Question:
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
In Sūrah Al-zumar verses 71-73:
((وَسِیقَ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًاۖ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا جَاۤءُوهَا فُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَ ٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَاۤ أَلَمۡ یَأۡتِكُمۡ رُسُلࣱ مِّنكُمۡ یَتۡلُونَ عَلَیۡكُمۡ ءَایَـٰتِ رَبِّكُمۡ وَیُنذِرُونَكُمۡ لِقَاۤءَ یَوۡمِكُمۡ هَـٰذَاۚ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنۡ حَقَّتۡ كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ عَلَى ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ
قِیلَ ٱدۡخُلُوۤا۟ أَبۡوَ ٰبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِینَ فِیهَاۖ فَبِئۡسَ مَثۡوَى ٱلۡمُتَكَبِّرِینَ وَسِیقَ ٱلَّذِینَ ٱتَّقَوۡا۟ رَبَّهُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ زُمَرًاۖ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا جَاۤءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَ ٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَیۡكُمۡ طِبۡتُمۡ فَٱدۡخُلُوهَا خَـٰلِدِینَ ))
Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups. When they arrive there, its gates will be opened and its keepers will ask them: “Did messengers not come to you from among yourselves, reciting to you the revelations of your Lord and warning you of the coming of this Day of yours?” The disbelievers will cry, “Yes ˹indeed˺! But the decree of torment has come to pass against the disbelievers.
It will be said to them, “Enter the gates of Hell, to stay there forever.” What an evil home for the arrogant!
And those who were mindful of their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups. When they arrive at it whilst its gates will be (already) open, its keepers will say, “Peace be upon you! You have done well, so come in, to stay forever.”
We see the verb فُتِحَتْ (were opened) preceded by the circumstantial waaw (وَ) in one verse but not in the other, Is there a rhetorical rationale underlying this variation?
Answer:
In verse 71, the verb فُتِحَتْ (were opened) is not preceded by the conjunction waaw (و), while in verse 73 it is. This difference is intentional and highlights the contrast between the entry of the disbelievers into Hell and the righteous into Paradise.
For the disbelievers, the gates of Hell are only opened after they arrive, and the absence of waaw suggests a more abrupt, sequential action. They are driven to Hell like prisoners, unaware of what awaits them. The gates are then opened suddenly and they are cast inside, intensifying the horror and punishment—much like a prisoner who is brought to a cell, and only then are the doors opened before he’s thrown into a dark, foreboding space.
In contrast, for the God-fearing, the verse includes the waaw before فُتِحَتْ, which indicates that the gates of Paradise are already open, welcoming the people of paradise as they arrive. The use of waaw (known in Arabic grammar as waaw al-ḥāl, the “circumstantial waaw”) paints a picture of an honorable, celebratory entrance—much like a guest arriving at a grand event where the doors are already open in anticipation. This imagery reflects their dignity, honour, and the joyful welcome they receive from the angels.
Thus, the grammatical difference between the two verses subtly reflects the emotional and spiritual contrast between the fates of the disbelievers and the righteous.
والواو في جملة (وفتحت أبوابها) واو الحال، أي حين جاءوها وقد فتحت أبوابها فوجدوا الأبواب مقتوحة على ما هو الشأن في اقتبال أهل الكرامة. (التحرير والتنوير ٧٢/٨)
Allah knows best.
Abbas Afzal
10 Muharram / 6 July 2025
www.sidrainstitute.com
