لَّا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِى مِن جُوعٍ 7
Translations
Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.
Transliteration
Lā yusminu wa lā yughni min jū'
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the food of the people of Hell (zaqqūm tree), describing its complete inability to nourish or satisfy hunger. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the zaqqūm is a bitter, foul tree from Hell whose fruit provides no nutritional benefit and cannot relieve starvation, emphasizing the torment of those who reject Allah's guidance. The contrast between the appearance and reality of this food symbolizes the deceptive nature of worldly pleasures that distance one from obedience to Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Ghashiyah, a Meccan surah describing the Day of Judgment and the contrasting states of the blessed and the punished. It appears in the context of vivid descriptions of Hell's punishments (verses 1-16), serving as a warning to the Meccan disbelievers about the consequences of rejecting the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) described the zaqqūm tree in several hadiths. In Sahih Muslim, it is mentioned that zaqqūm is 'the most bitter food' and will be the sustenance of the people of Hell, reinforcing the Quranic description of its inability to provide nourishment or satisfaction.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that pursuing false desires and rejecting divine guidance leads to ultimate emptiness and despair, both spiritually and materially. It encourages steadfastness in faith by contemplating how temporary worldly indulgences pale against the eternal consequences of turning away from Allah's truth.