وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْـَٔازِفَةِ إِذِ ٱلْقُلُوبُ لَدَى ٱلْحَنَاجِرِ كَـٰظِمِينَ ۚ مَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ 18
Translations
And warn them, [O Muḥammad], of the Approaching Day, when hearts are at the throats, filled [with distress]. For the wrongdoers there will be no devoted friend and no intercessor [who is] obeyed.
Transliteration
Wa-andhirhum yawma al-āzifati idha al-qulūbu ladā al-hanājir kāẓimīn. Mā lil-ẓālimīna min hamīm wa-lā shafīʿin yuṭāʿ.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns the disbelievers of the Day of Judgment when it draws near, depicting a scene of intense anguish where hearts reach the throats in suffocation and despair. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the phrase 'hearts at the throats' (al-qulūbu ladā al-hanājir) is a metaphor for extreme fear and distress on that Day. The ayah emphasizes that the wrongdoers will have no close protector (hamīm) nor any intercessor whose intercession will be accepted—a sobering reminder of the isolation and helplessness of those who rejected Allah's signs.
Revelation Context
Surah Ghafir is a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam when the Prophet faced intense opposition from Quraysh. This ayah is part of a broader theme in the surah emphasizing divine mercy alongside warnings about the consequences of rejecting faith, reflecting the dual message of hope and fear that characterized Meccan revelation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'On the Day of Resurrection, the sun will be brought close to the creation, and the people will sweat according to their deeds' (Sahih Muslim 2864). Additionally, 'No soul will have any friend to help it, nor anyone to intercede for it' (Quran 40:18) is echoed in the hadith concerning the intercession being granted only to whom Allah wills.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that worldly connections and influences will be powerless on the Day of Judgment—only righteous deeds and sincere faith matter. It serves as a powerful incentive to fear Allah in this life and seek His forgiveness before facing the reality of the Hereafter where no intermediary can help except through Allah's permission.