Tafseer of The Originator · Faatir · 35:21
Nor are the shade and the heat,
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
"Nor the shade" — it has been said: nor the janna (the Paradise). "nor the scorching heat" — it has been said: the Fire (al-nār), as though its meaning to them is: and Paradise and the Fire are not equal. And "al-ḥarūr" holds the position of "al-samūm," and these are the hot winds. Abū ʿUbayda Maʿmar ibn al-Muthannā related, on the authority of Ruʾba ibn al-ʿAjjāj, that the latter used to say: "al-ḥarūr" occurs at night and "al-samūm" by day. As for Abū ʿUbayda, he said: "al-ḥarūr" is in this place together with the day, with the sun. And as for al-Farrāʾ, he used to say: "al-ḥarūr" occurs both at night and by day, whereas "al-samūm" does not occur at night, but occurs only by day.
And my view on this is: that "al-ḥarūr" occurs both at night and by day, except that in this place it accords more with what Abū ʿUbayda said, namely that it goes together with the sun, because the shade exists only on a sunny day; and that indicates that what is meant by "al-ḥarūr" is: that which is encountered during the existence of the shade.
