Quran Universe
82:18

ثُمَّ مَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا يَوۡمُ ٱلدِّينِ

Thumma ma adraka ma yawmu alddeeni

Then, what can make you know what is the Day of Recompense?

Word by word
  1. ثُمَّThen
  2. مَآwhat
  3. أَدۡرَىٰكَcan make you know
  4. مَاwhat
  5. يَوۡمُ(is the) Day
  6. ٱلدِّينِ(of) the Judgment
Al-Infitar · 82:18Makkah

Again: do you know what that Day is?

The question asked twice

Repeated
onceto magnify
then
againto affirm
Why repeat
it was not heard
it must sink inbefore the answer

Ibn Kathir notes Allah affirms it by saying again the same question, and then explains it in the next verse. The repetition holds the listener still before the answer comes.

Your parent says your name twice when something really matters. You look up from your phone. This is that second calling of your name.

Hearing the same reminder twice is just repetition.

When Allah repeats a question, He wants me to stop and listen.

Try this

Read verses 17 and 18 aloud slowly, and pause before reading 19.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 82:13)

Verily, the Abrar (the righteous believers) will be in Delight (13)And verily, the wicked will be in the blazing Fire (Hell)(14)Therein they will enter, and taste its burning flame on the Day of Recompense (15)And they will not be absent therefrom (16)And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is (17)Again, what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is (18)(It will be) the Day when no person shall have power for another, and the Decision, that Day, will be with Allah (19)

The Reward of the Righteous and the Sinners

Allah informs of what the righteous will receive of delight. They are those who obeyed Allah and did not meet Him with disobedience (sins). Then He mentions that the evildoers will be in Hell and eternal torment. Due to this He says,

يَصْلَوْنَهَا يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

(Therein they will enter, and taste its burning flame on the Day of Recompense,) meaning, the Day of Reckoning, Recompense, and Judgement.

وَمَا هُمْ عَنْهَا بِغَائِبِينَ

(And they will not be absent therefrom.) meaning, they will not be absent for even one hour from the torment. The torment will not be lightened from them, nor will they be granted the death that they will be requesting, or any rest – not even for a single day. Allah then says,

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ

(And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?) This is a magnification of the affair of the Day of Judgement. Then Allah affirms it by saying,

ثُمَّ مَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ

(Again, what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?) Then He explains this by saying,

يَوْمَ لَا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِّنَفْسٍ شَيْئًا

((It will be) the Day when no person shall have power for another,) meaning, no one will be able to benefit anyone else, or help him out of that which he will be in, unless Allah gives permission to whomever He wishes and is pleased with. We will mention here a Hadith (where the Prophet ﷺ said),

يَا بَنِي هَاشِم، أَنْقِذُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ لَا أَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْئًا

(O children of Hashim! Save yourselves from the Fire, for I have no power to cause you any benefit from Allah.) This has been mentioned previously at the end of the Tafsir of Surat Ash-Shu'ara' (see 26:214). Thus, Allah says,

وَالْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ

(and the Decision, that Day, will be with Allah.)

This is similar to Allah's statement,

 لِّمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ ۖ لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

(Whose is the kingdom this Day? It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible!)(40:16)

It is also similar to His statement,

الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ

(The sovereignty on that Day will be for the Most Gracious)(25:26)

It is also similar to His saying,

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

(The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense)(1:4)

Qatadah said,

يَوْمَ لَا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِّنَفْسٍ شَيْئًا ۖ وَالْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ

((It will be) the Day when no person shall have power for another, and the Decision, that Day, will be with Allah.)

"By Allah, the Decision is for Allah today (now), but on that Day no one will try to dispute with Him about it."

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Infitar. All praise and blessings are due to Allah, and He is the Giver of success and freedom from error.