كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ 15
Translations
No! Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
Transliteration
Kallā innahā laẓā
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah emphatically refutes the false hopes of the disbelievers who think they can escape punishment, asserting that Hell (Jahannam) is indeed a blazing fire of intense heat and pain. The word 'Ẓā' (ظى) refers to the most severe type of fire—one that burns and consumes without smoke, representing the ultimate suffering reserved for those who reject faith. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize this as a decisive divine statement rejecting any possibility of escape or mercy for those who persist in disbelief.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period context of Surah Al-Ma'arij, which discusses the Day of Judgment and the fate of disbelievers and believers. It responds to the arrogance of Meccan polytheists who mocked the concept of resurrection and divine punishment, providing them with a stern warning about the absolute reality of Hell.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa-sallam) said: 'The Fire of this world is one of seventy parts of the Fire of Hell,' (Sahih Muslim 2841). Additionally, the Prophet described the intensity of Hell's heat in multiple narrations emphasizing its unprecedented severity (Sahih Bukhari 3265).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of the serious consequences of rejecting divine guidance and the absolute certainty of divine justice—it should motivate sincere repentance and steadfastness in faith. For modern readers, it emphasizes that turning away from truth has real, eternal consequences, urging us to reflect deeply on our spiritual state and choices.