His saying, Almighty and Majestic is He: "As for those who were wretched, they will be in the Fire, having therein a zafir (exhaling/braying) and a shahiq (inhaling/sobbing)." Qatadah said: This is at the time when Allah, Almighty and Majestic is He, says to them: "Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me." Thus, their speech is cut off, and they will not speak a word after that except for the air of the zafir and shahiq. He likened their voices to the voices of donkeys; the first part of it is zafir, and the last part is shahiq.
Muhammad said: There is a difference of opinion regarding the zafir and the shahiq. It is mentioned from al-Khalil that he said: The shahiq is drawing the breath in, and the zafir is expelling the breath out. It was also said: The zafir is the sound of one who is distressed by groaning, and the shahiq is higher in intensity than that.
قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ شَقُوا فَفِي النَّارِ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زفيرٌ وشهيق﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: هَذَا حِينَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ ﷿ لَهُمْ: ﴿اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تكَلمُون﴾ فَيَنْقَطِعُ كَلامُهُمْ؛ فَمَا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ بَعْدَهَا بِكَلِمَةٍ إِلا هَوَاءَ الزَّفِيرِ وَالشَّهِيقِ؛ فَشَبَّهَ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ بِأَصْوَاتِ الْحَمِيرِ؛ أَوَّلُهَا زَفِيرٌ، وَآخِرُهَا شَهِيقٌ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: اخْتَلَفَ الْقَوْلُ فِي الزَّفِيرِ وَالشَّهِيقِ: ذُكِرَ عَنِ الْخَلِيلِ؛ أَنَّهُ قَالَ:
الشَّهِيقُ رَدُّ النَّفَسِ، وَالزَّفِيرُ إِخْرَاجُ النَّفَسِ. وَقِيلَ: الزَّفِيرُ صَوْتُ الْمَكْرُوبِ بِالأَنِينِ، وَالشَّهِيقُ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ ارْتِفَاعًا.
