And say, "The truth is from your Lord." The truth is the news of a subject that is omitted. The meaning is: The truth has come and the excuses have been removed. So there remains only your choice for yourselves, what you wish to take in the path of salvation or in the path of destruction. The wording of command and choice is used because, when one is enabled to choose whichever he wishes, it is as if he is commanded to choose what he wants from the two paths. What surrounds them from the fire is likened to a canopy, which is the enclosure that is around the tent, and a house with a canopy: one that has a canopy. It is said that it is smoke that surrounds the disbelievers before they enter the fire. It is also said to be a wall of fire that encircles them. They will be provided with water like molten metal, as in the saying: "... so they will be given water like molten metal." And in it is mockery. The molten metal is what has been melted from the jewels of the earth. It is said to be the boiling oil that scorches the faces when it is brought to drink; the face is scorched from its heat. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "It is like the dregs of oil." This was narrated by al-Tirmidhi from the path of Rushdīn ibn Sa'd, from 'Amr ibn al-Harith, from Durāj, from Abu al-Haytham, from Abu Sa'id. And he found it strange. He said: It is only known from the narration of Rushdīn ibn Sa'd, and he was contradicted by saying that Ahmad and Abu Ya'la narrated it from the path of Ibn Lahi'a from Durāj, and that Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim narrated it from the path of Ibn Wahb from 'Amr ibn al-Harith. When it is brought near to him, the skin of his face will fall off. What a wretched drink that is, and how evil is the fire as a resting place! This is in similarity to the saying: "And how good is the resting place!" Otherwise, there is no resting for the people of the fire nor reclining, except as in the saying: "Indeed, I have been awake and spent the night reclining... as if my eyes were in the sap of a slaughtered animal." This is by Abu Dhuwai'b al-Hudhali. It is narrated instead of the first line: "The place of solitude and I spent the night under the trees." And 'irtifāq' is to lean on the elbow while raising the forearm. 'Ishtijār' is to place the hand under the tree, which is between the cheeks and lean on it, and it is the posture of one who is saddened and regretful. And 'al-arq' is sleeplessness. And 'al-sāb' is a plant like bitter cucumber. And 'al-madhbūh' is the split one. It is a metaphor for weeping and the pouring of tears.