“There will be sent (or unleashed) upon you both (i.e., humans and Jinn) a flame of fire and smoke, and you will not defend yourselves”.
Shuwaazh: pure flame Nuhaas: smoke / copper Addressed to two: humans & jinn No self-defense
Language points and insights
Address and scope
يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا — the dual returns
The dual pronoun has returned here after the general pronoun used in the previous verse.
عَلَيْكُمَا targets the two: humans and Jinn.
Those against whom the flame and smoke are unleashed are the “two” who denied the آلَاءِ (“wondrous acts of power”) of your Lord.
This does not encompass the believers.
Lexical focus
شُوَاظٌ (Shuwaazh)
A unique type of fire: a pure flame with no smoke, the most severe in its ability to burn.
Used to refer to the heat of the sun.
Also used metaphorically for severe thirst — as if the throat is burning.
Emphasis: pure flame, no smoke
Lexical focus
نُحَاسٌ (Nuhaas)
In contrast to Shuwaazh, it refers to smoke without fire. It can also refer to “copper”.
Conjures the image of flames and copper balls being thrown against them.
Pairs with Shuwaazh as smoke/physical matter to the pure flame/heat.
Also denotes copper
Key contrasts
Shuwaazh vs. Nuhaas
Heat energy
شُوَاظٌ — pure flame; no smoke; severe burn.
Physical matter
نُحَاسٌ — smoke without fire; also copper.
Together: a dual onslaught — burning heat and suffocating smoke.
Outcome
فَلَا تَنتَصِرَانِ — no self-defense
“So, you will not be able to help and defend yourselves.”
This Ayah can be summarised as: You are utterly incapable of escaping Our grasp under any circumstance. And if you attempt to do so, We shall send upon you a pure flame that will burn you, and smoke without flame that will suffocate you. In such a case, you will not be able to help yourselves and none besides Allah will be able to help you.
Precision notes
Dual pronoun focus
The return to the dual aligns the address specifically with the two audiences (humans and Jinn) who denied.
Scope is limited
The warning does not encompass the believers.
Imagery pairing
Burning without smoke (شُوَاظٌ) alongside suffocating smoke/“copper” (نُحَاسٌ).