Al-Ahzab · Madani · ayah 68 of 73

Al-Ahzab 33:68

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ وَٱلْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا كَبِيرًا

“Our Lord, give them double the punishment and curse them with a great curse."”

Saheeh International

Essence

The followers' last prayer asks for their leaders' pain to be doubled, and nothing in it asks for their own release.

A reflection

'Much' and 'great': the same words in Abū Bakr's prayer

The last word of this ayah was recited in two ways. One reading has kabīran: a great curse. Most readers recited kathīran: a curse many times over. The commentaries agree that both readings are sound and close in meaning. What is great is also of great amount.

One commentary then points to a hadith where the same pair of words appears, and the link is startling.

The two Sahihs record that Abū Bakr asked the Prophet ﷺ to teach him a prayer to say in his own prayer. The Prophet ﷺ told him to say: O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly, and none forgives sins but You. So forgive me with forgiveness from You, and have mercy on me. You are the Forgiving, the Merciful.

'Greatly' in that prayer is kathīran. In some narrations, kabīran. The same two words as this ayah.

Put the two prayers side by side. In both, someone stands before Allah and uses the word 'much'. In Abū Bakr's prayer, the 'much' is his own wrong. He looks inward and finds the size of his fault. In this ayah, the 'much' is someone else's curse. The followers look outward and measure someone else's fault.

The Prophet's ﷺ closest companion was taught to say: I have wronged myself greatly. The people of the Fire say: curse them greatly.

That is the whole difference between the two destinations, in one word pointing two ways. Where does your 'much' point? When you stand in prayer, do you measure your own wrongs, or rehearse the wrongs others did to you?

Abū Bakr's prayer is still there to be said. Say it tonight, slowly, and let the 'much' point at yourself.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.