If we comment on the term with the meaning of its Arabic intensive form...

If we comment on the term with the meaning of its Arabic intensive form, Hell is lying in wait and each of the transgressors, who passes by, will be absorbed inside, and in this passage it can be seen that none of them will be safe from fire since, either the angels of chastisement or the intensive absorption of Hell, will capture them. The term /ma'ab/ means: 'a place of return ', and sometimes means: 'residence'.It is used here, with the latter meaning.

The term /ahqab/is the plural form of /huqb/ with the sense of 'a long space of time '.The 'space' has been commented on, differently, as to being 'forty' seventy' or 'eighty' years. In any case, this sense denotes that the transgressors will remain in Hell for a long time, but it will end at last. This contrasts with the verses that denote the eternity of chastisement for them.

The commentators have followed different tracks in commenting on this, for example: Among the consensus of the commentators, a well-known commentary says the term /ahqab/1 in this text, means that 'some long spaces of time will pass one after another without having an end; with each one that passes, another substitutes'. In some traditions, it is said that this verse is about those evildoers who will finally be free from the fire, not about those who will be in Hell forever.

(1) Then, to point to a small part of the great punishments in Hell, it says: Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink'. 'Except a boiling fluid, and pus. And also, of course, the thick hot smoke mentioned in Sura Waqi'ah, No. 56, verse 43 thus:"And in the shades of Black Smoke". The term /hamim/ means 'a boiling water' and the term /qassaq/ means 'pus' flowing from a wound or sore, and some have commented on it to mean 'bad-smelling fluids '.

The Righteous, in contrast with them, drink the wholesome pure drinks from the heavenly springs gifted by Allah:and their Lord will give them to drink a Drink, Pure and Holy, (Sura 1nsan, No. 76, verse 21) . And there are some drinks for them, in nice heavenly containers, which are sealed with musk: 'Whose seal is musk..., (Sura Mutaffifin, No. 53, verse 26) . What a contrast between the righteous and evildoers!

Since these grave and dreadful punishments may seem surprising (1) Tafsir Nur-uth-Thaqalayn. vol.5, p. 494 Tradition 23 and p. 495, Tradition 26 to some, in addition to this, it says: A fusing recompense for their evil) '. And why not?