Welcome to our weekly programme "Path towards Enlightenment" in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of the holy Quran. We start from where we left you last Friday and here is ayah 24 of Surah Zumar:

"What! Is someone who fends off with his face the terrible punishment [meted out to him ‘like someone who is secure from any kind of punishment] on the Day of Resurrection? And the wrongdoers will be told, ‘Taste what you used to earn.”

Last week, we said towards the end of our weekly programme, the holy Qur’an is indeed guidance for humanity from the Almighty Creator Who facilitates the ways of guidance for the deserving, while those who turn away from the manifest truth, actually deprive themselves of Divine Mercy and Salvation.

The ayah that we recited to you now, compares the two groups and refers to their fate on the Day of Resurrection.

The word face is used in this expression since it is one of the most important organs of the body containing such significant faculties as the features which vary from person-to-person and provide vision, hearing, smell, and taste. In other words, human beings are basically recognized through their faces; that is why they try to shield their hands, arms, and other organs against it to save it from perils.

However, the wrong-doing people of Hell have to defend themselves with their faces, as their hands and feet are in fetters and shackles as mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an

According to exegetes the expression indicates that the sinners will be cast into fire on their faces, so that their first organ touching the fire will be their faces, as it is mentioned in ayah 90 of Surah Naml: “And whoever brings vice —they shall be cast on their faces into the Fire…”

The expression implies their inability to save themselves from Hell fire.

The ayahs ends with the phrase: “And the wrongdoers will be told, ‘Taste what you used to earn.”

Angels responsible for inflicting torment will inform them of the excruciating reality that the torment is the consequence of what you used to earn. The expression per se is another mental torment for them. It is worthy of note that the ayah does not say: “Taste the consequences of your deeds,” but it says: “Taste what you used to earn.”

From this ayah we learn that:

1. The punishment of Hell is the result of one’s deeds in the world that on the Day of Resurrection appear in the form of burning fire.
2. On the Day of Resurrection, everyone sees what he/she did in the world.

Now we listen to or read ayahs 25 and 26 of Surah Zumar:

"Those who were before them belied [the prophets], whereat the punishment overtook them whence they were not aware."

"So Allah made them taste disgrace in the life of the world, and the punishment of the Hereafter will surely be greater, had they known."

This ayah points to the situation of the disbelievers in the world and means to say that history bears witness, those who reject the prophets and their teachings, are subject to Divine punishment in this world as well. In other words, the terrible fate that befell disbelievers and tyrants, such as Pharaoh and the people who denied the Prophets Noah and Lot, is a lesson for all generations. This blessed ayah refers to the torments reserved in this world for the sinners and oppressors, lest they may imagine that they are secure in their mundane life.

The punishment of afterlife is far greater for these devilish people than what they had suffered in the world. Their fate provides lessons for all, especially the conscientious, who according to a statement from Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), “When shuddering with fear of God, a servant is absolved of his sins in the same manner that withered leaves fall from the trees.”

It is obvious that the one who is overcome with the awe and fear of God, repents of his sins and misdeeds, and shall be certainly forgiven by God Almighty.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The tyrants and oppressors are subject to Divine wrath both in this world and in afterlife; with part of the punishment being physical, and part mental, but the punishment for them in the Hereafter is greater and lasting.
2. God the All-Merciful does not oppress anyone, and the tyrants, oppressors, and unrepentant sinners, deprive themselves of Divine Mercy by courting Divine Wrath.

Now we listen to or read ayahs 27 and 28 of Surah Zumar:

"Certainly we have drawn for mankind in this Qurʾān every [kind of] example, so that they may take admonition."

"—An Arabic Qurʾān, without any deviousness, so that they may be Godwary."

These ayahs once again refer to the characteristics of the holy Qur’an and the comprehensiveness of this flawlessly eloquent Book of unmatched wisdom. This Qur’an is the perfect guide, and provides all sorts of examples in order to show the right path, including the mysteries of creation, the dignity of the human being, the rewards for the believers, and the terrible fate of the unbelievers. All this is in intelligible language, which is in plain Arabic, without any ambiguities or contradiction, to such an extent that no distortion can ever approach it. To sum up, the purpose of revelation of this final Heavenly Scripture, the holy Qur’an, is to guide mankind toward the bliss of paradise by cautioning them of the consequences of devilish deeds that are detrimental to themselves.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The Holy Qur’an is the Most Perfect Heavenly Scripture, catering to all needs of the society, anticipating even the changes that occur with each passing generation.
2. The Qur’an is in flawless Arabic, whose eloquence and wisdom is time immemorial, and crystal clear for all, in accordance with the human intellect and reasoning.
3. The Holy Qur’an is free of any contradiction or distortion.

AS/ME