The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Al-Nabaʾ – Verse 30

فَذوقوا فَلَن نَزيدَكُم إِلّا عَذابًا

So [now] taste! We shall increase you in nothing but punishment!

EXEGESIS

There is a shift from the third person to the second person in this verse, whereby the rebels are directly addressed. This effectively places the audience in the scene of the hereafter where the rebels are being punished with the aforementioned punishments and they are scolded by a harsh and bitter address: So [now] taste! We shall increase you in nothing but punishment!

EXPOSITION

This is an extremely painful and severe address, and a truly horrifying and depressing end to the story of this group. It concludes the earlier arguments by reiterating verse 26 in different words. This sad and bitter conclusion is because of your disbelief in the hereafter (verse 27), your reckless deviance from our instructions and communications (verse 28), and the plethora of your sins that We have enumerated (verse 29).

This is apparently an address by God, although it may be proclaimed by one of His angels or righteous servants. It does not contradict the idea that Allah shall not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection (2:174), because what is meant there is that God will not speak to them with mercy, care, and attention. Otherwise, the disbelievers and wrongdoers will be spoken to by God and His intermediaries with censure and rebuke, as seen in many verses in the Quran. This is understood from the context of the verses.‎[1]

We shall increase you in nothing but punishment: this does not contradict verse 26 (A fitting requital). In other words, it is not against God’s justice. It is a certain Quranic fact that no one will be punished more than what he deserves according to his own voluntary actions. Therefore, the verse could have the following interpretations:

  1. What is meant is to deny any hope for relief and any chance of delivery, not to assert extra punishment, and the expression of the verse is only for emphasis.
  2. It involves an omitted implied part: [If We want to increase or change anything about you] then We shall increase you in nothing but punishment! This essentially reduces to the first interpretation.
  3. The verse refers to increases of punishment due to their deeds and according to what they deserve. This is explicitly mentioned and clarified elsewhere in the Quran: Those who are faithless and bar from the way of Allah – We shall add punishment to their punishment because of the corruption they used to cause (16:88).
  4. The increase of punishment refers to its continuation and renewal over time: Their refuge shall be hell. Whenever it subsides, We shall intensify the blaze for them (17:97); Indeed those who defy Our signs, We shall soon make them enter a fire: as often as their skins become scorched, We shall replace them with other skins, so that they may taste the punishment. Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-wise (4:56). This also reduces to the third interpretation, because the renewal or eternity of one’s punishment is also a consequent of one’s own actions and insistence in error, as seen in Prophet Noah’s (a) description of his people: But my summons only increases their evasion (71:6).
  5. Their direction in life was based on false beliefs and evil practices. They persistently followed this direction, and the same course will be prolonged for them as it was their own choice and decision. In other words, they were on a path of incessantly accumulating sins, and this course will continue into eternity.
  6. We sent you every sign and alert (verse 28), and warned you about Our punishment in Our Quran (verse 29). Our book told you that you must either accept Me or else encounter the punishment of hell. You made an informed and voluntary choice to go for the second option. You rejected the Quran, despised its warning, and even challenged God to send His punishment upon you sooner (10:50-51, 21:38-39, 22:47, 27:71-72, 29:53-54, 37:176, 51:14, 51:59). Therefore, it only makes sense that [now] taste! We shall increase you in nothing but punishment!‎[2]
  7. If one commits a crime against two people, he deserves more punishment than one who commits the same crime against one person. Likewise, if one’s action unjustly affects a person at a later time, the actor will be held accountable for that harm as well. Now, these verses are about disbelievers and rebels who have wrongly displeased God – who is beyond any beginning or end – and who have not repented from their wrong. This is how their acts, and the consequences thereof, have become eternal.

So [now] taste: This is a mocking and humiliating order to taste the punishment that they have created, earned, and accrued for themselves. The address itself is also a tremendous mental and psychological punishment. They will be satirically told: Taste! Indeed you are the [self-styled] mighty and noble! (44:49). We seek refuge in God from such a dreadful position and unfortunate end. Our Lord, whoever that You make enter the fire will surely have been disgraced by You, and the wrongdoers will have no helpers … Our Lord, forgive us our sins and absolve us of our misdeeds, and make us die with the pious. Our Lord, give us what You have promised us through Your apostles, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed You do not break your promise (3:192-194).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

  1. The Prophet said: ‘This is the most severe verse in the Quran regarding the people of hell.’‎[3]

Notes: 1. The same idea has been narrated from some companions and early exegetes.‎[4] 2. This intense address is especially emphasised by the article of negation lan (never).

  1. In a long narration describing the grievous punishment of hell, Imam al-Bāqir (a) says: ‘Then He will tell Mālik [the guardian of hell]: “O Mālik, tell them taste! We shall increase you in nothing but punishment!”’‎[5]

Note: This hadith could conciliate the idea that Allah shall not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection (2:174) with this verse (and other similar verses where the people of hell are addressed). Another explanation was discussed in Exposition.

[1] Razi, 31/21; Tasnīm, 25/85.
[2] Alusi, 15/217, with some elaboration.
[3] Thalabi, 10/117; Tabrisi.J, 4/431.
[4] Suyuti, 6/308.
[5] Mufīd, al-Ikhtiṣāṣ, p. 364.