Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:77
And they will call, "O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "Indeed, you will remain."
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 statement concerning the interpretation of His word, the Exalted: وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ (77) ("And they will call out: 'O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us.' He says: 'Verily, you shall remain'" (43:77)).
He, exalted is His mention, says: And these criminals, after Allah has caused them to enter Hell (jahannam) and the affliction that befalls them has befallen them therein, will call out to Mālik, the keeper (khāzin) of Hell: يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ("O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us"). He said: Let your Lord cause us to die, so that He may be done with causing us to die. It is mentioned that Mālik does not answer them at the moment when they say that to him, but rather makes them wait a thousand years thereafter, and then answers them and says to them: إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ ("Verily, you shall remain").
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, on the authority of Abū al-Ḥasan, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ("And they will call out: 'O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us'"), and He answered them after a thousand years: إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ ("Verily, you shall remain").
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, on the authority of a man from among his neighbors who was called al-Ḥasan, on the authority of Nawf, concerning His word: وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ("And they will call out: 'O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us'"), he said: He leaves them alone for a hundred years of what you count, then He calls out to them and says: O inhabitants of the Fire, verily, you shall remain.
Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAmr, he said: وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ("And they will call out: 'O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us'"), he said: He leaves them alone for forty years and does not answer them, then He answers them: إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ ("Verily, you shall remain"). They say: رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ ("Our Lord, bring us out of it; then if we relapse, then we are indeed wrongdoers"). He then leaves them alone for twice the duration of the world, then He answers them: اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلا تُكَلِّمُونِ ("Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me"). He said: And by Allah, the people uttered no sound after that word; there was nothing but groaning and sobbing.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of Abū Ayyūb al-Azdī, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAmr, he said: Verily, the inhabitants of Hell will call upon Mālik for forty years and he will not answer them, then he says: إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ ("Verily, you shall remain"). Then they call upon their Lord: رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ ("Our Lord, bring us out of it; then if we relapse, then we are indeed wrongdoers"). He then leaves them alone, or leaves them alone for the duration of the world, then He answers them: اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلا تُكَلِّمُونِ ("Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me"). He said: And the people uttered no word thereafter; there was nothing but groaning and sobbing in the fire of Hell.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, on the authority of Nawf: وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ("And they will call out: 'O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us'"), he said: He leaves them alone for a hundred years of what you count, then He called out to them and they responded to Him, and He said: Verily, you shall remain.
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word: وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ("And they will call out: 'O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us'"), he said: Mālik is the keeper of the Fire. He said: They remained a thousand years of what you count, he said: and He answered them after a thousand years: Verily, you shall remain.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning the word of Allah, exalted is His mention: وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ("And they will call out: 'O Mālik, let your Lord put an end to us'"), he said: Let Him cause us to die; al-qaḍāʾ here means death. And He answered them: إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ ("Verily, you shall remain").
