بَلِ السّاعَةُ مَوعِدُهُم وَالسّاعَةُ أَدهىٰ وَأَمَرُّ
Rather the hour is their tryst; and the hour will be most calamitous and bitter.
EXEGESIS
The conjunction bal (rather) may imply escalation or may be for moving to a new subject (iḍrāb). In the first sense, it is used to further warn the polytheists by escalating from worldly punishment (verse 45) to the punishment of the hereafter. In the second sense, it warns them that although a destruction like that of previous nations is not destined for them, a greater destruction is awaiting them which is the devastation of the hereafter.
Adhā (most calamitous) is the comparative form from dāhiyah which means an enormous calamity from which there is no escape.[1]
Amarr (most bitter) is the comparative form of mirārah which means bitterness, in contrast to sweetness.[2] This is a beautiful expression bearing in mind the fact that the verb ‘to taste’ has been used for the punishments in verses 37 and 48.[3]
Some exegetes suggest that perhaps amarr comes from istimrār and thus means continuous.[4] This meaning makes sense in the context of the hereafter where punishment is perpetual, whilst in this world death is the final straw after which one cannot be punished.[5]
EXPOSITION
After mentioning the excuses of the polytheists, this verse mentions that the punishment of the hereafter is going to be much worse than the punishment in this world. What the polytheists face in this realm is not comparable to what waits for them in the hereafter.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- It has been reported from Imam Ali (a): ‘The bitterness of this world is the sweetness of the hereafter, while the sweetness of this world is the bitterness of the hereafter.’[6]
- It has been reported from Imam Ali (a): ‘Every calamity other than the hellfire is comfort.’[7]
- It has been reported from Imam Ali (a) whilst describing the hellfire and its inmates: ‘O Kumayl, therein [hellfire] they [the inmates of hellfire] will be despondent about returning back, and their regret will increase, and they will become certain of destruction and abiding therein, as a result of what they had earned, and they will be punished.’[8]
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
According to some exegetes, the pronoun their goes back to not only the polytheists of Mecca who were the addressees of the previous verse, but also includes the peoples of Noah (a), Ṣāliḥ (a), Hūd (a), Lot (a), and Moses (a), who were mentioned previously in the chapter.[9]
[1] Munyah, 27/218.
[2] Munyah, 27/218; Mizan, 19/84.
[3] Razi, 29/323.
[4] Tibyan, 9/459; Tabrisi, 9/294.
[5] Razi, 29/323.
[6] Nahj, saying 251.
[7] Nahj, saying 387.
[8] Bihar, 77/276.
[9] Kashif, 7/200; Razi, 29/322.