Barzakh and Punishment therein

﴿وَمِن وَرَآئِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ﴾

(and in front of them is Barzakh until the Day when they will be resurrected.) Abu Salih and others said that:

﴿وَمِن وَرَآئِهِمْ﴾

(and in front of them) means before them. Mujahid said, Al-Barzakh is a barrier between this world and the Hereafter. Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "Al-Barzakh is what is between this world and the Hereafter, neither they are the people of this world, eating and drinking, nor are they with the people of the Hereafter, being rewarded or punished for their deeds.'' Abu Sakhr said, "Al-Barzakh refers to the graves. They are neither in this world nor the Hereafter, and they will stay there until the Day of Resurrection.''

﴿وَمِن وَرَآئِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ﴾

(and in front of them is Barzakh). In these words is a threat to those wrongdoers at the time of death, of the punishment of Barzakh. This is similar to the Ayat:

﴿مِّن وَرَآئِهِمْ جَهَنَّمُ﴾

(In front of them there is Hell) ﴿45:10﴾.

﴿وَمِن وَرَآئِهِ عَذَابٌ غَلِيظٌ﴾

(and in front of him will be a great torment) ﴿14: 17﴾.

﴿إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ﴾

(until the Day when they will be resurrected). means, he will be punished continually until the Day of Resurrection, as it says in the Hadith:

«فَلَا يَزَالُ مُعَذَّبًا فِيهَا»

(He will continue to be punished in it.) meaning, in the earth.

﴿فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى الصُّورِ فَلاَ أَنسَـبَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلاَ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ - فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَزِينُهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ - وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَزِينُهُ فأُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ فِى جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدُونَ - تَلْفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ وَهُمْ فِيهَا كَـلِحُونَ ﴾

(101. Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another.) (102. Then, those whose Scales (of good deeds) are heavy, these! they are the successful.) (103. And those whose Scales (of good deeds) are light, they are those who lose themselves, in Hell will they abide.) (104. The Fire will burn their faces, and therein they will grin, with displaced lips (disfigured).)