Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tahrim Verse 6

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire, the fuel of which is human beings and stones, appointed on which are angels, stern and severe, who do not disobey Allah in what He orders them, and do whatever they are ordered to do.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, overseen by formidable and severe angels, who never disobey whatever Allah orders—always doing as commanded.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, and is overseen by rigorous and stern angels, who never disobey whatever Allah commands and do whatever they are commanded.

A. J. Arberry

Believers, guard yourselves and your families against a Fire whose fuel is men and stones, and over which are harsh, terrible angels who disobey not God in what He commands them and do what they are commanded.

Abdul Haleem

Believers, guard yourselves and your families against a Fire fuelled by people and stones, over which stand angels, stern and strong; angels who never disobey God’s commands to them, but do as they are ordered:

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O ye who believe! protect yourselves and your households from a Fire the fuel whereof is mankind and stones, over which are angels, stern, strong; they disobey not Allah in that which He commandeth them, and do that which they are commanded.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers, guard yourselves and your kindred against a Fire whose fuel is human beings and stones, a Fire held in the charge of fierce and stern angels who never disobey what He has commanded them, and always do what they are bidden.

Ahmed Ali

O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from the Fire whose fuel is men and rocks, over which are appointed angels stern and severe as wardens who never disobey what God commands them, and do what they are commanded;

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! Save yourselves and your families from the fire, the fuel of which is men and stones – appointed over it are the extremely strict angels, who do not refuse the command of Allah and carry out whatever they are commanded.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel will be people and stones, over which are [assigned] severe and mighty angels, who do not disobey whatever Allah commands them and carry out what they are commanded.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Guard yourselves and your families (through the enabling discipline of Islamic faith and worship) against a Fire whose fuel is human beings and stones. Over it are angels stern and strict (in executing the command to punish), who do not disobey God in whatever He commands them, and carry out what they are commanded (to carry out).

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire of which (ordinary) human beings and stone (- hearted people) are fuel and over which angels are appointed, fierce and ferocious, who never disobey the command of Allâh and who do as they are told.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, protect your selves and your families/people (from) a fire, its fuel (is) the people and the stones, on it (are) angels hard/rough , strong (severe), they do not disobey God what He ordered/commanded them, and they make/do what they are ordered/commanded.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! Save yourselves and your families from the fire, the fuel of which is men and stones – appointed over it are the extremely strict angels, who do not refuse the command of Allah and carry out whatever they are commanded.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones; over it are angels stern and strong, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and they do precisely as they are commanded.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O you who believe, turn to Allah with sincere repentance. It may be your Lord will remove from you your evil and cause you enter Gardens wherein flow rivers, on the day on which Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will gleam before them and on their right hands -- they will say: Our Lord, make perfect for us our light, and grant us protection; surely Thou art Possessor of power over all things.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones; over it are angels stern and strong, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do as they are commanded.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, save yourselves and your families from the fire which is fueled by people and stones and is guarded by stern angels who do not disobey God's commands and do whatever they are ordered to do.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, guard yourselves and your families against the Fire the fuel of which is people and stones, over which there are harsh, and stern angels who never disobey Allah in that which He orders and do what they are ordered.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not the commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, safeguard yourselves and your families from a Fire fuelled by people and stones, and watched over by angels, stern and strong: angels who never disobey God's commands to them, but promptly do as they are commanded.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire, whose fuel is people and stones. Over it are angels, fierce and powerful. They never disobey God in anything He commands them, and they carry out whatever they are commanded.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe! Guard yourselves and your families, by enjoining obedience to God, against a Fire whose fuel is, disbelieving, people and stones, such as those idols of theirs made of that [stone] -- the meaning is that it is extremely hot, fuelled by the above-mentioned, unlike the fire of this world which is fuelled by wood and the like -- over which stand angels, its keepers -- numbering nineteen as will be stated in [srat] al-Muddaththir [Q. 74;30] -- stern, a sternness of the heart, mighty, in [their power of] assault, who do not disobey God in what He commands them (m amarahum is a substitution for His Majesty [`God']), in other words, they do not disobey the command of God, but do what they are commanded -- this is [reiterated] for emphasis; the verse is meant as a threat to deter believers from apostatising and for hypocrites who believe only with their tongues and not with their hearts.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Teaching One's Family the Religion and Good Behavior

Allah's advice to

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا


O you who believe!

قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا
.

Protect yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell)

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas; He said,

"Work in the obedience of Allah, avoid disobedience of Allah and order your families to remember Allah, then Allah will save you from the Fire."

Mujahid also commented on;
قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا
(Protect yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell)) saying,

"Have Taqwa of Allah and order your family to have Taqwa of Him."

Qatadah said,

"He commands obedience to Allah, to not disobey Allah, he orders his family to obey His orders and helps them to act upon His orders. When one sees disobedience, he stops them and forbids them from doing it."

Similar was said by Ad-Dahhak and Muqatil;

"It is an obligation for the Muslim to teach his near family members, and his male and female slaves what Allah has made obligatory for them and what Allah has forbidden for them."

There is a Hadith that confirms the meaning of this Ayah.

Ahmad, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ar-Rabi` bin Sabrah said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مُرُوا الصَّبِيَّ بِالصَّلَةِ إِذَا بَلَغَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ فَإِذَا بَلَغَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ فَاضْرِبُوهُ عَلَيْهَا

Order the children to pray when they reach the age of seven and when they reach the age of ten, discipline them for (not performing) it.

This is the narration that Abu Dawud collected;

At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan."
Fuel for Hell and a Description of its Angels

Allah said,

وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ

whose fuel is men and stones,

indicating that the Children of Adam will be fuel for the Fire that will feed it,

وَالْحِجَارَةُ
and stones, in reference to the idols that were worshipped, just as Allah said in another Ayah,

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ

Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (21;98)

Abdullah bin Mas`ud, Mujahid, Abu Ja`far Al-Baqir and As-Suddi said that these are sulfur stones that are more putrid than rotten corpses, according to Mujahid.

Allah's statement,

عَلَيْهَا مَلَيِكَةٌ غِلَظٌ شِدَادٌ

over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe,

means, their nature of behavior is stern, because the mercy has been taken out of their hearts for those who disbelieve in Allah,

شِدَادٌ
severe, meaning, their structure is powerful, strong and frightening,

لَاا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُوْمَرُونَ




who disobey not the commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.

meaning, whatever Allah commands them, they rush to obey Him, without delay for even a twinkling of an eye. They are able to fulfill the command; they are called Az-Zabaniyah, meaning, the keepers and guards of Hell, may Allah give us shelter from them.
No Excuse will be accepted from the Disbeliever on the Day of Resurrection

Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَاا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ