📖 Tafseer (Commentary) of Surah Al-Ghashiyah (88:24)
🔹 Allah will punish such a person with the greatest punishment.
This verse warns about the severe and eternal punishment for those who reject the truth.
1️⃣ The Five Stages of Punishment for Disbelievers
1️⃣ Worldly Punishments:
- Hardships, trials, or destruction of nations who rejected guidance.
- Examples: The flood of Nuh (AS), the destruction of Aad and Thamud, Pharaoh’s drowning.
2️⃣ Punishment at the Time of Death:
- Angels of punishment come with terrifying faces.
- The soul is forcefully pulled out, causing extreme pain.
3️⃣ Punishment in the Grave:
- Torment in Barzakh begins.
- The grave becomes tight and dark, and punishment continues until resurrection.
4️⃣ Punishment on the Day of Judgment:
- Extreme humiliation and fear.
- Sweating, thirst, and unbearable heat of the sun.
5️⃣ Eternal Punishment in Hell 🔥:
- The most severe and everlasting punishment.
- It includes hunger, thirst, poisonous creatures, unbearable heat and darkness.
2️⃣ Key Lessons from This Verse
✅ Disobedience to the Prophet ﷺ is equivalent to rejecting faith.
- The verse uses an unconditional pronoun, proving that rejecting the Prophet’s ﷺ guidance leads to disbelief.
✅ Minor children of disbelievers will not be in Hell.
- Because they did not personally reject faith or commit disbelief.
✅ The parents of the Prophet ﷺ are in Paradise.
- True infidelity includes cursing the righteous caliphs, which they never did.
- The Prophet ﷺ said, "My parents were never involved in Shirk."
✅ Infidelity (Kufr) is the worst sin.
- It leads to the greatest punishment and is worse than any other sin.
3️⃣ The Severity of Hell’s Punishment 🔥
🔴 Disgrace & Humiliation:
- The inmates of Hell will be disrespected and dishonored.
- They will be shouted at, chained, and dragged.
🔴 Different Forms of Suffering:
- Eating: Zaqqum (a bitter and thorny tree).
- Drinking: Boiling water that tears apart intestines.
- Living Conditions: Surrounded by poisonous creatures, fire, and darkness.
🔴 Why is it called ‘The Greatest Punishment’?
- Because it is eternal and never-ending.
- Other punishments (worldly, grave, etc.) are temporary, but Hellfire is forever.
Ibn-Kathir
The tafsir of Surah Ghashiyah 24 verse by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Ghashiyah ayat 17 which provides the complete commentary from verse 17 through 26.
Ala-Maududi
(88:24) Allah will chastise him with the most terrible chastisement.
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
(24) Then Allāh will punish him with the greatest punishment.
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