349 Page Notes

23  Al-Muminun (continued)

Page 349 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 349 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 349 represents the grand finale of Surah Al-Muminun (Chapter 23), spanning verses 105 through 118.

This final page of the Surah provides a dramatic and haunting dialogue at the gates of the afterlife. It begins with the agonizing pleas of the condemned in Hellfire seeking a second chance (Verses 105–107), followed by the definitive divine rejection of their plea (Verse 108). Allah then contrasts their arrogance with the patience of the righteous who were mocked on earth (Verses 109–111). The Surah concludes by putting the entire human experience into perspective—exposing the extreme brevity of worldly life (Verses 112–114) and answering the ultimate existential question of why we were created, ending with a beautiful prayer for mercy (Verses 115–118).

The Sunnah provides striking narrative context, psychological details, and profound spiritual remedies tied directly to these concluding verses.

1. Hadiths Related to Verse 108: The Final Silence of the Condemned

Following the frantic pleas of the inhabitants of Hell begging to be brought out and given a second chance, Allah delivers a terrifying, final decree:

"He will say, 'Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.'" (Quran 23:108).

The Sigh of Complete Despair

The Sunnah details the exact psychological effect this verse has on the inhabitants of the Fire. Classical commentators like Ibn Kathir highlight that this specific verse represents the ultimate door of hope slamming shut forever.

• The Narration: The companion Abdullah ibn Amr narrated a profound tradition regarding the timeline of Hell: The dwellers of the Fire will call out to the keepers of Hell (Mālik), then they will call out to Allah using various titles of His mercy, and finally they will say what is written on page 349: "Our Lord! Bring us out of this. If ever we return to evil, then indeed we shall be wrongdoers."

• The Consequence: When Allah replies with Verse 108: "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me," the Prophet's companions noted that no articulate speech or pleading will ever be heard from them again. From that moment on, their communication collapses entirely into braying, groaning, and weeping.

Source Citations:

• Recorded by Imam Ahmad in Al-Zuhd, and compiled by At-Tabari and Ibn Kathir in their classical commentaries (Tafsir) for Surah Al-Muminun, Verse 108.

• Parallel Sahih Context: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 81, Hadith 149, describes the ultimate slaughtering of "Death" in the form of a ram between Paradise and Hell, cementing the absolute finality initiated by this verse.

2. Hadiths Related to Verses 109–111: The Reward of the Mocked Believers

Allah vindicates the righteous by reminding the arrogant of how they treated the believers on earth:

"Indeed, there was a party of My servants who used to say, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the best of those who show mercy.' But you took them for a laughingstock..." (Quran 23:109-110).

The Weight of Being Taken as a Laughingstock

The Sunnah places massive emphasis on the virtue of Sabr (perseverance) when facing social mockery or exclusion due to one's faith, promising that the humiliation felt on earth transforms into a golden crown on the Day of Judgment.

• The Reality of the Strangers: Up-and-coming believers facing modern alienation find immense comfort in the famous Hadith of Abu Hurayrah, where the Prophet ﷺ said: "Islam began as something strange and it will return to being strange just as it began, so glad tidings (and Paradise) belong to the strangers (Ghuraba)."

• When asked who the strangers were, the Prophet ﷺ described them as those who correct what people have corrupted of his Sunnah. Verse 111 confirms this: "Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that are successful."

Source Citations:

• Sahih Muslim: Book 1, Hadith 270 (Book of Faith).

• Sunan Ibn Majah: Hadith 3988.

3. Hadiths Related to Verses 112–114: Worldly Time vs. Cosmic Time

When asked how long they stayed on earth, the sinners will state:

"We stayed a day or part of a day; ask those who keep count." He will say, "You stayed not but a little, if you had only known." (Quran 23:113-114).

The Prophetic Analogy of Worldly Lifespans

The Prophet ﷺ spent his entire ministry trying to get his followers to visually realize this exact temporal calculation—that our time on earth is a brief flash compared to the afterlife.

• The Traveler under the Tree: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ woke up from sleeping on a hard reed mat which left marks on his side. The companions wept and said, "O Messenger of Allah, why didn't you let us prepare a soft bedding for you?"

• The Response: The Prophet ﷺ replied with a masterclass in temporal perspective that mirrors page 349 perfectly: "What do I have to do with this world? My relationship with this world is nothing but like a traveler riding on a hot day who takes shade under a tree for a brief hour, then moves on and leaves it behind."

Source Citations:

• Jami` at-Tirmidhi: Hadith 2377 (Book of Asceticism / Zuhd). Graded Sahih.

• Sunan Ibn Majah: Hadith 4109.

4. Hadiths Related to Verses 115–118: Curing Illness with the Ultimate Truth

The Surah closes with a massive rhetorical challenge regarding human purpose, followed by an immediate declaration of Allah's supreme status:

"Then did you think that We created you uselessly ('Abathan*) and that to Us you would not be returned?" So Exalted be Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth; none has the right to be worshipped but He, Lord of the Noble Throne."* (Quran 23:115-116).

The Ruqyah (Spiritual Healing) of the Final Verses

Because these closing verses contain such an intensely concentrated, unadulterated declaration of monotheism and cosmic purpose, the companions of the Prophet ﷺ discovered that reciting them possessed profound physical and psychological healing properties.

• The Historic Cure: The companion Abdullah ibn Mas'ud once passed by a man who was afflicted with a severe, debilitating illness or spiritual affliction. Ibn Mas'ud leaned over and whispered directly into the man's ear. Immediately, the man was completely cured and stood up.

• The Prophetic Query: When the Prophet ﷺ heard about this, he asked Ibn Mas'ud, "What did you whisper in his ear?" Ibn Mas'ud replied, "I recited to him the final verses of Surah Al-Muminun, from 'Afahasibtum annama khalaqnakum 'abathan' (Verse 115) to the end of the Surah (Verse 118)."

• The Prophetic Verdict: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at him and said: "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if a man of absolute, certain faith (Yaqin) were to recite these verses over a mountain, the mountain itself would move."

Source Citations:

• Recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir, Imam Al-Baghawi in Ma'alim al-Tanzil, and Abu Ya'la in his Musnad (Hadith 5051).

• While modern collectors note its chain contains minor technical narrative nuances, classical scholars heavily document this narration for Fada'il al-Quran (The Virtues of the Quranic Verses) and structural Ruqyah practices.