Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:19
Then, is one who has deserved the decree of punishment [to be guided]? Then, can you save one who is in the Fire?
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.
The explanation of His word — exalted is His mention —: أَفَمَنْ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ أَفَأَنْتَ تُنْقِذُ مَنْ فِي النَّارِ ("Is then he against whom the word of punishment has been realized…? Can you then save him who is in the Fire?") (19)
The Exalted means by His word أَفَمَنْ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ ("Is then he against whom the word of punishment has been realized"): is then he for whom the word of punishment has become unavoidable in the prior knowledge of your Lord, O Muḥammad, because of his disbelief in Him?
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word أَفَمَنْ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ ("Is then he against whom the word of punishment has been realized"): because of his disbelief.
And His word أَفَأَنْتَ تُنْقِذُ مَنْ فِي النَّارِ ("Can you then save him who is in the Fire?"): the Exalted — exalted is His mention — says to His prophet Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: can you then, O Muḥammad, save him who is in the Fire, him against whom the word of punishment has been realized — can you save that one? Thus His word تُنْقِذُ مَنْ فِي النَّارِ ("you save him who is in the Fire") was deemed sufficient and this [repetition] rendered superfluous. Some of the grammarians of Kūfa said: this belongs to that which is intended by a single question, in which the posing of the question is brought forward to a place that is not its own, and the question is then traced back to the place that properly belongs to it. The meaning is — and Allah knows best —: can you then save him who is in the Fire, him against whom the word of punishment has been realized. He said: and similar to it, without the interrogative form, is: أَيَعِدُكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ إِذَا مِتُّمْ وَكُنْتُمْ تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَنَّكُمْ مُخْرَجُونَ ("Does he promise you that when you have died and become dust and bones, that you will be brought forth?"), in which "annakum" ("that you") was repeated twice. The meaning is — and Allah knows best —: does he promise you that you will be brought forth when you have died. And similar to it is His word: لا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ ("Do not suppose that those who rejoice over what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done — do not suppose that they are in safety from the punishment"). And some of them held the view that we have transmitted from the [grammarians of] Basra to be incorrect, and said: in His word أَفَأَنْتَ تُنْقِذُ مَنْ فِي النَّارِ ("Can you then save him who is in the Fire?") no reference to the preceding [statement can be read]; one does not say: "the people, I struck whoever stood up." They say: the meaning is by way of partition: can you then save from among them him who is in the Fire. The meaning of the word is rather: can you then, O Muḥammad, guide to faith him for whom it is already established in Allah's knowledge that he is among the inhabitants of the Fire, so that you save him from the Fire through faith? You are not capable of that.
