وَإِذَآ أُلْقُوا۟ مِنْهَا مَكَانًا ضَيِّقًا مُّقَرَّنِينَ دَعَوْا۟ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُورًا 13
Translations
And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction.
Transliteration
Wa idha ulqoo minha makanan dayyiqan muqarranin da'aw hunalika thubuura
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the punishment of the inhabitants of Hell when they are cast into a narrow, confined space while bound together in chains. Ibn Kathir explains that 'muqarranin' (bound together) refers to their being chained and shackled, and in their distress and despair, they call out 'thubuura' (destruction/ruin upon us), expressing their anguish and hopelessness. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the physical confinement combined with their inability to escape symbolizes the complete helplessness and despair of those punished in the Fire.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Furqan (The Criterion), a Meccan surah that elaborates on scenes of the Day of Judgment and the contrasting fates of the righteous and the wicked. The surah provides vivid descriptions of Hell's punishment to warn the disbelievers of Mecca about the consequences of their rejection of the message. This particular ayah is part of a sequence describing the torment awaiting those who deny the truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding the punishment of the Fire: 'The smallest punishment in Hell is that a person will have burning coals placed beneath his feet, causing his brain to boil' (Sahih Muslim 2876). Additionally, the Quran frequently mentions those in Hell calling for destruction (thubuura), as referenced in Surah Yunus 10:52: 'It will be said: 'Taste the punishment!''
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder of the reality of Hell's punishment and the urgency of sincere repentance and faith in this life. For believers, it reinforces the importance of seeking Allah's mercy and following His guidance, while for those estranged from faith, it presents a stark warning of the inescapable consequences of persistent disbelief and wrongdoing.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةً وَٰحِدَةً ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَ ۖ وَرَتَّلْنَـٰهُ تَرْتِيلًا
And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur’ān not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.
إِن كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ ءَالِهَتِنَا لَوْلَآ أَن صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
He almost would have misled us from our gods had we not been steadfast in [worship of] them." But they are going to know, when they see the punishment, who is farthest astray in [his] way.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ أَنَسْجُدُ لِمَا تَأْمُرُنَا وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورًا ۩
And when it is said to them, "Prostrate to the Most Merciful," they say, "And what is the Most Merciful? Should we prostrate to that which you order us?" And it increases them in aversion.
يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ لَا بُشْرَىٰ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا
The day they see the angels - no good tidings will there be that day for the criminals, and [the angels] will say, "Prevented and inaccessible."