لَأَملَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكَ وَمِمَّن تَبِعَكَ مِنهُم أَجمَعينَ
I will surely fill hell with you and all those who follow you.’
EXEGESIS
There is a stylistic omission in the translation here, and it should literally read: those who follow you from them (minhum). The ‘from them’ here could be referring to the offspring of Prophet Adam (a). In this sense, minka (with you or lit. from you) could be referring to jinn, and minhum to mankind. It has also been said that the first min in minka means all the leaders, and the second minhum refers to the followers. This is so the final ajmaʿīn (all those) would not be redundant, as in this case it would refer to the minka.
EXPOSITION
The truth spoken by God is told to us in this verse, and that is His promise, I will surely fill hell with you. In addition to that He promises the same to those whom Iblīs does succeed to misguide. Those who follow you would be those who listen to Iblīs’ whispers and follow his path of disobedience. The pleonasm with the quadruple emphasis of minka (with you), mimman tabiʿaka (those who follow you), minhum (from them), and ajmaʿīn (all) serves as excessive emphasis, to make it clear to Iblīs and any who would follow in his path what their abode in the hereafter will be. It also implies that when it comes to God’s judgement, there is no difference between jinn and human beings if they choose the path of arrogance and rebellion, they will all be judged equally, for everyone is a hostage to what he has earned (52:21).
This verse closes the story of Iblīs and the important lessons in it. In this surah it was looked at from the angle of conceit and defiance as per its second verse. Iblīs is the ultimate example of where pride will lead, how it causes one to blindly oppose the truth, and how defiance will fill one with petty spite. Iblīs was willing to damn himself to hell if that meant that he could take mankind with him. Hearing God’s promise that he would end up in hell did not deter Iblīs, as it reasonably should, and this was because of his conceit and defiance.
As for the concept of hell being filled, this is spoken of in other verses as well, such as The day when We shall say to hell: ‘Are you full?’ It will say: ‘Is there any more?’ (50:30). Obviously, this is meant as a warning so people would not think themselves safe from hell. However, it also seems to suggest that hell is designed to reach maximum capacity. We read also that in the hereafter paradise is as vast as the heavens and the earth (57:21). This seems to indicate that only a small portion of the immensely vast creation is allotted to hell, which is designed thusly to be filled.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- It is reported that Imam Ali (a) said in one of his sermons: ‘After Iblīs, who should be safe from God if he performs such a sin? Nay! God would never allow a man to enter into heaven due to something that caused Him to drive an angel out of it. His decree for the people of heaven is as His decree for the people of earth.’
Note: Referring to Iblīs as angel should be as per his rank, not his origin, as he was a jinn of origin, but joined the ranks of the angels.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- … depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
[1] Tabrisi, 8/759.
[2] Zamakhshari, 4/109; Qurtubi, 15/230; Mizan, 17/227.
[3] Zamakhshari, 4/109; Alusi, 12/219.
[4] Tibyan, 8/585.
[5] Nahj, sermon 192.
[6] Matthew 25:41.