وَظِلٍّ مِن يَحمومٍ
And a shadow of dense black smoke.
EXEGESIS
Yaḥmūm is from the same root as ḥamīm. It means an extremely dense and black smoke. That is because another element of the root is blackness, or perhaps because such a smoke (or vapour) arises from hot burning fuels (or boiling water), or because it causes heat in the person and makes one sweat, which is also one of the meanings of this root. Yaḥmūm has also been interpreted by some early exegetes as a mountain in hell, with a shade in which the people of fire will take refuge and to which they will resort. But of course, it is a shade that is Neither cool nor beneficial (verse 44).
Ẓill: shade, shadow. It is also used as a transitive verb (ẓalla) to indicate an act that is persistently done or a condition that is continually observed; it is as if that act or condition spreads out and expands like a shadow. From this lexical connection one can deduce the reason why such a dense black smoke will overshadow the people of the left hand and surround them from every side. It is because they were continually (ẓallū) in disbelief (30:51), and were persistently clinging on to objects of worship other than God (20:91, 20:97). They said: ‘We worship idols, and we will go on clinging to them’ (26:71).
This will also justify the contrast between their shadow and the peaceful shade in which the people of the right hand reside: And an extended shade (verse 30). That is because they were consistently involved in acts of charity, lived their life in the remembrance, worship, and obedience of God, and fulfilled their promise toward their Lord (3:134, 33:23, 33:35, 51:16, 70:23). A description of the paradise promised to the God-wary: streams run in it, its fruits and shade are everlasting. Such is the requital of those who are God-wary; and the requital of the faithless is the fire (13:35).
Samūm, ḥamīm and ẓill, as well as shajar in verse 52, are all mentioned in the indefinite (nakarah) form, which is used when describing something great and magnificent, and/or something that is being introduced for the first time. The same form when used in a negation – as it is used in Neither cool nor beneficial in verse 44 – would mean a total and absolute negation: there will be no coolness or benefit therein whatsoever. Ḥamīm is then used in the definite form in verse 54 as it was already introduced here.
EXPOSITION
Further, there is no light, hope, or breeze from above. They are enveloped by a thick black smoke that makes it impossible to breathe or see, and dismantle the olfactory cells. This shadow surrounds them from every side and leaves them absolutely no respite: There will be canopies of fire above them, and [similar] canopies beneath them (39:16); indeed hell will besiege the faithless (29:54); Whenever they desire to leave it out of [overwhelming] anguish, they will be turned back into it [and told]: ‘Taste the punishment of the burning!’ (22:22).
It is a shadow, but not one that protects against the heat; rather, it is itself filled with dense smoke, intense heat, and immense sparks of fire: Get off toward the triple-forked shadow, which is neither shady nor is of any avail against the flame. Indeed it throws up sparks [huge] like palaces (77:30-32). Just as the wine of the close ones neither causes them headache nor stupefaction (verse 19) and as the fruit of the righteous is Neither inaccessible, nor forbidden (verse 33), the smoke and boiling water of the wretched is Neither cool nor beneficial, Tasting in it neither any coolness nor drink, except boiling water and pus – a fitting requital (78:24-26). The following verses will describe why this is a fitting requital.
What is common between wind, water, and shade is that they are all means of alleviating heat and providing coolness in this world. However, the air, water, and shadow of hell are burning hot – let alone its fire, which would have a burning power beyond imagination. Thus, this group of verses implies that there will be no rest, comfort, or coolness whatsoever for the people of the left hand.
The Quran has not only given the appalling description of the miasma (samūm) of hell, it has also shown the way to avoid it. What saves one from that excruciating environment is to be vigilant and fearful with regard to one’s family and environment in this world, and of course, to supplicate to God for His mercy: They [the God-wary] will say: ‘Indeed, aforetime, we used to be apprehensive about our families. But Allah showed us favour and He saved us from the punishment of the [infernal] miasma; indeed we used to supplicate Him aforetime. Indeed He is the all-benign, the all-merciful’ (52:26-28).
This shadow of dense black smoke is apparently not merely a physical phenomenon or punishment. Perhaps it also signifies the worst punishment of the inhabitants of hell: Indeed, they will be blocked [or veiled] from their Lord on that day (83:15); Those who sell Allah’s covenant and their oaths for a paltry gain – there shall be no share for them in the hereafter and Allah will not speak to them nor will He [so much as] look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and there is a painful punishment for them (3:77).
They will be blind from beholding the beauty and mercy of their Lord on that day, for they were deviant of His remembrance, signs, and verses in this world: Whoever disregards My remembrance, his shall be a wretched life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him blind. He will say: ‘My Lord! Why have You raised me blind, though I used to see?’ He will say: ‘So it is. Our signs came to you, but you forgot them, and thus you will be forgotten today’ (20:124-126). This interpretation of the shadow of smoke to their blindness is confirmed by the contrast made in verses 17:71-72 (quoted under verse 41) between those who are given their books in their right hand and those who were blind in this world and will thus be blind in the hereafter.
[1] Raghib; Lisan, under ḥ-m-m.
[2] Tabrisi, 9/333.
[3] Raghib; Tahqiq, under ẓ-l-l.
[4] Qaraati, 9/429-430, has presented a comprehensive Quranic comparison between the rewards of the inhabitants of paradise and the punishments of the inhabitants of hell.
[5] Razi, 29/409.