Surah Al Isra Tafseer

Guidance and Misguidance are in the Hands of Allah

Allah tells:

وَمَن يَهْدِ اللّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ

And he whom Allah guides, he is led aright;

Allah tells us how He deals with His creation and how His rulings are carried out. He tells us that there is none who can put back His judgement, for whomever He guides cannot be led astray,

وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُونِهِ

and whomever He leaves astray can never find helpers other than Him.

to guide him.

As Allah says:

مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا

He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly-guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him. (18:17)

The Punishment of the People of Misguidance

Allah tells:

وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ

and We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces,

Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet was asked,

"O Messenger of Allah, how will the people be gathered on their faces!" He said,

الَّذِي أَمْشَاهُمْ عَلَى أَرْجُلِهِمْ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُمْ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِم

The One Who made them walk on their feet is able to make them walk on their faces.

It was also reported (by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) in the Two Sahihs.

عُمْيًا

blind, (means, unable to see).

وَبُكْمًا

dumb, (means, unable to speak).

وَصُمًّا

deaf, (means, unable to hear).

They will be in this state as a punishment for the way they were in this world, blind, dumb and deaf to the truth. This will be their recompense when they are gathered on the Day of Resurrection, at the time when they need these faculties most of all.

مَّأْوَاهُمْ

their abode,

means, their destination.

جَهَنَّمُ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ

will be Hell; whenever it abates,

Ibn Abbas said,

"(This means) calms down,"

Mujahid said,

"(It means) is extinguished,"

زِدْنَاهُمْ سَعِيرًا

We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire.

meaning, increasing its flames and heat and coals, as Allah says:

فَذُوقُواْ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلاَّ عَذَاباً

So taste you (the results of your evil actions). No increase shall We give you, except in torment. (78:30