winds t h a t bring rain are obviously beneficial and useful.

Another
meaning of the word 'urfan is 'one after another'. In this interpretation,
the verse signifies 'those winds that bring rain and clouds consecutively'.
The word 'asifat is derived from 'agf that literally means 'winds that blow
violently or vehemently'. This refers to fiercely blowing winds t h a t
sometimes do occur in the world. The word nashirat refers to 'winds that
spread (clouds) all over after the rain is over'. The word firiqat is the
attribute of the angels 'who differentiate (between right and wrong)
distinctly by bringing down t h e Divine revelation'. The phrase
fal-mulqiyati d h i k r a n also refers to the 'angels'. The word d h i k r
'Reminder' refers to the Qur'Zn or revelation in general. The verse
signifies 'I swear by angels who [by bringing down revelation] separate
between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, [and the lawful and the
forbidden]'. Likewise, I swear by angels who bring down revelation or
Qur75nto the Holy Prophet
This interpretation is plain and simple,
and does not require any undue stretch of imagination.

B.

In this interpretation, the question arises a s to the contextual

relationship between swearing oaths by various types of winds and the
angels. First of all, it is not possible to fathom the Wisdom of Divine
speech. However, it is possible to hypothesise. Allah swears oaths by
useful winds and harmful winds. Winds that bring rain and clouds are
useful, while those that blow fiercely and cause destruction are harmful.
These belong to the perceptible world. All human beings can observe
them. The perceptible things are mentioned first for reflection. The
imperceptible world is mentioned later, such as the angels and revelation.
If man reflects carefully on them, he will develop certainty of belief in
them as well.
"',, ,
I,djl I,&( to provide excuses [for the believers] or giving warnings (to
disbelievers...77:6) This phrase is complement to verse [51: 1yi&$then
bring down the advice, [77:5] The 'advice' refers to the 'revelation' that
came down upon the Prophets. Verse 6 says that it serves two purposes.
In the case of the people of truth and believers, it persuades them to seek
excuse from Allah for their shortcomings, and pray for forgiveness; and in
the case of the people of falsehood and disbelievers, it contains a warning
for them of Allah's torment, if they oppose His command.
#,

,' ,,',>'

814 a j h j Cei! ( ...that which you are promised is sure to happen ...77:7)
-5

--

This is the subject of these oaths. It means that the Day of Judgement,
Reckoning, and Reward and Punishment that is promised by the Prophets
has certainly to be fulfilled. Allah then describes some of the events that
will occur on the Day of Judgement. The stars will be extinguished, which
could mean that they will be completely destroyed, or they will exist, but
their lights will be lost. In this way the entire world will be plunged in
absolute darkness. The second event to occur is the splitting of the sky.
The third event to occur is that the mountains will be blown away as dust.
The fourth event is described in the following verse:
,
+I

."' , a

&>I ;!;I
(and when the messengers will be assembled a t the
appointed time, [then all matters will be decided.] [77:11]' The word
uqqitat is derived from tauqit which primarily means 'appointment of
time'. According to Zamakhshari, it signifies 'to arrive at an appointed
time' [as cited in REhl. In this context, the second meaning appears to be
more appropriate. The verse signifies that the appointed time for the
Prophets and Messengers to assemble with their communities will arrive,
so that all matters concerning them may be decided. The verses further
describe the Day of Judgement as the great and horrible day and the Day
of Decision. It shall be the day of destruction for the deniers and rejecters,
thus:
' ''+
,,
(Woe, that Day, to the deniers!. ..77:15) The word wail
*@
k3
,
r,

,>5

means 'destruction'. According to certain Had?th narratives, the word wail

is a 'valley of Hell where the pus of the wounds of the inmates of Hell will
be collected. This is the place where the deniers will live. After this, the
present-day people are asked to learn a lesson from [the destruction] of
the former generations, thus:

>;6 &'?

(Did We not destroy the earlier people? ...77:16) It refers to

and Fir'aun (The
the nations of 'Ad, Thamiid, nation of LE$
Pharaoh) who were destroyed because of their obstinacy.
&ql@ '
(Then We will cause the later ones to follow them ....77:17)
According to popular reading, Verse 17 purports to say t h a t the
present-day infidels, the people of Makkah, will receive punishment soon.
They were punished and destroyed by Muslims in the Battle of Badr and
so on. The difference between the punishment of former nations and the
community of the Holy Prophet
is as follows: The former nations used

3 3 " 5'

to be destroyed by celestial punishment with all their habitations. The

infidels in the community of the Holy Prophet
do not receive celestial
punishment, because of the Holy Prophet's
special honour. They are
punished by the weapons of Muslims. Furthermore, the destruction is not
general. Only the obdurate criminal leaders are destroyed.

il;i;

>;gl

(I) id We not make the earth a container

that collects the living and the dead?....25, 26) The word kifit is derived
.<@

from haft. It means 'to gather things together'. Thus kifit is a thing that
embodies many things within itself. Earth is created by Allah in a fashion
that humans when alive, remain on its back, and when dead, in its belly.

@y&

&
=; '

.g$
5;

$1 I e m i t s s p a r k s [ a s h u g e ] a s
castles ...77:32) The word qasr means a 'huge, magnificent castle'. The
word jimalah is used in the sense of jamal, and means 'camel'. The word
p f r is the plural of asfar which means 'yellow'. The verse describes the
fire of Hell. It will emit such huge sparks of fire, as if they were huge and
magnificent castles. Then they will break up into little splinters, as if they
were yellowish camels. Some scholars have translated the word 'sufr' as
'black' because yellowish colour of camels tends to blackness. [R*].
f

T , ' . , , , ,

(su+

,',

,,'

/tgj dig! Y j .(s+.Y

'/",/ '

r3I.b (This is a day when they will not speak,

nor will they be allowed to offer excuses....77:35, 36) In other words, this is
the Day in which they will not be able to talk, nor will they be permitted
to offer pleas for their misdeeds. However, other verses of the Qur'iin
inform us that they will speak and will be permitted to offer excuses.
There is no discrepancy between the two verses, because there will be
various stages on the Plain of Gathering (Mahshar) through which people
will have to pass. Sometimes they will pass through a stage where it
would be forbidden for them to speak or offer excuses; and at another
stage they will be permitted. [R*].

iy$ & $$

("Eat and drink for a while! You are guilty

ones.. .77:46) This verse addresses the infidels through the Holy Prophet
$&$.They may eat and drink and enjoy themselves in this world, but the
span is short, and then there will be nothing but punishment for them.
[Abii Hayyiinl.

ips Y 1p;i4'
;i &

(And when it is said to them, ''Bow down", they

do not bow down.. .77:48) According to most commentators, the word rukii'

Siirah Al-Mursaliit : 77 : 1 - 50
-

679
-

--

--

--

is used here in its primitive sense 'to bow down and submit'. The verse
signifies that when they were told to submit to the Divine commands,
they refused to comply. Some scholars take the word rukii' in its technical
sense and interpret the verse to signify 'when they are called to prayer,
they refused to pray.' The rukii' is a part of the prayer, but it refers here
to the whole prayer . [R*]

i&XioG+& j i (Now, in which discourse, after this, will they

believe? ...7 7 5 0 ) ~ h e ' ~ Qur'Zn
o l ~ is the last Book of Allah which explains
its message and wisdom most lucidly, excellently, eloquently, elegantly,
and its arguments most convincingly. Its style is extremely effective and
the admonition soul-capturing. If they do not believe in such a Book, then
for which word are they waiting? This is to express disappointment in
them. A Hadith narrative instructs that when one recites this verse, he
should say 'I believe in Allah'. This statement must be made outside the
prayer, or in voluntary prayer. He must abstain from this statement in
obligatory and Sunnah prayer. Hadlth narratives are clear on this point.
And Allah knows best!

Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Siirah Al-Mursaliit
Ends here

Siirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

680

Siirah An-Naba'
(The Great Event)
This Siirah is Makki, and it has 40 verses and 2 sections

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful,the Very-Merciful

Verses 1 40
,
b

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4191 aJb
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447.) 4 1 y &a JGI

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$ 9

SGrah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

About what are they asking each other? [I] About the
Great Event [21 in which they dispute! [3l Truly, they
will soon know. [41Again, truly, they will soon know. [51
Did We not make the e a r t h as a floor, [61 and the
mountains as pegs? [71 And We have created you in
pairs, [81 and made your sleep a source of rest, [91 and
made the night a covering, [ l o ] and made the day a
source of livelihood. [ I l l And We have built seven strong
(skies), [I21 and created a luminous lamp (the sun). [I31
And We have sent down from the rain-laden clouds
abundant water, [I41 so that We bring out therewith
grain and vegetation, [I51 and thick gardens. [I61
Surely the Day of Decision is an appointed time, [I71 a
day when the trumpet will be blown, so you will come
in multitudes, [I81 and the sky will be opened, so it will
become as gates, [I91 and the mountains will be set in
motion, so they will be as mirage. [20] Surely Jahannam
(the Hell) is set in ambush. [21] (It is) an abode for the
rebellious people [221 who will be abiding in it for ages.
[231 They will taste nothing cool in it, nor a drink, [24l
except boiling w a t e r a n d pus, [ 2 5 l t h i s being a
recompense in full accord (with their deeds). [26l They
did not expect (to face) accounting (of their deeds), [27l
and they rejected Our signs totally. [281 And everything
(from their deeds) is thoroughly recorded by Us in
writing. [29l "So now taste! We will never add to you

681

Siirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

682

anything except torment." [301

I

For the God-fearing there is sure achievement, [31]

gardens a n d grapes, [32] a n d buxom maidens of
matching age, [33] and goblets filled up to the brim. [341
They will not hear therein any vain talk, nor lies, [351
this being a reward from their Lord, a sufficing grant,
[361 (from) the Lord of the heavens and the earth and
what is between them, the All-Merciful. No one will
have power to address Him, [371 on the Day when the
Spirit and the angels will stand in rows. They will not
speak, except the one who is permitted by the RahmZn
(the All-Merciful)and speaks aright. [381 That is the Day
which is sure to come. So whoever so wishes may take
refuge with his Lord. [391 We have warned you of an
approaching torment (that will be inflicted) on a day
when one will see what his hands have sent ahead, and
the disbeliever will say, "0would that I had become
dust!" [40]
Commentary
:$ ;% (About what are they asking each other?...78:l). The word
'amma is made up of two particles: [I]The preposition
'an (about); and
121 the interrogative particle L 'ma' (what?) (the last letter, that is, 'ma'
has been omitted according to the grammatical composition. The sense is :
About what are they asking each other?' Allah Himself replies to the
question when He says:

;w + 2

01j

(About the Great Event in which they

dispute!....78:2,3). The word naba' means 'news' but not every news is
naba'. It means a 'momentous news of a great event'. This refers to the
news of the Day of Judgement. The verse purports to convey that the
inhabitants of Makkah ask about the Day of Judgement in which they
dispute [while some of them believed in Resurrection, others did not.]
~ $ 1#I

SayyidnZ Ibn 'AbbZs & reports that when the revelation of Qur'an
started, the pagan Arabs used to form circles and discuss and criticise it,
especially about the tremendous import of Resurrection and Judgement
referred to in the Qur'Zn. The pagans thought this was impossible, and
they used to have protracted discussion. The disbelievers persuade
themselves to believe t h a t the predicted event will never take place,

SGrah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40
I

683

though there were others who believed in the event. The Siirah opens by
shunning the enquirers and the enquiry, it wonders that anyone should
raise any doubts about Resurrection and Judgement. Some of the
commentators express the opinion that their enquiry was not a genuine
one where they were keen to learn about the t r u t h . So they ask
half-mockingly and half in doubt, when that event, so loudly pronounced,
will happen. Qur'Zn has responded by asserting one statement twice for
emphasis, thus:
n, @ { ,,>,
M( ,+ .3+

,,I,,,,

will soon know. Again, truly, they

will soon know ....78:5) The particle kallZ is negative, and means 'never,
by no means'. It means here that this matter cannot be understood by
question and answer or by disputation and debate. Its reality will be
understood by them when they will face it. It is such a reality that has no
room for questions, disputation or denial. The Qur'Zn says that soon they
will come to know about it [and this statement is repeated twice for
emphasis]. In other words, when they die, they will discover the realities
of the next world. They will see the horrors of the Hereafter with their
eyes.
d+

M( (Truly, they

Then the Holy Qur'Zn has pointed to different demonstrations of His

power to prove that it is not impossible for Allah to destroy this entire
world and re-create it once again. Reference is made to the creation of
earth, mountains, human beings, males and females and the creation of
suitable conditions for human life, health and activities. One of the things
mentioned in this connection is :
+

,>

EL,

,&a L&',,,,
,
(and made your sleep a source of rest, ...78:9). The word
A,,'

subat is derived from sabt which means 'to cut off. Sleep is something
that cuts off the worries and tensions one may have, and thus gives him
such a rest that cannot be attained from anything else. Therefore, some
scholars translate the word subat as 'rest'.

Sleep Is a Great Gift

After mentioning in verse [8] that Allah has created mankind in pairs,
Allaah Ta'ZlZ states in verse [9] that among the means of their comfort,
He created sleep, which is a great divine gift. Sleep is a great source of
relaxation for the entire creation - for rich as well as for poor, for learned

Siirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

684

people, as well as for the illiterate ones, for kings as well as for labourers.
This gift is made available equally and simultaneously for all. Rather,
experience shows that this gift is most readily available to the poor and
labouring class, as compared to the affluent and the elite class. The latter
class has all the means of comfort, they have comfortable homes, they
have moderately warm and cold places, they have comfortable mattresses
and pillows that are rarely available to the poor. But the gift of sleep is
not dependent upon the mattresses, pillows, cottages and bungalows. It is
purely a divine gift that is given directly by Allah. Often the poor, with no
means of comfort and without bed or bedding, enjoy the best sleep in an
open space. Sometimes, the affluent and the men of means suffer from
insomnia and can only get sleep when they take sleeping pills. Often the
pills do not work either. Not only t h a t this great gift is given to all
creatures - humans as well as animals - and it is given free of charge,
without working for it. Allah has made it compulsory for everyone in a
way that even if he wishes to keep awake because of load of work, sleep is
imposed on him by Allah's mercy, so that his tiredness is removed and he
is refreshed to work further. This arrangement is a wonderful means of
providing rest and peace for man.

LQ$1 &j (and made the night a covering...78:lO) This points to the
fact that man naturally feels sleepy when light decreases and darkness
prevails, when there is tranquillity all around and there is absence of
noises. The verse under comment additionally signifies that Allah did not
only give man sleep, but created in the entire world conditions that are
suitable for sleep. That is to say: [I] darkness of night; [21 the state of
sleep is imposed on all humans and animals simultaneously, so that they
sleep at the same time. In this way, there will be peace and tranquillity
throughout the world. Like other works, if there are different times for
different people to sleep, no one will have peace and tranquillity.
Thereafter the verse reads:

;QI&; (and made the day a sourcc of livelihood....7 8 : l l ) . Man

requires, together with sleep, other essentials of life, such as livelihood.
Otherwise, the sleep will turn into death. If the world would have had
only nights and no days, and man would have continued to sleep all the
time, how would he have obtained his livelihood and other essentials,

I
1

Stirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

685

whereas day is the time when he could work hard and make activities in
the daylight in order to earn a living. Thus the verses under comment
purport to say that Allah has, in order to complete the comforts of life,
", ,
made the night a cloak and the day for earning a living. g6; GI> \;Lrj.
I

Now attention is drawn to the comforts we get from the sky. The most
useful thing in the sky is the light of the sun. It is mentioned in the
",,,
following verse: g6; \;I> & j (and created a luminous lamp [the
sun]. ...78:13).Then, among the useful things below the sky, the most
beneficial and the most essential thing is the raining clouds which are
'
,
, ',,,,,
mentioned thus: \;G
r~ ++I
;r:U j I j (And We have sent down from the
rain-laden clouds abundant water,. ..78:14). The word mu'siriit is the
plural of mu'sirah 'rain-laden cloud'. This indicates that rain comes down
from the cloud. There are verses, however, that indicate that rain comes
down from the sky. Those verses too probably refer to 'upper atmosphere'.
There are many verses in the Qur'an where the word sama' is used in
that sense. Having mentioned these Divine blessings, the Siirah reverts
to its original theme of Resurrection and Judgement:
5

',,

6-,

I,

6L& Sc'J.21 ,r 31 (Surely the Day of Decision is a n appointed

time ...78:17). 'The Day of Decision' refers to the Day of Resurrection. It is
"

a fixed appointment. Other verses indicate that the trumpet will be blown
twice. When it is blown the first time, the entire world will come to an end.
When it is blown the second time, people of the entire world, the earlier
generations as well as the latter generations, will be resurrected and come
in multitudes and droves. Sayyidna Abu Dharr GhifZ6 & reports that
the Holy Prophet $&$! said: "On the Day of Resurrection, people will come
in three different groups: [I] a group will come in the Plain of Gathering
whose stomach will be full, wearing clothes and riding mounts; another
group will come to the Plain of Gathering bare feet; and a third group will
be brought on the Plain of Gathering being dragged on their faces."
[Mazhari cites the following authorities: Nasa'i, Hiikim and Baihaqil

Some narratives report ten types of group. Some scholars say that the
groups on the Plain of Gathering will be divided according to their deeds
and character. The narratives are not conflicting. All of them may be true.
r

r r

+>;

J ~ I (and the mountains will be set in motion, so they

will be as mirage ....i8:zo).The word suyyirat 'set in motion' signifies that
mountains, which are taken as an example of firmness and strength, will

Siirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

686

be shifted from their positions, and will become like little particles of dust
flying about in the atmosphere. The word sarab literally means 'to
disappear' and it also refers to 'mirage' or an optical illusion, as of a sheet
of water, that sometimes appears in a desert, because it seems to be a
sheet of water from a distance, but when a person comes near it, it
disappears. [Sihaand RZghib].

I%>

' ' ,a,,

(Surely Jahannam [the Hell] is set in ambush. 78:21).

The word mirsEd means 'an ambush' or 'lying in wait to attack unawares'
or 'a secret position for surprise attack'. Here Hell refers to the bridge of
Hell. The angels of reward and punishment will lie in wait. The angels of
punishment will make a surprise attack on the inmates of Hell, and the
angels of reward will lie in wait to accompany the inmates of Paradise and
take them to their abode. [Mazhari]
,++ 3!

SayyidnZ Hasan Bae6 ;

ll;&I -J said that there will be an outpost of
guardian angels on the bridge of Hell. If anyone has a permit to enter
Paradise, he will be permitted to enter; but if anyone does not have the
permit to enter Paradise, he will be prevented from entering it. [Qur$ubIl
GIG

&,([It is] a n abode for the rebellious people ...78:22). The

combined sense of verses 21 and 22 is that the bridge of Hell is set in

ambush for all, the good and the bad. They will have to go over it. But
Hell is the abode of the rebellious people. The word t E g h k is the plural of
taghi, being derived from tughyan, meaning 'rebellion'. Thus the word
(%hi refers to a 'person who exceeds the limit in disobeying the authority
[of Allah]'. This is possible only when he gives up his faith. Hence, the
word tGghin in this context would refer to the disbelievers. It may also
refer to the stray groups of Muslims who have deviated from the limits of
Qur'Zn and Sunnah, though they may not have adopted kufr expressly,
such as Rawafid, KhawZrij, Mu'tazilah and others. [as in Mazhari].
(who will be abiding in it for ages ....78:23). The word
ZGbithin is the plural of ZGbith which means 'one who abides'. The word
ahqab is the plural of hiqbah and means 'ages or a long time'. Scholars
differ on the exact length or specific amount of time meant by this word.
Ibn J a r s has recorded that SayyidnZ 'Ali & states that hiqbah is eighty
years, and the year constitutes twelve months, and every month
comprises thirty days, and each day is equivalent to one thousand years,
thus one hiqbah totalling about twenty million and eighty-eight hundred

G&.il&&!

SIirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

687

thousand years . Sayyidna AbG Hurairah, 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar, Ibn

'AbbZs
& and others say that one hiqbah is seventy years instead
of eighty years. The rest of the calculation remains the same. [Ibn Kathirl.
In Musnad of Bazzar, Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar & traces the
following HadTth to the Holy Prophet

g:

,,j;ih4~.~,~,~U~3(
"Those who will be put in Hell for punishment of their sins,
they will not be able to come out until they tarry therein for a
fewAhq3. One hiqbah will be a little over eighty years, and the
year has three hundred and sixty days according to your
reckoning [in this life]."
This Tradition, though does not interpret this verse, it does explain
the sense of the word ahgab. Some of the Companions mention that one
day is equivalent to a thousand years. If they had heard this from the
Holy Prophet @, there is conflict in the narratives. In the face of such
conflict, it is not possible to settle on one narration. However, there is a
common denominator between the two conflicting narratives, that hiqbah
means 'an extremely long period of time'. Therefore, Baidawi has
interpreted the word as 'many long periods of time successively following
the others.

Problem of Eternity of Hell

If it be argued, as some do, that the inmates of Hell, after serving the
long ages in Hell, will be released because no matter what the length of
hiqbah, it is, nonetheless, finite and limited and will come to an end some
time or other. But looking a t other clear verses of the Qur'an, the
argument does not hold up. We come across express text like:
e l - , ,

\-+I

h.2&
;

'[They, the disbelievers] shall remain therein [in the Fire] for
ever'.
Therefore, there is the consensus of Ummah that neither Hell will
perish, nor will the disbelievers be released at anytime.
Suddi reports from SayyidnZ Murrah Ibn 'Abdullah & that if the
inmates of Hell are informed that they will abide in Hell for the number
of pebbles in the entire world, they will be happy even at this information,

Siirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

688

because these pebbles though will count into billions or zillions, still they
are finite. If so, their punishment will, some time or the other, come to an
end. If the same information is given to the inmates of Paradise that they
will abide therein to the count of billions of pebbles in the entire world, it
will sadden them, because, in that case, no matter how long the space of
time they will live in Paradise, they will be expelled after this period.
[Mazhar;]

In any case, the notion that after a few ahqab the disbelievers will be
released from Hell is contrary to the explicit texts and common consent of
the Ummah, and as such it is unworthy of consideration, because the
verse does not mention what will happen after the ahqab. I t merely
mentions that they will have to abide in Hell 'for ages [ahqab]'. This does
not necessarily imply t h a t there will be no Hell after ahqab or its
non-believing inmates will be released. Therefore, SayyidnZ Hasan &
says that no specific period has been defined for the inmates of Hell, so
that they will be released after that. It is that which has no end to it.
Whenever one hiqbah [era] is over, a new hiqbah will start; when the
second era come to an end, a third hiqbah will start; when the third
hiqbah ends, the fourth hiqbah will start; and it will carry on ad
infinitum. Sayyidna Sa'id Ibn Jubair @ also interprets the word ahqtib
as referring to 'the time which has no end to it. Whenever one era ends, a
new era follows it until eternity'. [Ibn KathIr and Mazhari]. Ibn KathTr
describes another possibility which Qurtubi supports and Mazhari adopts.
The possibility is that the word {Eghin 'rebellious people' probably does
not refer to the disbelievers, but to the people of Tauhid, who, on account
of their false beliefs, fall into one of the categories of deviant groups.
Traditionalists refer to them as ahl-ul-ahwa' 'heretics whose beliefs are
not in keeping with the common consent of the People of Ahl-us-sunnah
wal-jama'ah. In this case, the verse purports to say that they are the
people of Tauhid, but bordered on the boundary of disbelief on account of
false beliefs. They, however, did not cross into the boundary of explicit
disbelief. They will therefore abide in Hell for the period of ahqab, and
then discharged therefrom by virtue of the creed of tauhrd.
Mazhari, in support of this possibility, has cited the Prophetic Hadith
which was reported earlier on the authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn
'Umar @ with reference to Musnad of BazzZr, in which the Holy Prophet

Siirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

689

& said that after the period of ahqiib has passed, these people will be
taken out of Hell. AbG Hayyiin, however, disputes this on the grounds of
the verses that follow the present verse:
(They did not expect [to face] accounting [of their deeds], and
they rejected Our signs totally ....78:28)
These verses contradict the possibility that t?ighln 'rebellious people'
could be referring to people of Tauhid and deviant groups, because in the
concluding verses it is expressly mentioned that they explicitly reject
reckoning and utterly deny the Prophets (.M-JI+. Likewise AbC 'Hayyiin
rejects out of hand Muqatil's opinion that this verse is abrogated.
A group of commentators find a third interpretation of this verse. A
" ,'
statement after this verse, namely, ~ L J
?! L I g YJ 9 & ,$ $ Y' (They
will taste nothing cool in it, nor a drink, except boiling water and
pus ...78:25) - is circumstantial clause to ahqab, in which case the verse
purports to say that for the countless aeons of ahqab that they will be in
Hell they will not be tasting any coolness of air nor any food or drink
excepting for boiling water and [scalding] pus. When the ahqab is over,
the condition may change, and other kinds of punishment may be
imposed. The word hamim means 'intensely boiling water if brought near
the face, it would burn its flesh, and when put into the stomach it would
cut into pieces the internal organs'. The word g h a s s k means 'blood and
pus, and washings of wounds that will ooze from the inmates of Hell'.
+

I'd

5 ' 5

' 5

( t h i s being a recompense i n full accord [with t h e i r

deeds].....78:26). The punishment given to them in Hell will be based on
justice and equity - a fitting recompense - on account of their false beliefs
and evil deeds. They will not be wronged in the least.
<,
, ' ,, ,,, ,',<,
("So now taste! We will never add to you anything
L i b Y! 4 4 9 &
except torment." ....78:30). In other words, in the world they continued to
add disbelief. If death did not overtake them by coercion, they would have
continued to add disbelief, and today their punishment will be increased.
bLJsT9

Thus far the punishment of disbelievers was depicted. As opposed to

this, the reward and blessings of the righteous believers are depicted
below.

&& ;&

(this being a reward from their Lord, a sufficing

Surah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

690

grant.. .78:36). The blessings of Paradise described above is the reward of

the believers and is an abundant grant from their Lord. Here two things
are mentioned. First, these blessings are a reward of their deeds.
Secondly, they a r e a Divine grant. Apparently, they seem to be
contradictory, because reward means receiving something in lieu of doing
some service, whereas grant is given gratis. The Qur7Enhas combined the
two words in order to indicate that the blessings of Paradise are reward
for the inmates of Paradise only apparently, and in reality they are a
Divine grant given to them gratis, because human deeds cannot be the
reward of even those blessings which were given to him in the world, let
alone the blessings of the Hereafter which depend entirely on Divine
grace as is confirmed by the Tradition of the Holy Prophet
"No one can
enter Paradise merely by virtue of his deeds, unless Allah shows His
grace." The Companions asked: "What about you, Messenger of Allah." He
replied: "Nor will I enter Paradise merely by virtue of my action."

g:

The word hisaban has two meanings: [I] a grant [that is] sufficient
[and] abundant. This meaning is adapted from the following idiom: Gi
&& L
GI L% 'ahsabtu means that I gave him so much so
;-l;JG
that it was sufficient for him until he yelled out "enough, this is too much
for me"; and [2] the second meaning 'balancing of account' and
'comparing'. Sayyidnii MujZhid & says that in this context the verse
purports to say that the Divine grant will be given gratis to the inmates of
Paradise. The grant will be in keeping with the degree of sincerity as
reported in authentic Traditions. The deeds of the noble Companions are
greater than the deeds of the rest of the Ummah. If a Companion were to
spend in t h e way of Allah one mudd = [815,39 grams I a n d a
non-Companion were to spend to the equivalent of Mount Uhud, the
Companion's one mudd will weigh heavier than the mountain. And Allah
knows best!
6@ 4" ~d: G' . ,",
3 ' (...NOone will have power to address Him, ...78:37)

'a

,."a

.."

l r /

This sentence is probably connected to the preceding verse: &, 8 J6L& ;& (this being a reward from their Lord, a sufficing grant.. .78:36) In
this case, it would mean that when Allah grants a certain grade of
reward, no one dare speak about the grade as to why someone got more
and others got less. But if this sentence is treated as an isolated one, it will
mean that no one in the Plane of Gathering will have the power to speak
to Him without His permission. This permission will be granted in some of

Siirah An-Naba' : 78 : 1 - 40

691

the positions of Gathering, and not in others.

b
',, ", ,
,, G ,,,s,/,
J #
> > d ',', ,,,
4 1 9 J E j &>I
3 3 Y! 3&Y Y irb wl; cJ>i rj.& r% (on the Day
when the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows. They will not speak,
except the on who is permitted by the RahmZn [the All-Merciful] and
speaks aright -78:38). Riih (Spirit), according to some of the commentators,
refers to the angel Jibra'il @I. He has been mentioned before the other
angels in general in order to show the greatness of his status. According
to certain Prophetic traditions, REh is not an angel but a huge army of
Allah. They have heads, hands and legs. In this interpretation, there will
be two rows. One row will be that of RGh and the other will be that of the
angels.
,,, ,,, ,,,, >:, ,,,
614
;d $41
A (...on a day when one will see what his hands
have sent ahead.. ..78:40) Apparently, this refers to the Day of Judgement.
Every person will see his deeds with his own eyes in the Plane of
Gathering. This might happen in one of two ways: [I]his ledger of deeds
will be given in his hands and he will see it; or [2] his deeds will appear in
the Plane of Gathering, epitomized in a visible shape, as certain
narratives confirm this. Still a third possibility exists. The word 'day' may
refer to 'the day of death1.And the words 'will see' means to see in the
grave or barzakh, as explained by Mazhari.
g

J / -

+ a

>,

*,

,,

,<

47C;( a j d ~J&, (and the disbeliever will say, " 0 would that I had

become dust.. .78:40) SayyidnE 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar & reports that on
the Day of Resurrection the entire earth will become a plane surface
where all human beings, Jinn, domesticated animals and wild animals
will be gathered. If one animal had wronged another animal in the world,
it will be given the opportunity to take its revenge. If a goat with horns
had wronged a goat without horns, it will be granted the opportunity to
take its avenge. When this phase is over, all animals will be commanded
to become dust. They will become dust. At that moment the disbelievers
will wish that they were also animals and would become dust like them, so
t h a t they would have been spared the torment of reckoning and
punishment of Hell. We seek refuge in Allah from it! Allah knows best!

A1hamdulillah
The Commentary on
Siirah An-Naba'
Ends here

Siirah An-Kzi6-at
(ThoseWho Pull Out)
This Siirah is Makk;, and it has 46 verses and 2 sections

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful

Verses 1 - 46
5

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I swear by those (angels) who pull out (the souls of the

infidels) vigorously [ l l and by those (angels) who untie
the knot (of the souls of the believers) smoothly, [21 and
by those who float (in the atmosphere) swiftly, [31 then
proceed forward quickly, [4] then manage (to do)
everything (they are ordered to do,) [51 (you will be
resurrected) on the Day when the shocking event (i.e.
t h e f i r s t blowing of t h e t r u m p e t ) will shock
(everything),[61 followed by the next one (i.e. the second
blowing of the trumpet.) [71 Hearts, on that Day, will be
throbbing, [BI (and) their eyes will be downcast. [91
They say, "Are we going to be brought back to our
former state (of Life)? [ l o ] Is it when we will have
turned into decayed bones?" [ I l l They say, "If so, that
will be a harmful return." [12] So, it will be only a single
harsh voice, [I31 and in no time they will be (brought) in
the plain (of hashr). [14]
Has there come to you the narrative of MiisZ? [I51
(Recall) when his Lord called to him in the blessed
valley of Tuwa: [I61 "Go to Fir'aun (the Pharaoh). Indeed,
he has crossed all bounds (in making mischief). [I71 And
say (to him,) 'Would you like to purify yourself, [I81 and
that 1 guide you to your Lord, so that you fear (Him)?"
[I91 So he showed him the biggest sign. [201 But he
rejected and disobeyed, [21] then he turned back, and

tried hard (to refute the Messenger), [22] then he

gathered (his people) and shouted [231 and said, "I am
the supreme lord of yours." [241 So, Allah seized him for
the deterrent punishment in the Hereafter and the
present world. [251 Indeed, there is a lesson for him who
fears (Allah). [261
Are you more difficult to be created or the sky? He has
built it, [271 He has raised its height, then made it
proper, [281 and darkened its night, and brought forth
its daylight, 1291 and, after that, He spread out the
earth. 1301 From it, He brought out its water and its
meadows, [311 and firmly fixed the mountains, [32] (all
this) as a benefit to you and your cattle. [331 So when
the Biggest Havoc will come [341 on the day when man
will recall what he did, 1351and the Hell will be exposed
for all who see, 1361 then for the one who had rebelled,
[371 and preferred the worldly life (to the Hereafter), [38]
the Hell will be the abode, [391 whereas for the one who
feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his self
from the (evil) desire, [401 the Paradise will be the
abode. 1411
They ask you about the Hour (the Day of Judgment) as
to when it will take place. 1421 In which capacity are
you to tell this? [431 With your Lord is the final word
about it. [441 You are only a Warner for anyone who
fears it. [451 The day they will see it, it will seem to
them as if they did not live (in the world), but only for
one afternoon or for the morning thereof. [46]
Commentary

G>;I>;;

(I swear by those [angels] who pull out [the souls of the

infidels] vigorously ...79:l). The word nki'Et is derived from naz' and it
means 'to draw vigorously'. The word gharqan is its corroborative because
the word gharq is used here in the sense of ighrEq and means 'to exert
oneself much or to the utmost extent in the thing'. The Arabic idiom has it
&+!I
2
jpl 'He drew the bow with great vigour'. The Siirah begins
with an oath by certain characteristics of the angels to affirm that the
Resurrection is a certainty. The subject of the oath, however, has been
contextually deleted. The oath of the angels is probably apt on this
occasion because they are all the time involved in the administration and
running of the world. They are executing their duties loyally. On the Day
of Judgement, all material causes will be severed. Unusual events will

occur and the angels will be involved in them.

Five characteristics of the angels are mentioned which are concerned
with or related to the extraction of the soul a t the time of death. The
purport of the verses is to affirm that Resurrection is a certainty. It starts
with human death. Every man's death is his partial Day of Doom, and
this has a n important impact on his belief in Resurrection. The five
qualities are as follows:

The first quality of the angels:

i>

I swear by those (angels) who pull out (the souls of the

infidels) vigorously.
+>I

This refers to the angels of punishment who draw the souls of the
infidels vigorously and harshly. The words 'vigorously' refer to spiritual
pain. The humans around the dying person may not be sensitive to the
pain. Often it is noticed that the soul of an infidel apparently slips out
easily, but this ease is perceived by humans around the dying man. The
pain is felt by the soul of the dying person. Who can perceive it? We are
aware of it only because Allah has informed us about it in this verse.

The second quality of the angels :

dl,
3 (and by those [angels] who untie the knot [of the souls of
,

the believers] smoothly, [21' The word nashitat is derived from nasht and
it means 'to untie the knot'. This signifies 'to untie the knot of something
which contains water or air, so that it may be released easily'. This is
metaphor for drawing out the souls of the believers gently, unlike the
souls of the infidels which are plucked out harshly. In this case too the
adverb 'smoothly' refers to the spiritual smoothness, and not to the
physical experience. Sometimes, it happens that there is a delay a t the
time of death of a righteous believer. This may not be suspected to mean
that he is undergoing some sort of suffering, although physically it may
seem so. When the soul of an infidel is extracted, the entire scene of the
punishment of barzahk comes in front of him. It is frightened by it,
disperses throughout the body and tries to hide or escape. The angels
forcefully extract the soul just as wet wool wrapped around a skewer is
forcefully removed. When the soul of a believer is extracted, on the other
hand, the reward, the blessings and the welcome news of the barzahk

come in front of him.

The third quality of the angels :

(and by those who float [in the atmosphere] swiftly.. .79:3).
The word sabh literally means to 'swim' or 'float'. Here it signifies 'to glide
along swiftly as in the sea where there is no mountain barrier'. The one
who swims fast and goes far in swimming or a boatman who moves
directly towards his final destination. The 'angels who float swiftly' refer
to the quality of the angels of death who extract human souls and take
them quickly towards the sky.

41;

The fourth quality of the angels :

$ &G
(then proceed forward quickly.. .79:4). According to Divine
instruction, the angels do not delay in transporting the souls of people to
their good or their bad abodes. The soul of a believer is transported to the
atmosphere and blessings of Paradise, and that of an unbeliever to the
atmosphere and torment of Hell.
The fifth quality of the angels :
$iY5u6(then manage [to do1 everything [they are ordered to
do,]. ..79:5). In other words, the last task of these angels of death will be as
follows: Those who are commanded to reward and comfort the deserving
souls, will gather means of reward and comfort for them; and those who
are commanded to punish and cause pain to [the evil souls] will organise
means for that.
Reward and Punishment in the Grave
The SZrah thus far confirms that at the time of death, the angels will
arrive and extract human souls. Then they will take them to the sky and
swiftly transport them to their abodes, the good souls to the good abode
and the bad souls to the bad one. There they will organise means of
reward or punishment and pain or comfort for them. The verses show that
the reward and punishment will take place in the grave or barzakh.
Thereafter the reward and punishment will be meted out on the Day of
Judgement. Authentic Traditions give elaborate details of this. There is a
lengthy Tradition of SayyidnZ Bar2 Ibn ' L i b & cited in MishkZt-ulMa~Zblhwith reference to Musnad of Ahmad.

Siirah An-NZzi'Et : 79 : 1 - 46

697

Nafs [Selfl RGh [Spirit - Soul]: Qadi Thanii'ullah'sResearch and

Analysis
The readers are referred to a special research and analysis by the
Baihaq? of his time, QadiThana'ullah PZnipati, that was presented in this
book under verse [291 of Siirah Hijr. Here the learned commentator has
added some more details which dispose of many doubts which arise from
the above Tradition: The human soul is a refined body which permeates
the dense material body. The [ancient] doctors and philosophers called it
as riih or soul. But the real spirit is an abstract substance and a subtle
divine creature connected in a special way with this physical soul or nafs,
the life of which is dependent on the Divine Spirit. The pure, abstract and
non-material spirit is the life of the first soul on which depends the life of
the body, and therefore it is called the 'soul of soul'. The real nature of the
connection between these two kinds of soul is not known to anyone. It is
known to Allah alone. Perhaps an illustration would clarify the matter. If
we were to hold a mirror against the sun, then, despite that the sun is
149.6 million kilometres away from the earth, its reflection comes into the
mirror. And because of the light, that too starts glowing like the sun. The
same thing applies to the human soul. If it exerts itself in spiritual
struggle and ascetic discipline in keeping with the teachings of [Divine]
revelation, he will be enlightened. Otherwise he would be polluted with
the bad effects of the physical body. This is the refined bodily soul that
the angels transport to the heaven and transport him back with honours
if he is enlightened. Otherwise the doors of the heaven are not opened for
him and is thrown down from top. This is the refined bodily soul, the
Tradition notes, which Allah created from dust and to it He will return
him and from it. He resurrect him. It is this refined bodily soul that gets
enlightened and becomes fragrant. But the same body can stink because
of [the filth ofl disbelief and idolatrous practices. The 'abstract spirit' is
connected with the dense body through the refined bodily soul. The
abstract spirit never dies. The reward or punishment of grave is
experienced by the refined bodily soul which keeps connected with the
grave whereas the abstract spirit remains in 'illiyyiin, and it feels the
effects of reward and punishment indirectly. Thus the statement that 'the
soul is in the grave' is true in the sense that 'soul' in this context refers to
the bodily soul. The statement that 'the soul is in 'xlarn-ul-arwah or
'illiyyiin' is also true, because the 'soul' in this context refers to riih

Siirah An-NZzi65t: 79 : 1 - 46

698

mujarrad or 'abstract spirit'. Thus it is possible to reconcile the apparently

conflictingstatements.
>,::

(and in no time they will be [brought] in the plain [of

+&c!
,
hashr] ...79:14). The word sZhirah refers to 'the surface of the earth'.
/

When the earth will be re-created at Resurrection, it will be a completely

level surface. There will be no mountain barriers, no buildings or caves.
This is referred to as 'sZhirah '.
The Holy Prophet $& used to be hurt by the stubbornness of the
obdurate rejecters of Resurrection. The next verses recount the story of
Muss
and Fir'aun to console him, and to show that the adverse
attitude of the pagans is not confined to him. The previous prophets have
also faced similar situations, but they endured them with patience. The
Holy Prophet $& too should exercise patience and fortitude.
,,,,,
~ j S l i ji $ l j
adl .iiii (So, Allah seized him for t h e d e t e r r e n t
punishment in the Hereafter and the present world ....79:25). The word
nakZl means a n 'exemplary punishment' or 'an extremely severe
punishment given to an offender to deter others against committing a
similar offence or sin'. The phrase 'punishment of the 'Zkhirah' refers to
the punishment of the Hereafter that will be meted out to Fir'aun (the
Pharaoh). The phrase 'punishment of the 'iila'refers to the punishment
meted out to Fir'aun (the Pharaoh) and his army in this world whereby
they were destroyed by drowning.

=\

Further, the Qur'Zn again disposes of the doubt of the rejecters of

resurrection who pose the question: "Are we going to be brought back to
our former state (of life)? Is it when we will have turned into decayed
bones?" [ I O - I ~In
] other words, this is a negative rhetorical question. They
purport to say that it is not possible for them to be restored to life after
death when they have become perished and worm-eaten bones. Allah
responds that the Supreme Creator, Who drew out this universe without
any pre-existing matter and without any instrument, certainly has the
Supreme power to give existence to things after destroying them. Why
should it be a surprise?
In the verses that follow, the horrors of the Day of Judgement are
depicted. It is mentioned that on that Day, every person will be presented
with his deeds. Described also are the abodes of the inmates of Paradise

Siirah An-NZzi'Zt : 79 : 1 - 46

699

and Hell. Towards the end, special traits of the people of Paradise and
those of Hell are portrayed by which a man can decide in this very world
whether, according to the rules, his abode would be Paradise or Hell. The
expression 'according to the rules' has been used because many verses
and narratives indicate that there could be 'exceptions to the rules'. For
example, a person might attain freedom from Hell and enter Paradise by
virtue of intercession or directly through the grace of Allah. This is an
exception to the rule. The general rule is the same as has been mentioned
in these verses.
First, the special marks of the inmates of Hell are described. They
have two characteristics:
G!d\ i@l$lj $ j cG ( t h e n for t h e one who h a d rebelled, and
preferred the worldly life [to the Hereafter] ...79:38). In other words, [ll
instead of remaining loyal to Allah and His Messenger and following their
commands, they adopt the line of rejection and rebellion; and [21 prefer
the life of this world to that of the Hereafter. In other words, if he were to
do a deed that gives comfort and pleasure in this world but punishment in
the Hereafter, he would prefer the comforts and pleasure of this life to the
pleasure of the next life. Those who are characterised by these two
qualities the Blazing Fire, that is Hell, will be their abode, thus:
$;
dl j(the Hell will be the abode.. .79:39).

Thereafter, the special marks of the inmates of Paradise are described.

They too have two characteristics:
G

Gl

&; +;

;L 26 j 61; (whereas for the one who feared to

stand before his Lord, and restrained his self from the [evil] desire, 79:40).
In other words, [I] the first characteristic of a God-fearing person is that,
in this life, he shudders a t the thought of appearing before Allah to
account for his deeds on the Day of Reckoning; and [2] forbids the baser
self from its evil desires. Those who are characterised by these two
qualities have the good news that the Paradise will be their abode, thus:
(the Paradise will be the abode.. ..79:41)
&<dl j

Three Levels of Suppressing [the Base] Self

The verse under comment lays down two conditions of attaining the
abode in Paradise, but carefully considered, the two conditions, in terms of
consequence, are one. The first condition is the fear of accountability in

the presence of Allah. The second condition is to restrain oneself from the
evil desires. As a matter of fact, fear of Allah causes one to restrain oneself
from evil desires. Qadi Thana'ullah Panipati has written in his Tafsir
Mazhar; that there are three levels of suppressing evil desires, as follows:
The first level is that one avoids false beliefs which are in conflict or
incompatible with express texts [of the Holy Qur7Znand established
Sunnahl and consensus of [the righteous] predecessors. In this level, a
person deserves to be called 'Sunn~Musliml.
The second level is the middle one. A person, in this stage, may think
of committing sin. Then he may remember that he has to account for his
deeds before Allah [on the Day of Reckoning]. As a result, he abandons
the thought of committing sin. The complement to this level is that one
abstains from doubtful things and those acts that are permissible in
themselves, but there is apprehension that if committed, they may lead
one to slip into impermissible acts. Sayyidna Nu'mZn Ibn Bash& &
narrates that the Holy Prophet $&said: "He who abstained from doubtful
things has protected his honour and religion. He who indulged in
doubtful things will eventually indulge in forbidden things." The
expression 'doubtful things' signifies those acts about which one is not
certain whether they are permissible or not, both possibilities being equal.
Let us consider a few examples: if a person is ill and can take [wet]
ablution, but he is not sure whether taking [wet] ablution in this state
would be harmful. Thus the permissibility of dry ablution (tayammum)
becomes doubtful. Likewise a person is able to perform prayers in a
standing position, but feels great difficulty. He is now in doubt whether or
not it is permissible for him to perform prayers in a sitting position. On
such occasions, one should abandon the doubtful thing or act, and prefer
what is definitely certain. This is taqwa and the middle course of
suppressing the selfish desires.

Tricks of the Base Self

There are acts whose sinful nature is obvious to every one. The selfish
desires prompting to such sinful acts may be suppressed by one's
deliberate efforts and firm resolution. However, there are evils prompted
by one's base self even during his acts of worship and other good deeds,
such as self-conceit, ('Ujb) vanity, (Kibr), and show off (Riya'). These are
such sins whose sinful nature is often not discoverable to a common

--

person, still they are very severe and firmly ingrained evil desires of one's
base self. One is at times deceived by them, because he continues to think
that his actions are right. It is extremely necessary that first and foremost
this lower self must be suppressed. But this cannot be achieved by one on
his own. It is necessary for one to search for a perfect spiritual master
(Ash-shaikhul-hamil),and hand himself over to him for guidance. He
acts as the authentic guide and the only one to whom a seeker of Truth
should turn in his quest and follow his advice. In turning to the spiritual
master, the seeker is turning to Allah Almighty. The shaikh engages him
in the spiritual struggle and endeavour [mujEhadahl against the passions
and tendencies of the lower self ['uyub-un-nafsl.
Shaikh Imam Ya'qGb Karkhi ;jk hi w, says that in his young age
he was a carpenter. He found laziness, and felt darkness in his inner self.
So, he intended to keep fasts for a few days so that he may get rid of the
laziness and darkness. Co-incidentally, one day, while he was fasting, he
went up to Shaikh Imam Baha'uddin Naqshbandl. The Shaikh called for
meals for his guests. He was also invited to partake of the meal, and the
Shaikh said: "He is a very bad slave who is the slave of his base self that
misleads him. It is better to partake of meal than to keep fast with evil
desires of the base self." Shaikh KarkhT says that a t that moment he
realised t h a t (by fasting) he was falling prey to self-complacence,
self-conceit and pride, which the Shaikh NaqshbandT perceived. On that
occasion, Shaikh Karkhi realised that a spiritual master's permission and
guidance is needed to take up an optional act of worship, because the
spiritual master is aware of the hidden tricks of the evil desires of the base
self. If an optional act of worship will be accompanied by such motives,
the will put a stop to i t [for remedial purposes]. He asked Shaikh
Naqshbandi: "If I cannot find a Shaikh who is called in Sufi terms as fini
fillah and baqi billah, ( t h e explanation is coming i n t h e next
paragraph.)what must I do?" He replied: "Recite istighfir abundantly and
recite istighfir [seek Allah's pardon] twenty times regularly after every
prayer, so that it works out to a hundred times reciting it five times a
day." The Holy Prophet &$! is reported to have said: "Sometimes I feel my
heart disturbed, and I recite istighfir [seek Allah's pardon] a hundred
times a day."
The third and the highest level of suppression of the base self is that

Siirah An-NZzibZt: 79 : 1 - 46

702

by abundant d h i k r u l l a h [remembrance of Allah] and constant

mujahadah [spiritual struggle and endeavour against the evil passions]
and riyadah [ascetic discipline], one's self (nafs)is so much cleansed and
purified that the desires that tempts him to evil are totally eliminated.
This is the special stage of wiltiyah [Divine friendship], which in Sufi
Terminology is called f i n ; fillah and b a q i billah. The Qur'Zn says
regarding such people [addressing the Satan]:

'My servants are such that you have no power over them
[15:4211

The following Tradition applies to the same category of wali:

'None of you can be a [perfect] believer unless his [base] desires

of self follow my teachings.'

Towards the end of the SGrah, the Holy Qur'Zn responds to the mala
fide demand of the infidels that the Holy Prophet
should let them
know the exact date and time of the Day of Judgement. They are told
t h a t knowledge of the time and date is within Allah's own special
prerogative. Allah's consummate wisdom did not pass the information to
any angel or Prophet fWl+. Therefore, the demand is futile.

A1hamdulillah
The Commentary on
Siirah An-NZzi'iit
Ends here

SGrah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

703

Siirah 'Abas
(Frowning)
This Sirah is Makki, and it has 42 verses and 1 section.

61)d334e
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 42

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Siirah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

He (the Holy Prophet g)frowned and turned his face,

[ I ] because the blind man came to him! [21 And what
could tell you (0 Holy Prophet about the prospects of
the blind man?) May be, (if you had attended him
properly,) he would have attained purity, [3] or have
taken to the advice, and the advice would have benefited
him. 141 As for the one who does not care (about faith),
[51 you are anxious to pursue him, [61 while there is no
blame on you, if he does not attain purity. [71 As regards
the one who has come to you rushing eagerly, [8] while
he fears (Allah), [91 to him you pay no heed! [lo]
Never! (you should never act in this way,) Indeed this
(Qur'iin) is an advice. [ I l l So, whoever so wills, let him
remember it. [I21 It is (recorded) in those scripts (of the
Preserved Tablet) that a r e honoured, [I31 exalted,
purified, [I41 in the hands of those scribes [I51 who are
honourable, righteous. [I61
Death be unto the man! How ungrateful he is! [I71 From
which stuff did He (Allah) create him? [I81 From a drop
of semen! He created him, and designed him in due
proportion, [I91 then He made the way easy for him, [20]
Later, he made him die, and put him into the grave, [211
thereafter, when He will intend, He will raise him up.
[22] No! He has not yet fulfilled what He (Allah) had
commanded him. [231
So, let the man look to his food, [241how well We poured
water, 1251 then how nicely We split the earth, [26] then
We grew in it grain, [271 and grapes and greens, [28] and
olive and date-palms, [291 and gardens, full of thick
trees, [301 and fruits and fodder, [311 as a benefit for you
and your cattle. 1321
So when there will come the Deafening Noise, [33] the
Day when one will flee from his brother, [34] and from
his mother and father, [351 and from his wife and sons,
[36] every one of them will have enough concern to make

704

Siirah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

705

him careless of others. [371 Many faces, on that

day, will be bright, [381 laughing, rejoicing, [391 and
many faces, on that day, will be stained with dust, [40]
covered by darkness. [411 Those are the disbelievers, the
nefarious. [421

Commentary
Circumstance of Revelation
Sayyidnii 'AbdullZh Ibn Umm Maktiim &,the companion of the Holy
was a blind man. It once happened that the Holy Prophet
Prophet
was engaged in a talk with the leaders of Quraish about some matters of
belief. SayyidnZ 'AbdullZh Ibn Umm Makfim 4&5 arrived there. Imam
Baghawi adds that being blind and unable to see the surroundings, he
did not realise that the Holy prophet% was occupied with the others. He,
repeatedly.
therefore, burst into the circle and called the Holy ~ r o ~ h e &
[Mazharil. According to Ibn Kathir, he requested the Holy Prophet
to
teach him a verse of the Qur'Zn and insisted an immediate enlightenment
on the question. On that occasion, the Holy prophet% was occupied with
the non-believing leaders of Makkah in the hope that they would embrace
the faith of Islam. The leaders to whom the Holy p r o p h e t s was speaking
were 'Utbah Ibn Rablah, AbE Jahl Ibn HishZm and the Holy Prophet's
uncle 'AbbZs & [who had until then not embraced the Islamic faith].
The Holy Prophet $& disliked the intrusion, a n d showed his
displeasure by turning aside from SayyidG 'AbdullZh Ibn Umm Maktiim,
thinking that he was a committed Muslim who frequently visited him,
and therefore he could speak to him at another appropriate time. There
was no religious loss in postponing the response to him. On the other
hand, the Quraish leaders neither frequented the Holy ~ r o ~ h e t ' s s
company, nor could the Word of Allah be conveyed to them a t any time.
At that particular moment, they were listening to the Holy ~ r o ~ h e t ' &
discourse and there was hope that they would embrace the Islamic faith.
But if the conversation was rashly interrupted, apparently they would
have been deprived of the faith. In view of this situation, the Holy
Prophet % showed adverse reaction by turning aside from'AbdulEh Ibn
umm Makcm &,and continued his discourse with the Quraish leaders.
When the assembly broke up, the verses of Sirah 'Abas were revealed to
record Allah's dislike for this attitude, and to give directions for future.
This attitude of the Holy prophet% was based on ijtihad or 'an

-.Siirah 'Abas

80 : 1 - 42

706

opinion based on personal reasoning'. He thought that if a

Muslim were to adopt a speech style t h a t is not in keeping with
etiquettes of a gathering, he needs to be reprimanded, so that in future
he may be careful in future. That is the reason why Holy Prophet &!$
turned his face away from SayyidnE 'AbdullEh Ibn Umm Maktiim &.
Secondly, disbelief (kufr) and polytheism (shirk) are the most severe sins,
and an effort to eradicate them should take priority over the subsidiary
precepts of Islam on which SayyidnE 'AbdullEh Ibn Umm Maktiim &
asked for enlightenment. Allah Almighty, through this Surah, did not
confirm the correctness of this ijtihad of the Holy Prophet &, and
explained to him that educating a genuine seeker will most certainly
benefit him, while the benefit of discussion with the opponents (who
disdainfully turn away their face when the Holy Prophet @$ talks to
them) is shaky and doubtful. Doubtful thing cannot be preferred over
certainty. As for the violation of etiquette committed by SayyidnZ
'Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum, its excuse is pointed out by the Holy
Qur'En in the word 'blind'. It is indicated by this word that being a blind
man, he could not see what the Holy Prophet &!$ was doing and with
whom he was engaged in conversation. Thus he was excusable, and was
not liable to be subjected to aversion. This indicates that if an excusable
person were to break any rule of etiquette unwittingly, he should not be
reprimanded.

B]

j > j 3 (He [the Holy Prophet

frowned and turned his face, 80:l).
The word 'abasa means 'he frowned' and the word tawalla means 'he
turned aside'. Since the reference here is to the Holy prophet% who
himself is addressed, the verbs should have been in the second person:
'you frowned and you turned aside'. But the Holy Qur'Zn on this occasion
uses the third person in order to maintain the honour of the Holy Prophet
B,as if this attitude were shown by some other person, and in a subtle
way it alludes to the point that what the Holy prophet% did was not
befitting his high status. Then the next sentence&& I;; (and what could
tell you? ...80:3) alludes to the fact t h a t the Holy prophet@$ was
excusable, because it did not come to his attention that the Companion is
asking something whose effect will be certain and t h e effect of
conversation with others is dubious. The second sentence abandons the
third person, and switches to the second person in order to maintain the

SZrah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

707

g.

honour of t h e Holy Prophet

Had he not been
addressed in second person at all, it might have created the impression
that he is not addressed directly because of his unapproved conduct,
which would have been a n unbearable pain and grief for the Holy
Prophet
Just as the third person in the first statement is meant to
show respect to him, the second person in the following sentence is also
meant to honor and console him.

g.

&q,aykj1 2;. 'a

(May be, [if you had attended him properly,l

he would have attained purity, or have taken to the advice, and the
advice would have benefited him....80:4).
In other words, because SayyidnZ 'AbdullZh Ibn Umm MaktZm &
was a genuine believer, any advice given to him would have benefited
him and served to purify him. The companion sought enlightenment and
its benefit was certain. If the Holy prophet% enlightened him on the
topic, he would have purified himself and attained perfection. If that did
not happen, he would have at least attained the basic benefit of Divine
remembrance. He would have improved the love and fear of Allah in his
heart. The word dhikra means 'to remember Allah abundantly' [SihZhI.(l)
On this occasion, the Qu?Zn has used two sentences yazzakfi and
yazzakkaru. The first statement signifies 'to be purified' and the second
statement signifies 'he may take heed and the reminder may benefit him'.
The first stage is that of the 'righteous' who cleanse their inner and outer
selves. The second stage is that ofmubtadi 'beginners on the spiritual
journey'. At this stage, the beginner is reminded of Allah which enhances
the greatness and awe of Allah in his heart. The two sentences are
disjoined by disjunctive particlesau (or) and technically they are not
necessarily exclusive to one another. The sense is that'AbdullZh Ibn
Umm Maktiim 4& would have attained either both benefits, or a t least,
the second one, that is, increase in Allah's remembrance and in His awe,
which is the initial step towards perfectionLMazhaGl

An Important Qur'Znic Principle of Teaching and Preaching

On this occasion, the Holy Prophet $& was faced with two different
(1) This interpretation is based on taking the word ' d h i k r a ' in the sense of
rememberance of Allah'. However, some other exegetes have taken this word to
mean 'advice',and the translation of the text, as well as the explanation following
in the next paragraph, is based on it. (Muhammad Taqi Usman:)

Siirah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

708

requirements at the same time. On the one hand, he was

required to teach a Muslim and to encourage him on attaining
perfection. On t h e other hand, he had to provide guidance to
non-Muslims. The principle laid down here makes it clear that the first
requirement takes priority over the second one. It is improper to delay
the first task (educating Muslims) because of the second task. This
indicates that education of Muslims and their reform are more important
than, and take priority over, getting the non-Muslims to embrace the
faith.
Scholars should avoid any such indulgence when disposing of any
doubts of the non-Muslims, which may create doubts or complaints in the
minds of the general body of Muslims. The teachers, preachers and
reformers need to keep in mind these Qusnic guidelines to maintain the
welfare and priority of the Muslims. How beautifully Akbar Allahabadi,
the Urdu poet, versifies this principle:

--

&$t4-d&,~g~ltj.-....$c~l~~d~&Jr/-lit+
'Protect yourselves from a position where people of theIjaram
(Muslims)call you unfaithful.
As opposed to this, if People of temple [non-Muslims] call you
'ill-mannered', (because of your faithfulness to your religion),
this dishonor is better.
The following verses clarify the principles more elaborately:
~ s & '4j &G $1
$ (AS for the one who does not care [about faith],
you are anxious to pursue him!. ..80:6).

In other words: 'Those who turn away from you and your religion,
you are pursuing them under the hope that some how they should
become Muslims, while this is not your responsibility. If they do not
embrace the faith, there will be no blame on you.
Thereafter, in verses 13 and 14, Allah Almighty has described the
high status of the Holy Qur'an, thus:
a

js>y

.>&
.a'9

++;? ( I t is [recorded] i n those scripts

r r

[of t h e

Preserved Tablet1 that are honoured, [I31 exalted, purified - 14).

The word ~ u h u refers
f
to l a u h mahfi? 'the Preserved Tablet'.

STirah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

709

Although it is a single thing, but suhuf, the plural form of

?ahi&ahis used because all divine scriptures are written in it, or because
the angels copy their scriptures from them. The word marfi'ah means
'exalted in the sight of Allah'. The word mufahharah (purified) means
'people in the state of sexual defilement, menstrual discharge, post-natal
bleeding and people in the state of minor uncleanness are not permitted
to touch it1.

5;
righteous.

(in
. i s
[80:15-161)

the hands of those scribes who are honourable,

The word safarah, with fathah [=a+a] on the first two letters, may be
the plural of safir which means a 'scribe'. In this case, it would refer to the
recording angels, or to the ProphetsrU\+LC and those of their aides who
write down the revelation. SayyidG Ibn 'Abbas & and MujZhid hold
this view.
The word safarah may be used as the plural of safir in the sense of
'envoy'. In this case, i t would refer to the angels who convey the
revelation, and Prophets CM-*ll
and their companions who write the
revelation. The 'ulama' (knowledgeable persons) of t h e Muslim
community' are also included in this term, because they too are envoys
between the Holy Prophet $& and the Muslim community. The messenger
of Allah $&$is reported to have said that he who recites the QuZn and is
an expert in the art of recitation, he will be with the honorable, righteous
envoys. He who is not an expert in the art of recitation, but recites it
correctly with difficulty, he shall receive double reward.[Transmitted by
Shaikhain from 'A'ishah - Mazha6].This shows that a non-expert will receive
double reward - one for recitation of Qul)Zn, and the other for bearing the
difficulty. This also indicates that an expert will receive countless rewards.
[Mazharil
The preceding verses mentioned that the QufZn is exalted and that
belief in it is incumbent. Subsequently, the rejecters of QuZn are cursed
and they are warned against showing ingratitude towards Divine
favours. That the Holy Qur'iin is a great Divine blessing is understood
only by the men of Divine knowledge and understanding. Further, there
is the mention of those Divine favours that Allah confers on man since his
inception to the end of his life. These are material and physical things

Siirah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

710

that a man with basic intellect can understand. Human

creation is mentioned, thus:

.'&
Gi (From which stuff did He [Allah] create him?
From a drop of semen! ..80:18-19).
First a question is raised: '0 man! Consider what Allah has created
you from?' Since its reply is so obvious that there can be no other reply,
the next verse itself says: 'From a drop of semen!' Thus the verse draws
pointed attention to the very humble beginning of man, so that it may be
brought home to him t h a t Allah having created him from such a n
insignificant thing as a sperm-drop, created him and proportioned him:
" 8

,@"

' o J G

'eili- (He created him, and designed him in due proportion..80:19).

In other words, He has made him with a special design and with great
wisdom. His stature, body-structure, his face, his length and breadth of
the limbs, his joints, his eyes, nose and ears are all well-proportioned in
their creation. If any limb or organ loses its proportion, man's face will go
awry, and every activity will become a problem.
The word qaddara is derived from taqd{r which is also used in the
sense of 'predestination'. Taking the word in this sense, the verse may
also mean here that when man is under creation in his mother's womb,
Allah predetermines four things for him: his life span, his sustenance, his
deeds and whether he would be miserable or happy [as in the had;th of Ibn
Mas iid & recorded by Shaikhain].
'

(then He made the way easy for him ...80:20) Allah

through His consilmmate wisdom creates man in his mother's womb,
creation after creation, within three layers of darkness [i.e. the belly, the
womb and the amniotic membrane]. It is kept in a safe place in the belly.
The mother in whose belly all this is happening is totally unaware of any
of the details of this process. Thereafter, when the baby becomes perfect
with all its limbs and organs, Allah made it possible that a body weighing
3 to 4 kg comes out through an extremely narrow passage, and the
mother does not suffer unduly. So blessed be He Who is the best Creator!
I

I,

' o ~ s.

l :

,,,/, , ,I>

'&GI (Later, he made him die, and put him into the grave..80:21)
After mentioning the inception of human life, Allah points to its end, that
is, death and grave. Death has been mentioned here in the context of
'a#

Siirah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

711

blessings of Allah. It indicates that death is a blessing

rather than a calamity. The Holy Prophet $& is reported to have put it
thus: 041
k"
"The gift of a believer is death." Moreover, there is a
profound wisdom in death at macro level for the entire world.
fa-aqbarah (and put him into the grave) describes
The phrase 'a$
another blessing of Allah, in that when man is dead, he is not left lying
on the earth like other animals where he might rot, blow up and burst
[and probably be ravaged by vultures or beasts]. But, even after death,
he is honoured in the most befitting manner. His body is washed
ceremonially, enshrouded in clean cloths, and buried in a grave with
respect.
This verse also indicates that it is obligatory to bury a dead human
body.

% (NO!He

(4;;iL

has not yet fulfilled what He [Allah] had

commanded him.. .80:23).

Having mentioned in the preceding verses the beginning and the end
of human life, Divine Omnipotence and Divine blessings, the current
verses warn the non-believing man that the demand of Divine Signs and
blessings was t,o carefully ponder and believe in Allah, and comply with
His injunctions, but the unfortunate creature failed to do so. Further, the
Divine favours are mentioned that were conferred on man between the
beginning and end of his life. Man is then asked to consider the sources of
his food. Allah showers down water abundantly from the clouds. He
cleaves the earth with new growth. Thereupon He causes grain to grow
out of it. At first, a fragile shoot germinates and sprouts. Then many
different kinds of grain, fruits and gardens come into existence. Having
warned man several times about these Divine blessings, the Sirah
concludes with the mention of Resurrection, thus:

zI&l\c;l fG I$

( So when there will come the Deafening Noise. .80:33).

The word s Z h k h a h means 'deafening cry or shout' and it refers to the

blowing of the trumpet, which will be a deafening sound.
,,,, 4

,:,dl

r ~(the
. Day when one will flee from his brother..80:34).
,>/

This depicts the scene when all the people will have gathered in the Plain
of Gathering. Each person will be worried about himself, and the

Siirah 'Abas 80 : 1 - 42

712

situation will be so horrifying and tense that it will make people heedless
of anything around them. In the world, there are relationships between
people that make one willing to lay down his life for the other, but on the
Day of Resurrection there will be such horror and chaos that they will be
unable to take care of anyone. In fact, even if one sees the other in front
of him, he will turn away from him. They will try to flee from their
brothers, from their mothers and fathers, from their spouses and their
children. They will not be able to help any of them in the Hereafter,
despite the natural attachment they had with them in the world.
Normally, one is more anxious in this world about his parents than about
his brothers, and he is more anxious about his wife and children than
about his parents. Keeping this in view, the relationships, in the present
verse, are arranged from lower order to higher order.
The Chapter ends on a note of warning to disbelievers that if they
reject the Qur'Znic message and persist in opposition to the Holy Prophet
they will have to face a day of reckoning when misery, shame and
ignominy will be their lot. The righteous believers, however, will reside in
Gardens of Bliss, their faces beaming with joy and happiness.

Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Siirah 'Abas
Ends here

SGrah At-Takwir : 81 : 1 - 29

713

(TheFolding)
This Siirah is Makk;, and it has 29 verses and one sections

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful

Verses 1 29

When the sun will be folded up, 111 and when the stars
will swoop down, [21 and when the mountains will be
set in motion, [31 and when the ten-months pregnant
she-camels will be abandoned, [41 and when the wild
beasts will be gathered together, [5] and when the seas
will be flared up, [6] and when the people will be
arranged in categories, [71 and when the girl-child that
was buried alive will be asked, 181for what sin she was
killed, [91 and when the scrolls (of deeds) will be
unrolled, [lo] and when the sky will be stripped off, [ll]
and when the Hell will be set ablaze, [I21and when the
Paradise will be brought close, [13] then everyone will
know what he (or she) has put forward, [14]
So, I swear by those (stars) t h a t recede, [I51 t h a t
proceed, that withdraw from the scene, [I61 and by the
night when it departs, [I71 and the morning when it
starts breathing, [I81 it (the Qur'iin) is surely the word
of a noble messenger (Jibra'T1 &%I),
1191 t h e one
possessing power, and a high status with the Lord of
the Throne, [201 the one obeyed there, trusted. [211And
your companion (Muhammad $$$) is not a madman. 1221
And he did see him (Jibra'Tl &%I)
on the clear horizon.
[231 And he (the Prophet $k) is not stingy about (the
news of) the unseen. [241Nor is it the word of an outcast
satan (devil). [251 Then where are you going? [261 It is
nothing else but a message of advice for all the worlds,
1271 for the benefit of any one from among you who
intends to go straight. [281And you cannot intend (to do
anything) unless it is so intended by Allah, the Lord of
all the worlds. 1291
Commentary

31
!;I (When the s u n will be folded up ...8 l : l ) The word

kawwara is derived from Takwir which denotes for the sun 'to lose its
light'. SayyidnZ Hasan Bays >Ld
-J
has attached this interpretation
to it. Another sense of the word is 'to cause to fall'. Rabi' Ibn Khaitham
assigns the following interpretation to this verse: The Sun will be thrown
into the ocean, and as a result of its heat the entire ocean will turn into
fire. The two interpretations are not contradictory. They may be
reconciled thus: first, its light will be put off and then it may be thrown

'

(1)Another meaning of Takwir is 'to fold', and the translation in the text is based on
this meaning. The sense of folding the sun is that its function will come to an end,
and it will lose its light. As such, it comes to mean same thing as mentioned in
first interpretation. Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Siirah At-TakwTr : 81 : 1 - 29
-

715
-

--

into the ocean. SahTh of BukhZri records from SayyidnZ Abii Huharirah
& that the Holy Prophet said that on the Day of Resurrection the Sun
and the Moon would be thrown into the ocean. Musnad of BazzZr has the
addition t h a t they will be thrown into Hell. Ibn AbI Hatim, Ibn
Abid-DunyZ and Abush-Shaikh stated that on the Day of Resurrection
Allah will throw the Sun, the Moon and a11 stars into the ocean. Then a
violent wind will blow over them, as a result of which the entire ocean will
turn into fire. Thus it is correct to say that the Sun and the Moon will be
put into the ocean. It is likewise correct to say that they will be put into
Hell, because the entire ocean at that time will have been turned into
Hell. [Derived from Mazhari and Qurtubi]
, ,,,,

', ' 8

(and when the stars will swoop down ...81:2). The word
inkadarat is derived from inkidar and it denotes 'to fall'. The righteous
predecessors have interpreted it thus. It signifies that all the stars from
the sky will fall into the oceans as explained in the preceding verses.
aJ&l

r+l

; ) :1

;!;I
(and when the ten-months pregnant she-camels will be
L@
abandoned ...81:4). The Arabic word 'ishar is the plural of the word
'ushara' and is applied to she-camels having ten months pregnancy. Such
she-camels were considered by the Arabs to be a very valuable asset,
because they expected her to give birth to more camels and abundant
milk. As such, they used to protect her and never left her free. The verse
referring to this custom of the Arabs, who were the immediate addressees,
depicts the horrible scene of the Doomsday when even the most favorite
wealth, like such a she-camel, will be abandoned and neglected by its
owners because of the calamity they will be facing.
'/'
a
> G I I:!;
(and when the seas will be flared up ...81:6). The word
suj~iratis derived from tasjir and it signifies 'to set ablaze'. Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas & assigns this interpretation to the word in this context. Another
sense of the word is 'to fill' and a third sense of the word is 'to mix or
admix'. Some commentators have interpreted it in this sense. None of
these interpretations is contradictory to each other. First, the salt and
sweet water are admixed and the rivers are made to flow forth into the
sea; then the seas will meet together and become one and having more
water; then the seas will be set on fire; and then the Sun and the Moon
and the stars will be thrown into the water. Then all the water will be
turned into fire which will become part of Hell. [Mazharil
> , d >

,*,

,>,a
J.pJl

I;!;( a n d w h e n t h e people will be a r r a n g e d i n

categories...81:7). It means that the people on the Plain of Gathering will
be grouped, like with like, in terms of belief and deeds. Disbelievers will be
grouped together and believers will be grouped together. There are
differences between the deeds and habits of believers and there are
differences between t h e deeds a n d habits of disbelievers. The
non-believers will be re-grouped according to t h e i r e s s e n t i a l
characteristics and the Muslims too will be re-grouped according to their
essential characteristics as is reported in Baihaqi on the authority of
Sayyidnii Nu'mZn Ibn Bashir & that SayyidnZ 'Umar Ibn KhattZb &
said t h a t the people doing similar deeds, good or bad, will be joined
together. For example, the knowledgeable persons from among the
Muslims who were serving Islamic studies will be made into one group;
the people who devoted themselves for worship will be made into another
group; the people performingj i h a will be together, and the people whose
main characteristic was to spend in charities will be gathered in one place.
On the other hand, those who were involved in wicked activities like
thieves, robbers, adulterers will also be assembled in their respective
groups. Sayyidnii 'Umar 4& based this statement on the verse of the Holy
Qur'Zn in which Allah says in Siirah Al-Kqi'ah:
LL
' Clj3$?; [and you
will be (divided into) three categories. (56:7) It is mentioned further in that
Siirah that out of the three categories, two will attain salvation who are
named as the 'foremost' and 'people of the right' while another group,
namely the 'people of the left' will be comprised of the infidels.
&;j

(and when the girl-child that was buried alive will be

asked, for what sin she was killed ...81:s-9) The word mau'iidah is the
girl-child buried alive. It was a common practice in pre-Islamic time of
ignorance that people would take the birth of a girl as a matter of shame
for their fathers, and therefore they would bury them alive as soon as
they were born. Islam has abolished this barbaric practice completely.
This verse, while depicting the scene of Resurrection, mentions that the
girls who were buried alive will be questioned for what crime they were
killed. Apparently, it seems that the question will be posed to the girl
herself. This will give the victim an opportunity to prove her complete
innocence and thus the perpetrators of this crime will be hauled up in the
Divine Court of Justice, and will be duly punished for their wrongdoing.
:;jbgl
;!;I

Siirah At-Takw'ir : 81 : 1 - 29

717
-

--

It is also possible that the question will be posed to the killers of the girls
why they committed infanticide.

Important Note
In any case, one question may arise here: The day referred to in these
verses is named as the 'Day of of Requital' and the 'Day of Judgement'.
This name itself sows that every person, on that day, will be put to a trial
where he will be asked all sorts of questions about his deeds. Why has the
Holy Qur'iin, at this place, singled out only the question asked about the
girl that was buried alive. Carefully considered, it would appear that such
a girl was the victim of the barbarism of her own parents. As such, there
was no one to raise a plaint against such a brutal act, and to demand
retaliation, especially when she was buried secretly with no evidence left.
The verse, therefore, signifies that on the Day of Reckoning, even those
criminals will be exposed and hauled up in the Divine Court of Justice
against whom there was no evidence, nor was there anyone who could
stand up on their behalf to demand justice. Allah knows best!

Abortion After Four Months is Tantamount to Infanticide

Ruling [I]
Burying alive infants or killing them is a major sin and a heinous
brutality. Aborting a foetus after four months falls under the same
category in Shari'ah, because within four months the foetus receives the
soul and treated as a living human being. Likewise, if a person strikes on
the stomach of a pregnant woman which causes the baby to abort, then,
according to the common consent of the Muslim jurists, it would be
incumbent upon him to set free a slave or pay its price in blood-wit or
diyah. If the baby was alive at the time of aborting and then died, full
diyah will be incumbent. Abortion before four months is also unlawful,
except in cases of necessity, but compared to the first case, it is a sin of
lesser degree, because it does not amount to killing of a living human
being clearly.

Ruling [2]: Birth Control

Birth control, whose many forms are invented today, is also termed by
the Holy Prophet $#$ as 'hidden infanticide' in a h a d i t h reported by
Muslim from J u d h E m a h bint Wahb
There are, however, some
ahadith in which the Holy Prophet $#$ is reported to have allowed 'azl
(coitus interruptus) or to have observed silence when asked about it,

&.

which is a sign of permissibility of such a n act. But i t should be

remembered that its permissibility is restricted to genuine needs, and that
too in a way that productivity of the woman is not permanently blocked.
[Mazhari]. The present-day medical science has invented some measures
t h a t prevent pregnancy forever. The Shari'ah does not permit such
measures under any circumstances. Allah knows best!
' ,-,
&L+~UI
(and when the sky will be stripped off...sl:11) The word
kushitat is derived from kasht, and it literally means 'to strip off the skin
of an animal. Probably, this condition will prevail at the first blowing of
the Horn, which will happen in this world. The stars, the Sun and the
Moon that contributed to the beauty of the sky will all lose their light and
lustre and will be thrown into the ocean. The outlook of the sky will be
changed. This phenomenon is termed in this verse as: 'The sky will be
stripped off. Some commentators interpret the word kasht in the sense of
'folding up'. The verse, according to them, purports to say that the sky
that surrounds the upper atmosphere over our heads will be folded up.
#

,,','

0-1

4;

*
Lw cr~i;
i& (then everyone will know what he [or she] has put
"

forward...81:14). It means that when Resurrection, with all the horrors

mentioned above, will take place, man will realise what he has brought
with him. The word 'what' here refers to his good and bad deeds, all of
which will be in front of him, either in the form of the Record of Deeds
that will be given in his hands or his deeds will assume a specific body
shape as is understood from certain Traditions. Allah knows best!
Having described the horrors of Resurrection, and the accountability
of deeds, Allah swears an oath by a few stars to ernfirms that the Qur'Zn
is the t r u t h t h a t h a s been sent down, fully protected from any
interruption or distortion, and that the Prophet $& who has received it is a
great personality, and the angel (Jibra'il
who descended with it was
known to him before hand. Therefore, there can be no room for any doubt
about its veracity. The verses here swear an oath by five stars which the
ancient Greeks called khamsah mutahayyirah or 'the five wandering
stars ', since they seemed to stray irregularly across the sky. At times they
are seen moving from East to West, and a t others, from West to East.
Different reasons have been assigned to their irregular movements. The
ancient Greeks hold several contradictory explanations for this. The
research of modern scientists concurs with some of t h e ancient

SGrah At-Takwir : 81 : 1 - 29

719

philosophers, and differs from some others. The Creator alone knows the
truth and reality. The scientists merely guess and conjecture which may
be wrong. The Qur'iin has, therefore, not involved its readers in such a
useless debate. Allah showed us what was beneficial, that is, to observe
the Divine Omnipotence, His Consummate Wisdom and to repose our
faith in Him.

;E 2
-3
91 152. .+$ Jfl
, , Jg
,
'd! ( it [the Qur'iinl is surely the
~-,
k;;.;;i. I i I.'
word of a noble messenger [Jibra'il], the one possessing power and a high
status with the Lord of the Throne ...81:19-20). This is the subject of oath
that affirms that Qur'an is the word brought by a noble messenger. Then
three qualities are attributed to this noble messenger. The first quality is
that he possesses power. The second quality is that he has high status
and lofty rank with Allah, and he is obeyed in the upper realm. The third
quality is that he is trusted, and there is no possibility of his committing
any breach of trust or tampering with the message he conveys. The word
'noble messenger' obviously refers to the angel Jibra'il @\,because the
word 'messenger' is used for angels as it is used for prophets, and all the
three qualities attributed to the 'messenger' in the next verses are truly
present in Jibra7;l -1.
His being powerful is mentioned in Siirah
An-Najm in the following words;
I

It is taught to him by one (angel)of strong faculties.[53:5)

It is established through the hadlth of Mi'riij that he is obeyed by
other angels, because when he accompanied the Holy Prophet
to the
sky and ordered the angels appointed on its doors to open them he was
obeyed by them. That he is trust-worthy is too obvious to need a proof.
Some commentators, however, t a k e t h e phrase 'honourable
messenger' to refer to the Holy Prophet Muhammad $$$ and accordingly
have made an attempt to take all the three qualities referring to the Holy
Prophet

B,

In the next verses, the Holy Qur'iin has mentioned the high status of
the Holy Prophet
and has refuted the silly objections raised against
him by the infidels.

B,

o$A& $6
I

'

G j ( And your companion [Muhammad &I is not a

Siirah At-Takwir : 81 : 1 - 29

720

madman ....81:22) This is rebuttal to the foolish criticism of the enemies

who said that Muhammad $$
! is [God forbid!] insane.

3
.. 1
$94 ,3; aj (And he did

see him [Jibra'il @\I on the clear

horizon. ...81:23) In other words, Muhammad saw Jibra73@\on a clear
horizon. A similar statement occurs in SGrah An-Najm as follows:
,,

'fi

,>,

&YI 9,Y 4,9,

while he was on the upper horizon. ...53:7)

&

The purpose of mentioning this is to show that the Holy Prophet

was well-acquainted with Jibra'a @I, the angel of revelation. He had
seen him in his original shape. Therefore, there can be no room for doubt
in the veracity of revelation he brings to him.

Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Siirah At-Takwir
Ends here

Stirah Al-Infifiir
(Cleaving)
This Siirah is ~akk!. and it has 19verses.

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful

Verses 1 - 19

When the sky will be cleft asunder, [ I ] and when the stars
will disperse, [21 and when the seas will be burst forth, [31
and when the graves will be overturned, [41 then one will
know what he sent ahead and what he left behind. [51 0
man! What has deceived you about your Gracious Lord, [6]
who created you, then perfected you, then brought you in
due proportion? [71 He composed you in whichever form
He willed. [81 Never! (i.e. one should never be heedless

towards him.) But you deny the Requital, [9]while

(appointed) over you there are watchers, [ l o ] who are
noble, writers (of the deeds), [ I l l who know whatever you
do. [I21 Surely the righteous will be in bliss, [13] and surely
the sinners will be in Hell, [I41 in which they will enter on
the Day of Requital, [I51 and they will not (be able to) keep
away from it. 1161 And what may let you know what the
Day of Requital is? [I71 Again, what may let you know
what the Day of Requital is? [18] A Day when no one will
have power to do any thing for another! And all matters,
on that Day, will belong to Allah (alone). [I91

Commentary

/a',

,5'

"

(...then one will know what he sent ahead and

what he left behind ....8 2 5 ) In the preceding verses [I-41 of the SGrah,
Allah depicts the scene of the Day of Judgement that when the sky splits,
the stars fall, the seas are poured forth [ie the fresh and salt water bodies
will merge to form one mass of water] and the graves are overturned Lie
corpses will emerge from their graves], every soul shall come to know
what it had sent ahead and what it had left behind. The phrase 'what he
sent ahead' means the good or evil act which he has done in his life; and
the phrase 'what he left behind' means what he failed to do or refrained
from doing. It is also possible that 'what he sent ahead' refers to the acts
he has done himself, and 'what he left behind' refers to the acts one has
not done himself, but he has laid down a custom in the society. The Holy
Prophet $$$is reported to have said: "If anyone establishes a good tradition
in Islam, he will have a reward for it and the equivalent of the rewards of
those who act upon it after him, without theirs being diminished in any
respect; but he who establishes a bad custom in Islam will bear the
responsibility of it and the responsibility of those who act upon it after
him, without theirs being diminished in any respect." This subject was
",,, , , ' a , ,
dealt with earlier under the following verse: ylj r-Lj G &+$ d G y l
'Man
will be informed of what he sent ahead and what he left behind. [53:13]'
oplj

L&

,5,,

,5,

3P'
L; 1d'4il ,$(0
3
.. man! What has deceived you about your Gracious

Lord ...82%) The opening of the SGrah mentions the violent events that
will take place at the end of this worldly life, and the current set of verses
reminds us of the inceptive stages of our creation. The sum total of the
verses purport to say that if man had considered carefully, he would have
believed in Allah and His Messenger, and he would not have deviated a

hair's breadth from Divine injunctions, but he slumped into heedlessness

and forgetfulness. In the present verse, he is reprimanded by a rhetorical
question and by means of gentle remonstrance as to what has lured him
away from His Gracious Lord, and led him to disobedience, despite he
knows his beginning, and he knows his end.
The verse further goes on to remind man of the inceptive stages of his
i , , , ,,,
creation. First, it says: &+ 6-L (who created you, then perfected you,
...82:7). The sense is that not only did Allah create man, but He also
perfected his creation and proportioned his body, limbs and organs. Every
limb and organ is well placed. The body, height, length and breadth of
every limb are kept in harmony, symmetry and balance. Any deviation
from the symmetrical construction of the human body, the organs will
'
become dysfunctional. Then the verse says:
(...then brought you in
due proportion?. ..82:7). Man is granted such symmetry, harmony and
balance that no other animal in the world is granted to that degree. Along
with physical and physiological symmetry and harmony, he has been
granted well-balanced disposition, despite the fact that man is made up of
opposing humours - blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. Some are
hot and others are cold, and yet the perfect wisdom of Allah prepared a
well-balanced disposition. Thereafter a third characteristic is mentioned as
follows:
'
l
,
'

3,
$ 6 ./,
9 9
3 (He
>

composed you in whichever form He

willed ....82:8). This is to indicate that since the basic structure of all
human beings is the same, it was expected that the zillions of members of
the human society would have shared the same shape, size and features,
but the perfect mastery and the wonderful acumen of the Supreme
Creator has created them so differently that each one of them has its own
unique features that make him clearly distinct from all others, and no one
is confused with another.
E

Having stated the creative acumen of the Great Creator, the verse
states: 4
,,
9 1&>
,,
G LLYI
CL:(0 man! What has deceived you about
your Gracious Lord,...82:6). Allah has endowed man with such natural
faculties and abilities that every limb and every joint of his body was
enough to remind him of His Creator, and to make him obedient. But he
is lured away from his gracious Lord, has forgotten Him and disobeyed
Him. The question is: How did he forget his Lord, how did he become

s>

Siirah Al-InfifZr: 82 : 1 - 19

724
-

heedless of Him, and how is he lured away from his Lord? On this
occasion, the adjective karTm (Gracious) used for the 'Lord' points to the
answer. The reason for such an ungrateful attitude is t h a t Allah is
Gracious and does not punish man immediately after his committing a
sin. Rather, his sustenance, welfare and well-being, and worldly comforts
[and pleasures] are not curtailed. He misinterprets Allah's magnanimity,
and thus falls into deception. If man were to think rationally, he would
adopt a grateful attitude and obedient behaviour, rather than adopting
a n ungrateful attitude and impudent behaviour. SayyidnE Hasan
Al-Ba~ri(jk dl
says:
-J

J=-hY p,i;.tJIcrs;J,+>IC(
'How many humans are there whose faults are put [by Allah]
under cover, (i.e. He did not disgrace them), yet they do not
appreciate (and are deluded by His grace.'

,+&'$-%
3

2'';SB ;! (Surely the righteous will be in bliss, and

surely the sinners will be in Hell, ...82:13-14) These two statements are
,. 3 .

, ,a'

4,

'9

connected with verse [5] above: ;1sl.d L. +i G$'then one will know
what he sent ahead and what he left behind. [511
The verse informs us that each person, on the Day of Reckoning, will
know what he has done, and what will be the consequences of his deeds.
The present verse says that the righteous will be in perfect bliss, while
the sinners will be in a Blazing Fire of Hell.

G L j (and they will not [be able to] keep away from it.. .82:16)
. ,&
-

The inmates of Hell will never be able to get away from it, because the
torment will be eternal, as the concluding verse of the Surah asserts: yu.
3
(A Day when no one [with his own free will in the Plain
of Gathering] will have power to do any thing for another!). This does not
negate intercession, because that will not happen with one's own free will,
unless Allah grants permission to someone to intercede on someone's
behalf, and then accepts the intercession. And all matters, on that Day,
will belong to Allah (alone). [19]' Allah knows best!

I&

w$

Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Siirah Al-Infifiir
Ends here

Siirah At-TatfTf : 83 : 1 - 36

725

Siirah At-TatfTf
(Curtailingthe Rights)
Siirah At-Tatflf was revealed in Makkah It has 36 Verses and 1 Section.

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful

Verses 1 36

Siirah At-Taffif : 83 : 1 - 36

Woe to the curtailers [ I ] who, when they measure

something to receive from people, take it in full, [2] and
when they measure or weigh something to give it to
them, give less than due. [31 Do they not think that they
have to be raised up [41 on a Great Day, [51 the Day
when all the people will stand before the Lord of the
worlds? [61 Never! (i.e. they should never forget that
Day.) Indeed the Record of Deeds of the sinners is in
s i j i n . [71 And what may let you know what s i j i n is? [8]
A register, inscribed! [91 Woe that day to the deniers, [lo]
who deny the Day of Requital! [ I l l And none denies it
but every sinful transgressor. 1121 When Our verses are
recited to him, he says, "(These a r e ) tales of the
ancients." [I31 No! But that which they used to commit
has covered their hearts with rust. [I41 No! Indeed they
will be screened off from their Lord on that Day. [15]
Then they will have to enter the Hell. [I61 Then it will
be said, "This is what you used to deny." [I71
No! The record of deeds of the righteous is in 'illiyyiin.
[la] And what may let you know what 'illiyyiin is? [19] A
register inscribed, [201 attended by those (angels) who
are blessed with nearness to Allah! [211 Indeed the
righteous will be in absolute bliss. [221 While (sitting)
on thrones, they will be watching (the scenes of
Paradise). [231 You will recognize on their faces the
glamour of bliss. [241 They will be served with a pure
sealed wine to drink, [251 the seal of which will be of
musk. And in aspiring for this, the competitors should

726

Siirah At-Tatfif : 83 : 1 - 36

727

compete. [261 and it will be blended with (a drink from)

Tasnim, [271 a spring from which will drink those who
are blessed with nearness. [281
Indeed those who were guilty used to laugh a t those
who believed, [29] and when they passed by them, they
used to wink at one another, [301 and when they went
back to their family, they went enjoying their mockery,
[31] and when they saw them, they said, "Surely these
are the ones who have gone astray" [321 while they were
not sent as watchmen over them. [331 So, today those
who believed will laugh at the disbelievers. [341 While
(sitting) on thrones, they will be seeing [351 whether the
disbelievers have been paid back for what they used to
do. [361

Commentary
According to SayyidnZ 'Abdulliih Ibn Mas'iid &, Siirah Tatfif was
revealed in Makkah. Therefore, most of the copies of the Qur'Zn refer to it
as the Makki Siirah. According to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas, Qatiidah,
MuqZtil and Dahhak &, it is a Madani SGrah, but only about eight
verses are Makk?. Imam Nasa'i transmits a narrative from Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas & that when the Holy Prophet $!$ arrived in Madinah, the people
of Madhah whose most transactions were based on measurements used to
cheat and short measure. For this reason, Allah revealed the SGrah. It is
reported from Sayyidnii Ibn 'AbbZs & that this is the first Siirah that
was revealed as soon as the Holy Prophet
arrived at Madinah. The
reason is that it was a common practice in Madinah that the people used
to be very strict in measuring when they had to receive something from
others, but when they sold something, they used to cheat the buyers.
After the revelation of this SGrah, all of them abandoned this bad custom
totally, and mended themselves in a way that they are now well-known in
their honesty in weighing and measuring. (Reported by Hakim, Nasa'i, and Ibn
MaJah, with sound chain of narrators)

j?'j(Woe to the curtailers ...83:l) The word mutaffifin

'those
who give short measure or weight' is derived from Tatfif 'to give short
measure or short weight'. The Qur'anic expression 'Woe to the curtailers'
is indicative of the injunction that this practice is prohibited.
-,,

Tuffif has a Wider Scope

The Qur'an and Sunnah have prohibited T a t f i f which primarily

Siirah At-Tatdf : 83 : 1 - 36

728

signifies 'giving short measure and weight', because generally all

transactions are carried out by things that can be measured or weighed.
But the basic purpose of weighing or measuring is none else but to give a
person what he deserves. It, therefore, indicates that the rule is not
restricted to weights and measures only, but it includes all other means
through which the rights of someone a r e evaluated, assessed or
appraised. I t is obligatory that all rights are given to the deserving
persons in full, whether they are assessed by weight, measure, number or
any other means. In terms of this concept of Tatfif, it is prohibited to give
to any person less than his due.
I t is recorded in MuwKttZ' of Imam MZlik t h a t SayyidnZ 'Umar
Ibn-ul-KhattZb & saw a person curtailing [cutting short] his bowing and
prostration postures in prayers, he said to him:

d a
'You have committed Ta6fif (curtailedthe right) of Allah.'
Having cited this statement of SayyidnZ 'Umar Ibn-ul-KhattZb
Imam MZlik formulates the following postulate:

&,

&,$4$2jU
'Everything has a full due and a short measure.'
This postulate can apply even to prayers, ablution, cleanliness and all
the rights of Allah and the ways of worship. If someone is deficient in
fulfilling these rights of Allah, he is guilty of Tatfif. Similarly if one cuts
short human rights [by failing to perform duties imposed upon him or
keeping to the terms of agreement duly], he is covered by the rule laid
down by the verse regarding Tatfif For example, if a n employee has
entered into a contract with the employer that he shall work for specified
time, it is imperative for him to work for the stipulated hours. If he
curtails the hours, he is guilty of Tatfif. Generally, people - even scholars
- are lax i n this matter. They do not regard curtailment of their
obligations relating to service or labour as sin. May Allah protect us from
it!

WITH:
Holy Prophet

SayyidnZ 'Abdulliih Ibn 'AbbKs

has said:

& has narrated that the

A+
'There a r e five sins, for which there are five punishments.'
[I] He who breaks his covenant, Allah will cause his enemy to subdue
him.
I

[2] The nation that abandons the sacred laws of Allah, and decides
cases according to other laws, poverty will prevail commonly among them.
[3] The nation among whom promiscuity and zinG (fornication or
adultery) becomes rampant, Allah will punish them with epidemics and
endemic diseases.
[4] Those who curtail measures and weights, Allah will cause famine
to break out amongst them. and
[5] Those who fail to pay their ZakEh, Allah will withhold rain from
them.
[Cited by Qurtubi who said that Al-Bazziir has narrated the over-all
sense of this hadith, though with different words; and MZlik Ibn Anas
has also narrated it from Ibn 'Umar].
Tabariinl narrates from Ibn 'Abbas & that the Holy Prophet &$
!' said:
"When it becomes rampant in a community to steal from the spoils of war,
Allah will cast terror of enemies into their hearts; when usury becomes a
common practice in a community, death becomes a frequent occurrence in
that society; a community that gives short measure and weight, Allah cuts
off their sustenance; those who decide against the truth, murder becomes
common among them; and those who betray their agreement, Allah
causes their enemies to prevail upon them." [MZlik has also transmitted it, but
as a saying of Ibn 'AbbZs. See Mazhari].

Various Forms of Poverty, Famine and Curtailment of

Sustenance
The HadTth (cited above) states that people's 'sustenance' may be Cut
Off as a punishment to short measuring: This can take different forms.
They may be completely deprived of their sustenance; or sustenance may
be available, but they may not be able to eat or use it, as it commonly
happens nowadays in the case of many diseases. Likewise, 'famine' might
take different forms: Items of necessity might be lacking; or they might be

available abundantly, but it might be difficult to purchase them, because

the prices are unbearably exorbitant, as is experienced nowadays. The
Had<thsays that in certain situations faqr will prevail in the society. Faqr
is generally translated as 'poverty', but its real meaning in Arabic is
'being in need' or 'being dependent on someone'. Keeping this meaning in
view, the situation of faqr pointed out in the Hadith is not confined to lack
of money and other necessary things, but it also includes a situation
where people depend on others in their business and other necessities of
life. The more a person is in need of others, the greater is his degree of
faqr. Let us consider the conditions of the present age. Man is bound by
the most complicated laws that restrict his living, his movement and his
intentions, so that he is unable to eat what he wants to eat, or utter what
he wants to utter. He possesses money, but he is not free to buy of his
choice from where he wants to. He is not free to undertake a journey [or
to travel] as and when he wants to. He is bound so much by these
restrictive laws that he has no choice but to follow the official procedure
for which he has to flatter the officials [at every level] including the
peons. Without this, life is difficult. This entire system of dependence on
others is a part of faqr. This elaborate explanation should dispel the
doubts t h a t might apparently arise regarding the statement of the
Hadith.

S w i n and 'illiyZn

&( 51% (Never! [i.e. they should never forget that Day.]
+
Indeed the Record of Deeds of the sinners is in siJJin. [83:711The word

sijjin is derived from sajana which means to 'imprison in a narrow place'.

According to QZmGs, the word sijjin means 'eternal imprisonment'.
Traditions indicate that scjijin is a special place where the souls of the
non-believers are kept, and in the same place, the Record of the evil deeds
of every wicked person is kept separately. It is also possible that in this
there is a consolidated book in which the deeds of all the non-believers of
the world are recorded.
Where is this place? According to a lengthy h a d i t h reported by
SayyidnZ Bara' Ibn 'Azib &,the Holy Prophet
has said that sz$n is
beneath the seventh level of the earth, and 'illiyin is in the seventh
heaven beneath the Divine Throne. [Baghaw;, and Ahmad etc., as quoted by
Mazhari]. According to certain Traditions, s i j i n is the seventh earth which

contains the souls of the disbelievers, and 'illiyh is the seventh heaven
which contains the souls of the believers.

The Locale of Paradise and Hell

Baihaqi has recorded a narration from Sayyidnii 'AbdullZh Ibn Saliim

& that Paradise is in the heaven, and Hell is in the earth. Ibn Jar&-cites
in his commentary on the authority of Sayyidnii Mu'adh Ibn Jabal 4% a
narrative of the Holy Prophet $&,according to which he was asked about
the meaning of the following verse:
, . ,,, ,,++*s?
,a,

'and Jahannam (Hell), on that day, will be brought forward,

[89:23]'
The Holy Prophet $& was asked from where the Hell be brought
forward? He replied: "From the seventh earth." These narratives indicate
that Hell will be brought forward from the seventh earth. It will suddenly
flare up there, and all the oceans will join its blazing fire, and come
forward in full view of all. This interpretation is reconcilable with
narratives that define sGJin as the name of a place in Hell. [Ma~haril.And
Allah knows best!
.',:',r

(A register inscribed!. ..83:9) The word marqiim (translated

ryy
above as 'inscribed') signifies here makhtiim meaning 'sealed'. Imam
Baghawi and Ibn KathTr say that this statement is not the interpretation
of sij~in,but rather the explication of a phrase before that, namely:

'Indeed the record of deeds of the sinners is in stJJzn.[83:7If

It is a book inscribed and sealed. No one can add anything to it, nor
can anyone remove anything from it, nor is any alteration possible in it.
The place where it will be kept for safe-custody is called s i j h , and it is the
place where the souls of the wicked unbelievers are gathered.

s $L?c &$> 55 '-i& % (No! But

t h a t which they used to

commit has covered their hearts with rust ...83:14). The word rana is
derived from rain and it means 'rust' or 'dust' or 'filth'. In other words, the
rust of committing many sins has covered up their hearts. Just as rust
consumes the iron, and turns it into dust, in the same way, the rust of