Living The Quran
From Issue: 616 [Read full issue]
Heads of Satans
Al-Saffat (The Ranks) - Chapter 37: Verse 65
"Its (Zaqqum's) fruits are like the heads of satans."
We usually liken beautiful beings to angels as the women who saw the Prophet Yusuf, upon him be peace, likened him to honourable angel (12:31); conversely, we liken ugly beings to devils. However, there may be many other points of resemblance between the fruit of the tree of Zaqqum and the heads of devils. For example, this tree will grow from the seeds sown by the evil deeds committed by the people in Hell, deeds that were prompted by Satan.
The Quran mentions deeds - such as taking intoxicants, playing games of chance, offering sacrifices for anything having the meaning of an idol or at the places consecrated for offerings to other than God, and polytheistic divination by shooting arrows and other similar ways - as loathsome evil of Satan's doing (5: 90). So, it is quite natural that such deeds will grow into satan-like trees and yield fruit that resembles the heads of devils.
Compiled From:
"The Quran: Annotated Interpretation in Modern English" - Ali Unal, pp. 923