Verses 25 and 26 of al-Fajr and Ghadir
Verses 25 and 26 of Sura al-Fajr, which, according to the Prophet (s), describe the manner of the second caliph's torment on the Day of Judgment; a torment that no one will suffer like him.
Regarding the meaning of verses 25 and 26 of Sura al-Fajr and about whom this verse is, it has been said: Among the issues mentioned in narrations is the severity of the torment of 'Umar b. al-Khattab on the Day of Judgment, and that his torment is more severe than that of Iblis. The reason for this greater severity is that Satan stood against Ghadir with all his might and power because he considered it to be neutralizing his efforts to mislead people. According to narrations, the shouts he made on the Day of Ghadir were due to the feeling of helplessness he had in the face of Ghadir.[1]
This is why the founders of Saqifa were not only the guiding companions of Iblis against Ghadir, but Satan praised them for opening a path that he was unable to, and they gave him hope. In this regard, three sentences are narrated from Iblis that he said to the devils in Ghadir:
- انَّ اصْحابَهُ لا يَفُونَ بِما عَقَدَ عَلَيْهِمْ.
- انَّ اصْحابَهُ قَدْ وَعَدُونى انْ لا يَقِرُّوا لَهُ بِشَىْءٍ مِمّا قالَ.
- انَّ الَّذينَ حَوْلَهُ قَدْ وَعَدُونى فيهِ عِدَةً وَ لَنْ يَخْلُفُونى فيها.[2]
It is from here that when Amir al-Mu'minin (a) was taken for forced bay'a, Salman al-Farsi addressed 'Umar, saying: I bear witness that I asked the Prophet (s) about these verses: 
فَیَوْمَئِذٍ لا یُعَذِّبُ عَذابَهُ أَحَدٌ، وَ لا یُوثِقُ وَثاقَهُ أَحَدٌ
; the Prophet informed me that you are the one referred to in this verse.[3] Also, Imam al-Baqir (a) said in explanation of this verse: ذاكَ الثّانى، لا يُعَذِّبُ اللَّه يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ عَذابَهُ احَداً, meaning 'Umar, whose torment is the highest of all.[4]
Footnotes
References
- Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami'a li Durar Akhbar al-A'imma al-Athar; Muhammad Baqir b. Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi, Beirut: Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-'Arabi, 1403 AH.
- Ghadir dar Qur'an, Qur'an dar Ghadir; Muhammad Baqir Ansari, Qom: Intisharat Dalil Ma, 1387 SH.