Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Isra' -> The Punishment of the People of Misguidance

﴿وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ﴾

(and We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces,) Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet was asked, "O Messenger of Allah, how will the people be gathered on their faces'' He said,

«الَّذِي أَمْشَاهُمْ عَلَى أَرْجُلِهِمْ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُمْ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِم»

(The One Who made them walk on their feet is able to make them walk on their faces.) It was also reported (by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) in the Two Sahihs.

﴿عُمْيًا﴾

(blind) means, unable to see.

﴿وَبُكْمًا﴾

(dumb) means, unable to speak.

﴿وَصُمًّا﴾

(deaf) means, unable to hear. They will be in this state as a punishment for the way they were in this world, blind, dumb and deaf to the truth. This will be their recompense when they are gathered on the Day of Resurrection, at the time when they need these faculties most of all.

﴿مَأْوَاهُمُ﴾

(their abode) means, their destination.

﴿جَهَنَّمُ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ﴾

(will be Hell; whenever it abates,) Ibn `Abbas said, "(This means) calms down,'' Mujahid said, (It means) is extinguished,''

﴿زِدْنَاهُمْ سَعِيرًا﴾

(We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire.) meaning, increasing its flames and heat and coals, as Allah says:

﴿فَذُوقُواْ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلاَّ عَذَاباً ﴾

(So taste you (the results of your evil actions). No increase shall We give you, except in torment.) (78:30)

﴿ذَلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا وَقَالُواْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَامًا وَرُفَاتًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ خَلْقًا جَدِيدًا ﴾

﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ أَجَلاً لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَأَبَى الظَّـلِمُونَ إَلاَّ كُفُورًا ﴾

(98. That is their recompense, because they denied Our Ayat and said: "When we are bones and fragments, shall we really be raised up as a new creation'') (99. See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, is able to create the like of them. And He has decreed for them an appointed term, whereof there is no doubt. But the wrongdoers refuse but disbelief.)