Al-Mulk (The Sovereignty)

6. And for those who disbelieve in their Lord is the torment of Hell and worst indeed is that abode.

7. When they are cast therein, they hear a horrible sound out of it while they are perpetually boiled in it.

8. It almost bursts up with fury. Every time a group is cast therein, the keepers of the Hell will ask them: “Did no warner come unto you?”

Since the preceding Verses treated of the Signs of Divine Majesty and Omnipotence and their reflections in the world of Creation, the blessed Verses in question deal with those who neglect such Signs and tread the path of disbelief and polytheism and like the devils deserve Divine torment. The blessed Verse 6 is saying that torment in the Hell is in store for those who disbelieved in their Lord and Hell is the worst abode for them.

The blessed Verse 7 briefly treats of such horrible torment saying that upon being cast in the Hell, they hear a fearsome sound while it is perpetually boiling. When they are cast into it with utmost humility and disgrace, they hear a horrible and long cry from the Hell enwrapping them in horror.

The Arabic word shahiq literally denotes an unpleasant sound like braying of a donkey. Some Qur’an exegetes maintain that the word is cognate with shahuq denoting “length,” hence the designation of a high mount as jabal shahiq.

Thus, the Arabic word shahiq connotes long wail. Some also hold that zafir denotes a moan reverberating in the through and shahiq is applied to a moan reverberating in the breast. At any rate, reference is herein made to frightening and upsetting sounds.

The blessed Verse 8 depicts the intensity of the rage of the Hell, saying that it is almost cleft asunder, like a huge vessel laid on an extraordinarily blazing fire boiling such that it may shatter into pieces at any time or like a person raging and shouting in such manner that he appears to be on the verge of explosion.

Thus is the depiction of the Hell, the focal point of Divine Wrath.

The blessed Verse proceeds to say that when a group of disbelievers are cast into it, the keepers of the Hell ask them surprisingly:

“Did you not have a leader or a guide? Did not a warner come unto you? Why have you ended up with such dire fate?”

They may not believe that those who had access to Divine Guidance deliberately end up with such dire fate and opt for such evil abode.