In the first group of verses The people have been divided into three groups, those close to God, those of the right hand, and those of the left hand.( the people who will be given their books of deeds in their left hands). The verse says:
“amid eternal miasma and boiling water and the shadows of a dense black smoke neither cool nor beneficial.”
Actually the Hell like the Paradise will also have water, air, breeze and shadows but what a fierce wind! A wind so fierce that it is called “samoom” by the Qura’n.
The word Samoom has been derived from Samm which means a piercing wind which enters the powers of the skin and scalds it. The “Samm” is called so because e3very pore of the human body. According to Raghib Samm and Somm is the term used for the minute holes which are like the eye of the needle, the holes in the ears, or the nostrils. (1)
They have water but one that is lethal and hot and also black and hot like the dark shadows.
When a person faces heat he tries to benefit from cool wind or dive into a pool or takes to the shadows but all these things in Hell will be very hot unlike that of the Paradise where the breeze will pleasant and invigorating.
In the second group of verses the Book describes another very painful chastisement: “Indeed We will make those who defied our signs enter a fire.” (2) And then adds, “We shall replace their skins as often as they are scorched so that they may taste the punishment. God is all-mighty, all-wise.”
The last sentence is the answer to the question whether such a chastisement is possible? If it is then will it be justice? Qura’n says that this is easy for God and is also according to His wisdom.
We find a very famous question with the commentators, “If the skins are replaced by new ones then what is the sin of the new ones to be burnt?”
The ancient commentators have given many answers to this question and the best answer is from Imam Sadiq’s hadith in which he replied to a materialist Ibn Abil Auja for he had asked the same question about the fresh skins.
The Imam said, “these new skins are actually the renovated old skins but are new also.”
When Ibn Auja could not fathom the answer he asked for an example and the Imam said, “It is like breaking an old brick and then reshaping it into a new one. This second brick is actually the first one but is different.” (3).
According to the hadith the new skin will be made from the residue of the old one and this new form will contain the old material.
Some have said, “ There will be no doubt even if the material and shape of the new one is different from that of the old because on the Day of Judgment the human spirit will neither face punishment nor will the skins. They have taken the words “so that they may taste the punishment” as a proof of their contention. This is why a person sins with one limb but the other limb is punished e.g. he drinks wine but his back is lashed 80 times for it. This is so because inflicting pain on the body will lead to the suffering of the soul.
The third verse speaks about those who hoard gold, silver and coins but do not pay their dues. It is said, “Let those who hoard silver and gold and do not spend them in the way of God know about a painful chastisement.” The verse then refer to “Aazbol Aleem” and says, “On that Day (this gold and silver) will be heated in the fire to brand their foreheads, sides and backs.” they will be told, “So taste that which you had hoarded.”
This statement is the answer about the severest punishment from God and that is that all the punishments are just the manifestations of the evil deeds that men did and this is what they will taste. This is just like a person suffering extreme pain because of excessive alcohol abuse.
We end this discussion here because we have discussed this issue in details earlier.
1. According to Qamoos-ol-Loghat the word “Samoom” is the hot wind that blows in the day and Haroor is the one that blows in the night. According to Tafsir Fakhr Razi, (vol.29 page 198) “Samoom” is that hot and piercing, and foul smelling wind that pierces the heart and is lethal.
2. Here the fire is kept vague to enhance its mystery.
3. Tafsir Nurus Saqlain vol.1 page 494 hadith 314
