Az-Zumar (The Groups)

24. Is he then who will confront with his face the awful torment on the Day of Resurrection [through faith and righteous good deeds on a par with one who neglects Divine Wrath on the Day of Resurrection]? And [on that Day] it will be said to the wrong doers]: “Taste what you used to earn!”

The fruit of fearing God Almighty is to turn his face away from Divine Wrath on the Day of Resurrection. The blessed Verse in question compares wrong doers and sinners with the believers whose state has been already mention so that such comparison shed more light on realities.

The Verse in question asks:

“Is he who turns away with his face the excruciating Divine torment on a par with the one who is secure on that Day and Hell fire never touches him?”

It is noteworthy that the Verse says:

“confronts with his face the awful torment.”

The word face is used in this expression since it is one of the most organs of the body and the significant human sources, i.e., vision, hearing, smell, and taste, are in it and human beings are basically recognized through their faces; that is why they try to shield their hands, arms, and other organs against it to save it from perils.

However, the wrong doing people of Hell have to defend themselves with their faces, as their hands and feet are in fetters and shackles as mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an¹ :

“Indeed We have put on their necks iron collars [in which their hands are also laid] reaching to the chins, so that their heads are raised up.”

Some have maintained that the expression indicates that they will be cast into Fire on their faces, so that their first organ touching the fire will be their faces, as it is mentioned in 27:90,

“And whoever brings an evil deed, they will be cast down on their faces in the Fire.”

It is also held that the expression solely implies their inability to save themselves from Hell fire. The three interpretations are not inconsistent and they may all be comprehended from the contextual content of the Verse.

The blessed Verse further adds:

“And it will be said to wrong doers: ‘Taste what you used to earn!’”

Angels responsible for inflicting torment inform them of the excruciating reality that the torment is the consequence of what you used to earn. Now they embrace and hurt you and the expression per se is another mental torment for them.

It is worthy of note that the Verse does not say: “Taste the consequences of your deeds,” but it says: “Taste your deeds”

which is another piece of evidence for

“embodiment of deeds.”