Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL ISRAA' [97]

97. And he whom Allah guides, he is led aright; and whomever He leaves astray can never find helpers other than Him, and We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf; their abode will be Hell; whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire. Allah tells us how He deals with His creation and how His rulings are carried out. He tells us that there is none who can put back His judgement, for whomever He guides cannot be led astray,

(and whomever He leaves astray can never find helpers other than Him)to guide him. As Allah says:

(He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly-guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him) ﴿18:17﴾  

(and We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces,) Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet was asked, ”O Messenger of Allah, how will the people be gathered on their faces'' He said,

(The One Who made them walk on their feet is able to make them walk on their faces.) It was also reported (by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) in the Two Sahihs.

(blind) means, unable to see.

(dumb) means, unable to speak.

(deaf) means, unable to hear. They will be in this state as a punishment for the way they were in this world, blind, dumb and deaf to the truth. This will be their recompense when they are gathered on the Day of Resurrection, at the time when they need these faculties most of all.

(their abode) means, their destination.

(will be Hell; whenever it abates,) Ibn `Abbas said, ”(This means) calms down,'' Mujahid said, (It means) is extinguished,''

(We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire.) meaning, increasing its flames and heat and coals, as Allah says:

(So taste you (the results of your evil actions). No increase shall We give you, except in torment.) (78:30)