إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا۟ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَتُوبُوا۟ فَلَهُمۡ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابُ ٱلۡحَرِيقِ
Verse: "Indeed those who tormented the believing men and believing women and then did not repent — for them is the punishment of Hell, and for them is the punishment of the burning fire." (Al-Buruj 10)
Context:- The hadith of the People of the Trench: a disbelieving king ordered the digging of a trench and lit a fire in it, then presented believers with a choice: apostatize or be thrown in
- The believers held firm and were thrown into the fire — Sahih Muslim (3005)
- A woman with a nursing infant hesitated; the infant spoke — by Allah command — : "O mother, be patient, for you are upon the truth." She then threw herself into the fire
- Remarkably: the king and his soldiers were burned by the same fire they used to burn the believers — Muslim narration
- The verse: despite all of this they have another punishment in the Hereafter in addition to what was hastened for them in this world
Lesson:Martyrdom in the way of Allah is not defeat — the People of the Trench died and their cause prevailed. Faith that withstands fire endures in history more than the kings who lit it.
Question: Why did Allah say "and then did not repent" in the verse, and does this imply that those who repent among them are saved?
Answer: Yes — commentators say the condition "and then did not repent" indicates that repentance was open even for those who lit the fire. This reflects the vast mercy of Allah: even the most severe criminals can be forgiven if they repent — but they refused, so their fate was destruction in this world and the next.