What does Quran 44:48 mean?

Quran 44:48 (Surah Ad-Dukhaan, Ayah 48) translates to: "Then pour over his head from the torment of scalding water.""

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 44:48 from?

This ayah is from Surah Ad-Dukhaan (The Smoke), the 44th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 25.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 44:48?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sunan an-Nasa'i, Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawud.

What tafsir is available for Quran 44:48?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn, Ibn Kathir — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 44:48 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Hellfire, Divine Justice, Day of Judgment, Accountability, Divine Command.

Ayah 47

خُذُوهُ فَٱعْتِلُوهُ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ...

44:48Ad-Dukhaan

Ayah 49

ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْكَرِيمُ...

ثُمَّ صُبُّوا۟ فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِۦ مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱلْحَمِيمِ

Summa subboo fawqa raasihee min 'azaabil hameem

Then pour over his head from the torment of scalding water."

Themes in this ayah

Explore in Habl →

Paradise & Hell98

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

1 other theme with a weak connection

Labeled by AI and people · How this works

Follow this theme through Ad-DukhaanFollow this theme

Paradise & Hell

44:48Ayah 159

12 ayahs in Ad-Dukhaan are strongly about Paradise and Hell. This is one of them.

← Previous on Paradise & Hell44:47[It will be commanded], "Seize him and drag him into the midst of the Hellfire,Next on Paradise & Hell →44:49[It will be said], "Taste! Indeed, you are the honored, the noble!

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 44:48→

Then pour over his head the torture of boiling water!’ that is to say the boiling water which is ever-torturous this use of ‘the torture of boiling water’ is rhetorically more intense than what is stated by the verse boiling water will be poured over their heads Q. 2219.

"Do not restrain him." When he had finished he called from a bucket (of water) and poured over it.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #2652Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w) said:Sahih

Indeed Hamim will be poured over their heads. The Hamim will penetrate until it finds its way to his insides. Then whatever is inside him will fall out until it pours over his feet while it melts away. Then he will be reformed to how he was."

Sunan Abu Dawud #1841‘Abd Allah bin Hunain said ‘Abd Allah bin Abbas and Miswar bin Makhramah differed amongst themselves (on the question of washing the head in the sacred state) at al Abwa. ‘Ibn Abbas said A pilgrim in the sacred state (while wearing ihram) can wash his head. Al Miswar said A pilgrim in the sacred state(wearing ihram) cannot wash his head. ‘Abd Allah bin Abbas then sent him (‘Abd Allah bin Hunain) to Abu Ayyub Al Ansari. He found him taking a bath between two woods erected at the edge of the well and he was hiding himself with a cloth (curtain). He (the narrator) said I saluted him. He asked Who is this? I said I am ‘Abd Allah bin Hunain. ‘Abd Allah bin Abbas has sent me to you asking you how the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) used to wash his head while he was wearing ihram. Abu Ayyub then put his hand on the cloth and removed it till his head appeared to me. He then said to a person who was pouring water on him:Sahih

Pour water. He poured water on his head and Abu Ayyub moved his head with his hands. He carried his hands forward and backward. He then said I saw him doing similarly.

Sunan Ibn Majah #3208It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:Hasan

“Intense fever is from the heat of Hell-fire, so cool it down with water.”

Sunan an-Nasa'i #179It was narrated from Abu Talhah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:Sahih

"Perform Wudu' from that which has been heated with fire."