Central Theme and Relationship with the Previous Surah
Like the previous
surahs of this group, this surah too warns the disbelievers
about the Day of Judgement. The previous surah ended on the
note that the real reason why the slaves to worldly pleasures
were evading the reminders of this Day was that they had lost
their innate guidance of discerning good and evil. The
practice of the Almighty is that those who are alive to this
guidance are blessed with further guidance, and those who
become indifferent to it become so blind and deaf to the truth
that no reminder is able to influence them.
In order to fully
delineate this law of guidance, the Almighty has sworn by the
reproaching soul found innately in every human being and has
presented it to substantiate the Day of Judgement. This
reproaching soul is hidden in a person and chides him on every
evil that emanates from him. Its very existence in a human
being is ample proof of the fact that man will not be left
unaccountable and is not given any absolute powers. In other
words, it is not possible that the Almighty remain unconcerned
with what good or evil he may do. Man is a mini-world and the
existence of the reproaching soul within him suggests that the
mega-world also has a reproaching soul which is called the Day
of Judgement. It will manifest itself one day and reproach and
chide people on their evil deeds – people who remained
indifferent to their internal mechanism of reproach.
It is evident from
this discussion that the greater Day of Judgement has a
reflection in every human being in the form of his conscience
and reproaching soul which can be termed as a lesser Day of
Judgement. In other words, if a person does some evil, he does
not do it in hiding; he does so at the very doors of the
divine court of justice before a divine judge. Consequently,
after presenting the reproaching soul as witness, the Qur’an
says: بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنسَانُ
لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ (٥:٧٥)
(in fact, man wants to be
mischievous before his [conscience], (75:5)).
This very aspect is explained in subsequent verses by the
words: بَلِ الْإِنسَانُ عَلَى
نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ.وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ (٧٥: ١٤-١٥)
(in fact, he himself is a witness
upon his own self however much he may present excuses,
(75:14-15)).
Here it should be kept
in consideration that the experts of modern moral philosophy
have also acknowledged certain basic virtues as virtues and
certain basic vices as vices and regarded this to be a
foundational principle. They have then gone on to build their
theories on this principle. However, they have not been able
to tell from where they have deduced these virtues to be
virtues and these vices to be vices. As a result, the edifices
they have built have no foundation to stand upon.
Nevertheless, they accept that man has an awareness of basic
virtues and basic vices. In this surah, the Qur’an has
referred to this aspect by saying that the Almighty has not
only made man innately aware of good and evil, He has also
blessed him with a conscience which chides him on evil deeds
and praises him on good ones. And then, the Qur’an, on the
basis of this psychological reality, has substantiated the Day
of Judgement and the reward and punishment that will take
place on that Day. In other words, if the Almighty has devised
a method for reproaching a person from within him on every
evil that emanates from him and praising him on every good
that ensues from him, how is it possible that He will not
bring about a Day of accountability for the whole of this
world and each person not be rewarded and punished for his
deeds?
Analysis of the
Discourse
Following is an
analysis of the discourse of this surah:
Verses (1-6): An oath
is sworn by the Day of Judgement on the certainty of the Day.
The reproaching soul in man is also presented as a proof of
that Day and it is asserted that the disbelievers who demand
hastening of the advent of that day and regard their
recreation after being decayed in the dust to be an
impossibility are actually going against the very testimony of
their conscience. Their example is that of an audacious thief
who steals right before the eyes of the judge.
Verses (7-15): A
rejoinder is sounded to those who demand hastening of the
advent of the Day of Judgement: today they are trying to deny
an obvious reality and are pestering the Prophet (sws) by
asking him to hasten the arrival of the Day of Judgement;
however, when it will come about with a great upheaval, they
will acknowledge that there is no place for them to escape to.
On that Day, there will be no resting place for anyone except
with God. Each person will be called upon to answer for every
deed of his, and this reality is not hidden to them even
though they might try their utmost to cover it up by vain
talk.
Verses (16-19): The
Prophet (sws) is asked to refrain from showing hurry in
acquiring the Qur’an and is asked to exercise patience;
however much his opponents might show haste, he should not be
influenced by them and demand that the Qur’an be revealed
soon; he should calmly acquire it in the manner it is being
revealed and disseminate it to his people. The Almighty is
revealing it as per His wisdom and expediency. He has taken
upon Himself the responsibility of its collection and
arrangement, protection and preservation, explanation and
elucidation. The Prophet (sws) should not worry about any of
these aspects.
Verses (20-25): The
disbelievers of the Day of Judgement are rebuked and told that
they have no basis for this denial. Whatever baseless excuses
they are offering originate from their love of this world
against the call of their own conscience. They also originate
from their indifference to the Hereafter whereas it is a
certain reality. On that day, many faces will be fresh
expecting the blessing of their Lord, and many faces will be
gloomy thinking that a back-breaking calamity is about to
befall them.
Verses (26-40): No one
should remain under the misconception that the Almighty will
let people go scot-free. Everyone will have to face the agony
of death, and in this state of helplessness will have to take
the journey towards his Lord. Unfortunate is he who neither
spent in the way of God nor prayed to Him; on the contrary,
whenever he would be reminded of these duties, he would
express utter arrogance and walk away conceitedly to his
family. Everyone should remember the fact that it is not at
all difficult for the Almighty to re-create man once he dies
and decays for it was the Almighty Who created him from a drop
of sperm and perfected him and blessed him with various
abilities.
Text and Translation
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
لَا اُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ (١)
وَلَآ اُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ (٢)
اَيَحْسَبُ الْاِنسَانُ اَلَّنْ
نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ (٣)
بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى اَنْ نُّسَوِّىَ بَنَانَهُ (٤)
بَلْ يُرِيْدُ الْاِنْسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ (٥)
يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ (٦)
فَاِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ (٧)
وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ (٨)
وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ (٩)
يَقُوْلُ الْاِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ اَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ (١٠)
كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ (١١)
اِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ (١٢)
يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ (١٣)
بَلِ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيْرَةٌ (١٤)
وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيْرَهُ (١٥)
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ (١٦)
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ (١٧)
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ (١٨)
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ (١٩)
كَلَّا بَلْ تُحِبُّوْنَ الْعَاجِلَةَ (٢٠)
وَتَذَرُوْنَ الْآخِرَةَ (٢١)
وُجُوْهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ (٢٢)
إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ (٢٣)
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَاسِرَةٌ (٢٤)
تَظُنُّ أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ (٢٥)
كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتْ التَّرَاقِيَ (٢٦)
وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ (٢٧)
وَظَنَّ اَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ (٢٨)
وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ (٢٩)
اِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ
(٣٠)
فَلَا صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّى (٣١)
وَلَكِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى (٣٢)
ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ اِلَى اَهْلِهِ يَتَمَطَّى (٣٣)
اَوْلَى لَكَ فَاَوْلَى (٣٤)
ثُمَّ اَوْلَى لَكَ فَاَوْلَى (٣٥)
اَيَحْسَبُ الْاِنسَانُ اَنْ
يُّتْرَكَ سُدًى (٣٦)
اَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِيٍّ يُمْنَى
(٣٧)
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّى (٣٨)
فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَى (٣٩)
اَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى اَن
يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى (٤٠)
In the name of God,
the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.
By no means! I swear
by the Day of Judgement. And by no means! I swear by the
reproaching soul. Does man think that We will not be able to
bring together his bones? Why not? We will put him together
such that We will set right even the sections of his fingers.
In fact, man wants to be mischievous before his [conscience].
He asks: “When will the Day of Judgement come?” (1-6)
Thus when the sight is
dazed and the moon eclipsed and the sun and the moon brought
together, at that time man will say “Whither to flee?” – No!
there is no refuge now! Towards your Lord that Day is the
abode. On that Day, man will be informed of what he sent forth
and what he left behind. In fact, he himself is a witness upon
his own self however much he may put up excuses. (7-15)
To swiftly learn it,
do not hastily move your tongue to read it. It is Our
responsibility to collect and to recite it. So when We have
recited it, follow this recital. Then it is upon Us to explain
it. (16-19)
Certainly not! In
fact, you people only love this world and are heedless of the
life to come. How many a face will be bright on that Day
awaiting the graciousness of their Lord and how many a face
will be gloomy on that Day apprehending that there is going to
befall them a back-breaking calamity. (20-25)
Certainly not! On the
Day when the soul will be stuck in the collar bone and it is
said: “Who is it that can weave a spell now?” and he will
think that it is parting time and the shank will embrace the
shank. On that Day, towards your Lord is the departure.
(26-30)
Thus he neither
testified nor prayed; on the contrary, he denied and turned
away. Then he went away to his people conceitedly. Woe be to
you! Yet again woe be to you! And again woe be to you! Yes
again woe be to you! (31-35)
Does man think that he
will be left to go unchecked? Was he not a mere drop of sperm
poured forth? Then he became a clot of blood and then God
created him and then perfected him. Then made pairs of him:
male and female. Is not that God able to raise the dead to
life? (36-40)
Explanation
لَا اُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ (١)
When a particle of
negation occurs before an oath the way it has occurred here,
it is not meant to negate the oath; it is in fact meant to
refute a notion of the addressee for whose refutation the oath
had been sworn in the first place. I have explained this style
earlier as well at various instances. Examples of such a style
not only abound in Arabic, they exist in most other languages
as well. When we want to immediately refute a notion of
someone, we say: “No! By God! The truth of the matter is such
and such.” What is conveyed by such a style is that so
baseless is the notion of the addressee that the speaker is
not even willing to wait so much as to negate it after the
oath; he refutes it and in fact finds it necessary to express
his disgust before the oath. Some people have regarded the
particle of negation as superfluous and some regard it to
directly relate to the verb it precedes. However, as per
linguistic principles of Arabic, both these views are not
correct. I have refuted them at various places in this
exegesis. My mentor, Imam Hamid al-Din Farahi, has also
discussed this issue at length in his exegesis. Those who want
to see the details are advised to look it up.
Here the complement of
oath (muqsam ‘alayh) is not mentioned for two reasons:
Firstly, it is so
evident that there is no need to express it in words. In other
words, the oath itself bears evidence to its complement. The
sun is a witness on itself as they say. Many examples of such
suppression can be seen in preceding surahs. For example, in
Surah Qaf and in Surah Su‘ad, the oaths of
وَالْقُرْآنِ الْمَجِيدِ
and وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ
occur without their complements. The purpose of such oaths is
to inform the addressee that what is being refuted by him is
itself so obvious a testimony to its truth and veracity that
there exists no possibility to deny it.
Secondly, the oath
sworn by the reproaching soul mentioned subsequently is such a
self-obvious testimony to the Day of Judgment that refuting
it, as will be explained later, is tantamount to refuting
one’s own conscience. In the presence of such a testimony, no
further evidence is required for the Day of Judgement. In such
cases, the premise which is to be substantiated and the
testimony which substantiates it assume the status of the oath
and the complement of oath respectively.
وَلَآ اُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ (٢)
This is the second
oath. Its complement (muqsam ‘alayh) is also not mentioned in
words. The reason is that this complement is hidden within the
oath. Thus what is implied is that the existence of the
reproaching soul within man is evidence enough for the Day of
Judgement. In other words, this second oath delineates both
the oath and its complement, and points to the fact that no
external evidence is required for that Day. Its reflection is
found within man and he is able to see it too even though he
may put forth various reasons to refute it.
The reproaching soul
is not an independent entity; it is part of the human soul.
The Almighty has fashioned the human soul such that He has
blessed it with an awareness of good and evil. He has also
prescribed a principle for the success and failure of a
person: he who cleanses his soul of evil will succeed and he
who contaminates his soul with evil will be doomed. In Surah
al-Shams, the words are:
وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا. فَأَلْهَمَهَا
فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا. قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا. وَقَدْ
خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا. (٩١: ٧-١٠)
And the soul bears witness and the
perfection given to it, then [God] inspired it with its evil
and its good that he succeeded who purified it and he failed
who soiled it. (91:7-10)
Because of being
composed thus, at times, the human soul loses its balance by
being overcome with its desires and induces a person to do
evil. This proclivity of the soul is called the Enticing Soul
(nafs-i ammarah) by the Qur’an. The Prophet Joseph (sws) has
referred to this aspect of the soul thus:
وَمَا أُبَرِّىءُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ
لأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ (٥٣:١٢)
I do not claim my soul
to be free from sin: the soul is very prone to evil. (12:53)
However, this soul
also possesses an awareness of virtue; hence as long as it is
able to maintain balance, it even reproaches its own self if
some vice emanates from it; at the same time, it also feels
disgust and revulsion if some other person indulges in vice
and reproaches it. It is this aspect of the soul which is
called the reproaching soul here.
The strategy which a
person should adopt in maintaining the balance of his soul is
that he should keep his Lord and the Day of Judgement in his
remembrance. This remembrance checks the soul and never lets
it totally submit to its desires. If a person errs, the
reproaching soul at once checks him, and makes him realize his
folly; the person then turns to God in repentance and tries to
make amends. The soul which is able to achieve this balance is
called the Satisfied Soul (nafs-i mutma’innah). This is the
highest position a person can reach in training and
disciplining his soul. The Almighty has urged him to try to
attain this position and blessed mankind with His divine law
so that it can attain this position by adhering to it. Such a
soul will be blessed with a unique gift in the Hereafter: The
Almighty shall be pleased with it and it shall be pleased with
the Almighty.
It is evident from
this explanation that the awareness of vice being vice is
innately found in man from the very moment he was created.
Adam’s son Cain while being overcome with jealousy killed
Abel; however, after this murder, he tried to hide his corpse.
This effort obviously was undertaken by him because he
realized his sin. The most evil of men commits a sin not
because he regards it to be a virtuous act, but because he is
overwhelmed with desires and emotions. If he goes against his
conscience in this matter, he does so against his natural
inclinations. The proof of this is that if someone else
commits the same sin against him he regards it to be a vice
and protests against it. If one examines the conscience of
wicked people, one will see that they too respect virtuous
acts even though they do not do such acts. Ever since man
started to live as a collectivity he has always set up a
system of justice in it. Even though, at times, certain sins
engulf a whole society and dominate virtue, the collective
conscience of the society never condones this. In fact, there
always exist people in such a society who carry out the same
responsibility in it as is carried out by the reproaching soul
found within every upright person. When the situation reaches
the extent that a society becomes totally bereft of virtue,
then as per the law of providence, such a society is wiped out
from the face of the earth.
Now the question is
that if a person has a guardian within his conscience which
chides him on every evil that emanates from him, then how can
it be imagined that man will not be held accountable for his
deeds? Why would he go scot-free if he spends a life in
whatever manner he wants to while negating the calls of his
conscience? If a person will not be held accountable for his
deeds, then where has this chiding conscience within him come
from? If his Creator is unconcerned about the good and evil
which emanates from him, then why and from where has He given
him the feeling of being elated at a good deed and being
pricked by his conscience at a bad one? Then from here another
question arises: If God has set up a miniature court of
justice in every person, then why will He not set up a greater
court of justice which will hold the whole world accountable
for good and evil which emanate from it and not reward and
punish people accordingly? Any person who deliberates on these
questions while disregarding his desires will reach the
conclusion that the very being of a person bears witness that
he has innate knowledge of good and evil; he will not be left
unaccountable; there definitely shall come one day when he
will be punished for any misdeeds he may have done and be
rewarded for his good deeds. To remind a person of this Day,
the Almighty has placed a miniature court of justice within a
person’s soul so that man does not remain indifferent to it,
and if ever he becomes indifferent he can catch a glimpse of
it by merely reflecting on his inner-self. It is this reality
which sages have taught us by saying that man is a miniature
world and within this miniature world there is a reflection of
the mega world. If a person has a true comprehension of his
own self, he is able to comprehend both God and the Hereafter.
The famous Socrates adage says: “Know Thyself.”
اَيَحْسَبُ الْاِنسَانُ اَلَّنْ نَجْمَعَ
عِظَامَهُ (٣)
بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى اَنْ نُّسَوِّىَ
بَنَانَهُ (٤)
Although the general
word “man” is used in these verses, the address is directed to
the disbelievers of the Day of Judgement among the Quraysh
whose doubts raised about this day have been discussed in the
previous surahs. This general style of address is adopted to
express disgust at their attitude. These verses assert that
the evidence on the Day of Judgement is found within man; one
does not have to look in the external world. However, these
people are of the view that after dying and being decayed in
dust the Almighty will not be able to bring together their
bones. It is asserted in this verse that if this looks
impossible to them and on its basis they deny the Day of
Judgement even though their conscience bears witness to it,
then they should remember that not only will the Almighty
gather their bones, He will gather them with such power and
perfection that even the sections of their fingers will be put
together. The word بَنَانَ
means each of “the sections of a finger”. The implication is
that the Almighty will be able to join together even the most
minute of joints.
The word
قَادِرِينَ is an
accusative of state (hal) from the plural pronoun in
نَجْمَعَ.
بَلْ يُرِيْدُ الْاِنْسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ
أَمَامَهُ (٥)
The implication of
this verse is that it is mere vain talk on the part of the
disbelievers to deny the Day of Judgement because they think
that gathering bones is improbable. The reality is that they
have become slaves to their desires: while following them they
want to be mischievous before the judge appointed by the
Almighty. This judge is not far away; he is sitting within
them. Their example is that of a thief who wants to steal in
front of a judge.
Exegetes have
generally taken the word أَمَامَهُ
(in front of him) to mean that man in his future life wants to
continue to adhere to sin. For this reason, he tries to invent
excuses for denying the Day of Judgement. However, if this
interpretation is accepted, it neither relates to the
reproaching soul nor does it become an irrefutable argument
against his attitude. Here the word “in front of” means that
before his conscience and reproaching soul he wants to be
mischievous in spite of reminders from this faculty. The
greatest evidence of the Day of Judgement is found within man;
however, what can one do about a person who becomes adamant in
denying his own self?
The argument found in
this verse is that a man’s conscience is enough to bear
evidence of the Day of Judgement; however, one cannot shut the
mouth of a person who is audacious enough to tell a lie to his
own conscience.
It also follows from
this that a person who commits a vice against his reproaching
soul or in other words his own conscience is one who actually
commits vice in the presence of God. This is because one’s
conscience is a judge appointed by God, as indicated above.
Thus, a vice committed before it is a vice committed before
God.
يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ (٦)
This is a mention of
the stubbornness of those who disbelieved in the Day of
Judgement. In spite of the fact that an accountability court
is found within them and they are also aware of it, they ask
about the advent of that Day. They would sarcastically
remark: “If it is to come why is it not coming? We are tired
of being threatened about it. It was in fact never supposed to
come and neither will it come in the future. So why should we
be overawed by these threats? Those who claim that it will
come one day must bring it and show it to us. Only then will
we believe it. Mere verbal claims will not convince us.”
فَاِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ (٧)
وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ (٨)
وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ (٩)
يَقُوْلُ الْاِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ
اَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ (١٠)
The implication of
these verses is that today these disbelievers are showing
impatience at the delay in the Day of Judgement as if they are
fully ready to encounter it. But where will they run to when
they actually face its horrors?
Since the demand of
being shown the Day of Judgement is an absolutely absurd
demand, no reply is given by the Qur’an to it. However, some
horrific aspects of that Day are portrayed by it in these
verses.
The state of affairs
portrayed belongs to the category of mutashabihat. We cannot
grasp their true form in this world. The purpose of this
portrayal is to show that such will be the upheaval that will
ensue on that Day that the sun and the moon will leave their
own orbits and adopt the same path. Who can comprehend the
horrific nature of this? The implication is that if people
have even a semblance of intellect in them, they should seek
refuge from these horrors and adhere to the path which is
being shown to them and which will save them from these
horrors. Thus they should stop showing impatience on its
delay.
It should remain clear
that the incidents mentioned here which will happen on that
Day merely give a slight picture of what will happen, and are
only a handful of what else will happen when the Day comes. In
the coming surahs of this group, various other aspects of the
Day will be depicted. These too will only be a few, for the
tongue is unable to portray all of them.
كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ (١١)
اِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ
الْمُسْتَقَرُّ (١٢)
This is the answer to
the question quoted in the previous verse: “Whither to flee?”
Except for seeking refuge with God all other paths and ways
will be closed to them.
يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا
قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ (١٣)
Mentioned in this
verse is the real reason for the advent of the Day of
Judgement. Being informed here means being shown the
consequences of the deeds. The results of both the vices a
person committed in the previous world and the virtues he
failed to attain will become apparent to him. At many places
in the Qur’an, it is specifically mentioned that on the Day of
Judgement those who remained indifferent to it will express
extreme frustration. They will express regret for not having
done good deeds in the previous world, not having followed the
warnings of the Messengers of God and not professing faith in
them. The words قَدَّمَ
and أَخَّرَ
embrace all the evil deeds and vices committed by such people.
It should be kept in
mind that to achieve success in the Hereafter, a person has to
do many good deeds and evade evil ones. However, those who are
indifferent to the Hereafter or deny it are either indifferent
to or deviate from deeds which pave the way for their success
in the Hereafter. On the other hand, all their life they keep
committing deeds which will lead them to doom in the
Hereafter. This verse sounds a warning to such deprived and
bereft people.
بَلِ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيْرَةٌ
(١٤)
وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيْرَهُ (١٥)
These verses explain
what is mentioned earlier by the words:
بَلْ يُرِيْدُ الْاِنْسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ
أَمَامَهُ (in fact, man wants to be
mischievous before his [conscience]). There, the discourse
with relation to the question posed by the opponents:
يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ
(when will the Day of Judgement come?) had shifted to the
portrayal of the Day of Judgement. Now in this verse the
discourse returns to its original course and the subject under
discussion is completed. The expressionبَصِيْرَةٌ
عَلَي نَفْسِه means
شَاهِدٌ عَلَي نَفْسِهِ
(he is a witness upon his own self). The
reason for this has already been mentioned earlier: the
reproaching soul within man bears witness to the Hereafter.
There is no need to go far to find a testimony to this Day. He
can see its reflection within his own conscience.
The word
مَعَاذِيْرَهُ is
a plural of مَعَذِرةٌ.
It is actually مَعَاذِرٌ.
A يhas been
added in it just as it has been added in
مَنَاكِيْر. It
means false pretexts and baseless excuses. There is an Arabic
proverb: المَعَاذِرُ مَكَاذِبُ
(excuses are but lies). Some people think that it is a plural
of مِعِذَار
which in the Yemenite tongue means “a curtain.” I disagree
with this view because the Qur’an has been revealed in the
idiomatic language of the Quraysh and not in that of the
people of Yemen.
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ
بِهِ (١٦)
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ (١٧)
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ
قُرْآنَهُ (١٨)
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ (١٩)
These verses urge the
Prophet (sws) to be patient on the hastiness and various new
demands of his opponents. It was with the sole support of
divine revelation through which the Prophet (sws) was able to
truly discharge the heavy responsibility of openly warning his
people imposed on him by the Almighty. He was like a soldier,
fighting at a battle front, who could not move even one step
without guidance from his Lord. In order to torment him, his
opponents raised all sorts of demands and objections before
him. In this manner, they would try their utmost to check the
advance in his preaching mission. Earlier in this surah, one
of their demands is cited: they would ask the Prophet (sws) to
bring forth the Day of Judgement which he threatened them
with; if it was certain to come, why was it not arriving?
Similarly, they would object that if the Qur’an was God’s
word, why was it not revealed all at once? In short, they
would shower objections from all sides, and the Prophet (sws),
on the other hand, would wait for divine revelation to answer
all these objections. It was through divine revelation that
his heart would receive strength, his soul would be
rejuvenated, his intellect guided and his determination
strengthened. Consequently, it is evident both from the Qur’an
and Hadith that whenever there was a delay in the advent of
revelation because of some divine wisdom, he would keep
looking up to the heavens. This impatience and keenness would
also be evident when Gabriel delivered the revelation to him.
Like an enthusiastic student he would want to learn all the
revelation as soon as possible and also preserve it fully lest
even a drop of this blessed rain go waste. With this
background in mind, let us now deliberate on these verses.
By the words
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ
بِهِ the Prophet (sws) has been
stopped from showing hastiness and impatience which overcame
him whenever a revelation descended upon him. Although the
subject of keenness and hastiness is very commonly found in
the literature of most languages, it is almost impossible to
express in words the hastiness and impatience with which the
Prophet (sws) would be overcome when he received a revelation
after a long gap and in the face of the idle talk of his
opponents. When a child is hungry and his mother presses him
to her bosom, he wants to drink all the milk in a single
breath; when a traveller exhausted from traversing a desert
sees a bucket full of water after a long wait, he wants to
gulp all of it in one sip; similarly, if a person, suffering
from the pangs of being away from his beloved, receives a
letter from her, he would want to read each and every word of
it in a single glance. Although these examples are deficient,
yet as indicated earlier, they can give us some idea of the
hastiness and anxiety so spontaneously expressed by the
Prophet (sws) whenever he was blessed with divine revelation.
The reasons for this
impatience were many, as referred to before. Thus, for
example:
· All the
strategy that needed to be adopted by him in the capacity of
God’s Messenger could only be known through divine revelation.
· His spiritual,
moral and intellectual needs could only be fulfilled through
it.
· He would
receive from it the guidance needed to face existing and
future circumstances.
· It was through
it that he was able to answer the objections and demands which
his adversaries would keep posing to him every now and then.
· His great love
for knowledge and his sensitivity in preserving it also
contributed very much to it.
All these motives were
very genuine and noble; however, it was God’s wisdom that the
Qur’an be revealed gradually – just as it was being done.
Consequently, the Prophet (sws) was repeatedly urged to
exercise patience. In Surah Ṭaha (114-115) too he has been
similarly urged. I have already referred to some aspects of
this there. Here too the subject is primarily the same.
However, with respect to his mental state during the time of
revelation of this surah, here he has been subsequently
assured of the preservation of the Qur’an also. The Almighty
had taken it upon Himself to collect and arrange it and to
recite it to the Prophet (sws) and make him memorize it as
well as to explain any verse of the Qur’an which needed
elaboration. The Prophet (sws) was told to be content on
whatever portion of the Qur’an he received and not show
hastiness and anxiety about it. He was also not to worry about
its preservation. He was to leave all these to his Lord. Every
task would be completed at its appointed time in accordance
with the wisdom of God.
The words
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ
sound an assurance to the Prophet (sws) on his anxiety
referred to earlier. Since a great divine treasure was being
entrusted to him, it was but natural for him to preserve each
and every word that was being given in his custody. The
Almighty assured him that the responsibility of preserving and
reciting it was His responsibility.
The word
جَمْع is a
comprehensive one: it means preservation in the heart of the
Prophet (sws) and also bringing together all the parts of the
Qur’an. Consequently, the Prophet (sws) would continuously
receive guidance regarding the placement of the revealed
verses in various surahs. As a result, he would direct the
collectors to insert these verses at their specific places.
They, of course, obeyed these instructions diligently.
A further arrangement
that was made by the Almighty was that in each Ramadan, the
Prophet (sws) read out the Qur’an revealed till that time to
Gabriel in order to safeguard any loss from memory. It is
evident from various narratives that in the last Ramadan of
the Prophet (sws) this reading took place twice. The word
قُرْآنَه
points to this reading.
The verse
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ
implies that the Prophet (sws) was not to ask that the Qur’an
be quickly revealed to him. He was to leave the matter to God,
Who would reveal it in a specific amount as per His wisdom. He
would also arrange to preserve and collect and arrange it. The
Prophet’s responsibility was to only follow the recital of
what has been read out to him of the Qur’an. He was to read
it, act on it and call people towards it. Also, he was to pay
no heed to the demand of people who are asking for its
revelation in one go.
A further assurance is
sounded to the Prophet (sws) in the verse ثُمَّ
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ. If
explanation was required of any part of the Qur’an, it was the
responsibility of the Almighty to furnish it. The Prophet (sws)
did not need to fret about this. It would be done when the
time came. This is a reference to the tabyin verses which were
revealed to explain and elucidate a previously revealed
directive or to abrogate or to complete it. I have referred to
these elucidatory verses at a number of places in this
exegesis. The words
كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ
(in this way does God explain) generally occur after them.
They are actually the fulfilment of the promise mentioned in
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ.
I will now present
excerpts from the exegesis of my mentor Imam Hamid al-Din
Farahi which he has written while explaining these verses. He
writes:
The exegetes think
that the cause of the haste mentioned in these verses is that
the Prophet (sws) was anxious about losing any part of the
Qur’an. I do not differ with this view; however, there are
some more details in this which need to be understood.
When the Prophet (sws)
received divine guidance, he thought that he was being given a
great responsibility and that he was being entrusted with a
great thing; the slightest of mistakes or the loss of even a
single letter would hold him accountable before God.
Simultaneously, he wished to receive more and more divine
revelation for any part of it might be instrumental in giving
guidance to his people. Both these aspects are very evident
regarding this matter. Consequently, the assurance sounded to
him in this surah takes into consideration both these aspects.
The preservation of
the Qur’an has been promised by the Almighty both in a concise
and comprehensive manner. Thus, for example, it is said:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِالذِّكْرِ لَمَّا
جَاءهُمْ وَإِنَّهُ لَكِتَابٌ عَزِيزٌ. لَا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ
مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ
حَمِيدٍ. (٤١: ٤١-٤٢)
And this is a mighty scripture. Falsehood
cannot reach it, either from in
front of it or from behind it. It is a revelation from a wise
and glorious God. (41:41-42)
At another place, the
words are:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا
لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ (٩:١٥)
It was We Who revealed the Reminder, and We
shall Ourself preserve it. (15:9)
It is evident from
these verses that there is no possibility of any addition or
deletion in the Qur’an. Consequently, there exists a consensus
in the whole of this ummah that the Qur’an has remained
preserved. The popular view attributed to the Imamiyyah sect
that a part of the Qur’an has been made to disappear is
totally against the opinion of their authorities. Sayyid
Murtada, Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Tusi (popularly known as the
Sheikh al-Tai’fah), Abu ‘Ali Tabari, Tabrasi (the author of
Majma‘ al-bayan), Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Babawayh al-Qummi –
all have vehemently denied this absurd view. ‘Muhammad ibn
‘Ali ibn Babawayh al-Qummi says: “It is our belief that the
very Qur’an revealed to the Prophet by the Almighty is the one
which is found between two covers in the Muslim ummah. There
is not a single letter of the Qur’an more than this. A person
who attributes to us the view that we believe the Qur’an
consisted of more is a liar.” Regarding the narratives which
are found in their literature in this matter, Sayyid Murtada
says that those among the Imamiyyah and the Hashawiyyah sects
who differ with this view are of no significance because their
view is based on some weak Ahadith that they regard to be
authentic. However, on the basis of such weak Ahadith, a
proven and certain reality cannot be rejected.
Farahi subsequently
goes on to state the conclusions he has drawn from the above
quoted verses of Surah al-Qiyamah:
First, the Qur’an was collected and
arranged in the lifetime of the Prophet (sws) and recited to
him in a specific sequence. If this promise was to be
fulfilled after his death, he would not have been asked to
follow this new recital [referred to by the words: “So when We
have recited it out, follow this recital”].
Second, the Prophet (sws) was directed to
read the arranged Qur’an in its new sequence … this directive
means that the Prophet (sws) must have communicated the final
arrangement of the Qur’an the way it was finally recited to
him. And this arrangement must have been the same as the one
found in the guarded tablet (the lawh-i mahfuz). This is
because the final recital had to match the original recital
[found in the tablet].
Third, after this collection and
arrangement, the Almighty explained whatever He intended to
from among specifying a general directive or vice versa,
furnishing supplementary directives and reducing the scope of
some directives.
Farahi further states:
All these conclusions are evident from the
Qur’an and also corroborated by Hadith literature.
Consequently, the Prophet (sws) would read out whole surahs of
the Qur’an to people and this could not have been possible
unless they had been read out to him in their specific
sequences. The Companions (rta) would listen to and preserve
the Qur’an in accordance with this arrangement and abide by
it. It is known that the Prophet (sws) would direct the
Companions (rta) to place the revealed verses of the Qur’an at
specific places of specific surahs and the Companions (rta)
would obey this directive. Then when some explanatory verse
would be revealed, the Prophet (sws) would have it written
either at the place immediately following the verses which
needed this explanation or at the end of the surah in case
these verses related to the whole theme of the surah.
Deliberation reveals another distinct
feature of these explanatory verses: they themselves contained
words which would show that these verses had in fact been
revealed as explanation. They would generally be of the
wording:
كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ آيَاتِهِ
لِلنَّاسِ (thus does the Almighty
explain His verses for people … )
Similarly, it is known from authentic and
agreed upon narratives that once the whole of the Qur’an had
been revealed, Gabriel recited the complete Qur’an to the
Prophet (sws) in its real sequence. This clears many doubts
about the sequence and arrangement of the Qur’an.
كَلَّا بَلْ تُحِبُّوْنَ الْعَاجِلَةَ (٢٠)
وَتَذَرُوْنَ الْآخِرَةَ (٢١)
After urging the
Prophet (sws) to show patience on the piecemeal revelation of
the Qur’an, the discourse returns to its original sequence.
The disbelievers are addressed and told that their attitude
about the Day of Judgement is not because they do not have any
argument in its support; its greatest argument is found in
their own conscience. The real reason for this attitude of
denial is that they are infatuated with this world and its
luxuries, and do not have the patience and grit to leave its
immediate pleasures for the deferred pleasures of the
Hereafter.
The words
وَتَذَرُوْنَ الْآخِرَةَ
mean “you are showing indifference to the Hereafter.” The
implication is that the Hereafter is not hidden from them;
since the pleasures of this world are at hand and those of the
Hereafter are not, they are intentionally showing indifference
to the Hereafter.
وُجُوْهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ (٢٢)
إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ (٢٣)
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَاسِرَةٌ (٢٤)
تَظُنُّ أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ
(٢٥)
The implication of
these verses is that if for the sake of this world they are
showing indifference to the Hereafter they should do so; but
they should remember that the reality they disregard is
certain to come, and on that Day the situation will be totally
different. The faces of those who spent their life in its
awareness will be fresh and bright. They will await the
blessings and mercy of God. On the other hand, the faces of
those who led their lives while being indifferent to it will
be bleak and gloomy and they will apprehend a calamity which
will break their backs.
Portrayed in these
verses is actually the situation that will arise before people
enter Paradise or Hell. When those worthy of Paradise will see
that at every step angels are welcoming them with words of
peace and reverence, their faces will turn bright in
anticipation of the bright future which awaits them. They will
be hopeful that the time is arriving when they will be the
recipients of God’s promised mercy in its ultimate form. On
the contrary, the situation faced by the disbelievers at each
step will make their faces glum and gloomy: they will
anticipate the back-breaking punishment promised to them and
to which they had paid no heed in the previous world.
The words
إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ
mean that these people will await the blessings and favours of
their Lord. When the preposition
اِلٰی is used with
نَظِرَ just as it
means to look at something, it also means to await someone’s
blessings and favours. Lexicographers explain this thus: if
someone says اِنَّمَا نَنْظُرُ اِلَي
اللهِ ثُمّ اِلِيْكَ to someone from
whom he is expecting blessings and favours, it would mean: “I
await God’s blessings and after them your favours.”
The context also
supports this interpretation. The mental state of those who
will be going to Hell is depicted thus:
تَظُنُّ أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ
(apprehending that there is going to befall
them that which breaks their backs). Because of this
apprehension, their faces will be gloomy and apprehensive. In
contrast, the believers are described as those who will expect
and await the manifestation of their Lord’s greatest mercy and
as a result their faces will be joyous and cheerful.
The expression
أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ
is grammatically analyzed by
al-Zamakhshari thus:
اي يفعل بها فعل هو في شدته و فطاعته
فاقرة (they will be meted out such
punishment the intensity of which will break their backs).
Although other grammatical analyses are also possible, I would
prefer this. Examples of this will be seen in the succeeding
surahs.
The word
فَاقِرَةٌ refers
to a calamity which shatters the bones of the spinal cord.
Some people derive
man’s observation of God by the verse
إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ.
In my opinion, this verse does not refer to this if its
context and occasion are understood. It is, in fact, a verse
with an entirely different context and occasion. Similarly,
those who oppose man’s observation of God and in frenzy of
this opposition alter the meaning of the preposition
إِلَى have erred
in their interpretation. My view on this issue is that our
belief in God in this world is not based on observation of
Him. We believe in Him because certain signs and indications
strongly point to His existence; however, in the Hereafter our
belief in Him will be based on direct observation, and we will
be able to directly witness every reality we profess faith in.
As far as the nature of this observation is concerned, we
cannot determine it in this world. It is from the category of
mutashabihat and one is not allowed to delve into the
mutashabihat. Only God, the Almighty knows the nature of this
observation.
كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتْ التَّرَاقِيَ (٢٦)
وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ (٢٧)
وَظَنَّ اَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ (٢٨)
وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ (٢٩)
اِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ
(٣٠)
Those who are slaves
to worldly pleasures are reminded of the agonies of death and
of the state of helplessness a person will be in at that time.
They should not regard the Day of Judgement to be improbable.
It shall definitely come and they will have to take the long
journey back to their Lord. Their vigour and enthusiasm will
end; so helpless will they be that the shank will embrace the
shank. It is in their own interest to prepare for this journey
and turn towards the Almighty before this happens and before
their souls are stuck in the collar bone.
Whatever my mentor,
Imam Farahi, has written while explaining these verses is
based on sound research. In the following paragraphs, I will
summarize in his own words what he has written in his
exegesis. He writes:
The pronoun found in
the phrase بَلَغَتْ التَّرَاقِيَ
is for the soul which is not mentioned here. An example of
such a suppression also occurs in the following verse of Surah
al-Waqi‘ah: فَلَوْلَا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ
الْحُلْقُومَ (٨٣:٥٦) (when under
your very eyes a man’s soul reaches the throat, (56:83)). Such
suppression is customary in Arabic. Hence it was not necessary
to mention the antecedent of the pronoun. Examples of such
suppression are also found in classical Arabic.
Hatim al-Ta’i says:
أ ماوي ما يغني الثراء عن الفتي
إذا حشرجت يوما و ضاق بها الصدر
(O Mawiyyah! What use
will wealth be to a person when the soul will be trapped in
the chest.)
In the above quoted
couplet, the nomen agentis (fa‘il) of the verb is the soul but
has been suppressed as per the linguistic principle alluded to
earlier. Examples of such suppression are also found in the
Qur’an. In Surah al-Fatir, it is said: مَا تَرَكَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا مِن
دَابَّةٍ (٣٥:٤٥)
(not one creature would be left
alive on the earth’s surface, (35:45)). Here one can see that
the antecedent of the pronoun هَا
which is “the earth” has been
suppressed … The sentence وَقِيْلَ
مَنْ رَاقٍ (and it is said: “Who is
it that can weave a spell now?”) expresses the severity and
sensitivity of the situation. The passive tense
قِيْلَ has great
eloquence in it. In other words, such will be the severity of
the situation that no one will be able to pay attention to the
person who will speak these words. To put it another way, the
importance of these words will make people totally indifferent
to their speaker. Everyone will be rehearsing these words.
When the word مَنْ
comes before an undefined noun, it implies severity in demand
or great despair. Tarfah says:
اذا القوم قالوا من فتي خلت انني
عنيت فلم اكسل و لم اتبلد
(When the nation calls
out: “Is there a young man?” I understand that they are
referring to me; then I do not display laziness and weakness.)
… Let us now see what
the intentionality of the verse is and the purpose for which
this style has been adopted here. In my opinion, the verse can
be interpreted in two ways and there is in reality no
difference between these two interpretations.
The first
interpretation is that when a person will be close to death
and be in an unconscious state, the attendants will worriedly
call out: “Is there some conjurer who can cure this dying
person?”
The second
interpretation is that the attendants will say: “The matter is
now finished; who can cure this dying man?” This of course is
an expression of hopelessness and when the sick person hears
it, he will become sure that the time for his departure has
arrived. The following couplet by Khansa’ portrays this
situation:
لكن سهام المنايا من يصبن له
لم يشفه طب ذي طب و لا راق
(He who is stung by
the arrows of death can neither be cured by the competence of
a doctor nor the conjuring of a conjurer.)
Both these
interpretations of the verse are possible and I have presented
both of them for [the analysis of the readers]. They can adopt
any one of them. However, in my opinion, the second of these
interpretations is closer to the context.
While explaining the
expression وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ
بِالسَّاقِ, Farahi writes:
The meaning of the
shank embracing the shank is that a person will not be able to
walk. This will be because of intense weakness and
helplessness. As long as a person is alive, he is vigorously
active in all spheres of his life; however, when he dies, it
seems that his shanks have mutually embraced themselves.
… “the shank embracing
the shank” is a very apt expression of frailty and
helplessness. The purport of the verse is: what will happen
when a doctor loses hope in the sick person, relatives
withdraw in frustration, the once obedient limbs are no longer
under control and he has to go to his Lord with a heavy
burden?
Some people have
interpreted the word سَاقُ
to mean “severity of the situation.” However, this view is of
those people who have no knowledge of the Arabic language.
These people do not understand the difference between the
whole and the part. No doubt, the words كشف
عن الساق when taken as a single
expression is commonly used in Arabic to connote “vigour,
liveliness and eagerness.” However,
when these words are used separately, then the word كشفmeans
“to unveil” and الساق
means “the shank.” It is not that when used separately, then
too they will connote the same meaning as they carry when used
together in this expression.
A narrative ascribed
to Ibn ‘Abbas (rta) says that الساق
means the last day of this world and the first day of the
next. I think the narrators have not faithfully transmitted
what he might have said. If the ascription is correct, it
could be a reference to the situation which would arise at
that time and not a delineation of the meaning of this word.
Once the correct
meaning of the shank embracing the shank is understood, the
occasion and context of the next sentence:
اِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ
(on that Day, towards your Lord is the departure) can be
grasped automatically. It is as if man is scolded for his
indifference in preparing for this journey; he remained busy
acquiring worldly pleasures and luxuries and reached a stage
when in this pursuit he lost all his strength and energy; how
will he now be able to reach his Lord in such a state?
فَلَا صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّى (٣١)
وَلَكِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى (٣٢)
ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ اِلَى اَهْلِهِ
يَتَمَطَّى (٣٣)
اَوْلَى لَكَ فَاَوْلَى (٣٤)
ثُمَّ اَوْلَى لَكَ فَاَوْلَى (٣٥)
Depicted in these
verses is the state of deprivation of these disbelievers of
the Hereafter: the journey is very exacting; yet they have no
resources and provisions to take along. They have neither
offered the prayer to the Almighty nor spent in His way even
though these were the two deeds which were to be of use to
them in this journey.
A suppression of the
word بِالْحُسْني
has occurred after صَدَّقَ
because of strong linguistic indications. In Surah al-Layl,
this suppression is expressed thus:
فَأَمَّا مَن أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى. وَصَدَّقَ
بِالْحُسْنَى. فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى. (٩٢: ٥-٧)
So, he who gave in the
way of God, was God-fearing and attested to the good fate of
the Hereafter, We shall make him traverse an easy path.
(92:5-7)
It needs to be kept in
consideration that spending in the way of God is very
difficult for people who do not believe in the Hereafter and
the good fate encountered there. This abyss can only be
crossed by those whose hearts are satisfied that whatever they
will spend shall be returned to them in the form of an eternal
treasure in the Hereafter. It is this belief in the reward of
the Hereafter which motivates a person to spend in the way of
God. Those who deny it are never induced to such spending. In
Surah al-Layl, the verses succeeding
the ones quoted earlier portray this fact thus:
وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى. وَكَذَّبَ
بِالْحُسْنَى. فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى. (٩٢: ٨-١٠)
And he who showed
miserliness, was indifferent and belied the good fate, We
shall make him traverse an arduous path, (92: 8-10)
In the light of these
verses, the meaning of فَلَا صَدَّقَ
will be that the person neither attested to the good fate of
the Hereafter nor did he spend in the way of the Almighty. In
other words, the meanings of both rejecting the Hereafter and
stinginess are implied in this expression. After this, the
words are: وَلَا صَلَّى
(and he did not pray). In other words, the
real motive for spending in the way of God and offering the
prayer is belief in reward in the Hereafter. When this belief
is non-existent in them, how can these deeds emanate from
these people.
Here once again let us
refresh what is so often expressed in this exegesis: it is on
prayer and spending in the way of God – the two primary deeds
– that the shari‘ah is based. It is evident from this verse
that both of these are themselves dependent upon belief in the
Hereafter. People in whom this belief is not strong, will not
be able to undertake them.
In the verse:
وَلَكِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى,
the word كَذَّبَ
occurs in contrast to
صَدَّقَ and the
word تَوَلَّى
occurs in contrast to صَلَّى.
In other words, what was befitting for them was to testify to
the Messenger and to the Hereafter and spend in the way of God
and offer the prayer to Him; however, they belied the
Hereafter and became indifferent.
The verse
ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ اِلَى اَهْلِهِ يَتَمَطَّى
portrays this indifference and a little deliberation will show
that the reason for this indifference has also been referred
to in it: When people whose wealth and children have made them
arrogant are reminded to fear God and the Hereafter, such
reminders have no effect on them. They think that their
affluence and abundance in family members is a sure sign of
them being on the right path. For this reason, they do not
entertain the reminders of people who try to point out their
folly. Instead of being influenced by such reminders, they
conceitedly take a walk to their family taking their
prosperity and riches to be a clear sign of their correctness.
Moreover, they go so far as to think that the real fault lies
in people who are themselves bereft of prosperity yet are
sounding such reminders and admonitions.
Here one should keep
in mind what the Qur’an mentions very frequently in various
styles: the believers live amongst their family members
continuously fearing the Almighty lest they are not able to
properly care for the family and in this way earn God’s wrath
in any way. This sense of responsibility on the part of the
believers is expressed thus in the Qur’an:
قَالُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا قَبْلُ فِي أَهْلِنَا
مُشْفِقِينَ (٢٦:٥٢) (they will say:
“we have always remained fearful in the matter of our family,”
(52:26)). Exactly opposite is the attitude of people whose
hearts are devoid of God’s fear. They regard their family to
be a source of pride and conceit and as a clear sign of their
good fortune. For this reason, they are in the state of
inebriation mentioned in the anecdote of the companion of an
orchard in Surah al-Kahf in these words: مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَذِهِ
أَبَدًا (٣٥:١٨) (I don’t reckon
that this will ever perish! (18:35)). The mentality of such
people is mentioned thus in Surah al-Mutaffifin:
وَإِذَا انقَلَبُواْ إِلَى أَهْلِهِمُ
انقَلَبُواْ فَكِهِينَ (٨٣:
٣١) (and
when they would return to their people, they would return
engrossed, (83:31)).
In the verses:
اَوْلَى لَكَ فَاَوْلَى.ثُمَّ اَوْلَى لَكَ
فَاَوْلَى, the word
اَوْلَى is from
ويل which
is used for expressing anger, reproach, and hatred. In
classical Arabic, this word is used abundantly. For example,
Khansa’ says:
هممت بنفسي كل الهموم
فأولي لنفسي أولي لها
(I made many
intentions about my soul; what a pity on my soul; what a
pity.)
Some Urdu translators
have translated it as “befitting” which is against Arabic
principles and also not in accordance with the context.
In the previous
verses, the address was indirect. Here in these verses the
address has become direct. This change in address is to
express sorrow and hatred. I have alluded to this aspect at
various places in this exegesis.
اَيَحْسَبُ الْاِنسَانُ اَنْ يُّتْرَكَ سُدًى
(٣٦) اَلَمْ
يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِيٍّ يُمْنَى (٣٧)
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ
فَسَوَّى (٣٨)
فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ
وَالْأُنثَى (٣٩)
اَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى اَن
يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى (٤٠)
Here in these verses,
the surah ends on the subject with which it began. In the
beginning it was said: أَيَحْسَبُ
الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ. بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى
أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ. (٧٥:
٣-٤)
(does man think that We will not be able to bring together his
bones? Why not? We can put him together even his very
finger-sections, (75: 3-4)). After that, the discourse had
shifted to man’s arrogance, his deliberate concealment of the
truth and to the portrayal of the horrific events of the Day
of Judgement. Now, here at the end, this question is raised
again and answered: do people who express their doubt on being
raised to life again after death think that man will be left
unaccountable? If leaving him unaccountable is against the
justice and wisdom of the Almighty, how will re-creating him
again be difficult for the Almighty? Does he not reflect on
the various stages of his creation. His creation begins with a
drop of fluid being poured forth in the mother’s womb. The
passive tense in the word يُمْنَي
points to a lack of attention and any elaborate arrangement.
The person who pours it forth has nothing more to do with it
after this act; he has no knowledge of what happens to it and
what it undergoes. All later changes and developments in it
are done by providence which, with remarkable creativity,
makes it pass through various stages encompassed in layers of
darkness. The drop of fluid becomes a clot of blood. Then it
is brought into shape and later perfected. Finally, it emerges
in the form of a man or a woman. In all these stages, it is
providence which fashions and moulds it; no one else has any
role in this. Therefore, man needs to realize that the God
Whose signs of power, wisdom and creativity can be so
abundantly seen in this way in a human being, is amply capable
of recreating him once he dies.
With the grace of God,
with these lines, I come to the end of this surah’s exegesis.
و له الحمد في الدنيا و الآخرة
(gratitude be to Him in this world and in that to come)
Rahmanabad,
19th January, 1979 AD
19th Safr, 1399 AH
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