What is the Tree of Zaqqum in Islam?

The Tree of Zaqqum is a horrific tree in Hell described in the Quran. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir, it grows from the bottom of the Hellfire and its fruit, which resembles devils' heads, is the agonizing food forced upon the sinful.

Why is the Zaqqum tree called a 'trial' (fitnah)?

The Quran calls the Zaqqum tree a 'trial' (fitnah) for the wrongdoers. Classical tafsir explains this is because the disbelievers of Quraysh, like Abu Jahl, mocked the idea, asking how a tree could grow in fire. Their rejection of this unseen reality became a test of their faith.

What happens when people eat from the Tree of Zaqqum?

The Quran states that when the inhabitants of Hell eat from the Zaqqum, it will boil in their bellies like molten lead or burning oil. They are forced to fill their stomachs with it, and afterward, they are given a drink of scalding water, compounding their torment.

Tree of Zaqqum: The Dreadful Tree of Hellfire in Islamic Eschatology

tree of Zaqqûm

Explore Verses Related to tree of Zaqqûm

🕋As-Saffat37:62 🕋As-Saffat37:63 🕋As-Saffat37:64 🕋As-Saffat37:65 🕋As-Saffat37:66 🕋As-Saffat37:67 🕋As-Saffat37:68 🕋As-Saffat37:69 🕋As-Saffat37:70

At a Glance

According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the Tree of Zaqqum (شجرة الزقوم) is a horrific, literal tree that Allah has created in the depths of Hellfire (Jahannam) as a torment for the sinful. The comprehensive tafsir of Ibn Kathir on Surah As-Saffat and other passages explains that this 'accursed tree' is a trial (fitnah) for wrongdoers, a test of their belief in the unseen. It is described as a tree that springs from the very bottom of Hell, with emerging fruit that looks like the heads of devils. Al-Qurtubi and Al-Tabari note that the name itself relates to the painful act of swallowing something bitter and repugnant. The inhabitants of Hell will be forced to eat its fruit, filling their bellies with a substance that boils within them like molten metal, after which they are given a drink of scalding water, before being returned to the Blazing Fire. This synthesis across Quranic verses establishes Zaqqum not merely as food, but as an integral part of a multi-faceted, internal punishment.

📖 Quranic Context

A central and terrifying feature of the punishment in Hellfire (Jahannam).

It is a creation of Allah specifically for the punishment of wrongdoers and serves as a trial (fitnah) for them in this life.

References: Mentioned by name in 37:62, 44:43, 56:52 and as the 'accursed tree' in 17:60.

💭 Theological Perspective

Represents the ultimate consequence of rejecting divine guidance; its fruit is metaphorically seen by some scholars as the outcome of one's evil deeds.

Serves as a potent symbol of spiritual poison and the torment that results from nourishing the soul with disbelief and sin.

Its description is a stern warning intended to deter people from the path that leads to Hell.

Contemplating its reality is meant to foster Taqwa (God-consciousness) and a desire to avoid the actions that lead to it.

📜 Hadith Perspective

Traditions emphasize its horrific nature, stating that a single drop of it would corrupt the entire world's livelihood.

The unbearable bitterness and torment of Zaqqum.
The physical effect on the inhabitants of Hell.
Its contrast with the blessings of Paradise.

Universal agreement among scholars on its literal existence in Hell as a form of divine punishment.

💎 Deeper Insights

Search grounding in classical tafsir reveals that the Zaqqum serves as a perfect, inverse parallel to the blessings of Paradise. While Paradise offers delightful food and cool rivers, Hell offers the Zaqqum, which causes internal burning, followed by a drink of boiling water that only intensifies the pain. This demonstrates the Quran's principle of symmetrical retribution.

— Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi

A unique insight from Ibn Arabi, discovered through search, suggests a profound symbolic layer: the Zaqqum tree grows from the 'seeds' of a person's evil deeds and arrogance. This transforms the tree from a mere external punishment into the ultimate, horrifying manifestation of one's own inner corruption, making the sinner consume the very fruit of their own evil.

— Ibn Arabi