لا يَصلاها إِلَّا الأَشقَى

Which none shall enter except the most wretched.

EXEGESIS

Ashqā (the most wretched) is the superlative form of shaqī. The infinitive shiqāwah is the opposite of saʿādah, which means blessed or felicitous.^{‎[1]Munyah, 30/408.}

Yaṣlā (enter) from ṣalā, yaṣlā, ṣalyan originally means to throw into fire or to be burnt in fire. It also means to be in permanent company of something. Based on this latter meaning, some exegetes have understood yaṣlā to give a connotation of perpetuity and eternality and thus the verse would read: none shall burn forever therein except the most wretched.^{‎[2]Mizan, 20/305; Amthal, 20/261.}

Others have claimed that ṣalā refers to the process of digging a large hole and filling it with burning coal and burying a goat in the midst of it to be grilled; and as such it refers to roasting or burning between layers of flames.^{‎[3]Alusi, 15/369.} Based on this meaning, a more appropriate translation of the verse would be: Which none shall burn in its layers except the most wretched.

EXPOSITION

The verse is explicit in that no one would enter the fire of hell except the most wretched. According to Tabatabai, the most wretched refers to anyone who disbelieves and rejects the truth. The reason why such an individual is considered the most wretched, even though one who endures some bodily harm or goes through financial loss is considered as wretched in common parlance, is because the former wretchedness will never finish as there is no escaping from the everlasting fire, whilst the one afflicted with bodily or financial harm is only facing a temporal and limited torment.^{‎[4]Mizan, 20/305.}

The verse apparently seems to indicate that only the most wretched would enter hellfire and based on the next verse, this refers to the obstinate disbelievers. This poses a theological problem for many exegetes, since it is clear that many other groups of people are also liable for punishment in the hellfire such as sinful Muslims or hypocrites, for example. In response to this, several views have been given.

Some have maintained that fire in the previous verse was indefinite to indicate a special type of fire and thus is a reference to one of the levels of hellfire reserved for the most wretched people. As such, there would be no issue in saying that a specific level in hell is reserved for a specific group (such as in 4:145) and this by no means indicates that no one else would go to hell.^{‎[5]Tabrisi, 10/761; Razi, 31/186.}

In response to this, it has been said that verse 17 states that the most God-wary shall be spared from this fire. If this fire was only reserved for the most wretched then it is not the case that only the most God-wary shall be spared it. Rather, every God-fearing person, and everyone lower than him who would not be considered the most wretched, shall be spared it.^{‎[6]Zamakhshari, 4/764.} However, some have criticised this argument claiming that verse 17 has no signification of limitation (ḥaṣr). It states that the most God-fearing shall be spared it, but it does not restrict it to them.^{‎[7]Manahij, 30/533.}

A similar response has been given by Ālūsī who holds that based on the linguistic meaning of ṣalā, the verse is describing how it is only the most wretched who would burn in the layers of fire in a very harsh manner. Other groups would also be liable to enter the fire, but they would not face such an intense experience.^{‎[8]Alusi, 15/369.}

Another reply is that the superlative form of wretched is not intended here and thus the verse is stating that the fire is for wretched people (and not the most wretched ones). This is due to the fact that in 11:106 Allah promises hellfire for the wretched: As for the wretched, they shall be in the fire: their lot therein will be groaning and wailing.^{‎[9]Munyah, 30/409.} Based on this understanding, all the different groups of people in hell are to some extent wretched, even the sinners from the Muslims, and thus the verse is not limited to one group alone. However, the problem with such a response is that it is does not give any evidence that the superlative form is not intended. It would thus be saying that the word is used in a metaphorical sense and is not being used in its literal sense.^{‎[10]Manahij, 30/533.}

According to Rāzī, yaṣlāhā does not merely mean to enter the fire but has a meaning of inseparability too; thus, the verse is asserting that eternal hellfire is only for the obstinate disbeliever. Hence, other groups may also enter the fire but would not remain there perpetually.^{‎[11]Razi, 31/187.} Tabatabai has also supported this response.^{‎[12]Mizan, 20/306.}

[1] Munyah, 30/408.
[2] Mizan, 20/305; Amthal, 20/261.
[3] Alusi, 15/369.
[4] Mizan, 20/305.
[5] Tabrisi, 10/761; Razi, 31/186.
[6] Zamakhshari, 4/764.
[7] Manahij, 30/533.
[8] Alusi, 15/369.
[9] Munyah, 30/409.
[10] Manahij, 30/533.
[11] Razi, 31/187.
[12] Mizan, 20/306.