Az-Zumar (The Groups)

19. Is then one against whom the Word of chastisement is justified [may be guided?] Will you save him who is in the Fire?

20. But those who fear their Lord and keep their duty to Him, for them are built lofty rooms [in Paradise], one above another under which rivers flow. [This is] the Promise of Allah and Allah does not fail in [His] Promise.

Owing to their obduracy and bias, some people prevent themselves from Divine Forgiving;

(“against whom the Word of chastisement is justified”).

The blessed Verse is saying that the Noble Prophet (S) was keen on guiding polytheists and those in error and was saddened by those who deviated from the true Path and were not attentive toward realities.

Verse 20 is a consolation for him by saying that this world is arena of free will and trial as a consequence of which some people, owing to their disbelief, deserve Hell fire, saying:

“Is then one against whom the Word of chastisement is justified [may be guided?] Will you save him who is in the Fire?”

The clause:

“against whom the Word of chastisement is justified”

alludes to Qur’anic Verses, e.g.

“That I will fill Hell with you [Satan] and those of them that follow you, together!”1

Justification of Divine Word regarding chastisement of this group was not evidently preordained, since they taste Divine chastisement because of their evil deeds and their persistence in wrong doing, corruption, and sinfulness, such that their spirit of faith and distinction is doomed to perdition and they all deserve Hell fire.

Thus, the clause:

“Will you save him who is in the Fire?”

is a delicate allusion to the fact that their being doomed to Hell fire is so evident that it is as if they are in fire now. It is to be noted that such people have severed all their ties with God Almighty and are thus left with no way toward deliverance; even the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) who is a

“Mercy for all the world”

may not save them from Divine chastisement.

As a source of consolation for the Noble Prophet (S) and believers, the blessed Verse closes thus:

“But those who fear their Lord and keep their duty to Him, for them are built lofty rooms [in Paradise], one above another under which rivers flow.”

The people of Hell dwell in coverings of fire:

(“They shall have coverings of Fire above them and coverings [of Fire] beneath them”)

but for the people of Paradise are:

“built lofty rooms [in Paradise], one above another under which rivers flow,”

since looking at flowers, water, rivers, and gardens from above the rooms is more pleasing.

The word:

ghuraf

is the plural form of ghurfa (“lofty room”) is taken from gharf indicating “take up; ladle” hence the water taken from the river for drinking is referred to as ghurfa; however, it is figuratively applied to the upper stories of buildings.

Such beautiful lofty rooms in Paradise are further embellished with the rivers flowing underneath, thus the blessed Verse further adds:

“under which rivers flow.”

The Verse closes with:

“[This is] the Promise of Allah and Allah does not fail in [His] Promise.”