What is the Tree of Zaqqum mentioned in the Quran?

The Tree of Zaqqum is a horrifying tree that the Quran states grows from the bottom of Hellfire (Jahannam). According to classical scholars, its grotesque fruit, described as being like the heads of devils, will be the agonizing food for the sinful and wrongdoers in the Hereafter.

Why is Zaqqum called the 'cursed tree' in the Quran?

In Surah Al-Isra (17:60), it is called the 'cursed tree' (ash-shajarat al-mal‘unah). Tafsir scholars like Ibn Kathir explain it was 'cursed' and made a 'trial' (fitnah) because the disbelievers of Quraysh mocked the idea of a tree growing in fire, thus testing their belief in Allah's absolute power.

What happens when people eat from the Tree of Zaqqum?

The Quran describes that after the damned are forced to eat from Zaqqum and fill their bellies, its fruit will boil within them like molten metal or scalding water. This tormenting food neither nourishes nor satisfies hunger but is a severe form of punishment.

Tree of Zaqqum in Islam - Quranic Description of Hell's Cursed Tree

Tree zaqqum

شجر الزقوم

Explore Verses Related to Tree zaqqum

🕋Al-Isra17:60 🕋As-Saffat37:62 🕋As-Saffat37:63 🕌Al-Fath48:18 🕋Al-Waqi'ah56:52

At a Glance

According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the Tree of Zaqqum (شجر الزقوم) is a horrific, cursed tree that grows in the very depths of Hellfire (Jahannam). It is explicitly mentioned in the Quran as a 'trial for the wrongdoers' and a tormenting form of sustenance for the sinful. Ibn Kathir explains that its mention tested the faith of the disbelievers who could not comprehend a tree surviving in fire. Synthesizing the descriptions across Surahs As-Saffat, Ad-Dukhan, and Al-Waqi'ah, the Quran paints a terrifying picture: a tree whose fruit resembles the heads of devils, which, when eaten by the damned, boils like molten metal in their bellies. This divine warning serves as a profound deterrent, underscoring the severe consequences of disbelief and transgression in Islamic eschatology.

📖 Quranic Context

A central symbol of the horrific sustenance and punishment awaiting the sinful in Hellfire (Jahannam).

Serves as a divine warning and a 'fitnah' (trial) for the wrongdoers, testing their belief in the unseen.

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

💭 Theological Perspective

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

Acts as a powerful psychological deterrent against sin and disbelief.

Its description serves to illustrate the severity of divine justice and the reality of the Hereafter.

Contemplation of Zaqqum is meant to foster Taqwa (God-consciousness) and encourage repentance.

📜 Hadith Perspective

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasized its horror to instill a fear of Hell.

Its unbearable bitterness, stating that a single drop would corrupt the entire world's sustenance.
Identifying the 'cursed tree' in the Quran as the Tree of Zaqqum.

Universal acceptance among scholars of its reality as a form of torment in Hellfire.

💎 Deeper Insights

The Tree of Zaqqum functions as a 'Belief Litmus Test'. Its initial mention in the Quran (17:60) was not to describe a punishment, but to create a theological test. The seemingly illogical concept of a tree in fire was designed to separate those who submit to God's power from those who are trapped by their own limited logic, like Abu Jahl who mockingly ate dates and butter calling it 'Zaqqum'.

— Ibn Kathir

Zaqqum is the 'Anti-Tree', a perfect inversion of all the symbolism of a worldly tree. A normal tree grows up towards light and gives life; Zaqqum grows from the 'bottom of the Fire' (37:64) in darkness and its fruit causes agonizing death-like torment. This isn't just a random punishment; it's a profound symbol of how the rejection of divine light leads to an inverted, agonizing reality in the Hereafter.

— Al-Qurtubi, Al-Tabari