Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:145
Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and never will you find for them a helper -
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 the saying of the Exalted: إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا (145) ("Truly, the hypocrites are in the lowest depth of the Fire, and you will find no helper for them") (4:145).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is sublime, means by His saying: "Truly, the hypocrites are in the lowest depth of the Fire" — truly, the hypocrites (munāfiqīn) are in the lowest layer of the layers of Hell (jahannam).
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Each layer of the layers of Hell (jahannam) is a "dark" (abyss). In this there are two linguistic forms: "darak" with a fatḥa upon the "rāʾ", and "dark" with a sukūn upon it. Whoever pronounces the "rāʾ" with a fatḥa forms the plural for a small number as "adrāk", and if he wishes to form the plural for a large number, he says "al-durūk". Whoever pronounces the "rāʾ" with a sukūn says: "three adruk", and for a large number "al-durūk".
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The reciters differ over the recitation of this:
Most of the reciters of Medina and Basra recited it as (فِي الدَّرَكِ) with a fatḥa upon the "rāʾ".
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Most of the reciters of Kufa recited it with a sukūn upon the "rāʾ".
Abū Jaʿfar said: Both are well-known recitations, and with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he is correct, because of the agreement in their meaning and the widespread acceptance of each of the two in the recitation of Islam. However, I have seen that the scholars of the Arabic language mention that the fatḥa upon the "rāʾ" therein is better known among the Arabs than the sukūn upon it. They have transmitted, having heard it from their mouths: "Give me a darak with which I may lengthen my rope" — and that is when someone asks for something with which he may add to his rope which falls short of reaching the bottom of the well.
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And in accordance with what we have said concerning the explanation of this, the people of exegesis have spoken.
*Mention of those who said that:
10741 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: my father related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Salama ibn Kuhayl, on the authority of Khaythama, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh: "Truly, the hypocrites are in the lowest depth of the Fire", he said: in coffins of iron locked shut upon them.
10742 — Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Wahb ibn Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of Salama, on the authority of Khaythama, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh, who said: Truly, the hypocrites are in coffins of iron bolted over them in the Fire.
10743 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Dhakwān, on the authority of Abū Hurayra: "Truly, the hypocrites are in the lowest depth of the Fire", he said: in coffins bolted shut over them.
10744 — Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbdallāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, his saying: "Truly, the hypocrites are in the lowest depth of the Fire", he means: at the bottom of the Fire.
10745 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: ʿAbdallāh ibn Kathīr said to me concerning his saying: "in the lowest depth of the Fire", he said: we have heard that Hell (jahannam) has abysses, dwelling-places.
10746 — Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Salama ibn Kuhayl, on the authority of Khaythama, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh: "Truly, the hypocrites are in the lowest depth of the Fire", he said: coffins of fire closed shut over them.
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And as for His saying: "and you will find no helper for them", by it He means: and you will find for these hypocrites, O Muḥammad, no helper from the side of Allah — when He has placed them in the lowest depth of the Fire — who will help them against Him, save them from His punishment (ʿadhāb), and avert the painful retribution from them.
