Tafseer Ibn Kathir of YAA SIIN [63]

63. This is Hell which you were promised! 64. Burn (enter) therein this Day, for that you used to disbelieve. 65. This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn. 66. And if it had been Our will, We would surely have wiped out their eyes, so that they would struggle for the path, how then would they see 67. And if it had been Our will, We could have transformed them in their places. Then they would have been unable to go forward (move about) nor they could have turned back.) On the Day of Resurrection, it will be said to the disbelievers among the sons of Adam, after Hell has been shown to them as a rebuke; and warning:

(This is Hell which you were promised!) meaning, `this is what the Messengers warned you about, and you did not believe them.'

(Burn (enter) therein this Day, for that you used to disbelieve). This is like the Ayah:

(The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing. This is the Fire which you used to belie. Is this magic or do you not see) (52:13-15)

(This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn.) eThis will be the state of the disbelievers and hypocrites on the Day of Resurrection, when they deny the sins they committed in this world and swear that they did not do that. Allah will seal their mouths and cause their limbs to speak about what they did. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ”We were with the Prophet and he smiled so broadly that his molar could be seen, then he said:

(Do you know why I am smiling) We said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said:

(Because of the way a servant will argue with his Lord on the Day of Resurrection. He will say, ”O Lord, will You not protect me from injustice'' ﴿Allah﴾ will say, ”Of course.'' He will say, ”I will not accept any witness against me except from myself.'' ﴿Allah﴾ will say, ”Today you will be a sufficient witness against yourself, and the honorable scribes will serve as witnesses against you.'' Then his mouth will be sealed, and it will be said to his faculties, ”Speak!'' So they will speak of what he did. Then he will be permitted to speak, and he will say, ”May you be doomed! It was for you that I was fighting.'')'' This was recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa'i. Ibn Jarir narrated that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ”The believer will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection, and his Lord will show him his deeds, just between him and His Lord. He will admit it and will say, `Yes, O Lord, I did do that.' Then Allah will forgive him his sins and conceal them, and no creature on earth will see any of those sins, but his good deeds will be seen, and he will want all the people to see them. Then the disbeliever and the hypocrite will be brought to account, and his Lord will show him his deeds and he will deny them, saying, `O Lord, by Your glory, this angel has written down things that I did not do.' The angel will say to him, `Did you not do such and such on such a day and in such a place' He will say, `No, by Your glory, I did not do that.' When he says this, Allah will seal his mouth.'' Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ”I think that the first part of his body to speak will be his right thigh.'' Then he recited:

(This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn).

(And if it had been Our will, We would surely have wiped out their eyes, so that they would struggle for the path, how then would they see) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, explained it: ”Allah says, `If We willed, We could have misguided them all away from true guidance, so how could they be guided'' And on one occasion he said, ”`We could have blinded them.''' Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, ”If Allah willed, He could have covered their eyes and made them blind, stumbling about.'' Mujahid, Abu Salih, Qatadah and As-Suddi said, ”So that they would struggle for the path, i.e., the right way.'' Ibn Zayd said, ”The meaning of path here is the truth -- `How could they see when We have covered their eyes''' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him said:

(how then would they see) ”They would not see the truth.''

(And if it had been Our will, We could have transformed them in their places.) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said; ”`We could have destroyed them.'' As-Suddi said, ”`We could have changed their form.'' Abu Salih said, ”`We could have turned them to stone.'' Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah said, ”`We could have caused them to sit on their feet.'' Allah says:

(Then they would have been unable to go forward) meaning, move to the front,

(nor they could have turned back.) meaning, move backwards. They would have remained static, unable to move forwards or backwards.