Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

19. “These are, two adversaries who dispute about their Lord. But as for those who disbelieved, garments of Fire have been cut out, and there shall be poured over their heads boiling water.”

The Occasion of Revelation

A group of Islamic commentators, Sunnites and Shi‘ites, have recorded an occasion of Revelation for the above holy verse in their books, the abridgement of it is as follows:

On the day of the Battle of Badr, three men (consisting of Ali (as), Hamzah, and ‘Ubaydat-ibn-Harith-ibn-‘Abdul-Mutalib), from the Muslim troop came into the battlefield and, in the proper order they killed Walid-ibn-‘Atabah, ‘Atabat-ibn-Rabi‘, and Shaybat-ibn-Rabi‘ah. The abovementioned verse was revealed and stated the fate of these strugglers.

It has also been cited that Abuthar used to swear that this verse was revealed about the above men, but, it has repeatedly said, the existence of a particular occasion of revelation never hinders the generality of the concept of that verse.¹

In previous verses, the whole believers and some different groups of disbelievers were already pointed out, and they were explained in six categories. Here, the Qur’an implies that these two opposite parties, believers and non-believers, disputed about their Lord.

The verse says:

“These are, two adversaries who dispute about their Lord…”

Those who disputed were the groups of disbelievers, who were divided in five classes, from one side, and the true believers, from another side. And, if we take care properly we see that the basis of the differences of all religions returns to their difference upon the Essence and attributes of Allah and its consequence may stretch to the question of prophecy and Resurrection.

Therefore, it is not necessary to suppose the word ‘religion’ unexpressed in the phrase and say that their adversary is about the ‘religion’ of their Lord, but, in fact, the main root of their adversaries return to Monotheism; and, principally, all deviated and false religions are involved in a kind of polytheism the effects of which appear in their beliefs.

Then the verse states a few sorts of chastisement of the disbelievers who knowingly and intelligently deny the truth.

At first, it begins from their garments, and says:

“…But as for those who disbelieved, garments of Fire have been cut out…”

This sentence may refer to the matter that there will really be cut out and sewed some pieces of Fire for them in the form of garments. Or it may be an allusion to the fact that the Hell Fire encompasses them from every side like garments.

Another sort of Divine chastisement for them is the blazing boiling water which will be poured from above over their head.

The verse says:

“…and there shall be poured over their heads boiling water.”