu Ja'far, Shaiba, Qatadah, Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Al-Khattab, Al-Hasan, and Al-A'raj. The others read: "In a secure position" with a fatha on the meem, and this is the reading of Abu Raja, Isa, Yahya, and Al-Amash. And "Ameen" means: the changes are safe in it, so it is as if it is a fa'il meaning maf'ul, meaning: it is safe in it. And Asim broke the 'ain from "'uyoon". Abu Hatim said: and this is rejected by the scholars, and likewise for sheikhs and houses, with a kasra on the sheen and the baa. And "sundus" is fine silk, and "istabraq" is its coarse type. Ibn Muhaisin read: "And istabraq" by connecting and opening the qaf. And His saying: "Mutakabeelin" is a description of the gatherings of the people of Paradise, for some of them do not turn their backs to one another in the gatherings. And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "Thus We married them" means: and the matter is thus. The majority read: "Ayn" which is the plural of 'Aynaa. Ibn Mas'ud read: "Bi'aysin 'Ayn" which is the plural of 'Aysaa, meaning: the white one, and likewise it is from the she-camels. And Ikrimah read: "Bihoor 'Ayn" without tanween on "hoor" and added it to "'Ayn". Abu Al-Fath said: the addition here conveys what the description conveys. And Abu Qursafah narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said: "Removing filth from the mosque is one of the dowries of the houris." And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "They call therein" means: they call for service and those who manage.

And His saying, exalted is He: "Except the first death". A group has interpreted "except" as "other than", and al-Tabari weakened that. He interpreted it as "after", and his weakening is not correct. Rather, the meaning with "other than" is valid and coherent. As for the meaning of the verse, it is clear that He, exalted is He, negated for them the tasting of death, and that nothing will reach them of that except what has preceded in this world.

And the pronoun in His saying, exalted is He: "We have made it easy" refers back to the Qur'an. And His saying: "In your tongue" means: in the Arabic language, and He did not intend the tongue of the slanderer. And His saying, exalted is He: "So wait; indeed, they are waiting" means: so wait for Our victory for you; indeed, they are waiting - in what they think - for the turns of fate against you. And in this verse is a promise for him, blessings and peace be upon him, and a threat for them, and in it is a challenge. And this and what has occurred is abrogated by the verse of the sword.

The interpretation of Surah Al-Dukhan is complete, and all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.