The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam — Page 132
126 The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الرَّقُوْمِ طَعَامُ الْآثِيمِ كَالْمُهْلِ يَغْلِي فِي الْبُطُونِ كَعَلَي الْحَمِيمِ . . . ذُقُ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْكَرِيمُ 175 That is, are the gardens of paradise better entertainment or the tree of Zaqqūm which We have made a means of trial for the wrongdoers? It is a tree that springs forth from the root of hell, that is to say, it grows out of arrogance and self-esteem. Its fruit is, as if it were, the heads of Satan. The meaning of 'Satan' is 'one who perishes', and it is derived from [the Arabic root] sha-ya-ta. So in sum the meaning is that to eat it is to be ruined. Then it is said: The tree of Zaqqūm is the food of the deliberately sinful. It will boil in their bellies like molten copper. The sinful one will be commanded: Now suffer this, thou who didst hold thyself mighty and noble. This is a wrathful expression meaning that if he had not been arrogant and had not turned away from the truth out of pride and a false notion of his dignity, he would not have had to suffer in this fashion. This verse indicates that the word Zaqqūm is a composite of Zuqq and Amm, and Amm is an abridgment of the verse: إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْكَرِيمُ 0 176 175. Verily, the tree of Zaqqūm. Will be the food of the sinful, Like molten copper, it will boil in their bellies, Like the boiling of scalding water. . . . . . Taste it! You did consider yourself the mighty, the honourable. (The Holy Quran, ad-Dukhān 44:44-47,50)