Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:142
Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy.
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.
His statement فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ ("then the fish swallowed him") means: then the fish gulped him down; it is an iftaʿala form derived from al-laqm (biting at, gulping down). His statement وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ("while he had brought blame upon himself") means: and he had drawn blame upon himself. One says "qad alāma al-rajul" when someone does something for which one is reproached, even if he is not actually reproached — just as one says: "I have aṣbaḥtu muḥmiqan muʿṭishan," that is to say: with you there is foolishness and thirst. To this belongs the saying of Labīd:
"Out of foolishness you reproached and you blamed one who did not deserve blame, and he who guided you before this present day was not wise." (6)
As for the "malūm" (the reproached one), that is the one who is reproached with the tongue and blamed with words.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to me, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his statement وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ , he said: a sinner.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ : that is to say, in his deed.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his statement وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ : that is to say, he is a sinner; he said: and al-mulīm is the sinner.
