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Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One)

Verse 31of 56

وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةًۭ ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةًۭ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنًۭا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ وَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًۭا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ﴿٣١

Translation (Sahih International)

And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity.

Word-by-word meaning

وَمَاwamāAnd not
جَعَلْنَآjaʿalnāWe have made
أَصْحَـٰبَaṣḥābakeepers
ٱلنَّارِl-nāri(of) the Fire
إِلَّاillāexcept
مَلَـٰٓئِكَةًۭ ۙmalāikatanAngels
وَمَاwamāAnd not
جَعَلْنَاjaʿalnāWe have made
عِدَّتَهُمْʿiddatahumtheir number
إِلَّاillāexcept
فِتْنَةًۭfit'natan(as) a trial
لِّلَّذِينَlilladhīnafor those who
كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieve
لِيَسْتَيْقِنَliyastayqinathat may be certain
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
أُوتُوا۟ūtūwere given
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitābathe Scripture
وَيَزْدَادَwayazdādaand may increase
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
ءَامَنُوٓا۟āmanūbelieve
إِيمَـٰنًۭا ۙīmānan(in) faith
وَلَاwalāand not
يَرْتَابَyartābamay doubt
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
أُوتُوا۟ūtūwere given
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitābathe Scripture
وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙwal-mu'minūnaand the believers
وَلِيَقُولَwaliyaqūlaand that may say
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose
فِىin
قُلُوبِهِمqulūbihimtheir hearts
مَّرَضٌۭmaraḍun(is) a disease
وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَwal-kāfirūnaand the disbelievers
مَاذَآmādhāWhat
أَرَادَarāda(does) intend
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
بِهَـٰذَاbihādhāby this
مَثَلًۭا ۚmathalanexample
كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
يُضِلُّyuḍilludoes let go astray
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
مَنmanwhom
يَشَآءُyashāuHe wills
وَيَهْدِىwayahdīand guides
مَنmanwhom
يَشَآءُ ۚyashāuHe wills
وَمَاwamāAnd none
يَعْلَمُyaʿlamuknows
جُنُودَjunūda(the) hosts
رَبِّكَrabbika(of) your Lord
إِلَّاillāexcept
هُوَ ۚhuwaHim
وَمَاwamāAnd not
هِىَhiyait
إِلَّاillā(is) but
ذِكْرَىٰdhik'rāa reminder
لِلْبَشَرِlil'basharito (the) human beings

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Number of Guardians of Hell and what the Disbelievers said about thatAllah says,وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَـبَ النَّارِ(And We have set none as (Ashab) guardians of the Fire) meaning, its guardians.إِلاَّ مَلَـئِكَةً(but angels.) Guardian angels, stern and severe. This is a refutation of the idolators of the Quraysh when they mentioned the number of guardian angels.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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