Jimaalat of Hell fire

 

إِنَّهَا تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ كَالْقَصْرِ (32) كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالَتٌ صُفْرٌ (33) سورة المرسلات

(Innahaa tarmee bishararin kalqasr. Ka annahoo jimaalatun sufr)

 

A simple literal translation:

Innahaa (=it is= Jahannam) tarmee (=throw) bi (=by,with) shararin (=sparks) kalqasr (=like qasr). Ka (=as,like) annahoo (=it is) jimaalatun (=?)  sufr (=yellow). The confusing two words are (qasr) and (jimaalat). 

The known famous tafsir (explanation) in major tafsir books of the verses is:

 ["Indeed it throws about sparks (huge) as Forts, "As if there were (a string of) yellow camels (marching swiftly)."]. 

The question: Is the famous above tafsir right? 

We will start by discussing the second part (verse 33) : [Ka annahoo jimaalatun sufr].

A direct literal translation: Ka (=as,like) annahoo (=it is) jimaalatun (=?)  sufr (=yellow)

 

It is tempting that we link The word jimaalatun with the Arabic word jamal (=camel), but the word (jimaalatun) may not mean (camels or herds of camels).

There is another probability that (jimaalatun) or (jimaalat) is linked to the Arabic word (Jameel) which can mean (dissolved animal fat) or in general it means (dissolved melted matter= melted heavy liquid).

(Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (Dictionary))

 

 

All ancient famous Arabic dictionaries are mentioning the word (Jameel) and giving its meaning same as above. They all say that (Jameel) is a melted fat or in general is what is melted (called suharah in Arabic).

 Al Hamdani (in his book: ṣifat ǧazīrat al-ʿarab) also called the soft matter inside the "brny" dates, by the word (Jameel), and said the jameel of that date is like the Jameel of a fat ram.

Also in the book "Tahdhib al-lughah- Azhari" we read [jameel is (suharah)]. Suharah = what is melted.

We also find the verb (jamala), which means (to melt), in Sahih Bukhari Book 34, Hadith 438: "May Allah curse the jews, for Allah made the fat (of animals) illegal for them, yet they melted the fat and sold it and ate its price." The Arabic word used in the hadith for (they melted the fat) is (jamalooh) from the verb (jamala), to melt.

 

The Quranic verses describe the sparks of Hell as a (jimalt) or a (jimalat) with a yellow color. So, a (jimalat) in the verse can be from that word (Jameel) in Arabic language which means (melted grease, melted fat, melted heavy liquid, …).

This analogy is perfectly applicable to volcanic lava, that is to say, the incandescent of Hell (Jahannam) is like yellow molten volcanic lava, or as hot heavy liquid, slow-flowing yellowish viscous flux.

In these following images of volcanic lava, we can see very clearly the Quranic description of the Hellfire (Jahannam) as a yellow melted heavy liquid (Jameel). These volcanic magma look like yellow molten fat dissolved:

 

 

Meaning of the word qasr

Qasr is usually explained as (big house, fort, castle, …). The known tafsir is that qasr is describing the magnitude of the sparks (sparks of Jahannam are as big as qasr "big large house").

But maybe the meaning of the verse (it throws with sparks like qasr) is like the meaning of this sentence if you read only the red words (it throws with sparks like qasr) or to understand the verse like this (it throws like qasr, with sparks).

Know tafsir books, made (sparks) like (qasr). So according to them, the word (qasr) is describing the sparks. But maybe the verse means that (the throwing) is like (qasr). The word (qasr) maybe is describing the (throwing).

 Imagine that you are only reading the red words in the verse:  Innahaa (= Jahannam is) tarmee (=throwing) bishararin (= with sparks) kalqasr (=like qasr). So, there is a probability that the word (qasr) might describe the (throwing), not the sparks.

So, maybe the meaning is: (Jahannam is throwing with sparks like a volcano) or Jahannam is throwing with sparks like the throwing of a volcano (of its sparks). This might suggest that the word (qasr) in the verse means a (volcano).

Arabic dictionaries didn’t mention that the word (qasr) means a volcano, but Arabic dictionaries mentioned that word (qasr) has the meanings of (enclose, restrain, confine, reserve, contain, …). As in the Quranic verse (Hoorun maqsooratun fee alkhiyami) surah Ar Rahman  (55: 72), Which means (women of heaven are "reserved, confined, kept" in tents).

 And we can consider the volcano as a great reservoir, an enclosure contains the magma or lava.

Quranic verse is using the Arabic word (tarmi) or (Jahannam is throwing). This (throwing) is the most noticeable act of the volcano (great explosion or throwing of magma with great force and pressure).

So, maybe the verse (through the Qur'anic word "tarmi" which means "throw") is talking about the great force of the explosions in Hell (like Quran is saying that : Jahannam is not only normal fire "heat", like burning some wood, but fire with great force and pressure or explosions, like bombs, guns, canons or dynamite,…).

The first verse is describing the force of Jahannam (=throwing its fire with great force and pressure like a volcano), the second verse is describing the sparks of Hell that they are like volcanic lava or magma. It is like the two verses are saying: Jahannam is throwing (=tarmi) like a volcano (=qasr), with its sparks (=sharar) which are like volcanic lava (=jimaalat= melted heavy liquid).

Some historians mentioned a volcano eruption in Al Madinah at year 654 of Hijra. They described its eruption with detail and have linked it to the Qur'anic verses that we are studying [Innahaa tarmee bishararin kalqasr. Ka annahoo jimaalatun surf]. And they stated that the eruption of that volcano and its flowing lava is like what the two Qur'anic verses are describing.

 

So, maybe the Quran is using the sample of volcano to help us see a glimpse or to see through a little window about what is Jahannam. As same thing in another verse mentioned the Earthly fire we are using and Quran says "We made it is as a reminder" of Hell fire.( Nahnu jaAAalnaha tathkiratan) Surat Al-Waaqia (56: 73).

 

Hamed AlAwlaqi