Central Theme and Relationship with the Preceding Sūrah
This sūrah forms a pair with Sūrah Nāzi‘āt, the previous
sūrah. There is no basic difference between the central theme of both sūrahs.
Both the style of the discourse and the manner of reasoning have very obvious
similarity. The sequence of the topics covered in both is, however, different.
It is this change that endows this sūrah with a new majesty and is the only
thing which distinguishes it from the previous sūrah. By going through both
these sūrahs, one can determine their similarities and dissimilarities.
At the end of the previous sūrah, the Prophet (sws) was
assured by the words: إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُنذِرُ مَنْ
يَخْشَاهَا(٧٩:
٤٥) (you are but a warner for people who fear it,
(79:45)). This sūrah begins with this very subject: The Prophet (sws) is rebuked
for wasting time on the arrogant leaders of the Quraysh who would find new
excuses each day to not profess faith. They were the ones who out of arrogance
would demand from the Prophet (sws) to turn out his poor companions from his
presence if he wanted these leaders to sit with him. In the whole of this sūrah,
these arrogant and haughty leaders are scolded severely. Although the Prophet (sws)
is addressed, yet the direction of this stern address is towards these
supercilious people.
Analysis of the Discourse
Verses (1-10): The Prophet (sws) is rebuked with reference
to an incident: the haughty and conceited who are showing indifference to the
message and reminders sounded by the Prophet (sws) and who are desirous that he
should turn out his poor companions from his gatherings if he wants them to come
to him should not be tolerated by the Prophet (sws). Their responsibility does
not rest on him and therefore he by pampering them must not end up disregarding
his obligation towards his companions who are ready to give up their lives for
him. His real responsibility is to educate and instruct only those who come to
him enthusiastically. He is not accountable for those who do not come and are
desirous of being pampered. So he must not go after them at the cost of his own
companions.
Verses (11-16): A mention of the grandeur and majesty of
the Qur’ān: it is a reminder revealed by God; so whoever wants, he should
benefit from it. Those who do not value it will themselves face its
consequences. It is an authoritative word of God which commands obedience; it is
not the request of a supplicant. Therefore the Prophet (sws) should present it
before people in a befitting manner. Those whom the Almighty has entrusted with
it are noble and highly honoured people and the Prophet (sws) too is among them.
He should not pamper these arrogant and haughty people to an extent which is
against his status and as well as the honour of the message he is presenting.
Verses (17-23): An expression of sorrow at the state of the
arrogant who are adamant on denying the Day of judgement. They are reminded of
the various phases of their life: It is very sad and unfortunate if the human
being who is created by the drop of a fluid and after passing through different
phases reaches his grave regards re-creation to be an impossibility. Those who
are not willing to profess belief after such manifest arguments will not be
convinced by any other argument.
Verses (24-32): After focusing our attention to the phases
of man’s creation, a reference is made to the tremendous system of providence
which the Almighty has set up for human beings as well as for animals. This
shows that the Being who has made such an elaborate arrangement to nourish and
nurture man will never leave people unaccountable for the blessings He has
bestowed on them; one day, He will definitely call them to account. Only those
people will succeed on that day who fulfilled their obligation towards these
favours; those who were not able to do so will end up doomed and humiliated.
Verses (33-42): A portrayal of the Day of Judgement: people
on that day will be so engrossed in their own affairs that they will become
unconcerned with their near ones. A depiction of the joy of those who led their
lives while being fearful of this day and of the misfortune and gloom of those
who remained indifferent to this day and died in this state is depicted.
Text and Translation
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَاَن الرَحِيِم
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى (١) أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى (٢) وَمَا
يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّى (٣) أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَى (٤)
أَمَّا مَنْ اسْتَغْنَى (٥) فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّى (٦) وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا
يَزَّكَّى (٧) وَأَمَّا مَنْ جَاءَكَ يَسْعَى (٨) وَهُوَ يَخْشَى (٩) فَأَنْتَ
عَنْهُ تَلَهَّى (١٠) كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ (١١) فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ (١٢)
فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ (١٣)
مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ (١٤)
بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ (١٥)
كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ (١٦)
قُتِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ (١٧)
مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ (١٨)
مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ (١٩)
ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ (٢٠)
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ (٢١)
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْشَرَه ُ(٢٢) كَلَّا
لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ (٣٢) فَلْيَنْظُرْ الْإِنسَانُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ (٢٤)
أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا (٢٥)
ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا (٢٦)
فَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا (٢٧)
وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا (٢٨)
وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا (٢٩)
وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا (٣٠)
وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا (٣١)
مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ (٣٢)
فَإِذَا جَاءَتْ الصَّاخَّةُ (٣٣)
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ (٣٤)
وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ (٣٥)
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ (٣٦)
لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ (٣٧)
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُسْفِرَةٌ (٣٨)
ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ (٣٩)
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ (٤٠)
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ (٤١)
أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ (٤٢)
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.
He frowned and turned away because there came to him a
blind man. And what do you know that he might have sought to reform himself or
might have heard the counsel and this counsel might have benefited him. (1-4)
He who shows indifference, you go after them even though
you are not responsible if he does not reform himself; and he who comes to you
with zeal and also fears God, you show indifference to him. (5-10)
Certainly not! This is but a reminder; so whoever wishes,
can be reminded through it; in esteemed pages, exalted and untouched, in the
custody of scribes, honourable and faithful. (11-16)
Woe to man! How ungrateful he is! From what was he created?
From a drop of fluid. He created him and then measured out for him. Then eased
out the path for him. He then gave him death; then He had him put in a grave.
Then whenever He intends, He will raise him to life. (17-22)
Certainly not! He has still not complied with what his Lord
had asked him. Thus man should reflect on his food that We poured forth water in
abundance then cleaved the earth asunder, then produced in it grain, grapes,
vegetables, olives, dates, dense orchards, fruits and herbage as means of
sustenance for you and your cattle. (23-32)
So when the deafening blast comes! [Then that certain thing
will manifest itself]. On that Day, man will flee from his brother, mother,
father, his wife and his sons. Every one will be concerned with his own self.
Many a face on that day will be bright, smiling and rejoicing, and many a face
on that day will be gloomy and dark. These very disbelievers, these insolent.
(33-42)
Explanation
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى (١)
أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى (٢)
(He frowned and turned away because there came to him a blind
man.)
The subject of the verb عَبَسَ is
not mentioned here; however, it becomes evident from the succeeding verses that
the Prophet (sws) is its subject. All exegetes are unanimous that the verse
refers to ‘Abdullāh ibn Umm Maktūm (rta). He was a poor and blind Companion. It
is mentioned in some narratives that one day the Prophet (sws) was talking to
one of the leaders of the Quraysh or to a group of them; he was presenting the
message of Islam before them and they must have been presenting their objections
and doubts regarding Islam. During this conversation ‘Abdullāh ibn Umm Maktūm (rta)
came over and without realizing the delicate nature of the meeting entered upon
them. The Prophet (sws) did not approve of his untimely entry. This dislike on
the part of the Prophet (sws) of course could not have been because he was poor
or blind. Who could have cared more for the poor and the blind than the Prophet
(sws) himself. The Prophet (sws) must have thought that because of ‘Abdullāh’s
ill-timed arrival, he might lose an opportunity to tame these savage leaders;
they would shy away and say that if such poor paupers are going to gather round
the Prophet (sws), why should they sit with him and undermine their honour and
status.
It should remain in consideration that one of the prominent
objections of the leaders of the Quraysh on the Prophet (sws) was that his
companions were the poverty-stricken and the destitute. They regarded this to be
an argument against his prophethood. Moreover, another thing which could have
been a cause of apprehension for the Prophet (sws) was that he feared that these
leaders being inebriated with their superiority might show disrespect and
disregard to a very dear companion of his which of course would cause even more
distaste.
This incident which took place quite accidentally was used
by the Almighty for the instruction and education of the Prophet (sws): He was
told to make his companions who zealously wanted to reform themselves the real
focus of attention; they were the ones who would enthusiastically come to his
presence; he should not go after those who were indifferent to him and wanted
the Prophet (sws) to pamper them.
It has been explained at a number of places in the previous
sūrahs that in the initial stages the Prophet (sws) would diligently call the
leadership of the Quraysh to the message of Islām. The reason for this was that
he had been initially directed to address only them as is evident from the
following verse: وَ أنْذِرْ عَشِيْرَتَكَ الأقْرَبِيْن (٢٦:
٢١٤) (and warn your near family, (26:214)). Secondly, it was the Quraysh
who were the leaders of all Arabia. It was hoped that if they embraced Islām,
this would pave the way of its acceptance in all of Arabia. Consequently, for
some time, the Prophet (sws) directed all his preaching efforts towards them and
in spite of great arrogance and a humiliating behaviour shown by them, the
Prophet (sws) persisted in preaching them. However, when their arrogance
increased greatly and it became evident that these obdurate people would not
reform themselves and in fact the time being wasted on them was at the cost of
poor Muslims who had already embraced faith and for their education were more
worthy of the Prophet’s attention than these arrogant leaders, he was stopped
from going after them. For this change in strategy, a very opportune chance was
created by the incident of ‘Abdullāh Ibn Umm Maktūm (rta).
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّى (٣) أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ
فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَى (٤)
(And what do you know that he might have sought to reform
himself or might have heard the counsel and this counsel might have benefited
him.)
The previous verses just inform us of an incident without
telling us who is discussed in this incident and what the purpose of mentioning
it is. The word يُدْرِيكَ (you know) shows that this
incident relates to the Prophet (sws) and that he is being informed that at
times he goes so far in search for lost sheep that he becomes indifferent to the
sheep of his own herd.
The absence of address in the initial verses do raise the
question in the mind of the reader as to who the incident relates to; however,
as the addressee has not been specified, the reader surmises that since he is
not addressed, there is nothing to worry about. Consequently, a question
regarding the addressee of this incident must have instantly arisen in the mind
of the Prophet (sws); however, in the absence of any specific addressee there
was no cause of worry for him. On the contrary, had the addressee been
specified, this rebuke would have become very severe. The reason is that in this
situation it would have become certain that the Prophet (sws) had been chided
because he became coarse at the arrival of a blind person whereas, as is
explained earlier with more details forthcoming, this was not the case.
In the current verses, the addressee is specified because
here the incident which called for rebuke has been described: this rebuke was
not because the Prophet (sws) was in anyway slack in an obligation; it was
because he was over-concerned and over-zealous in discharging an obligation. I
have explained at many places in this tafsīr that the errors committed by the
prophets of God are never because of base desires; at times, they become over
enthusiastic in seeking the pleasure of God and exceed their bounds of duty in
this regard. For example, when Moses (sws) was called by the Almighty to mount
Tūr, He even fixed a specific date for it; however, Moses (sws) in his fervour
could not wait for the specified time and reached earlier. When he was called to
explain his behaviour, he replied that he had come early because of his zeal to
please the Almighty. Obviously, such an omission is based on an enthusiasm which
is very commendable. However, since the prophets of God are a standard for truth
and justice, the Almighty checks them on such oversights also so that the
standards they set must not in anyway be wavered.
The Almighty has checked the Prophet (sws) here on a
similar lapse. Since the Prophet (sws) was expecting that once the leaders of
the Quraysh would embrace faith the message of Islam would influence the whole
of Arabia, he became deeply involved in his preaching endeavour. He even became
indifferent to his own comfort as a result. He did not even realize what these
leaders were doing to him and his mission. Such was the extent of his
involvement that it was feared that he would be able to find little time for the
education and instruction of the poor people who had embraced faith. The Qur’ān
has affectionately chided him at a number of places and informed him that he had
taken much more upon himself than the responsibility that was imposed upon him
by the Almighty regarding the Quraysh. He should not fret over them. All he was
required to do was to present the message of God which he had done and that no
further pampering was required. It was in these circumstances that the incident
of ‘Abdullāh ibn Umm Maktūm (sws) took place because of which a decisive sūrah
was revealed in this matter.
The words وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ
يَزَّكَّى (and what do you know that he might have sought to reform
himself) point to the fact that the arrival of a blind man in a gathering of the
Prophet (sws) dismayed him; this was because he perhaps thought that this would
strike at the vanity of the leadership of Quraysh present, and they would shy
away even though while pampering them he had become indifferent to a true
student. So, the verse directs him to not go after instructing such unworthy
people at the cost of a companion more worthy of his time.
It is also evident from these words that the real objective
of the messengers of God is to spiritual purify their followers. Those who come
to him for this purpose are the ones really worthy of his attention and
affection. Others, who have no urge in them to reform themselves have no
importance with regard to the objective of the preaching mission of the
messengers however much important they may be otherwise.
Here, two qualities of a fervent person are mentioned: he
is desirous of his inner-purification and he is one who benefits from being
reminded.
Here, in fact, the characteristics of people who truly
wanted to be instructed and reformed by the Prophet (sws) are mentioned.
Generally, there were two types of people among them: one, people who had a
question regarding their instruction and training and would come to the Prophet
(sws) to seek guidance on it; two, people who had no such question in mind but
would come to the Prophet (sws) to hear any words of guidance uttered by him or
to benefit from the answer he may give to someone else. The words
لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّى point to the first of these
categories and the wordsيَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَى
to the second. Both these attitudes are adopted by true students and the
purpose of mentioning them is to let people know that anyone who wants to come
to the gathering of the Prophet (sws) should come while keeping either of these
two objectives in mind and it will be such people who would be worthy of his
attention. As far as people who want to be pampered are concerned, they should
sit at home and wait for their fate.
أَمَّا مَنْ اسْتَغْنَى (٥)
فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّى (٦)
وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّى (٧)
وَأَمَّا مَنْ جَاءَكَ يَسْعَى (٨)
وَهُوَ يَخْشَى (٩)
فَأَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّى (١٠)
(He who shows indifference, you go after them even though you
are not responsible if he does not reform himself; and he who comes to you with
zeal and also fears God, you show indifference to him.)
These verses depict the real admonition which was sounded
to the Prophet (sws) at that time. Only the God-fearing who have the urge to
reform themselves are worthy of his attention. It is such people who are his
real responsibility and he has no obligation to others.
The word تَصَدَّى is actually
تَصَدَّدَ which is from the root
صدد and it means “parallel” and “opposite”. The change in its
morphological form is as per grammatical principles; examples of such a change
can be seen in previous sūrahs. The implication is that the Prophet is anxious
to convince people who show indifference, even though the Almighty has not made
him accountable for them.
The verse وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا
يَزَّكَّى says that the real responsibility of the Prophet (sws) is to
warn people of the Hereafter and to communicate to them the true message of
Islam; once he has done this, he has done what is required of him. He is not
responsible to necessarily make them Muslims. This topic is discussed in the
previous sūrahs in various styles and at every place its purpose is to clarify
to the Prophet (sws) that he should not burden himself with more than what he
has been made liable to. He should not put himself in stress because these
unfortunate people do not want to reform themselves; he should just leave them
to face the consequences.
The word يَسْعَى in the verse
وَأَمَّا مَنْ جَاءَكَ يَسْعَى means to do something
with zeal and enthusiasm. It does not necessarily incorporate the meaning of
“running around”. The verse: وَاسْعَواْ إِلَى ذِكْرِاللهِ
(٦٢:
٩) means “turn to the word of God with zeal and fervour.” In the
verse under discussion, this word has come in this meaning. The implication is
that they come to the Prophet (sws) with the fervour of a thirsty person
approaching a fountain.
The verse وَهُوَ يَخْشَى is in
contrast to أَمَّا مَنْ اسْتَغْنَى. On the one hand
are people who are so engrossed in the pleasures and lures of this world that
they are never bothered to think whether there is life after this life and
whether one should prepare for it. On the other hand, there are people who fear
meeting God in the Hereafter. It is this second category of people and not the
first from which it can be expected that they will pay full heed to what the
Prophet (sws) tells them. However, the Prophet (sws) is after the first trying
to accomplish the impossible whereas he is not finding time for those who are
ready to accept what he tells them.
The following things become evident from these verses:
Firstly, the admonition sounded in these verses which
apparently seems directed at the Prophet (sws) is actually directed at the
unworthy leaders of the Qurasyh from which there was no hope of the right
attitude. Hence it became necessary that the Prophet (sws) ignore them and make
the poor Muslims the real focus of his attention. For they were the ones who had
embraced faith and were actually worthy of his preaching efforts.
Secondly, the Prophet (sws) has not been checked for
being irresponsible in any manner; he has actually been checked for burdening
himself with much more than the responsibility actually imposed on him by the
Almighty. Besides other examples, one example of such an affectionate admonition
can be seen in the following verse: لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ
نَّفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ (٣:٢٦) (you will perhaps fret
yourself that they are not becoming believers, (26:3)).
Thirdly, the Prophet (sw) has been guided that the real
asset of Islam are the poor Muslims who are instilled with the fear of God and
not the affluent whose hearts are devoid of the fear of God. Therefore, he
should primarily direct his attention to them and not waste his time on those
for which there is no hope for any reformation.
Imām Hamīd al-Dīn Farāhī in his exegesis on Sūrah ‘Abas has
explained the reproach found in this address in a very lucid manner. He writes:
An example would perhaps serve to illustrate the point
further. Consider a very conscientious and vigilant shepherd who is looking for
one of his well-bred sheep that has wandered off from the main herd; he sets out
to find it and at every step he sees its footsteps; he is also able to hear its
voice coming from some corner of the jungle; thinking that success is near he
wanders far off and becomes neglectful of his herd. When he returns, his master
rebukes him for this negligence saying: “You have spent a lot of time in
needlessly looking for a foolish goat; you should have left it to die in the
wilderness or become prey to some hound; such a crazy animal does not deserve
your attention.” Who is rebuked here? The shepherd or the lost sheep? Likewise,
in these verses, it seems that it is the Prophet (sws) who has been rebuked;
however, actually, it is the Quraysh who have been rebuked though they have not
been directly addressed. For the Prophet (sws), there are several aspects of
affection and fondness concealed in this rebuke.
كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ (١١) فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ (١٢)
(Certainly not! This is but a reminder; so whoever wishes, can
be reminded through it.)
The negation implies that the Prophet (sws) should not go
after such people who do not value his message. It is upon a person to be
reminded by the Qur’ān, which is no more than a reminder. He who has no
intention to be reminded by it should get ready to face the consequences it is
informing people of. In other words, the responsibility of the Prophet (sws) is
to only communicate this reminder to people; it is not his responsibility to
force it down on them; he is merely required to warn them and not pamper them.
The antecedent of the pronoun in
إِنَّهَا and ذَكَرَهُ is
ذِكْرَى which occurs in verse four. In the latter, the masculine pronoun
has come with regard to the Qur’ān. Since تَذْكِرَةٌ
and ذِكْرَى both refer to the Qur’ān, by bringing the
masculine pronoun the objective is to refer to the real meaning. Examples of
such usage can be seen in previous sūrahs.
It is evident from this discussion, as explained earlier,
that if there is an element of rebuke in this address it is affection-oriented.
The rebuke thus implies that he has burdened himself with much more
responsibility than was actually assigned to him.
A part of the discourse is suppressed after
فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ. If it is revealed, the
discourse would read something like this: “Whoever wants, he can benefit from
this reminder and whoever wants, he can remain deaf to its calls.” At another
place, this fact is stated thus: فَمَن شَاء فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن
شَاء فَلْيَكْفُرْ (٢٩:١٨) (then whoever wants can
profess faith and whoever wants can profess disbelief, (18:29)).
فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ (١٣)
مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ (١٤)
بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ (١٥)
كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ (١٦)
(In esteemed pages, exalted and untouched, in the custody of
scribes, honourable and faithful(
This is a further explanation of the above-mentioned
directive given to the Prophet (sws) to disregard and ignore the arrogant
leadership of the Quraysh. The implication is that just as it is not befitting
for him to accede to these disbelievers, similarly, what he is presenting before
them is not something which should be presented to them by begging and
beseeching them; it is in fact a very exalted, lofty and honourable thing. It is
not like some defective merchandise so that the Prophet (sws) has to worry about
selling it in whatever way possible and go as far as to coax and lure buyers
into buying it. It is in fact a pearl and ruby from among the treasures of the
Almighty which he is dispensing free of cost. If these people are not valuing
it, they are not harming the Prophet (sws) in any way; they are only taking
their selves to eternal doom.
The words فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ
express the exaltedness and majesty of the discourse. Here the enunciative (mubtadā’)
is suppressed; the sentence actually is: فِي صُحُفٍ
مُكَرَّمَةٍ هُوَ. When more adjectives of a noun are to be mentioned
subsequently, it is customary in Arabic to suppress the enunciative.
The word صَحِِيْفَةٌ refers to a
written page. When used in the plural form (صُحُف),
it, at times, refers to a book. Here, it refers to the guarded tablet and the
adjective مُكَرَّمَة shows that it is a powerful and
priceless treasure which is being guarded by the angels of God with great
diligence. This is a reference to the fact that neither is it accessible to
everyone nor everyone has the permission to access it or take something from it;
it is God who bestows it upon those He wants to and He has blessed the Prophet (sws)
from this treasure and he should only present it before those who are worthy of
it. He should not cast pearls before a swine. The Gospel has very effectively
mentioned this teaching and I have referred to it earlier at some place in this
tafsīr.
The adjectives مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ
also occur to explain مُكَرَّمَة. The former refers to
exaltedness both in meaning and status and at another place is explained thus:
وَإِنَّهُ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ
(٤:٤٣) (it is with us in the original book, exalted and full of wisdom,
(43:4)).
The purpose of the adjective مُطَهَّرَة
is to bring to light the fact that the Qur’ān is safe and secure from the
incursions of devils and evil spirits. For example, it is said:
فِي كِتَابٍ مَّكْنُونٍ لَّا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ
(٥٦:
٧٨-٧٩) (it is in a secure book which is only accessible to the pure,
(56:78-79)).
The words كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ بِأَيْدِي
سَفَرَةٍ delineate the characteristics of scribes in whose custody this
secure book has been given by God. What is stated negatively in 56:79 quoted
above is stated here positively. What is said overall can be stated thus: Evil
spirits and devils have no access to this secure Book; on the contrary, it is in
the custody of angels who are pure, faithful and highly respected.
The word سَفَرَةٍ is a plural of
سَافِر and means “a reader” and “a scribe”. It
connotes both reading and writing. If one reflects on its etymology, one comes
to the conclusion that it was originally meant for writing and later its meaning
was extended to include reading and stating something.
The word كِرَامٍ refers to their
high status and noble character; they are such exalted and honourable beings
that there is no possibility of any dishonesty from them. Neither can they take
out anything from it nor can they allow the jinn and the devils to have access
to it.
The wordبَرَرَة is a plural of
بَارٌّ. It means “obedient, faithful and responsible”.
This adjective further highlights their quality of being trustworthy. At one
place, it is said: نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ (١٩٣:٢٦)
(this word has been brought down by the faithful Spirit, (26:193)). At
another place, it is further explained by the words: مُطَاعٍ
ثَمَّ أَمِين ذِي قُوَّةٍ عِنْدَ ذِي الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ
كَرِيمٍ (٨١:
١٩-٢٠) (this is the word brought by a noble messenger; he
is endued with great power and held in honour before the Lord of the throne; he
is obeyed and is very trustworthy, (81:19-21)).
The purpose of mentioning these attributes of the Qur’ān
and of its custodians is, as mentioned earlier, to direct the attention of the
Prophet (sws) to the fact that the Qur’ān should not be presented to people by
begging and imploring them; it should be presented with honour and dignity,
which is the very hall-mark of the Book itself. Similarly, just as the Almighty
has entrusted it to honourable and noble angels, the Prophet (sws) and his
Companions (rta) too should uphold this honour and dignity in their preaching.
Also evident from this is the fact that the archangel whom
the Almighty has selected for the deliverance of revelation and the scribes who
are entrusted with its writing all have a lofty character and carry out their
responsibilities with great honesty and integrity. In other words, only those
people in this earth are selected to transmit and deliver this word of the God
who have the same qualities and attributes which are found in the angels to
carry out this service in the heavens.
قُتِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ (١٧)
(Woe to man! How ungrateful he is!)
Though a general word الْإِنْسَانُ
(man) is used here, the address is directed at the arrogant leadership of the
Quraysh mentioned in the earlier verses. I have explained at various instances
of this tafsīr that at times the discourse is addressed to a certain person or a
group; however, this address is couched in general words and they are not
directly addressed. Such an address expresses the disgust of the speaker. The
verse under discussion is an example of such an address. The implication is:
“this man is a strange creature; woe to him on his ungratefulness; such is the
state of his impudence and foolishness that he desires that if the word of God
be recited out to him it should be recited out in a submissive and subservient
manner.” The style مَا أَكْفَرَهُ both reflects wonder
and disgust in it.
مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ (١٨)
مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ (١٩)
ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ (٢٠)
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ (٢١) ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْشَرَه ُ(٢٢)
(From what was he created? From a drop of fluid. He created him
and then measured out for him. Then eased out the path for him. He then gave him
death; then He had him put in a grave. Then whenever He intends, He will raise
him to life.)
In these verses, the pride and vanity of these people is
condemned. The method adopted is to allude in small sentences to the creation of
man, the substance from which he is created, the stages of his creation, the
sources of life and its objective, death, grave and being raised up again. In
this manner, the transience of their pride is made evident to them and while
reflecting on their life they are also able to see the reward and punishment
they are being informed of by the Qur’ān.
The question posed by the words مِنْ
أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ is also to express humiliation and to direct
attention to life after death. These arrogant people vainly believed that just
as they have been blessed with respect and leadership, if ever there is to be a
Day of Judgement, there too they would be blessed with a similar status. It is
because of this notion that the warning sounded by the Prophet (sws) would weigh
down heavily upon them. They would say that the Prophet (sws) is warning them of
being thrown into Hell and giving glad tidings to the poor paupers of being
blessed with Paradise – paupers who would serve them and who they never even
considered worthy enough to sit in their company. The Qur’ān has attacked this
notion of theirs in the following words:
فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ عَنِ
الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن
يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ كَلَّا إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ (٧٠:
٣٦-٣٩)
Then what is the matter with these disbelievers that
they rush madly at you in multitudes from right and left? Does each man among
them expect to enter the garden of bliss. By no means! We have created them out
of what they know. (70:36-39)
Readers may take a look at the tafsīr of these verses in
Tadabbur-i Qur’ān. The implication is that it is not befitting for a creation
born from a dirty (najis) fluid to boast of their purity and superiority and
thereby regard themselves entitled to Paradise.
Similarly, the Qur’ān at various places has cited the
creation and phases of man’s creation to substantiate the fact that the God who
can create a human being from a trivial drop of liquid can easily re-create him
after he dies. This topic is mentioned in the Qur’ān in various styles. I will
content myself in citing the following verses from Sūrah Mu’minūn:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ
عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا
فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ
اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تُبْعَثُونَ (٢٣:
١٢-١٦)
And We first created man from an essence of clay: then
placed him in the form of a drop of water in a secure place. Then We made the
drop into a clot of blood, and then made the clot a lump of flesh. This We
fashioned into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then gave it an
entirely new form. Blessed be God, the noblest of creators. Then after this you
shall surely die and be restored to life on the Day of Judgement. (23:12-16)
Consider next the expression مِنْ
نُطْفَةٍ. Since the answer posed in the previous verse “from what has he
been created” was absolutely evident and none could refute it, the Qur’ān has
itself answered the question that man was created from a drop of water. At
another place in the Qur’ān (77:20), this water is called
مَهِيْن (insignificant and despicable). In other words, it is neither a
rare thing nor invaluable as regards its price. So how is it befitting for man
who has been created with such an impure drop of fluid to boast and brag.
After a mention of the inconsequential nature of the drop
from which man has been created, the next part of the verse
خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ refers to the measuring out, planning and easing out
evident in the creation of man and in the various stages of his life. Evident
from his creation and these stages of life is the fact that grandeur and majesty
shown by providence in fashioning a drop of fluid into a complete human being
cannot be without a meaning and purpose. In fact, it is essential that a day
come wherein it judges him, evaluates the good and evil done by him and then
select those who conform to its standards and cast those into fire who fall
below these standards.
The word فَقَدَّرَه refers to the
gradual stages and phases of man’s life. Just as while referring to the waxing
and waning of the moon the Qur’ān has said: وَالْقَمَرَ
قَدَّرْنَاهُ مَنَازِلَ (٣٩:٣٦) (We have ordained phases for the moon) in
a similar manner this word directs our attention to the various stages of life
through which he gradually passes from childhood to youth to old age. The above
quoted verses of Sūrah Mu’minūn also refer to this subject and here in the
succeeding verses some of its aspects are delineated. It is obvious that this
gradual progress bears evidence to the power and wisdom of God and the
thoroughness present in the creation of man. In turn, this power and
thoroughness bear witness to the fact that man is not a purposeless creation; he
has been created for a great purpose which self-evidently entails that he be
raised to life once again after death, called to account and then be rewarded or
punished accordingly. Simultaneously, the power of God evident in the creation
of man bears indisputable evidence that creating him again after death is not
all something impossible.
While explaining the verse ثُمَّ
السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ our exegetes generally say that it refers to the
easing out which providence has ordained in the body of the mother and her child
for delivery and which comes to the help of both exactly at the time it is
needed. This is quite true. Undoubtedly, if this thing does not happen from
providence at the right time there is nothing to substitute it; in fact, there
is a possibility that both the child and the mother die of suffocation. However,
in my opinion, there is no need to narrow the scope of easing out to such an
extent. Just as the child in its mother’s womb grows and is nourished because of
the planning and ease provided by providence, in a similar manner it goes
through the ups and downs of life from his birth to death because of the ease
and guidance provided by providence. It is this ease and facility provided by
God because of which the breasts of a mother become laden with milk for the
nourishment of a child after she gives birth to it and the child itself is
instinctively guided to suck them. Similarly, during youth also while
undertaking various tasks and accomplishing success in various aspects of life
he uses the limbs and means blessed by God and benefits from the intellect and
guidance bestowed upon him by the Almighty. In Sūrah A‘lā this aspect of the
Almighty’s grandeur is mentioned thus: الَّذِي خَلَقَ
فَسَوَّى وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى (٨٧:
٢-٣) (Who made a sketch and then
perfected it, and Who set their destinies and then gave guidance, (87:2-3)).
Similar is the situation of the soul and the morals
ordained in it. The Qur’ān says: وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا (٩١:
٧-١٠) (and bears
witness the soul and the perfection given to it; then inspired it with its evil
and its good that he succeeded who purified it and he failed who corrupted it,
(91:7-10)).
In short, whether it is the spiritual aspect of life or
material, the Almighty eased out the way for man. If he treads this path, he
will never stumble; however, by wrongly using his free-will when he adopts the
wrong path, he is doomed.
The expression ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ
فَأَقْبَرَهُ is a reference to the last phase of life. A time comes when
the Almighty gives him death and has him put in a grave. Death is the most
certain reality for a living being once he comes in this world. Such are the
laws of this world in which providence has enchained man that no one can escape
death. The Almighty’s shot always hits the bulls eye.
أَقْبَرَهُ means “to put someone
in the grave or to bury him”. Found in this world is a subtle reference to the
fact that death does not destroy a person; he is given in the custody of the
earth by providence. What is given in custody has to be returned one day.
Consequently, when the time comes, the Almighty will take back what was
consigned to the earth’s custodianship.
In the expression ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ
أَنْشَرَه the word إِنْشَارٌ means “to open,
scatter, to disperse and raise up anew”. The implication is that whenever the
Almighty wants, He will raise up man. This He will do with the slightest of
ease. When in the womb of a mother He was able to fashion out a human being from
a drop of water without the slightest of bother, how can it be difficult for Him
to retrieve human beings buried in the earth.
كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ (٢٣)
(Certainly not! He has still not complied with what his Lord had
asked him.)
This verse is in parallel to the above quoted verse:قُتِلَ
الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ (Woe to man! How ungrateful he is!). It has
been explained that this verse expresses wonder at the obduracy of these
obdurate people and then the Day of Judgement is corroborated through man’s
existence – the Day which he was regarding as an impossibility. Similarly, in
the verse under discussion, these people are rebuked at their idiocy and then
the Day of Judgement is corroborated on the basis of the great system of
providence which is found around man and which by its very existence bears
witness to the fact that the Almighty who has blessed man with such favours will
not leave him unaccountable; a day of accountability is certain to come for him.
Evident from the style of the expression
لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ (he has still not complied with what his Lord
had asked him) is that as far as teaching and communicating the reasons which
entail the coming of such a day is concerned, it has been done in the most
ultimate manner; however, these obstinate people are still adamant on their
stance. Even now they are indifferent to the Day for whose preparation they are
being asked.
Included in the words مَا أَمَرَه
(what his Lord had asked him) are all the directives which are among
self-evident realities of human nature and also the directives which the
Almighty has revealed through His messengers for the guidance of people. I have
already explained under: فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ
اللّهُ (2: 222) (go to them from where God has enjoined you, (2:222)) how
self-evident realities of human nature must be regarded as directives of God.
فَلْيَنْظُرْ الْإِنسَانُ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ (٢٤)
(Thus man should reflect on his food.)
The implication is that if they have not been able to
understand the argument cited before them, then there are many other arguments
also which substantiate the Day of Judgement. Man should only reflect on his
food on which his life depends: he should look how the Almighty creates it and
then with great abundance and variety while catering for multifarious needs
makes it available in countless forms. In other words, if keeping aside
obstinacy, man sincerely reflects on this state of affairs he will easily
understand that re-creating man after death is not the least difficult for the
Almighty. The very rain which is a means of his subsistence practically
demonstrates this fact. He will also be able to understand that this tremendous
system of providence and sustenance entails that man be held accountable before
God one day. Such a day is bound to come when he will be asked if he fulfilled
his obligation towards the favours bestowed upon him by the Almighty. It is but
natural that every favour entails responsibility.
أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا (٢٥) ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا
الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا (٢٦)
(That We poured forth water in abundance then cleaved the earth
asunder.)
The Qur’ān has not only asked man to reflect on his food it
has also specified the course of this reflection. It is a consequence of God’s
power and mercy that rain is sent down in abundance and then in order to drench
the earth its pores are opened. Neither is anyone else in the position to send
down rain from the skies nor to open the pores of the earth whereas on these two
factors depends all the benefits and services provided by the earth. This topic
is discussed thus in Sūrah Anbiyā’: أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا (٣٠:٢١) (that the heavens
and the earth were but one solid mass which We tore asunder, (21:30)).
If one deliberates on the nature of man’s creation
mentioned in the above paragraph, one will realize the similarity between both
arguments. There the argument began with the substantiation of the Day of
Judgement and then after a mention of providence reached its culmination with
the mention of accountability and reward and punishment. Here too, as will
become evident from subsequent verses, the sequence of premises in the argument
presented is the same. First, the mention of a comprehensive issue was
instrumental in initiating the possibility of the Day of Judgement. After that,
various signs of providence are brought into attention and then accountability
and reward and punishment are presented as an obvious outcome to all this.
فَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا (٢٧)
وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا (٢٨)
وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا (٢٩)
وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا (٣٠)
وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا (٣١)
(Then produced in it grain, grapes, vegetables, olives, dates,
dense orchards, fruits and herbage as means of sustenance for you and your
cattle.)
Some very prominent blessings of the Almighty for the
inhabitants of the earth produced as a result of interaction between the rain
and the earth are referred to here. These things are ones which the foremost
addressees of the Qur’ān were well aware of and which occupy primary importance
in nourishing the needs of man.
Firstly, things which are attached or are born spread out
on the earth and whose observation does not require that the sight be lifted
from the earth are referred to. For example grain, grapes and vegetables. Grain
is the most important thing for nourishment; all other things come under it and
that is why it is mentioned the foremost. After grain, the next most important
thing needed for human nourishment and growth is fruit and the king of all
fruits is grapes; it is thus mentioned as an example of a fruit. After this,
vegetables which are spread on the earth are mentioned and with grain are used
as curry, some in raw form and some in cooked form. Although the word
قَضْبٌ is mostly used for vegetables which are eaten
raw and are regarded as ready-to-eat, however other vegetables are also connoted
by this word.
After this, certain other blessings are mentioned which are
obtained from the trees which extend into the sky and which need that the sight
be lifted for their observation. As an example, dates and olives are mentioned.
The importance olives has in producing oil is well-known. The Qur’ān mentions
its nourishing ability and Sūrah Nūr mentions a parable which describes lamps
which are lit up by this oil.
After this, dates are mentioned. To the Arabs dates were an
amalgam of multifarious benefits and blessings. It is for them a dry-fruit which
is rich in nutritional value and a very lucrative thing to stock. Moreover, they
would also make a very tasty juice from it.
After a mention of things of specific importance, general
orchards are mentioned by the words حَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا.
The word حَدِيْقَةٌ refers to an enclosed orchard. The
word غُلْبٌ is a plural of أَغْلَب
and means someone having a thick neck. When this word is used for an orchard the
purpose is to point to the lushness of the trees. If an orchard is luxuriant,
the expanse of the trees would necessarily increase and their upper portions
would overlap.
In the expression وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا the
general is made even more general so that the sphere of favours of the Almighty
for man is extended to animals as well which directly or indirectly are of use
to him.
Earlier, only specific fruits are mentioned by name and
here by mentioning the word فَاكِههٌ all fruits are
referred to whether they are found in Arabia or in other countries whether they
are of high pedigree or ordinary and whether they are reserved for birds or for
animals.
Moreover, earlier only those favours are mentioned which
man is blessed with whereas besides him there are four-legged beasts also on
which man is not only dependent but also need looking after like man; however,
nothing is mentioned for them specially. Here that lack of mention has been made
up by mentioning the word أَبٌّ.
The word أَبٌّ means vegetation
and lush grass. For consumption of the four-legged beasts is the husk also which
is separated from the grain; however, it is something very ordinary; here what
needs to be mentioned is something of the same value and importance as fruits
are for man. Fresh lush green grass is made widely available to animals and it
is also a substitute for them for the fruits and vegetables which man consumes.
Imām Hamīd al-Dīn Farāhī has deeply researched into the
meaning of أَبٌّ in his tafsīr of Sūrah ‘Abas and
proven that it is a very common Arabic word and that it is not correct that Abū
Bakr (rta) or ‘Umar (rta) did not know the meaning of this word, as is mentioned
in certain narratives. This research is very thorough and if anyone has any
doubts about this word, he can look up his tafsīr.
مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ (٣٢)
(as means of sustenance for you and your cattle.)
The fact that all these things are beneficial to man is
very obvious and there is also no doubt that all these favours are a
manifestation of God’s graciousness to man; he should therefore think that do
not these favours impose a responsibility on him. This last premise though not
mentioned in words is evident from the context. This is because it is discussed
in the previous verses that these stubborn and conceited people are not showing
ingratitude to God because His rights are not evident to them or because they do
not realize what their responsibilities are; the fact of the matter is that
because of their own arrogance and haughtiness they deliberately do not want to
hear or accept anything which is against their desires.
فَإِذَا جَاءَتْ الصَّآخَّةُ (٣٣)
(So when the deafening cry comes!)
The word صَآخَّةٌ means “a
deafening cry or roar”. Just as in Sūrah Nāzi‘āt the word used isطَآمَّةٌ
, the word صَآخَّةٌ is used in this sūrah to
convey the same meaning. These words actually point to the fact that the very
first shout of the trumpet will be so horrifying that it will deafen the ears.
The answer to the conditional clause that begins with
إِذَا (when) is suppressed because it is obvious from
the context, as is explained in verses 30-35 of Sūrah Nāzi‘āt. The implication
is that today these people are receiving the warning of the Prophet (sws) with
deaf ears but what will they do when the caller deputed by the Almighty will
call from such a nearby place that his voice will make them deaf.
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ (٣٤)
وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ (٣٥)
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ (٣٦)
لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ (٣٧)
(On that Day, man will flee from his brother, mother, father,
his wife and his sons. Every one will be concerned with his own self.)
These verses depict the horror of that day.
It must be kept in mind that the words
وَأُمِّهِِ يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيه وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ
وَأَبِيه do not form an answer to the conditional clause mentioned in the
previous verse. Had they constituted the answer, linguistic principles dictate
that its style should have been different. The answer is suppressed as is
explained under the relevant verses of Sūrah Nāzi‘āt; however, these words do
subtly indicate the suppressed answer. In other words, today these people have
shut their ears to the warnings sounded to them by the Prophet (sws) and the
real reason for this is that their pride in the strength and authority of their
family and tribe has blinded them; they reckon that no one can displace or
destroy them; however, the day heralded by this deafening roar will be so
horrifying that everyone will forget about his surroundings and will only think
of his own self. Neither a brother will hear the imploring of his brother nor a
son will care for the pleadings of his parents and nor will anyone have the
courage to share the hardships faced by his wife and sons. Everyone will be so
concerned about his own self on that day that the thought of others will not
even cross his mind even though that person may be a very close relative of his.
This topic is discussed in Sūrah Ma‘ārij in the following
words:
وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ
الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ وَصَاحِبَتِهِ
وَأَخِيهِ وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ
يُنْجِيهِ (٧٠:
١-١٤)
On that day, no sincere friend shall inquire after his
friend [though] they shall be shown to one another. The sinner will long to
redeem himself from the torment of that Day by offering his sons, his wife, his
brother, his family who used to give him shelter and all the people of the earth
as ransom and then save himself from it. (70:1-14)
The only difference between these two sets of verses is
that in the one under discussion the sequence of relatives mentioned is from
distant to near and in this one it is vice versa.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُسْفِرَةٌ (٣٨)
ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ (٣٩)
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ (٤٠)
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ (٤١)
أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ (٤٢)
(Many a face on that day will be bright, smiling and rejoicing,
and many a face on that day will be gloomy and dark. These very disbelievers,
these insolent.)
Here, at the end, the difference between the believers and
disbelievers which will be evident from their faces is briefly indicated so that
from this observable difference one can have an idea of their inner-selves. This
of course will reflect the hopes and grit with which the hearts of the believers
will be replete and also reflect what will be going on in the hearts of the
disbelievers.
The word مُسْفِرَةٌ means
“shinning” and “bright”. This meaning emanates from the idiom
أَسْفَرَ الصُّبْح. This word indicates the very first radiance of joy
which will appear on the faces of the dwellers of Paradise.
The word ضَاحِكَةٌ also denotes
joy and happiness.
The word مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ denotes
freshness.
The state of the disbelievers is depicted by the words: وَوُجُوهٌ
يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ: their faces will be
dark and gloomy because they have lost all hope.
The words أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْكَفَرَةُ
الْفَجَرَةُ at the end actually briefly refer to the charge-sheet of
these criminals: they will reach this state because in the previous world they
persisted to show ingratitude to God and remained arrogant and disobedient to
Him.
By the grace of God, the tafsīr of this sūrah comes to an
end. وَهُوَ المُوَفِّقَ لِلصَّواب (only He guides to
what is right).
Rahmānabād,
21st May, 1979 AD
23rd Jumādī al-Thānī, 1399 AH
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