Tafseer of The Moon · Al-Qamar · 54:48
The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces [it will be said], "Taste the touch of Saqar."
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 يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ ("On the Day when they are dragged into the Fire (al-nār) upon their faces") (54:48) — the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: on the Day when these criminals are dragged into the Fire upon their faces. Some have interpreted His statement فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ ("into the Fire upon their faces") as meaning "toward the Fire." And it has been reported that in the recitation of ʿAbdullāh it reads: يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ ("on the Day when they are dragged toward the Fire upon their faces").
His statement ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ ("Taste the touch of Saqar") — the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: on the Day when they are dragged into the Fire upon their faces, it is said to them: taste the touch of Saqar. The mention of "it is said to them" has been omitted, because the wording already indicates it and makes mentioning it superfluous.
Should someone ask: how can the touch of Saqar be tasted — does it have a taste that can be tasted? — then there is disagreement about that. Some said: that was said by way of figurative usage (majāz), as one says: "how did you find the taste of the blows?", which is likewise figurative. Another said: it is as one says: "I have felt the touch of the fever," by which one means the very first thing of it that struck a person; and likewise "I have tasted the taste of your forgiveness." As for Saqar: that is the name of one of the gates of Jahannam (Hell). It is not declined (left without tanwīn), because it is a proper name for something feminine and definite.
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Footnotes:
(2) What is stated in the linguistic works is that it is a name for Jahannam.
