Tafseer of Consultation · Ash-Shura · 42:45
And you will see them being exposed to the Fire, humbled from humiliation, looking from [behind] a covert glance. And those who had believed will say, "Indeed, the [true] losers are the ones who lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, the wrongdoers are in an enduring punishment."
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 words of the Exalted: وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ يَنْظُرُونَ مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَلا إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٍ مُقِيمٍ (And you will see them presented before it, humbled by abasement, looking with a stealthy glance. And those who believe will say: truly, the losers are those who lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Truly, the wrongdoers are in a lasting punishment) (42:45).
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and you, O Muḥammad, will see the wrongdoers presented before the Fire (al-nār) (خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ), that is: subdued and abased.
As Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said: the humbling (al-khushūʿ) is the fear of and awe before Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He. And he recited the words of Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He: لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ (when they saw the punishment) ... up to His words: (خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ). He said: the fear that descended upon them abased them, and through it they became humbled.
Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His words: (خَاشِعِينَ), he said: subdued by abasement.
His words: (يَنْظُرُونَ مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ) — He says: these wrongdoers look at the Fire, when they are presented before it, with a stealthy glance.
The people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differ concerning the meaning of His words: (مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ). Some of them said: the meaning is: with an abased glance. It is as if the meaning of the words is: with a glance that has become hidden out of abasement.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words: (وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ) ... up to His words: (مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ): he means by "khafī" (hidden): the abased.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the words of Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He: (مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ), he said: abased.
Others said: no, the meaning of it is that they look furtively.
Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words: (يَنْظُرُونَ مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ), he said: they look furtively.
Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī (مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ), he said: they look furtively.
The scholars of the Arabic language differ concerning this. Some grammarians of Baṣra said concerning this: he made "al-ṭarf" (the glance) to be the eye, as if He said: and their glance comes from a weak eye — and Allah knows best. He said: and Yūnus said: "min ṭarfin" is equivalent to "bi-ṭarfin," as the Arabs say: "I struck him in the sword" and "I struck him with the sword."
Another of them said: it was only said (مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ) because he does not open his eyes, but looks only with a part of them.
Yet others of them said: it was only said (مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ) because they look at the Fire with their hearts, for they are gathered blind.
The correct view concerning this is the opinion which we have cited from Ibn ʿAbbās and Mujāhid, namely that the meaning is: they look at the Fire with an abased glance. Allah, exalted is His praise, described it as hidden because of the abasement that has overwhelmed them, until their eyes almost sank away and vanished.
His words: (وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ) — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and those who believe in Allah and His Messenger will say: truly, the cheated ones are those who cheated themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection regarding Paradise (janna).
As Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His words: (الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ), he said: they cheated themselves and their families regarding Paradise.
His words: (أَلا إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٍ مُقِيمٍ) — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: truly, the disbelievers are, on the Day of Resurrection, in a punishment (ʿadhāb) from Allah that is lasting upon them, enduring, which does not depart from them, does not perish, and is not lightened.
