Al-Anbiyā’ 21:99
The verse
If these had been gods they would not have come thither, but all will abide therein. — Marmaduke Pickthall
The issue
The Pickthall translation of this verse (“If these had been gods they would not have come thither, but all will abide therein”) more closely matches the Arabic text than the Palmer translation. (Palmer mistranslates “god,” a noun, as “God’s,” a possessive.) Al-Zamakhsharī interprets the word “gods” in the verse to mean the worshipped. He also thinks it could possibly refer to the idols, Iblīs, and his assistants.
It is understandable that the demons would end up in hell. However, what is strange is that the idols will enter hell. If the idol worshipper made the idol, why would the idol, which has no will in the matter, end up in hell? How would an inanimate, solid object be punished anyway? If one follows this logic—that the worshipped needs to be thrown in hell—then the sun and the moon would be cast into hell too, as there were people who worshipped them.
Arabic text of this item
يقول الزمخشري في تفسيره إن لفظة <آلِهَةً> المذكورة في الآية هي المعبودات، وإنه يحتمل أن الآية تقصد الأصنام وإبليس وأعوانه. ومن المفهوم أن تؤول الشياطين إلى الجحيم، ولكن أن تدخل الأصنام النار لهو أمر يدعو للاستغراب، فإن كان عابد الأصنام هو الذي صنع الصنم، فلماذا يذهب المصنوع الذي لا يد له في ذلك إلى النار؟ وكيف سيعاقَب الجماد بالأساس؟ وإن قمنا بتوسيع الدائرة، فمن المحتمل أن الآية تشمل كل معبود. فلما كان هناك عبدة للشمس والقمر، فإنه من الواجب أن يطرحا في جهنم أيضاً.
Sources cited
- al-Zamakhsharī 4: 166.
- الزمخشري، الكشاف 4: 166.