Surah Al-Qamar • 54:48

يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ

“On the Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces [it will be said]: ‘Taste the touch of Saqar’.”

Imperative ذُوقُوا — a deliberate echo

ذُوقُوا

The imperative “Taste” appears earlier in this Surah when Allah’s anger reaches its climax in the story of Qawm Lūṭ: فَذُوقُوا عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ. Here it is directed to the Quraysh, as if borrowed from that narrative.

This reflects a continued pattern in the Surah: elements from the destroyed nations are woven into the final address to the Quraysh. Just as something from Thamūd was folded into the last āyah, and from Nūḥ before that, the command to “taste” is carried here—i.e., to experience the reality of what is warned.

Pattern: narrative echoes Address: Quraysh

يُسْحَبُونَ — “they will be dragged” (passive)

Root: سَحَبَ (Sahaba) Meaning: to drag along, to trail on the ground

The term evokes images such as wind dragging dust along the ground. Related derivatives include: سَحْبان (Sahbān) for one who sweeps up everything he passes, implying greed; and أُسْحُوب (Ushoob) for one who eats or drinks excessively.

Contextual justice: At the beginning of the Surah: وَإِن يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا — they turned away from signs. Now, they are dragged toward what they turned away from—upon the very faces that turned away. The punishment fits the crime; it is a warning to anyone who turns away from the Qur’an and Allah’s guidance.

Voice: Passive (يُسْحَبُونَ) Imagery: forced movement

سَقَرَ — a proper name bound to heat and transformation

Grammar: Mamnoo’ min as‑Sarf (diptote) Does not take tanwīn or kasrah (even when it is Mudāf Ilayhi)

Like proper place-names (e.g., مَكَّة), this indicates سَقَرَ is a place-name.

Linguistic field: the verb سَقَرَ conveys disfigurement, melting, or transformation caused by burning/heat—including change of colour: سَقَرتْهُ الشَّمْس “the sun altered its features through heat.”

Usage examples: سَقْر refers to a syrup formed by extreme heat; نَخْلَة مِسْقَار is a date palm whose fruit exudes that syrup; سَاقُور الحَدِيد denotes applying heat to iron.

Therefore, سَقَرَ is a proper name for a place where extreme heat brings melting and disfigurement—one of the names for جَهَنَّم “Hell”.

Status: Proper noun Morphology: Diptote Semantics: Heat • Melting • Transformation

Poetic justice • a measured warning

They turned away from the signs; now they are dragged toward what they had turned from—upon their faces. The scene embodies justice that fits the crime and stands as a clear warning for anyone who turns away from the Qur’an and Allah’s guidance.

Turning away ⇄ Being dragged Cause ⇄ Consequence

Morphology and mood

Key grammatical cues embedded in 54:48

ذُوقُوا — Imperative يُسْحَبُونَ — Passive سَقَرَ — Proper, diptote

Surah-wide pattern

Elements from the accounts of Nūḥ, Thamūd, and Lūṭ are carried forward into the final address to the Quraysh, reinforcing the warning.

Echo from Qawm Lūṭ: فَذُوقُوا عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ Continuity: warnings → outcome
Ayah 48