Surah Hud 11:106
سُورَةُ هُودٍ · Meccan · Verse 106 of 123
فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُوا۟ فَفِى ٱلنَّارِ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌۭ وَشَهِيقٌ
Translation
The wretched ones will be in the Fire, sighing and groaning,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse introduces us to the stark reality of those destined for wretchedness, inviting deep contemplation on their fate through precise and evocative language.
The Designation of Wretchedness
The verse begins with "As for those who were wretched" (فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُوا۟). The Arabic word `شقوا` (shaqu) is drawn from the root that conveys misery, distress, and misfortune. It signifies a profound and inherent state of being characterized by adversity and a poor, undesirable condition, as explained by Ibn Ashur. This isn't merely a temporary hardship, but a fundamental orientation towards ill-fate. The very structure, "As for...", immediately sets this group apart, highlighting a clear, divine division of humanity into two distinct categories, a division that carries immense weight and consequence.
The Sounds of Anguish
The most striking element of this verse is the vivid description of their suffering through sound: "for them therein is gasping and groaning" (لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌۭ وَشَهِيقٌ). These specific words, `زفير` (zafir) and `شهيق` (shahiq), are chosen to depict profound respiratory distress. Al-Zamakhshari clarifies that `zafir` is the forceful expulsion of breath, while `shahiq` is the agonizing drawing in of breath.
Imagine a struggle for air so intense that every breath is a desperate, painful ordeal – a heavy, strained gasp followed by a choked, weak groan. Scholars like al-Razi suggest `zafir` might represent the strong inhalation needed to cool an overheated heart, and `shahiq` the arduous expulsion of that air, both indicative of overwhelming grief and physical torment. Ibn Ashur highlights that mentioning these specific sounds isn't just about describing pain; it's a "disfigurement" (`تشويه`) that deepens the horror, making the state of the wretched so repulsive that it becomes an even more potent deterrent than the pain itself. The choice of these words creates a deeply unsettling auditory image, driving home the reality of their endless anguish.
Implied Emphasis
The grammatical structure "for them therein is gasping and groaning" (لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌۭ وَشَهِيقٌ) places `لهم فيها` (for them therein) before the sounds. This subtle shift in word order emphasizes *whose* fate this is and *where* it occurs, firmly grounding the suffering to the wretched and their inescapable reality within the Fire. These harrowing sounds are not incidental; they are a constant, defining characteristic of their existence, an ever-present testimony to their eternal state.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Hud 11:106 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Hud 11:106 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.