Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 29

Say - O Messenger: to those who neglect Allah’s remembrance due to the heedlessness of their hearts: What I have brought to you is the truth. It is from Allah and not from me. I cannot accede to your request to chase away the believers. Whoever amongst you wishes to have faith in this truth then let him do so for he will be pleased by the reward. Whoever amongst you wants to reject it let him do so, for he will be grieved by the punishment that awaits him. I have prepared for those who wrong themselves, by choosing disbelief, a huge fire whose walls will surround them and as a result they will not be able to escape from it. If they had to seek relief of water on account of the severe thirst they experience, they will be given water like murky oil that will be extremely hot and will scald their faces due to its heat. What a terrible drink is this drink that will be provided for their relief! It will not quench their thirst but will make it worse and it will not put out the flames burning their faces. What a miserable destination and place of residence is the fire!

And say: "The truth is from your Lord." Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, We have prepared for the wrongdoers, a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them. And if they ask for drink, they will be granted water like Al-Muhl, that will scald their faces. Terrible is the drink, and an evil Murtafaq (29)

The Truth is from Allah, and the Punishment of Those Who do not believe in it

Allah says to His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ: "Say to the people, 'What I have brought to you from your Lord is the truth, in which there is no confusion or doubt.'"

فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ

(Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.) This is a type of threat and stern warning, after which Allah says,

إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا

(Verily, We have prepared), meaning made ready,

لِلظَّالِمِينَ

(for the wrongdoers,) meaning those who disbelieve in Allah, His Messenger ﷺ and His Book,

نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا

(a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them.) Ibn Jurayj said that Ibn 'Abbas said,

أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا

(a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them.) "A wall of fire."

وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاءٍ كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ

(And if they ask for drink, they will be granted water like Al-Muhl, that will scald their faces.) Ibn 'Abbas said; "Al-Muhl is thick water which is similar to the sediment in oil." Mujahid said, "It is like blood and pus." 'Ikrimah said, "It is the thing that is heated to the ultimate temperature." Others said: "It is everything that is melted." Qatadah said, "Ibn Mas'ud melted some gold in a grove, and when it became liquid and foam rose to the top, he said, this is the thing that is most like Al-Muhl." Ad-Dahhak said: "The water of Hell is black, and it itself is black and its people are black." There is nothing contradictory in these comments, for Al-Muhl includes all of these unpleasant characteristics, it is black, evil-smelling, thick and hot, as Allah said,

يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ

([it] will scald their faces.) meaning because of its heat. When the disbeliever wants to drink it and brings it close to his face, it will scald it so that the skin of his face falls off into it.

Sa'id bin Jubayr said, "When the people of Hell get hungry, they will ask for relief from it, and they will be given the tree of Zaqqum from which they will eat. The tree will tear off the skin of their faces, and if anyone who knew them were to pass by, he would recognize the skin of their faces in the tree. Then they will feel thirsty, so they will ask for drink, and they will be granted water like Al-Muhl, that is what has been heated to the ultimate temperature. When it is brought near their mouths, the flesh of their faces from which the skin has been torn off will be baked." After describing this drink in these horrifying qualities, Allah says:

بِئْسَ الشَّرَابُ

(Terrible is the drink,) meaning, how awful this drink is. Similarly, He says in another Ayah:

وَسُقُوا مَاءً حَمِيمًا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ

(and be given to drink boiling water so that it cuts up their bowels.)[47:15]

تُسْقَىٰ مِنْ عَيْنٍ آنِيَةٍ

(They will be given to drink from a boiling spring.)[88:5]

وَبَيْنَ حَمِيمٍ آنٍ

(They will go between it (Hell) and the fierce boiling water.)[55:44]

وَسَاءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا

(and an evil Murtafaq!) means, how evil a place is the Fire to dwell and rest and gather. As Allah says elsewhere:

إِنَّهَا سَاءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا

(Evil indeed it (Hell) is as an abode and as a place to rest in.)[25:66]