Long columns of fire are closed and locked at them, no escape at all. This reflects despair of salvation. Thus, the recompense is of the same kind of the wrong deed and every kind of sin has a suitable kind of punishment. Allah (swt) says:
﴾وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿
(And We did not wrong them [thereby], but they were wronging themselves.) (An-Nahl: 118)
It is closed upon them, no one can think of escaping it. Such as they used to close the cupboards of money, the fire will be closed upon them and the fire columns will be as extended and long as his hopes that money will make him immortal.
The fire will climb up to the corrupted hearts that are full of animosity, jealousy and hatred, which lead them to scorn and mock people. Allah (swt) mentions the heart because it is the place of intentions with which all the deeds of the man are connected with.
Not any fire, it is the fire of Allah (swt). Any fire on earth is man’s made, but, when we relate the fire to Allah (swt), then is it different, because it depends on the One Who lights it and on His ability to give it lights and glow, we seek refuge in Allah from it. It is the fire that no one ever can extinguish it, it is a lit flamed fire ready to devour.
This is the last (And what can make you know) in the Holy Qur’an. This question reflects exaggeration and that we should not just take the linguistic meaning of (Crusher) but we should take the idiomatic one.
(No!) is for rebuke him from thinking that his money makes him immortal. Money does not change anything because it is temporal pleasure, even if it remains, its owner will not remain.
This is the last (No!) mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.
After it the verse ends with an end that suits the Surah’s beginning which was the word (Woe), as explained it is a threatening from Allah (swt), the One Who is able to execute and, surely, the man cannot escape.
لَيُنبَذَنَّ (be thrown): To be thrown with humiliation and contempt.
This man as he used to scorn and mock people as a way of humiliating and disregarding them, accordingly, the result will be the same type as the deed; thus, he will be thrown in the crusher in that same way.
He thinks money will make him immortal so that he oppresses, this is against reality, since he sees death every day, which means that no one is immortal and it is known that money is temporal, it comes and goes.
وَعَدَّدَهُ (continuously count it): Counts it continuously for enjoyment, or keeps it as survival means from troubles and days scourges.
Allah (swt) gives us the cause that makes a man descends to this level of sin and abusing people, it is the money. Because he owns plenty of money, he is busy with counting it, to the degree that he thinks himself above others so he starts to mock people.
The scholars differ about whether this verse was revealed because of a certain person or it is just a general statement. Some of them said it was revealed because of a specific person, who it Abu Lahab. The others said that it is about people in general. Even if the revelation reason was Abu Lahab, it is not of much importance, what is important is to give the lesson for everybody who has these characteristics. After that, it is not important who are the persons, the times and the places.
وَيْلٌ (Woe): means destruction, but idiomatically, it is a valley in Hell. Here the two meanings are intended. Allah here (swt) is menacing, and when the threatening is from Allah (swt), it is absolutely true without any doubt and He (swt) is completely able to execute it.
لِّكُلِّ (to every): in general, but the moral lies in the general meaning, not in the specific reason.
هُمَزَةٍ (scorner): Who insults someone in front of his face, by mentioning his faults, behaviours or his social status.
لُّمَزَةٍ (mocker): Who insults someone behind his back, by a gesture with his eye or tongue or even by any action or any other.
Allah (swt) in this verse wants to indicate that this wrong attitude is done a lot until it became a habit in its does.
Then Allah (set) continues in describing this man who gossips, criticizes people, looks at their faults and follows their privacy.