What does Quran 78:21 mean?

Quran 78:21 (Surah An-Naba, Ayah 21) translates to: "Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait"

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 78:21 from?

This ayah is from Surah An-Naba (The Announcement), the 78th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 30.

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

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

إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًۭا

Inna jahan nama kaanat mirsaada

Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait

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

2 other themes with weak connections

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Paradise & Hell

78:21Ayah 140

9 ayahs in An-Naba are strongly about Paradise and Hell. This is one of them.

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

Verily Hell lurks in ambush mirsādan in the sense of rāsidatan or mursidatan ‘lying in wait’

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