فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَنَالُهُمْ نَصِيبُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ ضَلُّوا۟ عَنَّا وَشَهِدُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ كَٰفِرِينَ
So who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah, or denies His signs? Their share, as decreed in the Book, shall reach them. When Our messengers come to take them away, they will say, ‘Where is that which you used to invoke besides Allah?’ They will say, ‘They have forsaken us,’ and they will testify against themselves that they were faithless.
قَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِىٓ أُمَمٍۢ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ فِى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌۭ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱدَّارَكُوا۟ فِيهَا جَمِيعًۭا قَالَتْ أُخْرَىٰهُمْ لِأُولَىٰهُمْ رَبَّنَا هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَٔاتِهِمْ عَذَابًۭا ضِعْفًۭا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ قَالَ لِكُلٍّۢ ضِعْفٌۭ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَعْلَمُونَ
He will say, ‘Enter the Fire, along with the nations of jinn and humans who passed before you!’ Every time that a nation enters [hell], it will curse its sister [nation]. When they all rejoin in it, the last of them will say about the first of them, ‘Our Lord, it was they who led us astray; so give them a double punishment of the Fire.’ He will say, ‘It is double for each [of you], but you do not know.’
وَقَالَتْ أُولَىٰهُمْ لِأُخْرَىٰهُمْ فَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍۢ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ
And the first of them will say to the last of them, ‘You have no merit over us! So taste the punishment because of what you used to earn.’
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ عَنْهَا لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَٰبُ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ حَتَّىٰ يَلِجَ ٱلْجَمَلُ فِى سَمِّ ٱلْخِيَاطِ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
Indeed, those who deny Our signs and are disdainful of them—the gates of the heaven will not be opened for them, nor shall they enter paradise until the camel passes through the needle’s eye, and thus do We requite the guilty.
لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌۭ وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍۢ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
They shall have hell for their resting place, and over them shall be sheets [of fire], and thus do We requite the wrongdoers.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَآ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds—We task no soul except according to its capacity—they shall be the inhabitants of paradise, and they shall remain in it [forever].
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ ۖ وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى هَدَىٰنَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِىَ لَوْلَآ أَنْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ ۖ لَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَنُودُوٓا۟ أَن تِلْكُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
We will remove whatever rancour there is in their breasts, and streams will run for them. They will say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, who guided us to this. We would have never been guided had not Allah guided us. Our Lord’s apostles had certainly brought the truth.’ And the call would be made to them: ‘This is paradise, which you have been given to inherit because of what you used to do!’
وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ أَن قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّۭا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّۭا ۖ قَالُوا۟ نَعَمْ ۚ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌۢ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن لَّعْنَةُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
The inhabitants of paradise will call out to the inmates of the Fire, ‘We found what our Lord promised us to be true; did you find what your Lord promised you to be true?’ ‘Yes,’ they will say. Then a caller will announce in their midst, ‘May Allah’s curse be on the wrongdoers!’
ٱلَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا وَهُم بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ كَٰفِرُونَ
—Those who bar [others] from the way of Allah, and seek to make it crooked, and disbelieve in the Hereafter.
وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌۭ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌۭ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلًّۢا بِسِيمَىٰهُمْ ۚ وَنَادَوْا۟ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ
There will be a veil between them. And on the Elevations will be certain men who recognize each of them by their mark. They will call out to the inhabitants of paradise, ‘Peace be to you!’ (They will not have entered it, though they would be eager to do so.
۞ وَإِذَا صُرِفَتْ أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تِلْقَآءَ أَصْحَٰبِ ٱلنَّارِ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
And when their look is turned toward the inmates of the Fire, they will say, ‘Our Lord, do not put us among the wrongdoing lot!’)
وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالًۭا يَعْرِفُونَهُم بِسِيمَىٰهُمْ قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
The occupants of the Elevations will call out to certain men whom they recognize by their marks, ‘Your rallying did not avail you, nor what you used to disdain.
أَهَٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أَقْسَمْتُمْ لَا يَنَالُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ ۚ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَآ أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ
Are these the ones concerning whom you swore that Allah will not extend them any mercy?’ ‘Enter paradise! You shall have no fear, nor shall you grieve.’
وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَنْ أَفِيضُوا۟ عَلَيْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
The inmates of the Fire will call out to the inhabitants of paradise, ‘Pour on us some water, or something of what Allah has provided you.’ They will say, ‘Allah has indeed forbidden these two to the faithless!’
ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَهْوًۭا وَلَعِبًۭا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ فَٱلْيَوْمَ نَنسَىٰهُمْ كَمَا نَسُوا۟ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَٰذَا وَمَا كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ
Those who took their religion for diversion and play and whom the life of the world had deceived. So today, We will forget them as they forgot the encounter of this day of theirs, and as they used to impugn Our signs.
وَلَقَدْ جِئْنَٰهُم بِكِتَٰبٍۢ فَصَّلْنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ هُدًۭى وَرَحْمَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Certainly We have brought them a Book, which We have elaborated with knowledge, as a guidance and mercy for a people who have faith.
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُۥ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا۟ لَنَآ أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
Do they not consider [the consequences of] its fulfillment? The day when its fulfillment comes, those who had forgotten it before will say, ‘Our Lord’s apostles had certainly brought the truth. If only we had some intercessors to intercede for us, or we would be returned, so that we may do differently from what we did!’ They have certainly ruined their souls, and what they used to fabricate has forsaken them.
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
This long unit stages the Hereafter as a sequence of cross-examinations. The deniers' "share of the Book" overtakes them (37); the angels strip away their idols at death; and, herded "among nations of jinn and men gone before," the followers and leaders trade curses (38–39). al-Ṭabarsī, al-Ṭūsī and al-Qummī all gloss "these misled us" with al-Ṣādiq's reading — the unjust imams (aʾimmat al-jawr) — and explain the "double punishment" as one share for misleading and one for one's own disbelief. For the arrogant (40), "the gates of heaven shall not open… until the camel passes through the needle's eye": al-Mīzān takes the closed gates as proof that Paradise is in the heaven, and al-Burhān and al-Qummī preserve al-Bāqir's striking, partisan identification of "the camel" with the camel of Ṭalḥa and al-Zubayr at the Battle of the Camel. Against this stands the believers' rest (42–43): "We removed whatever rancour was in their breasts," so none envies another in the Garden — a verse all four sources read at face value, crowned by the inheritance-ḥadīth that each soul inherits its opposite's place.
The section's theological summit is the People of the Heights (46–49), and here the Imāmī reading is at its boldest. The herald who proclaims "the curse of God upon the wrongdoers" (44) is, by a chain of reports in al-Ṭabarsī, al-Burhān and al-Qummī, none other than ʿAlī — "I am that herald… the curse of God upon those who belied my walāya." And the "men on the Heights who recognize each by his mark" are identified, across an enormous narration-cluster in al-Burhān, with the Imams of Āl Muḥammad: "we are the Heights by whom God is known only through knowing us; we are His gates and His path," ʿAlī calling himself qasīm al-janna wa'l-nār, the divider of Garden and Fire. al-Ṭabarsī gathers the same reports — al-Bāqir's "they are Āl Muḥammad," al-Ṣādiq's image of the Heights as dunes where every prophet and successor waits with the sinners of his age until intercession lifts them — while also recording the older view that the "men" are those whose good and evil deeds are evenly balanced. al-Burhān harmonizes the two: the men on the Heights are the Imams, and those detained upon it, neither admitted nor condemned, are the equal-deed believers deferred to God's mercy (al-Bāqir to Zurāra: "leave them where God left them"). al-Mīzān, more soberly, reads the Heights as a barrier between the two abodes whose occupants "oversee both groups from their elevated position" and recognize everyone — a frame the narrations then fill with names.
The unit closes on the Fire's futile plea for water (50) — which al-Burhān and al-Qummī make the setting of al-Bāqir's dazzling exchange with Nāfiʿ before Hishām — and on the Book "detailed with knowledge" whose taʾwīl, its final unfolding, is yet to come: "that," say al-Qummī and al-Burhān, "is in the rising of the Qāʾim and on the Day of Resurrection," when the deniers will confess, too late, that "the messengers of our Lord brought the truth" (53).