سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغْشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ 50
Translations
Their garments of liquid pitch and their faces covered by the Fire
Transliteration
Sarabīluhum min qiṭrān wa-taghshā wujūhuhum al-nār
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes one of the punishments of the inhabitants of Hell, where their bodies will be covered with coats made of tar (qiṭrān), and the fire will engulf their faces. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the tar represents a molten, sticky substance that will cling to their skin, intensifying their torment, while the fire consuming their faces symbolizes the complete encompassing nature of divine punishment for those who rejected faith and disobeyed Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ibrahim, a Meccan surah that emphasizes monotheism and warns of the consequences of disbelief and idolatry. The surah contextually addresses those who rejected the message of Prophet Abraham and the subsequent prophets, making this description of hellish punishment part of the broader warning to Meccan disbelievers about the reality of the afterlife.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding the people of Hell: 'Their skins will be changed every seventy years so that they may taste the punishment' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2580). Additionally, Surah Al-Hajj 22:20 is thematically related, describing melted brass being poured over their heads.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a serious reminder of the reality and severity of divine punishment for those who turn away from Allah's message, encouraging believers to reflect deeply on accountability in the afterlife and to strengthen their faith and obedience in this life.