Surah Al-Muddaththir — 74:31
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وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ
We have appointed only ˹stern˺ angels as wardens of the Fire. And We have made their number only as a test for the disbelievers, so that the People of the Book will be certain, and the believers will increase in faith, and neither the People of the Book nor the believers will have any doubts, and so that those ˹hypocrites˺ with sickness in their hearts and the disbelievers will argue, “What does Allah mean by such a number?” In this way Allah leaves whoever He wills to stray and guides whoever He wills. And none knows the forces of your Lord except He. And this ˹description of Hell˺ is only a reminder to humanity.
Commentary
I did not make the wardens of the Fire except angels, so humans do not have the power to face them. Abu Jahl was lying when he and his people claimed that they have the ability to attack them and then they will come out of the Fire. I did not make this number of theirs except to test those who reject Allah, so that the Jews who were given the Torah and the Christians who were given the Gospel will become certain when the Qur’ān that confirms what is in their scriptures is revealed, so that the faith of the believers increases when the people of the scripture agree with them and the Jews, Christians and the believers do not have any doubt, and so that those who waver in faith and those who are disbelievers say: What does Allah intend by this strange number?! Just as those who deny this number are misguided and those who accept it are guided, Allah misguides whoever He wishes to misguide and He guides whoever He wishes to guide. No one knows the forces of your Lord, because of their huge number, besides Him, may He be glorified. So let Abu Jahl who, mockingly and dismissively, said, “Does Muhammad only have nineteen aides?!” know this. The Fire is only a reminder for human beings, through which they can come to know of Allah’s greatness, may He be glorified.