Meaning

Ayah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

1. Woe to those stinting when weighing or measuring out goods.

وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ (1)

THE EXPLANATION

            Hafidh Ibn Hajar said in his book Al-Fath:  Ibn Majah and an-Nasa’iyy reported in a sahih chain from the route of Ibn ^Abbas that he said when the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, came to Madinah, its people were most devious in measurements.  Allah revealed waylul-lilmutaffifin (وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ) and thereafter they became good with their measurements.

1.  {وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ}      

Ar-Raghib al-Asbahani mentioned in his book Al-Mufradat: "Al-Asma^i noted that wayl (وَيْل) is 'repugnance.'  As to those who said wayl (وَيْل) is a valley in Hell, they did not mean the term’s actual linguistic definition was 'a valley in Hell.'   Rather, the intended meaning was whomever Allah threatened by al-wayl (الوَيْل) deserves a place in Hellfire and will indeed experience it."  At-Tirmidhiyy reported the hadith:

>>الويل واد فى جهنم يهوى فيه الكافر اربعين خريفا قبل ان يبلغ قعره<<

This means:  << Al-wayl (الوَيْل) is a valley in Hell in which the blasphemer shall fall forty (40) years before he reaches its bottom.>>  At-Tirmidhiyy said: " this hadith is gharib[1] and I recognize it as marfu^[2] only from the route of Ibn Lahi^ah."  Ibn Lahi^ah was an extremely weak narrator even before his books got burnt, as ^Abd ar-Rahman Ibn Mahdiyy and Yahya Ibn Ma^in reported.  The linguists said al-mutaffif (المُطَفِّف) is derived from at-tafif (الطَفِيف) meaning ‘what is little.’  Hence, al-mutaffif (المُطَفِّف) is the one who cheats others out of their due in measuring and weighing.  Al-mutaffifun (المُطَفِّفُون) is the plural of al-mutaffif (المُطَفِّف).  Therefore, the ayah means: Those who cheat others out of their due in measuring and weighing deserve punishment in Hellfire, and they shall experience it.

2.  {الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ}           

            They are the ones who make sure to receive from people the full measure due to them. 

3.  {وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ}               

            Among their attributes is that when they give by measure or weight to people, they give less than what is due.

4.  {أَلا يَظُنُّ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُمْ مَبْعُوثُونَ}                      

The meaning is that as if they do not know with certainty that they shall be resurrected and judged for this ill-practice.  An-Nasafiyy said:  The interrogative hamzah (ء) was added to the lam alif (لا), an article of absolute negation, as a reprimand.  The ayah entails severe denouncing and amazement at their daringness to short-change others. The interpreters said adhdhann (الظن) in the ayah means, ' knowledge and certainty.'

5.  {لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ}                       

They shall be resurrected on a day of grand importance--the Day of Judgment.

6.  {يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ}                      

            On the Day of Judgment the people shall rise from their graves at the command of Allah and face what they deserve of reward and/or punishment. We ask Allah out of His generosity and mercy to forgive us and to conceal our ill doings.  Al-Bukhariyy narrated in his Sahih from the route of ^Abdullah Ibn ^Umar that the Prophet said: 

<< يوم يقوم الناس لرب العالمين (6) حتى يغيب احدهم فى رشحه الى انصاف اذنيه >>

<< On that Day (mentioned in ayah 6) the people shall rise for judgment until one is covered in his own sweat up to the middle of his ears.>>  That is., he will drown in a pool, mid-ear high, of his own sweat.

7.  {كَلا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّين}                

              The word kalla (كلا) reflects a strong order to refrain from stinting in weighing and measuring under the threat of punishment.  It was also said to mean ‘Verily’.  The book of the doers of iniquities, i.e., the journals in which their deeds are recorded, shall be in Sijjin. Az-Zabidiyy, in his book Taj Al-^Arus, said:  "Sijjin contains the book of the doers of iniquities.”  Ibn ^Abbas reported Sijjin contains their journals as reported in as-Sahah.  Abu ^Ubaydah said Sijjin has the grammatical structure of fi^^il (فِعّيل) and its root is Sijn (سجن) or ‘the prison’.  Similar to that is Fissiq (فسّيق), the root of which is Fisq (فِسق).  It was said Sijjin is a valley in Hell, may Allah protect us.  Al-Baydawiyy certified that Sijjin is Hell itself.  Ibn al-‘Athir said: 'Sijjin is a name for the Fire of Hell.'  Ar-Raghib al-Asbahaniyy said Sijjin is a name for Hell which corresponds to that ^Illiyyin is a name for Paradise.

8.  {وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ}          

            This ayah intensifies the matter of Sijjin to accentuate the feeling of fear from it.

9.  {كِتَابٌ مَرْقُومٌ}

            It means a 'written book', and it was said that it means a 'sealed book'.  An-Nasafiyy said:  The book is a comprehensive book--a record of evil; in it the deeds of the devils and blasphemers among the jinns and humans are written.  As mentioned before, this book is imprisoned in Sijjin which is an indication of the low status of the blasphemers, the meanness of their deeds, and Allah’s degradation of them.  Ar-Raziyy said: 

Allah told us that the book (of the doers of iniquities) is in Sijjin and then explained Sijjin by being a written book.  It is as if it was said their book is in a written book; so what does that mean?  Imam Abu Bakr ash-Shashiyy al-Qaffal al-Kabir answered:  The saying of Allah {كِتَابٌ مَرْقُومٌ} is not an explanation of Sijjin.  Rather, the inherent meaning is:  Nay, verily the book of the doers of iniquities is in Sijjin and it is a written book.  Hence, this attributes two attributes to the book of the doers of iniquities--that it is in Sijjin and that it is written. The saying of Allah in ayah (8) (وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ) came in-between the two attributes and Allah knows best.

10.  {وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ}        

            Those who belie shall face severe punishment.

11.  {الَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ}  

            That is those who deny the Day of Judgment.

12.  {وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِ إِلا كُلُّ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ}                 

            Only those who exceed the bounds are the ones who deny the Day of Judgment--those who are athim (أَثِيمٍ), that is, extremely sinful for their blasphemy.  Athim (أَثِيمٍ) is a form which expresses an exaggeration in meaning.

13.  {إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ ءَايَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ}       

            The one who denies the Judgment Day whenever the ayahs of Allah are recited to him says, “These are only but tall-tales of the earlier people.” Azzajjaj said asatir (أساطير) means, ' fabrications.'

14.  {كَلا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ}  

            Nay, these are not false tales of the earlier people.  Al-Bukhariyy said that Mujahid said that ran (رَانَ) is ‘the affixation of sins.’  Hafidh Ibn Hajar said in his book Al-Fath: 

It was narrated to us in Fawa’id ad-Dibajiyy that Mujahid said with regards to the saying of Allah: {بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ} ‘the sins have been affixed on their hearts until they became totally submerged’.

Ran (ران) and ar-rayn (الرَّيْن) mean ‘film’, and it is similar to the rust on cast things.  Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim, at-Tirmidhiyy, and an-Nasa’iyy narrated from the route of al-Qa^qa^ Ibn Hakim from Abu Salih from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said:

<<إن العبد إذا اخطأ خطيئة ’نكتت فى قلبه فإذا هو نزع واستغفر صقلت، فإن هو عاد زيد فيها حتى تعلو قلبه فهو الران الذى ذكر الله تعالى:  كلا بل ران على قلوبهم>>

This means:  <<If the slave commits a sin his heart is soared.  If he quits and seeks forgiveness the sore is cured; however, if he recommits sins, the sore will be increased until the heart is scarred and this is the ran (ران) that Allah mentioned in His saying kalla bal rana ^ala qulubihim (كَلا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ). (This is the end of the words of the Hafidh)

            Hafidh Ibn Hajar (with a chain of narration) mentioned that Mujahid said:  They (the scholars) used to explain ar-rayn (الرَّيْن) by stamping.  The saying of Allah ma kanu yaksibun {مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ} means [as a result of their disobedience and sins].  The interpreters of the Qur’an said when their disobedience and sins increased, it overwhelmed their hearts.  ^Abdur-Razzaq narrated in his Tafsir from the route of al-Hasan that he said:  It is the sin committed on top of another until the heart is scarred, and consequently, becomes black.  Al-Mundhiriyy said:  It was narrated from the route of Anas that the Messenger of Allah said:  

<<إن للقلوب صدأ كصدإ النحاس وجلاؤها الاستغفار>>

<<The hearts get rusted like the rust of copper and are cleansed by seeking forgiveness.>> (Narrated by al-Bayhaqiyy)

            In the recitation of Hafs from ^Asim one slightly stops without releasing a breath at the lam (ل) (while wanting to continue) and then he recites ran (ران).  Nafi^, Ibn Kathir, Abu ^Amr and Ibn ^Amir continue the recitation without stopping and recite with the idgham[3] of the lam (ل) and ra' (ر).  However, Abu Bakr, Hamzah and Al-Kisa'iyy recited with the imalah[4] of the fathah[5] on the ra' (ر) and with idgham.

15.  {كَلا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ}         

            Here, kalla (كَلَّا) contains the meaning of the strict order to refrain from the sins and disobedience that cause the heart to blacken with scars. Innahum (إِنَّهُمْ) refers to the blasphemers. ^An-rabbihim  (عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ) means ‘from seeing their Lord’ as mentioned by the astute scholar, ^Izz ad-Din Ibn ^Abd as-Salam, in his book Al-Isharah Ila al-'Ijaz.  Yawma ‘idhin (يَوْمَئِذٍ) means ‘on the Day of Judgment.’  Lamahjubun (لَمَحْجُبُونَ) means ‘they are indeed prohibited.’  An-Nasafiyy said alhajb (لَحجب ا) is ‘the prohibition.’

            The meaning of this ayah, hence, is that on the Day of Judgment, the blasphemers shall indeed be prohibited from seeing their Lord.  This ayah degrades the blasphemers and makes it clear that Allah does not accept them.

            Al-Bayhaqiyy narrated with his chain of narration to Imam Muhammad Ibn Idris ash-Shafi^iyy that he said about this ayah {كَلا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ}: ' The fact that Allah prohibited them from seeing Him, as a sign that they are not accepted by Him, indicates that those who are accepted by Allah shall see Him.'  These words are extremely beautiful because it is an analogy derived from the meaning of the ayah and is supported by the evidence of the saying of Allah in Surah al-Qiyamah, Ayahs 22 and 23:

{وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ(22)إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ(23)}

These ayas mean:  [On the Day of Judgment the beautiful faces of the believers–those accepted by Allah–shall be looking at their Lord.]  Also al-Bayhaqiyy in his Siyar reported his chain of narration up to Sufyan Ibn ^Uyaynah that he said about the ayah

{كَلا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ}:

'If both the righteous and the blasphemers had been veiled from seeing Allah, then what merit would the righteous have over the blasphemers?'  It was reported in the same book (Siyar) that a person asked Imam Malik Ibn Anas, 

      “O Abu ^Abdullah, do the ayahs {وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ (22) إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ (23)} (Surah al-Qiyamah) mean that the believers will look at Allah?” 

      He said, “Yes, with these eyes.” 

      I said, “Some people say nadhirah (نَاظِرَةٌ) in ayah 23 means ‘awaiting the reward from Allah’.” 

      Imam Malik replied, “No, it means seeing Allah.  Have you not heard what Musa said as mentioned in Surah al-^Araf, 143 {رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ}?  (This means:  [O Allah, allow me to see you.].  Do you think he would have asked Allah for an impossible matter?  Allah said {لَنْ تَرَانِي}which means [You will not see Me,] i.e., in this world which is going to annihilate, however, once they get to the abode of perpetuity they shall look with their everlasting eyes at Allah Who is Everlasting. Allah said :{كَلا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ(15)} Al-Mutaffifin."

The scholars who lived within three hundred years after the immigration of the Prophet (salaf) and those who lived after them (khalaf) have held mutual consent on the belief of seeing Allah, the Exalted, with the eyes in the Hereafter. And that it is exclusive for the believers who shall see Him while they are in Paradise. They will see Him without a manner of being, without likening Him to the creation, and without a direction.  Imam Abu Hanifah an-Nu^man Ibn Thabit, may Allah raises his rank, in his books Al-Wasiyyah and Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar said:

(ولقاء الله تعالى لأهل الجنة حق بلا كيفية ولا تشبيه ولا جهة يراه المؤمنون وهو فى الجنة بأعين رؤسهم ولا يكون بينه و بين خلقه مسافة، وليس قرب الله تعالى ولا بعده من طريق طول المسافة وقصرها ولكن على معنى الكرامة والهوان والمطيع قريب منه تعالى بلا كيف والعاصى بعيد منه بلا كيف وكذلك الرؤية فى الاخرة بلا كيف)

This means: (The people of Paradise shall truly see Allah without a manner of being, resemblance or direction. The believers shall see Him while they are in Paradise with their eyes without a distance between Him and them. The proximity to and farthness from Allah DO NOT pertain to the length or shortness of distance, rather, it is a meaning pertaining to highness and lowness of status. The obedient person is close to Allah without a manner of being, and the sinful person is far from Allah without a manner of being. Likewise seeing Allah in the hereafter is without a manner of being.)

Abu Hanifah’s statement elucidates that Allah will not be in a direction or a place, whereas the people of Paradise will be in their locations in Paradise.  They will see Him without doubting that it is He whom they have seen, just as the person looking at the full moon on a clear night does not doubt that what he sees is the moon.  This meaning was reflected in the saying of the Messenger of Allah that was narrated by al-Bukhariyy:

<<إنكم سترون ربكم يوم القيامه كما ترون القمر ليلة البدر لا تضامّون في رؤيته>>

which means:  <<You shall see your Lord on the Day of Judgment without any doubt, just as you do not doubt seeing the full moon on a clear night.  Yet you shall not throng and cling together to see Him>>.

            Al-Bayhaqiyy said he heard Imam Abu at-Tayyib Sahl Ibn Muhammad as-Su^lukiyy say in his book Al-Imla’ about the saying of the Prophet:  <<لا تُضامّون في رؤيته>> (with a dammah on the ta’ (تُ) and shaddah[6] on the mim (مّ) of تُضامّون) ) that it means ‘you shall not throng and cling together.’  The meaning is also the same when using a fathah on the ta’ (تَ).  In such case, the root word would be tatadammun (تَتَضامُّون).  However, if one uses a dammah on the ta (تُ) and a single mim (مُ), the root of the word would be ad-daym  (الضَّيم) which means ‘you shall not face any injustice’ in that some will see Him and some will not.  Rather all of you (the believers) shall see Him while you are in your direction and He is clear of directions.  The similitude with seeing the full moon is not to liken the Creator to the moon, for Allah is clear from that.  (End of the words of Abu at-Tayyib).

            The reason the Messenger of Allah drew a similitude between the believers seeing the full moon on a clear night and their seeing Allah in the Hereafter was to eliminate the element of doubt.

            In one of the narrations of the hadith by al-Bukhariyy, the term la tudarun (لا تُضارُون) was pronounced with a single ra' (رُ), and in Muslim’s narration, the term la tudarrun (لا تُضاروُّن) was pronounced with doubling the ra' (رُّ).  The author of Lisan Al-^Arab reported that Abu Mansur said that the root of the first is ad-dayr (الضَّيْر) and the second is ad-durr (الضُّر);  and both mean the same thing--without you hurting one another attempting to see Allah alone, i.e., all to yourself without the others.  It was said also the meaning is without disputing and ending up belying one another about seeing Allah.

            The importance of this rather lengthy explanation is to present the reader with ample refutation to the Qadariyyah--those who deny the Qadar (Destining of Allah).  The Prophet described them as the majus of this nation.  The Qadariyyah deny that the believers will see Allah on the Day of Judgment. 

            In his Tafsir, Az-Zamakhshariyy, who belongs to the misguided school of the Mu^tazilah, displayed impoliteness with the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, (in addition to other abhorrent matters).  The renowned, great Imam, Abu Hayyan al-Andalusiyy, (in his famous Tafsir, Al-Bahr Al-Muhit, in the Chapter on Surah An-Naml) warned against az-Zamakhshariyy’s Tafsir.  In verses of his poetry, highlighting straying of az-Zamakhshariyy, Abu Hayyan said that az-Zamakhshariyy: (1) out of ignorance confirms fabricated hadiths, (2) attributes to the impeccable Prophet that which is non befitting, and (3) twists the terms around to support the ill-school of the Mu^tazilah.  Abu Hayyan meant that az-Zamakhshariyy was one of the Mu^tazilah and a proud, outspoken advocate of that school.  Strangely enough, some people who consider themselves Sunni use az-Zamakhshariyy’s Tafsir while ignoring the warning of Abu Hayyan.

16. {ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُو الْجَحِيمِ}     

            After they will have been veiled from seeing their Lord they shall enter the burning heat and fervor of Hellfire.

17.  {ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَذَا الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ}            

            The angels in charge of the Fire of Hell shall tell the blasphemers, “This is the torture that you have denied in this world.” 

18.  {كَلا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الأَبْرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ}                

            Al-Fakhr ar-Raziyy said:  After Allah, the Exalted, mentioned the state of the doers of iniquities who short weigh and measure, Allah mentioned the state of the meritorious that do not short weigh and measure.  Kalla (كلا) means:  ‘Nay, the case is not as the doers of iniquities deluded themselves into denying the Day of Judgment and saying about the Book of Allah “it is only the false tales of the earlier people”.’  Then Allah, in this ayah, told us that the Book (their recorded deeds) of those good, meritorious believers is in ^Illiyyin.  Ibn ^Abbas said ^Illiyyin is Paradise.

19.  {وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ}         

            Al-Qurtubiyy said that it means:  O Muhammad what makes you know what ^Illiyyin is?  The address here is in the context of showing the honored and privileged high status of the Prophet.

20.  {كِتَابٌ مَرْقُومٌ}                  

            The book of the meritorious is sealed and is not forgotten or erased.

21.  {يَشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ}             

            The elite angels from every sky attend the arrival of that book to ^Illiyyin as a gesture of honor to the concerned believer. 

22.  {إِنَّ الأبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ}         

            The People of Truth and Obedience shall be enjoying the bliss of Paradise.

23.  {عَلَى الأَرَائِكِ يَنْظُرُونَ}       

            As-Samin al-Halabiyy said that al-ara’ik (الْأَرَائِكِ) is the plural of arikah (اريكة) which is ‘everything one uses as a cushion.’  The believers will be joyfully and restfully leaning against cushions looking at the endowments given to them.  Al-Qushayriyy said:  Allah confirmed the fact that they will look and did not specify what they will be looking at among the enjoyments, because the enjoyments differ from one person to another.

24.  {تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ النَّعِيمِ}                

            Al-Farra’ said:  an-nadrah (النضرة) is ‘the glittering of the luxuries and its dew’ and the meaning is that if you see them, you will recognize that they are among the People of Bliss by their beauty and illumination. Abu Ja^far and Ya^qub recite tu^rafu (تعرف) with a dammah on the ta' and a fathah on the ra', and recited nadratu (نضرة) with a dammah on the ta'.

25.  {يُسْقَوْنَ مِنْ رَحِيقٍ مَخْتُومٍ}  

            The People of Bliss shall drink from the rahiq (رَحِيقٍ), which according to most of the scholars is a non-intoxicating wine--the purist and highest quality of all non-intoxicating wines, as mentioned by al-Khalil.  Al-Hasan said that ar-rahiq (الرحيق) is a spring in Paradise covered with musk.  Makhtum (مَخْتُومٍ) means ‘in sealed containers.’

26.  {خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ}

              Al-Kisa’iyy recited khitamuhu (خِتَامُهُ) as khatamuhu (خَاتَمُهُ) with a fathah on the kha’ and an alif after it and a fathah on the ta’ which means ‘the seal of the container is of musk,’ as mentioned by Ibn ^Abbas.  Ubayy Ibn Ka^b, ^Urwah and Abu al-^Aliyah recited khatamuhu (ختمه) with a fathah on the kha' and the ta'  and a dammah on the mim without an 'alif.

Let those who want that which was described about Paradise and its bliss hasten to the obedience of Allah.

27.  {وَمِزَاجُهُ مِنْ تَسْنِيمٍ}           

            This non-intoxicating wine shall be mixed with tasnim (تَسْنِيمٍ) which is a spring in Paradise with a very high status. It was said it is water.

28.  {عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ}  

            ^Aynan (عَيْنًا) which means, 'a praised spring', is inflected with nasb as a subject to verb amdahu (أمدح) which means, ' I praise the spring of Tasnim from which shall drink those who enter Paradise first.'  Ibn Mas^ud and Ibn ^Abbas said:  Al-muqarrabun (الْمُقَرَّبُونَ) (the best people of Paradise) drink it pure and unmixed whereas al-abrar (الأبْرار) (the meritorious) drink it mixed.  The saying of most of the scholars is that the abrar are the People of al-Yamin[7] and the muqarrabun are those who entered Paradise first.  It was said the muqarrabun shall enjoy drinking from it and they are the best of the occupants of Paradise. 

29.  {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا كَانُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا يَضْحَكُونَ}                

            Ibn al-Jawziyy said that ajramu (أَجْرَمُوا) means those who associated partners with Allah and (يَضْحَكُونَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا) means they used to mock and ridicule the believers among the companions of the Prophet such as ^Ammar Ibn Yasir, Bilal, Khabbab and others may Allah accept their deeds.

30.  {وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُونَ}    

            The blasphemers wink their eyelids and eyebrows in mocking the believers as they pass by them.

31.  {وَإِذَا انْقَلَبُوا إِلَى أَهْلِهِمُ انْقَلَبُوا فَكِهِينَ}           

            When the blasphemers return to their families they joyfully laugh sarcastically at the mention of the believers. Abu Ja^far, Hafs from ^Asim, ^Abdur-Razzaq from Ibn ^Amir recited fakihin (فَكِهِينَ) without an alif.

32.  {وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّ هَؤُلاءِ لَضَالُّونَ}            

            When the blasphemers see the believers they say, “These are truly astray for believing in Muhammad.”

33.  {وَمَا أُرْسِلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ حَافِظِينَ}                        

            The blasphemers were not put in charge of keeping record of the believers’ deeds.

34.  {فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ}     

            On this day, the Day of Judgment, those who believed shall laugh at the blasphemers as the blasphemers laughed at them in this world.

35.  {عَلَى الأَرَائِكِ يَنْظُرُونَ}       

            That is, the believers would be resting on cushioned couches in Paradise, looking at the torture of the blasphemers and their degradation after they had lived luxuriously and lavishly in this world.

36.  {هَلْ ثُوِّبَ الْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ}               

            Have the blasphemers been paid back for their mockery of the believers in this world by rewarding the believers the great bliss on the Day of Judgment?  The answer would be, “Yes.”

            Ibn Aljawziyy said, 'this is an interrogative form for the purpose of establishing the fact in concern.' Allah the exalted knows best.