هَـٰذَا فَلْيَذُوقُوهُ حَمِيمٌ وَغَسَّاقٌ 57
Translations
This - so let them taste it - is scalding water and [foul] purulence.
Transliteration
Hādhā fal-yadhūqūhu hamīmun wa-ghassāq
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the punishment awaiting the disbelievers in the Hereafter—they will taste boiling water (hamīm) and filthy discharge (ghassāq). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that hamīm is extremely hot water that burns the throat and insides, while ghassāq is the putrid fluid that oozes from the wounds of the inhabitants of Hell, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of their torment in both temperature and filth.
Revelation Context
Surah Sad is a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam when the Quraysh rejected the Message. This ayah appears in a passage describing the fate of those who reject Allah's signs, contrasting the reward of the righteous with the punishment of the disbelievers—a recurring theme in Meccan surahs meant to warn the polytheists of Mecca.
Related Hadiths
Related to the descriptions of Hell's punishments: Sahih Muslim includes a hadith where the Prophet (ﷺ) described the temperatures of Hell. Additionally, multiple hadiths in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim discuss the punishments of the Hellfire, though none specifically cite this exact ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder of the serious consequences of rejecting Allah's guidance and disbelief, encouraging readers to reflect deeply on their spiritual state and commitment to faith. For modern believers, it emphasizes the importance of gratitude for divine mercy and the urgency of sincere repentance while still in this life.