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And the moon when at the full,

And by oath of the moon when it is full.

and the moon when it is at the full,

and the moon, as it grows to its fullness:

And by the moon when she becometh full.

And by the moon when it is at the full,

And by the moon, as it grows full.

and by the moon, when it reaches its fullness:

And the moon when it Ittasaq.

And by the moon when she is at the full,

by the moon when it blooms full:

by the moon, in its fullness

And [by] the moon when it becomes full

or by the moon when it is full,

And the moon when it grows full,

Wa<b>a</b>lqamari i<u>tha</u> ittasaq<b>a</b>

and the moon when it grows full,

And the Moon in her fullness:

وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا ٱتَّسَقَ

And the moon when it comes together and is complete becoming a full moon.

And the moon when it comes together and is complete becoming a full moon.

That you will climb from stage to stage.

You will surely go up level by level.

you shall surely ride stage after stage.

[even thus, O men,] are you bound to move; onward from stage to stage.

Surely ye shall ride layer upon layer.

You shall certainly travel from stage to stage (in this life and in the Hereafter).

You will mount stage by stage.

you shall proceed onwards from stage to stage.

You shall certainly travel from stage

That ye shall journey on from plane to plane.

you will surely fare from stage to stage.

that you shall surely ride from stage to stage.

[That] you will surely experience state after state.

that you will certainly pass through one stage after another.

That you shall most certainly enter one state after another.

Latarkabunna <u>t</u>abaqan AAan <u>t</u>abaq<b>in</b>

you will progress from stage to stage.

Ye shall surely travel from stage to stage.

لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ

You, O man, will mount one state after another from a drop, then a clot, then a piece of flesh, then life, then death and then resurrection.

You, O man, will mount one state after another from a drop, then a clot, then a piece of flesh, then life, then death and then resurrection.

So, wherefore do they not believe?

What is the matter with them that they do not accept faith?

Then what ails them, that they believe not,

What, then, is amiss with them that they will not believe [in a life to come]?

What aileth them then, that they believe not,

What is the matter with them, that they believe not?

What is the matter with them that they do not believe?

So, what is the matter with them that they do not believe,

What is the matter with them, that they believe not

What aileth them, then, that they believe not

What is the matter with them that they will not believe,

What is the matter with them, that they do not believe

So what is [the matter] with them [that] they do not believe,

What is the matter with them? Why do they not believe?

But what is the matter with them that they do not believe,

Fam<u>a</u> lahum l<u>a</u> yuminoon<b>a</b>

What is wrong with them that they do not believe?

What then is the matter with them, that they believe not?-

فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

What is the matter with these disbelievers who do not have faith in Allah and the last day?!

What is the matter with these disbelievers who do not have faith in Allah and the last day?!

And when the Qur'an is recited to them do not bow in adoration?

And when the Qur’an is recited to them, they do not fall prostrate? (Command of Prostration # 13)

and when the Koran is recited to them they do not bow?

and [that], when the Qur’an is read unto them, they do not fall down in prostration?

And that, when the Qur'an is read Unto them, they prostrate not them-selves!

And when the Quran is recited to them, they fall not prostrate,

And when the Quran is read to them, they do not bow down?

and when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate themselves?

And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they fall not prostrate.

And, when the Qur'an is recited unto them, worship not (Allah)?

and will not prostrate when the Quran is recited to them?

and when the Koran is recited to them that they do not prostrate!

And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]?

Why, when the Quran is recited to them, do they not prostrate themselves?

And when the Quran is recited to them they do not make obeisance?

Wai<u>tha</u> quria AAalayhimu alqur<u>a</u>nu l<u>a</u> yasjudoon<b>a</b>

When the Quran is read to them, why do they not fall to their knees?

And when the Qur'an is read to them, they fall not prostrate,

وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ

When the Qur’ān is recited to them, they do not prostrate to their Lord?!

When the Qur’ān is recited to them, they do not prostrate to their Lord?!

<p>Therefore, the verse concludes:</p><p>فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿20﴾ وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ ۩</p><p>So, what has happened to them that they do not believe, and when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not offer sajdah [ prostration ] ۩? (84:20-21)</p><p>It means that when the Qur'an, replete with clear guidelines, is recited to them, they do not bow in submission.</p><p>The word sajdah /sujud literally denotes 'to bow' and it connotes 'obedience'. Obviously, the word here is not used in its technical sense. It is used in the sense of bowing in submission with respect, humbleness and humility. The reason [ for this interpretation ] is quite clear. This verse does not command to prostrate at the time of recitation of a particular verse. It is related to the entire Qur'an. If the word sajdah had referred to the technical prostration, it would necessarily entail that prostration be offered at every verse of the entire Qur'an, which by unanimous agreement of the Ummah is not the case. Neither salaf nor khalaf subscribe to this view. Now remains the question whether or not a sajdah is obligatory when this verse is recited. (There is a disagreement among the jurists on this point) By a long stretch of imagination, it is possible to use this verse in evidence or support of arguing in favour of prostration being obligatory on recitation of this verse, as some of the Hanafi jurists have done. According to them, the definite article ال al- 'the' in the word al-Qur'an stands for the article that is used to indicate previous knowledge, and thus the word al-Qur'an here refers to this particular verse under comment, not to the entire al-Qur'an or the Holy Book. However, this interpretation is after all merely a possibility, but the clear context of the verse indicates that it seems to be far-fetched to take the verse in this sense. And Allah knows best! The true interpretation can be determined by prophetic narratives, the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ " and that of the noble Companions ؓ . The narratives pertaining to sajdah of tilawah differ. Some indicate that it is an obligatory duty to make sajdah on this verse, and others indicate that it is not. As a result, there is a difference of opinion among jurists. Imam Abu Hanifah رحمۃ علیہ holds the view that prostration at this verse is an obligatory duty as is obligatory at other verses of mufassal. Imam A` zam رحمۃ علیہ adduces the following Ahadith in favour of his opinion:</p><p>Bukhari recorded from Abu Rafi` ؓ that he prayed the ` Isha' [ Night ] prayer behind Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ ، and the latter recited: إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْ (When the sky will split apart) and at the relevant verse, he prostrated. So, Sayyidna Abu Rafi` ؓ asked him what type of prostration it was. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ replied: "I prostrated at this verse behind Abul Qasim in a salah, and I will never cease prostrating during its recitation until I meet him on the Plain of Gathering." Muslim transmitted a narrative from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ that they prostrated with the Holy Prophet ﷺ at relevant verses of this Surah, and of اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ.</p><p>Qurtubi reports from Ibn-ul-` Arabi that the veritable view is that this verse is one of the verses at which it is an obligatory duty to prostrate when read or recited or heard being recited. However, the people among whom Ibn-ul-` Arabi lived' it was not customary among them to prostrate at this verse. They probably followed an Imam, according to whom the prostration was not obligatory. As a result, Ibn-ul-` Arabi says that whenever he led the congregational prayer, he would avoid reciting Surah Al-Inshiqaq, because in his view prostration at the relevant verse is obligatory. If he does not perform the prostration, he would be sinning. If he does perform the prostration, the entire congregation would regard it an unnecessary act. Therefore, he felt he should not unnecessarily split the community. And Allah knows best!</p><p>Alhamdulillah</p><p>The Commentary on</p><p>Surah Al-Inshiqaq</p><p>Ends here</p>

Therefore, the verse concludes:فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿20﴾ وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ ۩So, what has happened to them that they do not believe, and when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not offer sajdah [ prostration ] ۩? (84:20-21)It means that when the Qur'an, replete with clear guidelines, is recited to them, they do not bow in submission.The word sajdah /sujud literally denotes 'to bow' and it connotes 'obedience'. Obviously, the word here is not used in its technical sense. It is used in the sense of bowing in submission with respect, humbleness and humility. The reason [ for this interpretation ] is quite clear. This verse does not command to prostrate at the time of recitation of a particular verse. It is related to the entire Qur'an. If the word sajdah had referred to the technical prostration, it would necessarily entail that prostration be offered at every verse of the entire Qur'an, which by unanimous agreement of the Ummah is not the case. Neither salaf nor khalaf subscribe to this view. Now remains the question whether or not a sajdah is obligatory when this verse is recited. (There is a disagreement among the jurists on this point) By a long stretch of imagination, it is possible to use this verse in evidence or support of arguing in favour of prostration being obligatory on recitation of this verse, as some of the Hanafi jurists have done. According to them, the definite article ال al- 'the' in the word al-Qur'an stands for the article that is used to indicate previous knowledge, and thus the word al-Qur'an here refers to this particular verse under comment, not to the entire al-Qur'an or the Holy Book. However, this interpretation is after all merely a possibility, but the clear context of the verse indicates that it seems to be far-fetched to take the verse in this sense. And Allah knows best! The true interpretation can be determined by prophetic narratives, the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ " and that of the noble Companions ؓ . The narratives pertaining to sajdah of tilawah differ. Some indicate that it is an obligatory duty to make sajdah on this verse, and others indicate that it is not. As a result, there is a difference of opinion among jurists. Imam Abu Hanifah رحمۃ علیہ holds the view that prostration at this verse is an obligatory duty as is obligatory at other verses of mufassal. Imam A` zam رحمۃ علیہ adduces the following Ahadith in favour of his opinion:Bukhari recorded from Abu Rafi` ؓ that he prayed the ` Isha' [ Night ] prayer behind Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ ، and the latter recited: إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْ (When the sky will split apart) and at the relevant verse, he prostrated. So, Sayyidna Abu Rafi` ؓ asked him what type of prostration it was. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ replied: "I prostrated at this verse behind Abul Qasim in a salah, and I will never cease prostrating during its recitation until I meet him on the Plain of Gathering." Muslim transmitted a narrative from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ that they prostrated with the Holy Prophet ﷺ at relevant verses of this Surah, and of اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ.Qurtubi reports from Ibn-ul-` Arabi that the veritable view is that this verse is one of the verses at which it is an obligatory duty to prostrate when read or recited or heard being recited. However, the people among whom Ibn-ul-` Arabi lived' it was not customary among them to prostrate at this verse. They probably followed an Imam, according to whom the prostration was not obligatory. As a result, Ibn-ul-` Arabi says that whenever he led the congregational prayer, he would avoid reciting Surah Al-Inshiqaq, because in his view prostration at the relevant verse is obligatory. If he does not perform the prostration, he would be sinning. If he does perform the prostration, the entire congregation would regard it an unnecessary act. Therefore, he felt he should not unnecessarily split the community. And Allah knows best!AlhamdulillahThe Commentary onSurah Al-InshiqaqEnds here

In fact the unbelievers disavow.

In fact the disbelievers keep denying.

Nay, but the unbelievers are crying lies,

Nay, but they who are bent on denying the truth give the lie [to this divine writ]!

Yea those who disbelieve belie.

Nay, (on the contrary), those who disbelieve, belie (Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and whatever he brought, i.e. this Quran and Islamic Monotheism, etc.).

In fact, those who disbelieve are in denial.

Instead, the unbelievers reject it, calling it a lie.

Nay, those who disbelieve deny.

Nay, but those who disbelieve will deny;

Indeed, the faithless impugn [the Apostle],

No, the unbelievers only belie,

But those who have disbelieved deny,

In fact, they reject the Quran,

Nay! those who disbelieve give the lie to the truth.

Bali alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo yuka<u>thth</u>iboon<b>a</b>

Indeed, those who are bent on denying the truth reject it --

But on the contrary the Unbelievers reject (it).

بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُكَذِّبُونَ

In fact, those who disbelieve reject what their messengers brought to them.

In fact, those who disbelieve reject what their messengers brought to them.

But God knows what they harbour in their breasts.

And Allah well knows what they conceal in their hearts.

and God knows very well what they are secreting.

Yet God has full knowledge of what they conceal [in their hearts].

Whereas Allah knoweth best that which they cherish.

And Allah knows best what they gather (of good and bad deeds),

But God knows what they hide inside.

Allah knows best what they are accumulating (in their Record).

And Allah knows best what they gather,

And Allah knoweth best what they are hiding.

and Allah knows best what they keep to themselves.

and Allah knows very well what they gather.

And Allah is most knowing of what they keep within themselves.

but God knows best whatever they accumulate in their hearts.

And Allah knows best what they hide,

Wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu aAAlamu bim<u>a</u> yooAAoon<b>a</b>

God is quite aware of what they are storing in their hearts.

But Allah has full knowledge of what they secrete (in their breasts)

وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُوعُونَ

Allah knows well what is contained in their hearts. Nothing of their actions is hidden from Him.

Allah knows well what is contained in their hearts. Nothing of their actions is hidden from Him.

So give them news of painful punishment,

Therefore give them the glad tidings of a painful punishment.

So give them good tidings of a painful chastisement,

Hence, give them the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come] –

Wherefore announce thou Unto them a torment afflictive.

So announce to them a painful torment.

So inform them of a painful punishment.

So give them the good news of a painful chastisement,

So, announce to them a painful torment.

So give them tidings of a painful doom,

So inform them of a painful punishment,

Therefore give to them glad tidings of a painful punishment,

So give them tidings of a painful punishment,

(Muhammad), tell them that they will all suffer a painful torment

So announce to them a painful punishment~

Fabashshirhum biAAa<u>tha</u>bin aleem<b>in</b>

Therefore, give them the news of a painful punishment.

So announce to them a Penalty Grievous,

فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

Tell them, O Messenger, about a painful punishment that awaits them.

Tell them, O Messenger, about a painful punishment that awaits them.

Except those who believe and do the right: For them there is reward unending.

Except those who believed and did good deeds – for them is a reward that will never end.

except those that believe, and do righteous deeds -- theirs shall be a wage unfailing.

unless it be such [of them] as [repent, and] attain to faith, and do good works: for theirs shall be a reward unending!.

But those who believe and work righteous works, theirs shall be a hire unending.

Save those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them is a reward that will never come to an end (i.e. Paradise).

Except those who believe and do good deeds; they will have an undiminished reward.

except for those who believe and do good deeds. Theirs shall be an unending reward.

Save those who believe and

Save those who believe and do good works, for theirs is a reward unfailing.

excepting such as are faithful and do righteous deeds: for them there will be an everlasting reward.

except to those who believe, and do righteous deeds, for theirs is an unfailing recompense.

Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds. For them is a reward uninterrupted.

except the righteously striving believers, who will receive a never-ending reward.

Except those who believe and do good; for them is a reward that shall never be cut off.

Ill<u>a</u> alla<u>th</u>eena <u>a</u>manoo waAAamiloo a<b>l</b><u>ssa</u>li<u>ha</u>ti lahum ajrun ghayru mamnoon<b>in</b>

But for those who believe and do good works; for them there shall be a never-ending reward.

Except to those who believe and work righteous deeds: For them is a Reward that will never fail.

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍۭ

Except those who have faith in Allah and do good deeds, for them is a reward that will never terminate: Paradise.

Except those who have faith in Allah and do good deeds, for them is a reward that will never terminate: Paradise.

I CALL TO witness the sky (bespangled) with the signs of the Zodiac,

By oath of the heaven which contains the constellations.

By heaven of the constellations,

CONSIDER the sky full of great constellations,

By the heaven adorned with big stars.

By the heaven, holding the big stars.

By the sky with the constellations.

By the heaven with its impregnable castles;

By the heaven holding the Buruj.

By the heaven, holding mansions of the stars,

By the heaven with its Houses,

By the heaven of the constellations!

By the sky containing great stars

By the heavens with constellations,

I swear by the mansions of the stars,

Wa<b>al</b>ssam<u>a</u>i <u>tha</u>ti alburooj<b>i</b>

By the sky with its constellations,

By the sky, (displaying) the Zodiacal Signs;

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلْبُرُوجِ

Allah took an oath by the sky that contains the phases of the sun, moon etc.

Allah took an oath by the sky that contains the phases of the sun, moon etc.

<p>Commentary</p><p>وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ (I swear by the sky, the one having stellar formations....85:1) The word buruj is the plural of burj which means 'a large mansion or fortress'. The Qur'an says:</p><p>وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ</p><p>'...even though you are in fortified castles [ 4:78] '</p><p>Here the word buruj means 'castles'. The primitive sense of the word barj is to become manifest'. The word tabarruj means 'to display one's beauty' as in the verse:</p><p>وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ</p><p>'...and do not display your beauty as it was previously displayed in the Time of Ignorance [ 33:33] '</p><p>According to the majority of commentators like Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas, Mujahid, Dahhak, Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, Suddi ؓ and others, the word bur, in this verse, refers to 'giant stars'. Other commentators take the word bur, in this place, to refer to mansions and castles that are reserved in the sky for the guardian angels. Some of the later commentators chose the astronomical view in which the sky is divided into twelve parts, each one called a burj. The primitive philosophers believed that the thawabit (stationary) stars are fixed in these bur. The planets move with the movement of their particular sky and the planets descend in these bur. But this is absolutely incorrect. According to the Qur'an, Allah has not fixed the stars and planets in the skies. In fact, every star and planet has its own orbit and revolves by itself as in Surah YaSin:</p><p>وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ</p><p>'...And each one is floating in an orbit. [ 36:40] '</p><p>The word falak in this verse does not refer to the sky, but rather to the orbits of the stars and planets in which they move. [ Mazhari ]</p>

Commentaryوَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ (I swear by the sky, the one having stellar formations....85:1) The word buruj is the plural of burj which means 'a large mansion or fortress'. The Qur'an says:وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ'...even though you are in fortified castles [ 4:78] 'Here the word buruj means 'castles'. The primitive sense of the word barj is to become manifest'. The word tabarruj means 'to display one's beauty' as in the verse:وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ'...and do not display your beauty as it was previously displayed in the Time of Ignorance [ 33:33] 'According to the majority of commentators like Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas, Mujahid, Dahhak, Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, Suddi ؓ and others, the word bur, in this verse, refers to 'giant stars'. Other commentators take the word bur, in this place, to refer to mansions and castles that are reserved in the sky for the guardian angels. Some of the later commentators chose the astronomical view in which the sky is divided into twelve parts, each one called a burj. The primitive philosophers believed that the thawabit (stationary) stars are fixed in these bur. The planets move with the movement of their particular sky and the planets descend in these bur. But this is absolutely incorrect. According to the Qur'an, Allah has not fixed the stars and planets in the skies. In fact, every star and planet has its own orbit and revolves by itself as in Surah YaSin:وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ'...And each one is floating in an orbit. [ 36:40] 'The word falak in this verse does not refer to the sky, but rather to the orbits of the stars and planets in which they move. [ Mazhari ]

<h2 class="title">Which was revealed in Makkah</h2><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ </div><p>(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.</p><h2 class="title">The Interpretation of the Word Buruj Allah swears by the heaven and its Buruj.</h2><p>The Buruj are the giant stars, as Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ فِى السَّمَآءِ بُرُوجاً وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجاً وَقَمَراً مُّنِيراً </div><p>(Blessed is He Who has placed in the heaven Buruj, and has placed therein a great lamp (the sun), and a moon giving light.) (25:61) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and As-Suddi, all said, "Al-Buruj are the stars." Al-Minhal bin `Amr said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ </div><p>(By the heaven holding the Buruj.) "The beautiful creation." Ibn Jarir chose the view that it means the positions of the sun and the moon, which are twelve Buruj. The sun travels through each one of these "Burj" (singular of Buruj) in one month. The moon travels through each one of these Burj in two-and-a-third days, which makes a total of twenty-eight positions, and it is hidden for two nights.</p><h2 class="title">The Explanation of the Promised Day and the Witness and the Witnessed</h2><p>Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ - وَشَـهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ </div><p>(And by the Promised Day. And by the Witness, and by the Witnessed.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ</div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَشَهِدَ</div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَمَا طَلَعَتْ شَمْسٌ وَلَا غَرَبَتْ عَلَى يَوْمٍ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَفِيهِ سَاعَةٌ لَا يُوَافِقُهَا عَبْدٌ مُسْلِمٌ يَسْأَلُ اللهَ فِيهَا خَيْرًا إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ إِيَّاهُ، وَلَا يَسْتَعِيذُ فِيهَا مِنْ شَرَ إِلَّا أَعَاذَهُ.</div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَشْهُودٍ</div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمُ عَرَفَة»</div><p>(And by the Promised Day.)( This refers to the Day of Judgement. (And by the Witness.) This refers to Friday, and the sun does not rise or set on a day that is better than Friday. During it there is an hour that no Muslim servant catches while asking Allah from some good except that Allah will give it to him. He does not seek refuge from any evil in it except that Allah will protect him. (And by the Witnessed.)( This refers to the day of `Arafah (in Hajj).) Ibn Khuzaymah also recorded the same Hadith. It has also been recorded as a statement of Abu Hurayrah and it is similar (to this Hadith).</p><h2 class="title">Imam Ahmad recorded from Suhayb that the Messenger of Allah said,</h2><p>Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ </div><p>(Cursed were (Qutila) the People of the Ditch (Ukhdud).) meaning, the companions of the Ukhdud were cursed. The plural of Ukhdud is Akhadid, which means ditches in the ground. This is information about a group of people who were among the disbelievers. They went after those among them who believed in Allah and they attempted to force them to give up their religion. However, the believers refused to recant, so they dug a ditch for them in the ground. Then they lit a fire in it and prepared some fuel for it in order to keep it ablaze. Then they tried to convince them (the believers) to apostate from their religion (again), but they still refused them. So they threw them into the fire. Thus, Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ - النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ - إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ - وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ </div><p>(Cursed were the People of the Ditch. Of fire fed with fuel. When they sat by it. And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers.) meaning, they were witnesses to what was done to these believers. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ </div><p>(And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise!) meaning, they did not commit any sin according to these people, except for their faith in Allah the Almighty, Who does not treat unjustly those who desire to be with Him. He is the Most Mighty and Most Praiseworthy in all of His statements, actions, legislation, and decrees. He decreed what happened to these servants of His at the hands of the disbelievers - and He is the Most Mighty, the Most Praiseworthy - even though the reason for this decree is unknown to many people. Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ</div><p>(To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth!) Among His perfect Attributes is that He is the Owner of all of the heavens, the earth, whatever is in them, and whatever is between them.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ</div><p>(And Allah is Witness over everything.) meaning, nothing is concealed from Him in all of the heavens and the earth, nor is anything hidden from Him.</p><h2 class="title">The Story of the Sorcerer, the Monk, the Boy and Those Who were forced to enter the Ditch</h2><p>Imam Ahmad recorded from Suhayb that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ مَلِكٌ وَكَانَ لَهُ سَاحِرٌ، فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ السَّاحِرُ قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنِّي قَدْ كَبُرَ سِنِّي وَحَضَرَ أَجَلِي، فَادْفَعْ إِلَيَّ غُلَامًا لِأُعَلِّمَهُ السِّحْرَ، فَدَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ غُلَامًا فَكَانَ يُعَلِّمُهُ السِّحْرَ، وَكَانَ الْغُلَامُ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَسَمِعَ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ فَأَعْجَبَهُ نَحْوُهُ وَكَلَامُهُ، وَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَى السَّاحِرَ ضَرَبَهُ وَقَالَ: مَا حَبَسَكَ؟ وَإِذَا أَتَى أَهْلَهُ ضَرَبُوهُ وَقَالُوا: مَا حَبَسَكَ؟ فَشَكَا ذلِكَ إِلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَـقَالَ: إِذَا أَرَادَ السَّاحِرُ أَنْ يَضْرِبَكَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي أَهْلِي، وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَهْلُكَ أَنْ يَضْرِبُوكَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي السَّاحِرُ، قَالَ: فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَى دَابَّةٍ فَظِيعَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ قَدْ حَبَسَتِ النَّاسَ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ أَنْ يَجُوزُوا. فَقَالَ: الْيَوْمَ أَعْلَمُ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ أَمْ أَمْرُ السَّاحِرِ؟ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ حَجَرًا فَـقَالَ: اللْهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ وَأَرْضَى مِنْ أَمْرِ السَّاحِرِ فَاقْتُلْ هذِهِ الدَّابَّةَ حَتْى يَجُوزَ النَّاسُ، ورَمَاهَا فَقَتَلَهَا وَمَضَى النَّاسُ.</div><p>(Among the people who came before you, there was a king who had a sorcerer, and when that sorcerer became old, he said to the king, "I have become old and my time is nearly over, so please send me a boy whom I can teach magic." So, he sent him a boy and the sorcerer taught him magic. Whenever the boy went to the sorcerer, he sat with a monk who was on the way and listened to his speech and admired them. So, when he went to the sorcerer, he passed by the monk and sat there with him; and on visiting the sorcerer the latter would thrash him. So, the boy complained about this to the monk. The monk said to him, "Whenever you are afraid of the sorcerer, say to him: `My people kept me busy.' And whenever you are afraid of your people, say to them: `The sorcerer kept me busy."' So the boy carried on like that (for some time). Then a huge terrible creature appeared on the road and the people were unable to pass by. The boy said, "Today I shall know whether the sorcerer is better or the monk is better." So, he took a stone and said, "O Allah! If the deeds and actions of the monk are liked by You better than those of the sorcerer, then kill this creature so that the people can cross (the road)." Then he struck it with a stone killing it and the people passed by on the road.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَأَخْبَرَ الرَّاهِبَ بِذلِكَ فَـقَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ، أَنْتَ أَفْضَلُ مِنِّي وَإِنَّكَ سَتُبْتَلَى، فَإِنِ ابْتُلِيتَ فَلَا تَدُلَّ عَلَيَّ، فَكَانَ الْغُلَامُ يُبْرِىءُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَسَائِرَ الْأَدْوَاءِ وَيَشْفِيهِمْ، وَكَانَ لِلْمَلِكِ جَلِيسٌ فَعَمِيَ فَسَمِعَ بِهِ فَأَتَاهُ بِهَدَايَا كَثِيرَةٍ فَقَالَ: اشْفِنِي وَلَكَ مَا ههُنَا أَجْمَعُ، فَـقَالَ: مَا أَنَا أَشْفِي أَحَدًا، إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَإِنْ آمَنْتَ بِهِ دَعَوْتُ اللهَ فَشَفَاكَ، فَآمَنَ فَدَعَا اللهَ فَشَفَاهُ.</div><p>The boy came to the monk and informed him about it. The monk said to him, "O my son! Today you are better than I, and you have achieved what I see! You will be put to trial. And in case you are put to trial, do not inform (them) about me." The boy used to treat the people suffering from congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases. There was a courtier of the king who had become blind and he heard about the boy. He came and brought a number of gifts for the boy and said, "All these gifts are for you on the condition that you cure me." The boy said, "I do not cure anybody; it is only Allah who cures people. So, if you believe in Allah and supplicate to Him, He will cure you." So, he believed in and supplicated to Allah, and Allah cured him.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَلِكَ فَجَلَسَ مِنْهُ نَحْوَ مَا كَانَ يَجْلِسُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: يَا فُلَانُ، مَنْ رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بَصَرَكَ؟ فَـقَالَ: رَبِّي. فَـقَالَ: أَنَا؟ قَالَ: لَا، رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ، قَالَ: وَلَكَ رَبٌّ غَيْرِي؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُعَذِّبُهُ حَتْى دَلَّ عَلَى الْغُلَامِ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ فَـقَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ بَلَغَ مِنْ سِحْرِكَ أَنْ تُبْرِىءَ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَهذِهِ الْأَدْوَاءَ قَالَ: مَا أَشْفِي أَحَدًا إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، قَالَ: أَنَا؟ قَالَ: لَا. قَالَ: أَوَلَكَ رَبٌّ غَيْرِي؟ قَالَ: رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ، فَأَخَذَهُ أَيْضًا بِالْعَذَابِ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِ حَتْى دَلَّ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَأُتِيَ بِالرَّاهِبِ فَقَالَ: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ فَأَبَى، فَوَضَعَ الْمِنْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ حَتْى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ، وَقَالَ لِلْأَعْمَى: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَأَبَى، فَوَضَعَ الْمِنْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ حَتْى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ. وَقَالَ لِلْغُلَام: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَأَبَى، فَبَعَثَ بِهِ مَعَ نَفَرٍ إِلى جَبَلِ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَقَالَ: إِذَا بَلَغْتُمْ ذُرْوَتَهُ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلَّا فَدَهْدِهُوهُ، فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ فَلَمَّا عَلَوْا بِهِ الْجَبَلَ قَالَ: اللْهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ، فَرَجَفَ بِهِمُ الْجَبَلُ فَدُهْدِهُوا أَجْمَعُونَ، وَجَاءَ الْغُلَامُ يَتَلَمَّسُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى، فَبَعَثَ بِهِ مَعَ نَفَرٍ فِي قُرْقُورٍ فَقَالَ: إِذَا لَجَجْتُمْ بِهِ الْبَحْرَ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ، وَإِلَّا فَغَرِّقُوهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ، فَلَجَّجُوا بِهِ الْبَحْرَ فَـقَالَ الْغُلَامُ: اللْهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ، فَغَرِقُوا أَجْمَعُونَ.</div><p>Later, the courtier came to the king and sat at the place where he used to sit before. The king said, "Who gave you back your sight" The courtier replied, "My Lord." The king then said, "I did" The courtier said, "No, my Lord and your Lord - Allah" The king said, "Do you have another Lord beside me" The courtier said, "Yes, your Lord and my Lord is Allah." The king tortured him and did not stop until he told him about the boy. So, the boy was brought to the king and he said to him, "O boy! Has your magic reached to the extent that you cure congenital blindness, leprosy and other diseases" He said, "I do not cure anyone. Only Allah can cure." The king said, "Me" The boy replied, "No." The king asked, "Do you have another Lord besides me" The boy answered, "My Lord and your Lord is Allah." So, he tortured him also until he told about the monk. Then the monk was brought to him and the king said to him, "Abandon your religion." The monk refused and so the king ordered a saw to be brought which was placed in the middle of his head and he fell, sawn in two. Then it was said to the man who used to be blind, "Abandon your religion." He refused to do so, and so a saw was brought and placed in the middle of his head and he fell, sawn in two. Then the boy was brought and it was said to him, "Abandon your religion." He refused and so the king sent him to the top of such and such mountain with some people. He told the people, "Ascend up the mountain with him till you reach its peak, then see if he abandons his religion; otherwise throw him from the top." They took him and when they ascended to the top, he said, "O Allah! Save me from them by any means that You wish." So, the mountain shook and they all fell down and the boy came back walking to the king. The king said, "What did your companions (the people I sent with you) do" The boy said, "Allah saved me from them." So, the king ordered some people to take the boy on a boat to the middle of the sea, saying, "If he renounces his religion (well and good), but if he refuses, drown him." So, they took him out to sea and he said, "O Allah! Save me from them by any means that you wish." So they were all drowned in the sea.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَجَاءَ الْغُلَامُ حَتْى دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ فَـقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِقَاتِلي حَتْى تَفْعَلَ مَا آمُرُكَ بِهِ، فَإِنْ أَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ مَا آمُرُكَ بِهِ قَتَلْتَنِي، وَإِلَّا فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ قَتْلِي، قَالَ: وَمَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ: تَجْمَعُ النَّاسَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ ثُمَّ تَصْلُبُنِي عَلَى جِذْع وَتَأْخُذُ سَهْمًا مِنْ كِنَانَتِي، ثُمَّ قُلْ: بِاسْمِ اللهِ رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ. فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذلِكَ قَـتَلْتَنِـي. فَفَعَلَ وَوَضَعَ السَّهْمَ فِي كَبِدِ قَوْسِهِ ثُمَّ رَمَاهُ وَقَالَ: بِاسْمِ اللهِ رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ، فَوَقَعَ السَّهْمُ فِي صُدْغِهِ، فَوَضَعَ الْغُلَامُ يَدَهُ عَلَى مَوْضِع السَّهْم وَمَاتَ، فَـقَالَ النَّاسُ: آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلَام. فَقِيلَ لِلْمَلِكِ: أَرَأَيْتَ مَا كُنْتَ تَحْذَرُ؟ فَقَدْ وَاللهِ نَزَلَ بِكَ، قَدْ آمَنَ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ، فَأَمَرَ بِأَفْوَاهِ السِّكَكِ، فَخُدَّتْ فِيهَا الْأَخَادِيدُ وَأُضْرِمَتْ فِيهَا النِّيرَانُ، وَقَالَ: مَنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَدَعُوهُ، وَإِلَّا فَأَقْحِمُوهُ فِيهَا، قَالَ: فَكَانُوا يَتَعَادُّونَ فِيهَا وَيَتَدَافَعُونَ، فَجَاءَتِ امْرأَةٌ بابْنٍ لَهَا تُرْضِعُهُ، فَكَأَنَّهَا تَقَاعَسَتْ أَنْ تَقَعَ فِي النَّارِ فَـقَالَ الصَّبِيُّ: اصْبِرِي يَا أُمَّاهْ فَإِنَّكِ عَلَى الْحَق»</div><p>Then the boy returned to the king and the king said, "What did your companions do" The boy replied, "Allah, saved me from them." Then he said to the king, "You will not be able to kill me until you do as I order you. And if you do as I order you, you will be able to kill me." The king asked, "And what is that" The boy said, "Gather the people in one elevated place and tie me to the trunk of a tree; then take an arrow from my quiver and say: `In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.' If you do this, you will be able to kill me." So he did this, and placing an arrow in the bow, he shot it, saying, "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy." The arrow hit the boy in the temple, and the boy placed his hand over the arrow wound and died. The people proclaimed, "We believe in the Lord of the boy!" Then it was said to the king, "Do you see what has happened That which you feared has taken place. By Allah, all the people have believed (in the Lord of the boy)." So he ordered that ditches be dug at the entrances to the roads and it was done, and fires were kindled in them. Then the king said, "Whoever abandons his religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the fire." They were struggling and scuffling in the fire, until a woman and her baby whom she was breast feeding came and it was as if she was being somewhat hesitant of falling into the fire, so her baby said to her, "Be patient mother! For verily, you are following the truth!") Muslim also recorded this Hadith at the end of the Sahih. Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar related this story in his book of Sirah in another way that has some differences from that which has just been related. Then, after Ibn Ishaq explained that the people of Najran began following the religion of the boy after his murder, which was the religion of Christianity, he said, "Then (the king) Dhu Nuwas came to them with his army and called them to Judaism. He gave them a choice to either accept Judaism or be killed, so they chose death. Thus, he had a ditch dug and burned (some of them) in the fire (in the ditch), while others he killed with the sword. He made an example of them (by slaughtering them) until he had killed almost twenty thousand of them. It was about Dhu Nuwas and his army that Allah revealed to His Messenger :</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ - النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ - إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ - وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ - وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ - الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ </div><p>(Cursed were the People of the Ditch. Of fire fed with fuel. When they sat by it. And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers. And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise! To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over everything.) (85:4-9)" This is what Muhammad bin Ishaq said in his book of Sirah -- that the one who killed the People of the Ditch was Dhu Nuwas, and his name was Zur`ah. In the time of his kingdom he was called Yusuf. He was the son of Tuban As`ad Abi Karib, who was the Tubba` who invaded Al-Madinah and put the covering over the Ka`bah. He kept two rabbis with him from the Jews of Al-Madinah. After this some of the people of Yemen accepted Judaism at the hands of these two rabbis, as Ibn Ishaq mentions at length. So Dhu Nuwas killed twenty thousand people in one morning in the Ditch. Only one man among them escaped. He was known as Daws Dhu Tha`laban. He escaped on a horse and they set out after him, but they were unable to catch him. He went to Caesar, the emperor of Ash-Sham. So, Caesar wrote to An-Najashi, the King of Abyssinia. So, he sent with him an army of Abyssinian Christians, who were lead by Aryat and Abrahah. They rescued Yemen from the hands of the Jews. Dhu Nuwas tried to flee but eventually fell into the sea and drowned. After this, the kingdom of Abyssinia remained under Christian power for seventy years. Then the power was divested from the Christians by Sayf bin Dhi Yazin Al-Himyari when Kisra, the king of Persia sent an army there (to Yemen). He (the king) sent with him (Sayf Al-Himyari) those people who were in the prisons, and they were close to seven hundred in number. So, he (Sayf Al-Himyari) conquered Yemen with them and returned the kingdom back to the people of Himyar (Yemenis). We will mention a portion of this -- if Allah wills -- when we discuss the Tafsir of the Surah:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـبِ الْفِيلِ </div><p>(Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant) (105:1)</p><h2 class="title">The Punishment of the People of the Ditch</h2><p>Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُواْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَـتِ</div><p>(Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women,) meaning, they burned (them). This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, and Ibn Abza.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُواْ</div><p>(and then do not turn in repentance,) meaning, `they do not cease from what they are doing, and do not regret what they had done before.'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ</div><p>(then they will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire.) This is because the recompense is based upon the type of deed performed. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Look at this generosity and kindness. These people killed Allah's Awliya' and He still invites them to make repentance and seek forgiveness."</p>

Which was revealed in Makkahبِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ (In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.The Interpretation of the Word Buruj Allah swears by the heaven and its Buruj.The Buruj are the giant stars, as Allah says,تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ فِى السَّمَآءِ بُرُوجاً وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجاً وَقَمَراً مُّنِيراً (Blessed is He Who has placed in the heaven Buruj, and has placed therein a great lamp (the sun), and a moon giving light.) (25:61) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and As-Suddi, all said, "Al-Buruj are the stars." Al-Minhal bin `Amr said,وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ (By the heaven holding the Buruj.) "The beautiful creation." Ibn Jarir chose the view that it means the positions of the sun and the moon, which are twelve Buruj. The sun travels through each one of these "Burj" (singular of Buruj) in one month. The moon travels through each one of these Burj in two-and-a-third days, which makes a total of twenty-eight positions, and it is hidden for two nights.The Explanation of the Promised Day and the Witness and the WitnessedAllah says,وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ - وَشَـهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ (And by the Promised Day. And by the Witness, and by the Witnessed.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِوَشَهِدَيَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَمَا طَلَعَتْ شَمْسٌ وَلَا غَرَبَتْ عَلَى يَوْمٍ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَفِيهِ سَاعَةٌ لَا يُوَافِقُهَا عَبْدٌ مُسْلِمٌ يَسْأَلُ اللهَ فِيهَا خَيْرًا إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ إِيَّاهُ، وَلَا يَسْتَعِيذُ فِيهَا مِنْ شَرَ إِلَّا أَعَاذَهُ.وَمَشْهُودٍيَوْمُ عَرَفَة»(And by the Promised Day.)( This refers to the Day of Judgement. (And by the Witness.) This refers to Friday, and the sun does not rise or set on a day that is better than Friday. During it there is an hour that no Muslim servant catches while asking Allah from some good except that Allah will give it to him. He does not seek refuge from any evil in it except that Allah will protect him. (And by the Witnessed.)( This refers to the day of `Arafah (in Hajj).) Ibn Khuzaymah also recorded the same Hadith. It has also been recorded as a statement of Abu Hurayrah and it is similar (to this Hadith).Imam Ahmad recorded from Suhayb that the Messenger of Allah said,Allah's statement,قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ (Cursed were (Qutila) the People of the Ditch (Ukhdud).) meaning, the companions of the Ukhdud were cursed. The plural of Ukhdud is Akhadid, which means ditches in the ground. This is information about a group of people who were among the disbelievers. They went after those among them who believed in Allah and they attempted to force them to give up their religion. However, the believers refused to recant, so they dug a ditch for them in the ground. Then they lit a fire in it and prepared some fuel for it in order to keep it ablaze. Then they tried to convince them (the believers) to apostate from their religion (again), but they still refused them. So they threw them into the fire. Thus, Allah says,قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ - النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ - إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ - وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ (Cursed were the People of the Ditch. Of fire fed with fuel. When they sat by it. And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers.) meaning, they were witnesses to what was done to these believers. Allah said,وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ (And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise!) meaning, they did not commit any sin according to these people, except for their faith in Allah the Almighty, Who does not treat unjustly those who desire to be with Him. He is the Most Mighty and Most Praiseworthy in all of His statements, actions, legislation, and decrees. He decreed what happened to these servants of His at the hands of the disbelievers - and He is the Most Mighty, the Most Praiseworthy - even though the reason for this decree is unknown to many people. Then Allah says,الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ(To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth!) Among His perfect Attributes is that He is the Owner of all of the heavens, the earth, whatever is in them, and whatever is between them.وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ(And Allah is Witness over everything.) meaning, nothing is concealed from Him in all of the heavens and the earth, nor is anything hidden from Him.The Story of the Sorcerer, the Monk, the Boy and Those Who were forced to enter the DitchImam Ahmad recorded from Suhayb that the Messenger of Allah said,«كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ مَلِكٌ وَكَانَ لَهُ سَاحِرٌ، فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ السَّاحِرُ قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنِّي قَدْ كَبُرَ سِنِّي وَحَضَرَ أَجَلِي، فَادْفَعْ إِلَيَّ غُلَامًا لِأُعَلِّمَهُ السِّحْرَ، فَدَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ غُلَامًا فَكَانَ يُعَلِّمُهُ السِّحْرَ، وَكَانَ الْغُلَامُ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَسَمِعَ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ فَأَعْجَبَهُ نَحْوُهُ وَكَلَامُهُ، وَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَى السَّاحِرَ ضَرَبَهُ وَقَالَ: مَا حَبَسَكَ؟ وَإِذَا أَتَى أَهْلَهُ ضَرَبُوهُ وَقَالُوا: مَا حَبَسَكَ؟ فَشَكَا ذلِكَ إِلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَـقَالَ: إِذَا أَرَادَ السَّاحِرُ أَنْ يَضْرِبَكَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي أَهْلِي، وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَهْلُكَ أَنْ يَضْرِبُوكَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي السَّاحِرُ، قَالَ: فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَى دَابَّةٍ فَظِيعَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ قَدْ حَبَسَتِ النَّاسَ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ أَنْ يَجُوزُوا. فَقَالَ: الْيَوْمَ أَعْلَمُ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ أَمْ أَمْرُ السَّاحِرِ؟ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ حَجَرًا فَـقَالَ: اللْهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ وَأَرْضَى مِنْ أَمْرِ السَّاحِرِ فَاقْتُلْ هذِهِ الدَّابَّةَ حَتْى يَجُوزَ النَّاسُ، ورَمَاهَا فَقَتَلَهَا وَمَضَى النَّاسُ.(Among the people who came before you, there was a king who had a sorcerer, and when that sorcerer became old, he said to the king, "I have become old and my time is nearly over, so please send me a boy whom I can teach magic." So, he sent him a boy and the sorcerer taught him magic. Whenever the boy went to the sorcerer, he sat with a monk who was on the way and listened to his speech and admired them. So, when he went to the sorcerer, he passed by the monk and sat there with him; and on visiting the sorcerer the latter would thrash him. So, the boy complained about this to the monk. The monk said to him, "Whenever you are afraid of the sorcerer, say to him: `My people kept me busy.' And whenever you are afraid of your people, say to them: `The sorcerer kept me busy."' So the boy carried on like that (for some time). Then a huge terrible creature appeared on the road and the people were unable to pass by. The boy said, "Today I shall know whether the sorcerer is better or the monk is better." So, he took a stone and said, "O Allah! If the deeds and actions of the monk are liked by You better than those of the sorcerer, then kill this creature so that the people can cross (the road)." Then he struck it with a stone killing it and the people passed by on the road.فَأَخْبَرَ الرَّاهِبَ بِذلِكَ فَـقَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ، أَنْتَ أَفْضَلُ مِنِّي وَإِنَّكَ سَتُبْتَلَى، فَإِنِ ابْتُلِيتَ فَلَا تَدُلَّ عَلَيَّ، فَكَانَ الْغُلَامُ يُبْرِىءُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَسَائِرَ الْأَدْوَاءِ وَيَشْفِيهِمْ، وَكَانَ لِلْمَلِكِ جَلِيسٌ فَعَمِيَ فَسَمِعَ بِهِ فَأَتَاهُ بِهَدَايَا كَثِيرَةٍ فَقَالَ: اشْفِنِي وَلَكَ مَا ههُنَا أَجْمَعُ، فَـقَالَ: مَا أَنَا أَشْفِي أَحَدًا، إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَإِنْ آمَنْتَ بِهِ دَعَوْتُ اللهَ فَشَفَاكَ، فَآمَنَ فَدَعَا اللهَ فَشَفَاهُ.The boy came to the monk and informed him about it. The monk said to him, "O my son! Today you are better than I, and you have achieved what I see! You will be put to trial. And in case you are put to trial, do not inform (them) about me." The boy used to treat the people suffering from congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases. There was a courtier of the king who had become blind and he heard about the boy. He came and brought a number of gifts for the boy and said, "All these gifts are for you on the condition that you cure me." The boy said, "I do not cure anybody; it is only Allah who cures people. So, if you believe in Allah and supplicate to Him, He will cure you." So, he believed in and supplicated to Allah, and Allah cured him.ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَلِكَ فَجَلَسَ مِنْهُ نَحْوَ مَا كَانَ يَجْلِسُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: يَا فُلَانُ، مَنْ رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بَصَرَكَ؟ فَـقَالَ: رَبِّي. فَـقَالَ: أَنَا؟ قَالَ: لَا، رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ، قَالَ: وَلَكَ رَبٌّ غَيْرِي؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُعَذِّبُهُ حَتْى دَلَّ عَلَى الْغُلَامِ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ فَـقَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ بَلَغَ مِنْ سِحْرِكَ أَنْ تُبْرِىءَ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَهذِهِ الْأَدْوَاءَ قَالَ: مَا أَشْفِي أَحَدًا إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، قَالَ: أَنَا؟ قَالَ: لَا. قَالَ: أَوَلَكَ رَبٌّ غَيْرِي؟ قَالَ: رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ، فَأَخَذَهُ أَيْضًا بِالْعَذَابِ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِ حَتْى دَلَّ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ فَأُتِيَ بِالرَّاهِبِ فَقَالَ: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ فَأَبَى، فَوَضَعَ الْمِنْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ حَتْى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ، وَقَالَ لِلْأَعْمَى: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَأَبَى، فَوَضَعَ الْمِنْشَارَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ حَتْى وَقَعَ شِقَّاهُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ. وَقَالَ لِلْغُلَام: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَأَبَى، فَبَعَثَ بِهِ مَعَ نَفَرٍ إِلى جَبَلِ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَقَالَ: إِذَا بَلَغْتُمْ ذُرْوَتَهُ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلَّا فَدَهْدِهُوهُ، فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ فَلَمَّا عَلَوْا بِهِ الْجَبَلَ قَالَ: اللْهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ، فَرَجَفَ بِهِمُ الْجَبَلُ فَدُهْدِهُوا أَجْمَعُونَ، وَجَاءَ الْغُلَامُ يَتَلَمَّسُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى، فَبَعَثَ بِهِ مَعَ نَفَرٍ فِي قُرْقُورٍ فَقَالَ: إِذَا لَجَجْتُمْ بِهِ الْبَحْرَ فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ، وَإِلَّا فَغَرِّقُوهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ، فَلَجَّجُوا بِهِ الْبَحْرَ فَـقَالَ الْغُلَامُ: اللْهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ، فَغَرِقُوا أَجْمَعُونَ.Later, the courtier came to the king and sat at the place where he used to sit before. The king said, "Who gave you back your sight" The courtier replied, "My Lord." The king then said, "I did" The courtier said, "No, my Lord and your Lord - Allah" The king said, "Do you have another Lord beside me" The courtier said, "Yes, your Lord and my Lord is Allah." The king tortured him and did not stop until he told him about the boy. So, the boy was brought to the king and he said to him, "O boy! Has your magic reached to the extent that you cure congenital blindness, leprosy and other diseases" He said, "I do not cure anyone. Only Allah can cure." The king said, "Me" The boy replied, "No." The king asked, "Do you have another Lord besides me" The boy answered, "My Lord and your Lord is Allah." So, he tortured him also until he told about the monk. Then the monk was brought to him and the king said to him, "Abandon your religion." The monk refused and so the king ordered a saw to be brought which was placed in the middle of his head and he fell, sawn in two. Then it was said to the man who used to be blind, "Abandon your religion." He refused to do so, and so a saw was brought and placed in the middle of his head and he fell, sawn in two. Then the boy was brought and it was said to him, "Abandon your religion." He refused and so the king sent him to the top of such and such mountain with some people. He told the people, "Ascend up the mountain with him till you reach its peak, then see if he abandons his religion; otherwise throw him from the top." They took him and when they ascended to the top, he said, "O Allah! Save me from them by any means that You wish." So, the mountain shook and they all fell down and the boy came back walking to the king. The king said, "What did your companions (the people I sent with you) do" The boy said, "Allah saved me from them." So, the king ordered some people to take the boy on a boat to the middle of the sea, saying, "If he renounces his religion (well and good), but if he refuses, drown him." So, they took him out to sea and he said, "O Allah! Save me from them by any means that you wish." So they were all drowned in the sea.وَجَاءَ الْغُلَامُ حَتْى دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ فَـقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِقَاتِلي حَتْى تَفْعَلَ مَا آمُرُكَ بِهِ، فَإِنْ أَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ مَا آمُرُكَ بِهِ قَتَلْتَنِي، وَإِلَّا فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ قَتْلِي، قَالَ: وَمَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ: تَجْمَعُ النَّاسَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ ثُمَّ تَصْلُبُنِي عَلَى جِذْع وَتَأْخُذُ سَهْمًا مِنْ كِنَانَتِي، ثُمَّ قُلْ: بِاسْمِ اللهِ رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ. فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذلِكَ قَـتَلْتَنِـي. فَفَعَلَ وَوَضَعَ السَّهْمَ فِي كَبِدِ قَوْسِهِ ثُمَّ رَمَاهُ وَقَالَ: بِاسْمِ اللهِ رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ، فَوَقَعَ السَّهْمُ فِي صُدْغِهِ، فَوَضَعَ الْغُلَامُ يَدَهُ عَلَى مَوْضِع السَّهْم وَمَاتَ، فَـقَالَ النَّاسُ: آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلَام. فَقِيلَ لِلْمَلِكِ: أَرَأَيْتَ مَا كُنْتَ تَحْذَرُ؟ فَقَدْ وَاللهِ نَزَلَ بِكَ، قَدْ آمَنَ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ، فَأَمَرَ بِأَفْوَاهِ السِّكَكِ، فَخُدَّتْ فِيهَا الْأَخَادِيدُ وَأُضْرِمَتْ فِيهَا النِّيرَانُ، وَقَالَ: مَنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَدَعُوهُ، وَإِلَّا فَأَقْحِمُوهُ فِيهَا، قَالَ: فَكَانُوا يَتَعَادُّونَ فِيهَا وَيَتَدَافَعُونَ، فَجَاءَتِ امْرأَةٌ بابْنٍ لَهَا تُرْضِعُهُ، فَكَأَنَّهَا تَقَاعَسَتْ أَنْ تَقَعَ فِي النَّارِ فَـقَالَ الصَّبِيُّ: اصْبِرِي يَا أُمَّاهْ فَإِنَّكِ عَلَى الْحَق»Then the boy returned to the king and the king said, "What did your companions do" The boy replied, "Allah, saved me from them." Then he said to the king, "You will not be able to kill me until you do as I order you. And if you do as I order you, you will be able to kill me." The king asked, "And what is that" The boy said, "Gather the people in one elevated place and tie me to the trunk of a tree; then take an arrow from my quiver and say: `In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.' If you do this, you will be able to kill me." So he did this, and placing an arrow in the bow, he shot it, saying, "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy." The arrow hit the boy in the temple, and the boy placed his hand over the arrow wound and died. The people proclaimed, "We believe in the Lord of the boy!" Then it was said to the king, "Do you see what has happened That which you feared has taken place. By Allah, all the people have believed (in the Lord of the boy)." So he ordered that ditches be dug at the entrances to the roads and it was done, and fires were kindled in them. Then the king said, "Whoever abandons his religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the fire." They were struggling and scuffling in the fire, until a woman and her baby whom she was breast feeding came and it was as if she was being somewhat hesitant of falling into the fire, so her baby said to her, "Be patient mother! For verily, you are following the truth!") Muslim also recorded this Hadith at the end of the Sahih. Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar related this story in his book of Sirah in another way that has some differences from that which has just been related. Then, after Ibn Ishaq explained that the people of Najran began following the religion of the boy after his murder, which was the religion of Christianity, he said, "Then (the king) Dhu Nuwas came to them with his army and called them to Judaism. He gave them a choice to either accept Judaism or be killed, so they chose death. Thus, he had a ditch dug and burned (some of them) in the fire (in the ditch), while others he killed with the sword. He made an example of them (by slaughtering them) until he had killed almost twenty thousand of them. It was about Dhu Nuwas and his army that Allah revealed to His Messenger :قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ - النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ - إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ - وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ - وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ - الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ (Cursed were the People of the Ditch. Of fire fed with fuel. When they sat by it. And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers. And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise! To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over everything.) (85:4-9)" This is what Muhammad bin Ishaq said in his book of Sirah -- that the one who killed the People of the Ditch was Dhu Nuwas, and his name was Zur`ah. In the time of his kingdom he was called Yusuf. He was the son of Tuban As`ad Abi Karib, who was the Tubba` who invaded Al-Madinah and put the covering over the Ka`bah. He kept two rabbis with him from the Jews of Al-Madinah. After this some of the people of Yemen accepted Judaism at the hands of these two rabbis, as Ibn Ishaq mentions at length. So Dhu Nuwas killed twenty thousand people in one morning in the Ditch. Only one man among them escaped. He was known as Daws Dhu Tha`laban. He escaped on a horse and they set out after him, but they were unable to catch him. He went to Caesar, the emperor of Ash-Sham. So, Caesar wrote to An-Najashi, the King of Abyssinia. So, he sent with him an army of Abyssinian Christians, who were lead by Aryat and Abrahah. They rescued Yemen from the hands of the Jews. Dhu Nuwas tried to flee but eventually fell into the sea and drowned. After this, the kingdom of Abyssinia remained under Christian power for seventy years. Then the power was divested from the Christians by Sayf bin Dhi Yazin Al-Himyari when Kisra, the king of Persia sent an army there (to Yemen). He (the king) sent with him (Sayf Al-Himyari) those people who were in the prisons, and they were close to seven hundred in number. So, he (Sayf Al-Himyari) conquered Yemen with them and returned the kingdom back to the people of Himyar (Yemenis). We will mention a portion of this -- if Allah wills -- when we discuss the Tafsir of the Surah:أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـبِ الْفِيلِ (Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant) (105:1)The Punishment of the People of the DitchAllah said,إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُواْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَـتِ(Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women,) meaning, they burned (them). This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, and Ibn Abza.ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُواْ(and then do not turn in repentance,) meaning, `they do not cease from what they are doing, and do not regret what they had done before.'فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ(then they will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire.) This is because the recompense is based upon the type of deed performed. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Look at this generosity and kindness. These people killed Allah's Awliya' and He still invites them to make repentance and seek forgiveness."

And the promised day,

And by oath of the Promised Day.

by the promised day,

and [then bethink thyself of] the promised Day,

And by the Day promised,

And by the Promised Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection);

And by the Promised Day.

by the Promised Day,

And by by the Promised Day.

And by the Promised Day.

by the Promised Day,

By the Promised Day!

And [by] the promised Day

by the promised day,

And the promised day,

Wa<b>a</b>lyawmi almawAAood<b>i</b>

and by the promised Day,

By the promised Day (of Judgment);

وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْمَوْعُودِ

He took an oath by the day of judgment in which He promised to gather all creation.

He took an oath by the day of judgment in which He promised to gather all creation.

<p>وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ (and by the Promised Day, and by that which attends, and that which is attended...85:2-3) With reference to a prophetic Hadith reported by Tirmidhi, the phrase 'the Promised Day' refers to the Day of Judgment; the phrase 'that which attends' refers to 'Friday'; and the phrase 'that which is attended' refers to the day of ` Arafah. Thus in this verse, Allah has taken oath by four objects: [ 1] 'the sky, the one having stellar formations'; [ 2] 'the Day of Judgment'; [ 3] 'Friday'; and [ 4] 'the Day of ` Arafah'. The relationship between the objects of oath and the subject of oath is as follows: They bear evidence to the Divine omnipotence, and they are a proof of reckoning and reward and punishment on the Day of Judgement. Friday and the day of ` Arafah (the main day of Hajj that is 9th Zul-Hijjah of the Islami Calender) are blessed days for the believers to accumulate treasures for the Hereafter. Further, the subject of oath curses the infidels who burned the Muslims on account of their faith, and gives cheerful news to the righteous believers of securing elevated ranks in the Hereafter.</p><p>The Story of the People of Trench</p><p>Verse 4 refers to the People of the Trench. Their story is recounted in a Hadith reported by Imam Muslim as follows: There was an infidel king who lived in bygone times. He had a soothsayer, or, according to some narrations, a magician. The infidel king is identified as the ruler of Yemen. His name, according to Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، was Yusuf Dhu Nuwas, and he lived about seventy years before the birth of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The soothsayer or magician [ occult teacher ] said to the king that he should be given an intelligent boy, so that he could train him in the skill of foretelling or the black magic. Accordingly, the king sent a boy, ` Abdullh Ibn Tamir by name, to be trained by the soothsayer or magician [ occult teacher ]. Whenever the boy went to his teacher, he had to pass by a Christian monk. He followed the true religion of ` Isa علیہ السلام and worshipped Allah. Since the religion of ` Ish (علیہ السلام) was the true religion in those days, the monk was, in fact, a Muslim. The boy sat with the monk and was very much impressed by his teachings. As a result, he frequented the monk's house and sat with him for long hours before proceeding to his teacher, and ultimately embraced Islam. Allah had blessed him with such a strong faith that he was prepared to bear any pain and persecution for the sake of Allah. His teacher used to beat him for his coming late. On his way back from the occult teacher, he would spend some time again with the monk and used to go home late. The family would then beat him up for being late. But he was so keen to have the company of the monk that he managed to sit regularly with the monk without fear of persecution. Through the blessings of this, Allah had gifted him with many miracles [ karamah ]. Once it happened that the boy saw a lion has blocked the path and prevented people from passing. They were perturbed. He picked a stone and prayed: "0 Allah! If the religion of the monk is true, then kill this beast with this stone [ so that people may pass ]. And if the soothsayer or magician is true, then the beast must not die with my stone." So praying, he aimed at the lion and it died instantly. The news spread among the people that the boy possesses wonderful knowledge. A blind man heard about this and came up to him. He requested him to restore his sight. The boy conceded on the condition that he embraces Islam. The blind man agreed. The boy prayed and Allah restored his sight. The blind man became Muslim. The king came to know about these incidents, and he got the boy, the monk and the blind were apprehended. They were brought before the king. He got the blind and the monk killed, and ordered that the boy be taken to the summit of a mountain and be thrown from there. But those who had taken him up there fell and died. The boy went home safely. Then the king ordered to have him drowned in the sea. The boy escaped safely, while the people who took him to the sea were drowned. The boy then himself told the king how to kill him. He told him to take an arrow from his quiver and place it in his bow, and reciting, بِاِسمِ اللہِ رَبِّی in the name of Allah, my Lord' they should shoot. They did that and they boy finally died. In this way, the boy gave his life away but seeing this, the entire nation of the king cried out spontaneously: "We believe in Allah." At this, the king was greatly enraged and, after consultation with his cabinet, ordered for deep trenches to be dug and filled with fire. An announcement was then made that the people must renounce their faith in Allah. If they refuse, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Eventually, a woman carrying her infant child was brought to a trench, but she hesitated. Allah granted speech to her child who said: "O mother, be steadfast, because you are certainly on the truth." In this way, many people were burned. According to some reports, about twelve thousand people were burned to ashes and, according to other reports, the number is put more than this. Consequently, Divine wrath descended on the People of the Trench and fiery furnace. Reference in verse 4 is made to this incident after taking an oath.</p><p>In a narration of Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, it is reported that the place where the boy ` Abdullah Ibn Tamir was buried had to be dug up for some important reason during the time of Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ . It was found that the body of ` Abdullah Ibn Thmir was intact, and he was sitting up. His hand was placed on his hip joint, where the arrow struck him. Someone moved his hand out from that place, and his wound started bleeding. When the hand was placed back in its position, the bleeding stopped. There was a ring in his finger which had the inscription: اللہُ رَبِّی "Allah is my Lord." The governor of Yemen informed Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ about this, and he wrote back in reply: "Bury the body back as it was with his finger-ring." [ Ibn Kathir ]</p><p>Special Note</p><p>Ibn Kathir, with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim, writes that the incidents of 'trenches of fire' took place many times in history in different parts of the world. Then Ibn Abi Hatim specifies three particular incidents: [ 1] a trench in Yemen. [ This incident took place during the period of fatrah (the interval between ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، about seventy years before the advent of the Prophet ﷺ ]; [ 2] a trench in Syria; and [ 3] a trench in Iran. He further states that the incident the Qur'an refers to here in Surah Buruj is the first one that occurred in Najran, the trench of the kingdom of Yemen, because that was in Arabia.</p>

وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ (and by the Promised Day, and by that which attends, and that which is attended...85:2-3) With reference to a prophetic Hadith reported by Tirmidhi, the phrase 'the Promised Day' refers to the Day of Judgment; the phrase 'that which attends' refers to 'Friday'; and the phrase 'that which is attended' refers to the day of ` Arafah. Thus in this verse, Allah has taken oath by four objects: [ 1] 'the sky, the one having stellar formations'; [ 2] 'the Day of Judgment'; [ 3] 'Friday'; and [ 4] 'the Day of ` Arafah'. The relationship between the objects of oath and the subject of oath is as follows: They bear evidence to the Divine omnipotence, and they are a proof of reckoning and reward and punishment on the Day of Judgement. Friday and the day of ` Arafah (the main day of Hajj that is 9th Zul-Hijjah of the Islami Calender) are blessed days for the believers to accumulate treasures for the Hereafter. Further, the subject of oath curses the infidels who burned the Muslims on account of their faith, and gives cheerful news to the righteous believers of securing elevated ranks in the Hereafter.The Story of the People of TrenchVerse 4 refers to the People of the Trench. Their story is recounted in a Hadith reported by Imam Muslim as follows: There was an infidel king who lived in bygone times. He had a soothsayer, or, according to some narrations, a magician. The infidel king is identified as the ruler of Yemen. His name, according to Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، was Yusuf Dhu Nuwas, and he lived about seventy years before the birth of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The soothsayer or magician [ occult teacher ] said to the king that he should be given an intelligent boy, so that he could train him in the skill of foretelling or the black magic. Accordingly, the king sent a boy, ` Abdullh Ibn Tamir by name, to be trained by the soothsayer or magician [ occult teacher ]. Whenever the boy went to his teacher, he had to pass by a Christian monk. He followed the true religion of ` Isa علیہ السلام and worshipped Allah. Since the religion of ` Ish (علیہ السلام) was the true religion in those days, the monk was, in fact, a Muslim. The boy sat with the monk and was very much impressed by his teachings. As a result, he frequented the monk's house and sat with him for long hours before proceeding to his teacher, and ultimately embraced Islam. Allah had blessed him with such a strong faith that he was prepared to bear any pain and persecution for the sake of Allah. His teacher used to beat him for his coming late. On his way back from the occult teacher, he would spend some time again with the monk and used to go home late. The family would then beat him up for being late. But he was so keen to have the company of the monk that he managed to sit regularly with the monk without fear of persecution. Through the blessings of this, Allah had gifted him with many miracles [ karamah ]. Once it happened that the boy saw a lion has blocked the path and prevented people from passing. They were perturbed. He picked a stone and prayed: "0 Allah! If the religion of the monk is true, then kill this beast with this stone [ so that people may pass ]. And if the soothsayer or magician is true, then the beast must not die with my stone." So praying, he aimed at the lion and it died instantly. The news spread among the people that the boy possesses wonderful knowledge. A blind man heard about this and came up to him. He requested him to restore his sight. The boy conceded on the condition that he embraces Islam. The blind man agreed. The boy prayed and Allah restored his sight. The blind man became Muslim. The king came to know about these incidents, and he got the boy, the monk and the blind were apprehended. They were brought before the king. He got the blind and the monk killed, and ordered that the boy be taken to the summit of a mountain and be thrown from there. But those who had taken him up there fell and died. The boy went home safely. Then the king ordered to have him drowned in the sea. The boy escaped safely, while the people who took him to the sea were drowned. The boy then himself told the king how to kill him. He told him to take an arrow from his quiver and place it in his bow, and reciting, بِاِسمِ اللہِ رَبِّی in the name of Allah, my Lord' they should shoot. They did that and they boy finally died. In this way, the boy gave his life away but seeing this, the entire nation of the king cried out spontaneously: "We believe in Allah." At this, the king was greatly enraged and, after consultation with his cabinet, ordered for deep trenches to be dug and filled with fire. An announcement was then made that the people must renounce their faith in Allah. If they refuse, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Eventually, a woman carrying her infant child was brought to a trench, but she hesitated. Allah granted speech to her child who said: "O mother, be steadfast, because you are certainly on the truth." In this way, many people were burned. According to some reports, about twelve thousand people were burned to ashes and, according to other reports, the number is put more than this. Consequently, Divine wrath descended on the People of the Trench and fiery furnace. Reference in verse 4 is made to this incident after taking an oath.In a narration of Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, it is reported that the place where the boy ` Abdullah Ibn Tamir was buried had to be dug up for some important reason during the time of Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ . It was found that the body of ` Abdullah Ibn Thmir was intact, and he was sitting up. His hand was placed on his hip joint, where the arrow struck him. Someone moved his hand out from that place, and his wound started bleeding. When the hand was placed back in its position, the bleeding stopped. There was a ring in his finger which had the inscription: اللہُ رَبِّی "Allah is my Lord." The governor of Yemen informed Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ about this, and he wrote back in reply: "Bury the body back as it was with his finger-ring." [ Ibn Kathir ]Special NoteIbn Kathir, with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim, writes that the incidents of 'trenches of fire' took place many times in history in different parts of the world. Then Ibn Abi Hatim specifies three particular incidents: [ 1] a trench in Yemen. [ This incident took place during the period of fatrah (the interval between ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، about seventy years before the advent of the Prophet ﷺ ]; [ 2] a trench in Syria; and [ 3] a trench in Iran. He further states that the incident the Qur'an refers to here in Surah Buruj is the first one that occurred in Najran, the trench of the kingdom of Yemen, because that was in Arabia.

And the witness and the witnessed,

And by oath of the day that is a witness and by oath of a day in which the people present themselves.

by the witness and the witnessed,

and [of] Him who witnesses [all], and [of] that unto which witness is borne [by Him]!

And by the Day witnessing and the Day witnessed,

And by the witnessing day (i.e. Friday), and by the witnessed day [i.e. the day of 'Arafat (Hajj) the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah];

And by the witness and the witnessed.

and by the witness and what is witnessed:

And by the Witness and by the Witnessed.

And by the witness and that whereunto he beareth testimony,

by the Witness and the Witnessed:

By the witness and the witnessed!

And [by] the witness and what is witnessed,

and by the witness (Muhammad) and that which is witnessed (the Day of Judgment),

And the bearer of witness and those against whom the witness is borne.

Wash<u>a</u>hidin wamashhood<b>in</b>

by the Witness and the witnessed,

By one that witnesses, and the subject of the witness;-

وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ

He took an oath by every witness, like the prophet who is a witness over his nation, and every thing witnessed, like the nation that is a witness over its prophet.

He took an oath by every witness, like the prophet who is a witness over his nation, and every thing witnessed, like the nation that is a witness over its prophet.

That accursed are the men of the trench

Accursed be the People of the Ditch!

slain were the Men of the Pit,

THEY DESTROY [but] themselves, they who would ready a pit

Perish the fellows of the ditch,

Cursed were the people of the ditch (the story of the Boy and the King).

Destroyed were the People of the Trench.

the people of the pit were destroyed

Cursed were the People of the Ditch.

(Self-)destroyed were the owners of the ditch

perish the People of the Ditch!

The companions of the pit were killed

Cursed were the companions of the trench

may the people be condemned those who tortured (the believers) in ditches

Cursed be the makers of the pit,

Qutila a<u>s</u><u>ha</u>bu alukhdood<b>i</b>

destroyed were the people of the trench,

Woe to the makers of the pit (of fire),

قُتِلَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْأُخْدُودِ

Those who made a huge crevice in the ground are cursed.

Those who made a huge crevice in the ground are cursed.

Full of fire fed by faggots,

The people of the fuelled blazing fire.

the fire abounding in fuel,

of fire fiercely burning [for all who have attained to faith]!

Of fire fuel-fed,

Fire supplied (abundantly) with fuel,

The fire supplied with fuel.

with fire abounding in fuel,

Of fire fed with fuel.

Of the fuel-fed fire,

The fire abounding in fuel,

the fire with its fuel,

[Containing] the fire full of fuel,

by a burning fire

Of the fire (kept burning) with fuel,

A<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>ri <u>tha</u>ti alwaqood<b>i</b>

the makers of the fuel-stoked fire!

Fire supplied (abundantly) with fuel:

ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلْوَقُودِ

In which they lit a fire and threw the believers into it alive.

In which they lit a fire and threw the believers into it alive.

As they sat around it

When they were sitting at its edge.

when they were seated over it

Lo! [With glee do] they contemplate that [fire],

When they sat by it

When they sat by it (fire),

While they sat around it.

while they sat around it,

When they sat by it.

When they sat by it,

above which they sat

when they were seated around it

When they were sitting near it

while they themselves sat around it

When they sat by it,

I<u>th</u> hum AAalayh<u>a</u> quAAood<b>un</b>

They sat by it

Behold! they sat over against the (fire),

إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ

While they sat around that crevice filled with fire.

While they sat around that crevice filled with fire.

Witnessing what they had done to the believers!

And they themselves are witnesses to what they were doing to the Muslims!

and were themselves witnesses of what they did with the believers.

fully conscious of what they are doing to the believers,

And to that which they did to the believers were witnesses.

And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers (i.e. burning them).

And were witnessing what they did to the believers.

and were witnessing what they did to the believers.

And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers.

And were themselves the witnesses of what they did to the believers.

as they were themselves witnesses to what they did to the faithful.

and they were witnesses of what they did to the believers

And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses.

witnessing what they were doing.

And they were witnesses of what they did with the believers.

Wahum AAal<u>a</u> m<u>a</u> yafAAaloona bi<b>a</b>lmumineena shuhood<b>un</b>

to watch what they were doing to the believers,

And they witnessed (all) that they were doing against the Believers.

وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ

They were witnesses to the torture and ill-treatment they meted out to the believers, as they were present there.

They were witnesses to the torture and ill-treatment they meted out to the believers, as they were present there.

They had no other reason for hating them except that they believed in God the mighty, worthy of praise,

And what did they dislike from the Muslims, except that the Muslims accepted faith in Allah the Most Honourable, the Most Praiseworthy?

They took revenge on them only because they believed in the All-mighty, the Al-laudable,

whom they hate for no other reason than that they believe in God, the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due,

And they persecuted them for naught save that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy

They had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise!

They begrudged them only because they believed in God the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.

Against these they had no grudge except that they believed in Allah, the Most Mighty, the Most Praiseworthy,

And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise!

They had naught against them save that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Owner of Praise,

They were vindictive towards them only because they had faith in Allah, the All-mighty and the All-laudable,

and their revenge on them was only because they believed in Allah, the Almighty, the Praised,

And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy,

The only reason for which they tormented the believers was the latter's belief in God, the Majestic, and Praiseworthy.

And they did not take vengeance on them for aught except that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Praised,

Wam<u>a</u> naqamoo minhum ill<u>a</u> an yuminoo bi<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hi alAAazeezi al<u>h</u>ameed<b>i</b>

whom they hated for no other reason than that they believed in God, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy,

And they ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in Allah, Exalted in Power, Worthy of all Praise!-

وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ

These disbelievers found no fault in the believers except that they had faith in Allah, the Mighty, Whom none can overpower, the One Praised in everything.

These disbelievers found no fault in the believers except that they had faith in Allah, the Mighty, Whom none can overpower, the One Praised in everything.

Whose kingdom spreads over the heavens and the earth. God is witness over everything.

To Him only belongs the kingship of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is a Witness over all things.

God to whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and God is Witness over everything.

[and] to whom the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs. But God is witness unto everything!

Him, Whose is the dominion of heavens and the earth. And Allah is over everything a Witness.

Who, to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over everything.

To Whom belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. God is witness over everything.

to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. Allah witnesses everything.

To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over everything.

Him unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is of all things the Witness.

to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is witness to all things.

to whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and earth. And Allah is the Witness of all things.

To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, over all things, is Witness.

and the One to whom belongs the heavens and the earth. God is the Witness of all things.

Whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is a Witness of all things.

Alla<u>th</u>ee lahu mulku a<b>l</b>ssam<u>a</u>w<u>a</u>ti wa<b>a</b>lar<u>d</u>i wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu AAal<u>a</u> kulli shayin shaheed<b>un</b>

to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. God is witness over all things.

Him to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness to all things.

ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

The One to Whom alone belongs control of the heavens and control of the earth. He is aware of everything. No affair of His servants is hidden from Him.

The One to Whom alone belongs control of the heavens and control of the earth. He is aware of everything. No affair of His servants is hidden from Him.

Surely for those who persecute believers, men and women, and do not repent afterwards, is the punishment of Hell, and the punishment of burning.

Indeed those who troubled the Muslim men and Muslim women, and then did not repent – for them is the punishment of hell, and for them is the punishment of fire.

Those who persecute the believers, men and women, and then have not repented, there awaits them the chastisement of Gehenna, and there awaits them the chastisement of the burning.

Verily, as for those who persecute believing men and believing women, and thereafter do not repent, hell's suffering awaits them: yea, suffering through fire awaits them!

Verily those who affected the believing men and the believing women, and then repented not, theirs shall be the torment of Hell, and theirs shall be the torment of burning.

Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them and burning them), and then do not turn in repentance, (to Allah), will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire.

Those who tempt the believers, men and women, then do not repent; for them is the punishment of Hell; for them is the punishment of Burning.

Surely those who tormented the believing men and the believing women and then did not repent, theirs shall be the chastisement of Hell, and theirs shall be the chastisement of burning.

Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women, and then do not turn in repentance, then they will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire.

Lo! they who persecute believing men and believing women and repent not, theirs verily will be the doom of hell, and theirs the doom of burning.

Indeed those who persecute the faithful, men and women, and do not repent thereafter, there is the punishment of hell for them and the punishment of burning.

Those who persecuted the believing men and women and never repented, there is for them the punishment of Gehenna (Hell), and for them the punishment of the burning.

Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women and then have not repented will have the punishment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the Burning Fire.

Those who persecute the believing men and women without repenting will suffer the torment of hell and that of the burning fire.

Surely (as for) those who persecute the believing men and the believing women, then do not repent, they shall have the chastisement of hell, and they shall have the chastisement of burning.

Inna alla<u>th</u>eena fatanoo almumineena wa<b>a</b>lmumin<u>a</u>ti thumma lam yatooboo falahum AAa<u>tha</u>bu jahannama walahum AAa<u>tha</u>bu al<u>h</u>areeq<b>i</b>

Those who persecute the believing men and believing women, and then do not repent, will surely suffer the punishment of Hell, and the torment of burning.

Those who persecute (or draw into temptation) the Believers, men and women, and do not turn in repentance, will have the Penalty of Hell: They will have the Penalty of the Burning Fire.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا۟ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا۟ فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ ٱلْحَرِيقِ

Those who tortured the believing men and women with the fire in order to turn them away from having faith in Allah alone, and then did not repent to Allah from their sins, for them on the day of judgment is the punishment of Hell and for them is the punishment of the Fire that will burn them, as a recompense for their burning the believers in the fire.

Those who tortured the believing men and women with the fire in order to turn them away from having faith in Allah alone, and then did not repent to Allah from their sins, for them on the day of judgment is the punishment of Hell and for them is the punishment of the Fire that will burn them, as a recompense for their burning the believers in the fire.

<p>إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا (Surely, those who persecuted the believing men and the believing women, then did not repent,...85:10) This verse describes the torment of the wrong-doers who burned the Muslims in the fire pit only on account of their faith. The description points out two things: [ 1] فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ them there is the torment of Jahannam) and [ 2] وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ (and for them there is the torment of burning). The second sentence may be treated as explicative of the first sentence, a statement for emphasis. It signifies that they will be put into Hell and will have to suffer eternal torment of the fire. Another possible interpretation is that the second statement describes the wrong-doers' torment in this world, as is narrated in some reports. The believers, who had been cast in fire pits, were spared the torture of fire, in that the souls of the believers were taken out before the fire could touch them. Only their dead bodies were lying in the fiery furnace. After that the fire flared up so high that it spread out wildly through the city and burned all those who were watching the fun of burning the Muslims. Only Yusuf Dhu Nuwas managed to run away, and threw himself into the sea in order to save himself from the rage of the fire, but he got drowned and died. [ Mazhari ].</p><p>Attached to the torment of Hell and the torment of burning for the wrong-doers is the restrictive phrase: ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا (then did not repent). That is, this torment is for those who did not repent of their deed and did not offer taubah. Thus this part of the verse invites people to repent. Sayyidna Hasan ؓ states: "Look at Allah's compassion and benevolence. They burned Allah's friends alive, yet He invites them towards repentance and forgiveness." [ Ibn Kathir ].</p><p>Alhamdulillah</p><p>The Commentary on</p><p>Surah Al-Buruj Ends here</p>

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا (Surely, those who persecuted the believing men and the believing women, then did not repent,...85:10) This verse describes the torment of the wrong-doers who burned the Muslims in the fire pit only on account of their faith. The description points out two things: [ 1] فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ them there is the torment of Jahannam) and [ 2] وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ (and for them there is the torment of burning). The second sentence may be treated as explicative of the first sentence, a statement for emphasis. It signifies that they will be put into Hell and will have to suffer eternal torment of the fire. Another possible interpretation is that the second statement describes the wrong-doers' torment in this world, as is narrated in some reports. The believers, who had been cast in fire pits, were spared the torture of fire, in that the souls of the believers were taken out before the fire could touch them. Only their dead bodies were lying in the fiery furnace. After that the fire flared up so high that it spread out wildly through the city and burned all those who were watching the fun of burning the Muslims. Only Yusuf Dhu Nuwas managed to run away, and threw himself into the sea in order to save himself from the rage of the fire, but he got drowned and died. [ Mazhari ].Attached to the torment of Hell and the torment of burning for the wrong-doers is the restrictive phrase: ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا (then did not repent). That is, this torment is for those who did not repent of their deed and did not offer taubah. Thus this part of the verse invites people to repent. Sayyidna Hasan ؓ states: "Look at Allah's compassion and benevolence. They burned Allah's friends alive, yet He invites them towards repentance and forgiveness." [ Ibn Kathir ].AlhamdulillahThe Commentary onSurah Al-Buruj Ends here

Surely for those who believe and do the right are gardens with rivers running by. That is the greatest success.

Indeed those who believed and did good deeds – for them are Gardens beneath which rivers flow; this is the great success.

Those who believe, and do righteous deeds, for them await gardens underneath which rivers flow; that is the great triumph.

[But,] verily, they who attain to faith and do righteous deeds shall [in the life to come] have gardens through which running waters flow - that triumph most great!

Verily those who believed and worked righteons works, theirs shall be Gardens whereunder the rivers flow; that is the supreme achievement.

Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise). That is the great success.

Those who believe and do righteous deeds will have Gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great triumph.

As for those who believed and acted righteously, theirs shall be Gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great triumph.

Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow. That is the supreme success.

Lo! those who believe and do good works, theirs will be Gardens underneath which rivers flow. That is the Great Success.

Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds—for them will be gardens with streams running in them. That is the supreme success.

(But) for those who believe and do good works, for them there are Gardens underneath which rivers flow that is the Great Victory!

Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment.

As for the righteously striving believers, they will live in Paradise wherein streams flow. This is the greatest triumph.

Surely (as for) those who believe and do good, they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow, that is the great achievement.

Inna alla<u>th</u>eena <u>a</u>manoo waAAamiloo a<b>l</b><u>ssa</u>li<u>ha</u>ti lahum jann<u>a</u>tun tajree min ta<u>h</u>tih<u>a</u> alanh<u>a</u>ru <u>tha</u>lika alfawzu alkabeer<b>u</b>

But those who believe and do good deeds shall be rewarded with gardens watered by flowing rivers. That is the supreme triumph.

For those who believe and do righteous deeds, will be Gardens; beneath which rivers flow: That is the great Salvation, (the fulfilment of all desires),

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ

Those who have faith in Allah and do good deeds, for them will be gardens under whose palaces and trees rivers flow. That reward, which is prepared for them, is the supreme success that no other success comes close to.

Those who have faith in Allah and do good deeds, for them will be gardens under whose palaces and trees rivers flow. That reward, which is prepared for them, is the supreme success that no other success comes close to.

<h2 class="title">The Reward of the Righteous, and the Harsh Seizing of the Disbelieving Enemies of Allah</h2><p>Allah informs about His believing servants that</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ</div><p>(for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow.) This is the opposite of what he has prepared for His enemies of Fire and Hell. Thus, He says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ</div><p>(That is the supreme success.) Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ </div><p>(Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful.) meaning, indeed His punishment and His vengeance upon His enemies, who have rejected His Messengers, and opposed His command, is severe, great and strong. For verily, He is the Owner of power, Most Strong. He is the One that whatever He wants, then it will be however He wants it to be, in the matter of a blinking of an eye, or even swifter. Thus, Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِىءُ وَيُعِيدُ </div><p>(Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats.) meaning, from His perfect strength and power is that He begins the creation, and He repeats it just as He began it, without opposition or resistance.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ </div><p>(And He is Oft-Forgiving, Al-Wadud.) meaning, He forgives the sin of whoever repents to Him and humbles himself before Him, no matter what the sin may be. Ibn `Abbas and others have said about the name Al-Wadud, "It means Al-Habib (the Loving)."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذُو الْعَرْشِ</div><p>(Owner of the Throne,) meaning, the Owner of the Mighty Throne that is above all of the creation. Then He says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الْمَجِيدِ</div><p>(Al-Majid (the Glorious).) This word has been recited in two different ways: either with a Dhammah over its last letter (Al-Majidu), which is an attribute of the Lord, or with a Kasrah under its last letter (Al-Majid), which is a description of the Throne. Nevertheless, both meanings are correct.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ </div><p>(Doer of what He intends.) meaning, whatever He wants He does it, and there is no one who can counter His ruling. He is not asked about what He does due to His greatness, His power, His wisdom and His justice. This is as we have related previously from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, that it was said to him during the illness of (his) death, "Has a doctor seen you" He replied, "Yes." They said, "What did he say to you" He replied, "He said, `I am the Doer of whatever I intend."' Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هَلُ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ - فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ </div><p>(Has the story reached you of the hosts. Of Fir`awn and Thamud) meaning, has the news reached you of what Allah caused to befall them of torment, and that He sent down upon them the punishment that no one was able to ward off from them This is the affirmation of His statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ </div><p>(Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful.) meaning, when He seizes the wrongdoer, He seizes him with a severe and painful punishment. It is the seizing punishment of One Most Mighty, and Most Powerful. Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى تَكْذِيبٍ </div><p>(Nay! The disbelievers (persisted) in denying.) meaning, they are in doubt, suspicion, disbelief and rebellion.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَاللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِمْ مُّحِيطٌ </div><p>(And Allah encompasses them from behind!) meaning, He has power over them, and is able to compel them. They cannot escape Him or evade Him.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌ مَّجِيدٌ </div><p>(Nay! This is a Glorious Qur'an.) meaning, magnificent and noble.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِى لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍ </div><p>(In Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz!) meaning, among the most high gathering, guarded from any increase, decrease, distortion, or change. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Buruj, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah.</p>

The Reward of the Righteous, and the Harsh Seizing of the Disbelieving Enemies of AllahAllah informs about His believing servants thatلَهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ(for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow.) This is the opposite of what he has prepared for His enemies of Fire and Hell. Thus, He says,ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ(That is the supreme success.) Then Allah says,إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ (Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful.) meaning, indeed His punishment and His vengeance upon His enemies, who have rejected His Messengers, and opposed His command, is severe, great and strong. For verily, He is the Owner of power, Most Strong. He is the One that whatever He wants, then it will be however He wants it to be, in the matter of a blinking of an eye, or even swifter. Thus, Allah says,إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِىءُ وَيُعِيدُ (Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats.) meaning, from His perfect strength and power is that He begins the creation, and He repeats it just as He began it, without opposition or resistance.وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ (And He is Oft-Forgiving, Al-Wadud.) meaning, He forgives the sin of whoever repents to Him and humbles himself before Him, no matter what the sin may be. Ibn `Abbas and others have said about the name Al-Wadud, "It means Al-Habib (the Loving)."ذُو الْعَرْشِ(Owner of the Throne,) meaning, the Owner of the Mighty Throne that is above all of the creation. Then He says,الْمَجِيدِ(Al-Majid (the Glorious).) This word has been recited in two different ways: either with a Dhammah over its last letter (Al-Majidu), which is an attribute of the Lord, or with a Kasrah under its last letter (Al-Majid), which is a description of the Throne. Nevertheless, both meanings are correct.فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ (Doer of what He intends.) meaning, whatever He wants He does it, and there is no one who can counter His ruling. He is not asked about what He does due to His greatness, His power, His wisdom and His justice. This is as we have related previously from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, that it was said to him during the illness of (his) death, "Has a doctor seen you" He replied, "Yes." They said, "What did he say to you" He replied, "He said, `I am the Doer of whatever I intend."' Concerning Allah's statement,هَلُ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ - فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ (Has the story reached you of the hosts. Of Fir`awn and Thamud) meaning, has the news reached you of what Allah caused to befall them of torment, and that He sent down upon them the punishment that no one was able to ward off from them This is the affirmation of His statement,إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ (Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful.) meaning, when He seizes the wrongdoer, He seizes him with a severe and painful punishment. It is the seizing punishment of One Most Mighty, and Most Powerful. Then Allah says,بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى تَكْذِيبٍ (Nay! The disbelievers (persisted) in denying.) meaning, they are in doubt, suspicion, disbelief and rebellion.وَاللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِمْ مُّحِيطٌ (And Allah encompasses them from behind!) meaning, He has power over them, and is able to compel them. They cannot escape Him or evade Him.بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌ مَّجِيدٌ (Nay! This is a Glorious Qur'an.) meaning, magnificent and noble.فِى لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍ (In Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz!) meaning, among the most high gathering, guarded from any increase, decrease, distortion, or change. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Buruj, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah.

The grip of your Lord is severe indeed!

Indeed the seizure of your Lord is very severe.

Surely thy Lord's assault is terrible.

VERILY, thy Sustainer's grip is exceedingly strong!

Verily the grip of thine Lord is severe.

Verily, (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) the Grip (Punishment) of your Lord is severe.

The onslaught of your Lord is severe.

Stern indeed is your Lord's punishment.

Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful.

Lo! the punishment of thy Lord is stern.

Indeed your Lord’s striking is severe.

Indeed, the seizing of your Lord is severe.

Indeed, the vengeance of your Lord is severe.

The vengeance of God is terribly severe.

Surely the might of your Lord is great.

Inna ba<u>t</u>sha rabbika lashadeed<b>un</b>

The grip of your Lord is indeed severe,

Truly strong is the Grip (and Power) of thy Lord.

إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ

The seizure of your Lord, O Messenger, of the wrongdoer - even if He gives his respite for a while - is forceful.

The seizure of your Lord, O Messenger, of the wrongdoer - even if He gives his respite for a while - is forceful.

It is verily He who initiates and repeats.

Indeed it is He Who initiates and redoes.

Surely it is He who originates, and brings again,

Behold, it is He who creates [man] in the first instance, and He [it is who] will bring him forth anew.

Verily He! He it is who beginneth and repeateth it.

Verily, He it is Who begins (punishment) and repeats (punishment in the Hereafter) (or originates the creation of everything, and then repeats it on the Day of Resurrection).

It is He who begins and repeats.

He it is Who creates for the first time and He it is Who will create again,

Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats.

Lo! He it is Who produceth, then reproduceth,

It is indeed He who originates and brings back,

It is He who originates and repeats.

Indeed, it is He who originates [creation] and repeats.

It is He who creates all things and causes them to return.

Surely He it is Who originates and reproduces,

Innahu huwa yubdio wayuAAeed<b>u</b>

it is He who begins and repeats [His creation],

It is He Who creates from the very beginning, and He can restore (life).

إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ

He begins the creation and the punishment and repeats them.

He begins the creation and the punishment and repeats them.

He is the forgiving and the loving,

And He only is the Oft Forgiving, the Beloved of His bondmen.

and He is the All-forgiving, the All-loving,

And He alone is truly-forgiving, all-embracing in His love,

And He is the Fogiving, the Loving,

And He is Oft-Forgiving, full of love (towards the pious who are real true believers of Islamic Monotheism),

And He is the Forgiving, the Loving.

and He is the Ever Forgiving, the Most Loving

And He is Oft-Forgiving, Al-Wadud.

And He is the Forgiving, the Loving,

and He is the All-forgiving, the All-affectionate,

And He is the Forgiving, and the Loving.

And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate,

He is the All-forgiving, the Most Loving One,

And He is the Forgiving, the Loving,

Wahuwa alghafooru alwadood<b>u</b>

and He is the Forgiving and Loving One.

And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Full of Loving-Kindness,

وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلْوَدُودُ

He is Forgiving of the sins of His servants who repent and He loves His allies who are Mindful.

He is Forgiving of the sins of His servants who repent and He loves His allies who are Mindful.

The Lord of the glorious Throne,

Master of the Honourable Throne.

Lord of the Throne, the All-glorious,

in sublime almightiness enthroned,

Lord of the Throne, the Glorious,

Owner of the throne, the Glorious

Possessor of the Glorious Throne.

– the Lord of the Glorious Throne,

Owner of the Throne, Al-Majid (the Glorious).

Lord of the Throne of Glory,

Lord of the Throne, the All-glorious,

Owner of the Throne, the Exalted.

Honorable Owner of the Throne,

the Owner of the Throne, the Glorious One,

Lord of the Arsh, the Glorious,

<u>Th</u>oo alAAarshi almajeed<b>i</b>

The Lord of the Glorious Throne,

Lord of the Throne of Glory,

ذُو ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْمَجِيدُ

Possessor of the Noble Throne.

Possessor of the Noble Throne.

Who does as He pleases.

Always doing whatever He wills.

Performer of what He desires.

a sovereign doer of whatever He wills.

Doer of whatsoever He intendeth.

He does what He intends (or wills).

Doer of whatever He wills.

the Executor of what He wills.

Doer of what He intends.

Doer of what He will.

doer of what He desires.

The Doer of whatever He wants.

Effecter of what He intends.

and the Most Effective in His decision.

The great doer of what He will.

FaAAAA<u>a</u>lun lim<u>a</u> yureed<b>u</b>

Executor of His own will.

Doer (without let) of all that He intends.

فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ

Doer of the what He wills such as pardoning the sins of whoever He wills and punishing whoever He wills. There is none that can compel Him, may He be glorified.

Doer of the what He wills such as pardoning the sins of whoever He wills and punishing whoever He wills. There is none that can compel Him, may He be glorified.

Has the story of the hordes

Did the story of the armies reach you?

Hast thou received the story of the hosts,

HAS IT ever come within thy ken, the story of the [sinful] hosts

Hath there come Unto thee the story of the hosts-

Has the story reached you of the hosts,

Has there come to you the story of the legions?

Has the story of the armies reached you,

Has the story reached you of the hosts.

Hath there come unto thee the story of the hosts

Did you receive the story of the hosts

Has it come to you the story of the hosts

Has there reached you the story of the soldiers -

Have you not heard about the stories of the armies

Has not there come to you the story of the hosts,

Hal at<u>a</u>ka <u>h</u>adeethu aljunood<b>i</b>

Have you not heard the story of the hosts

Has the story reached thee, of the forces-

هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْجُنُودِ

Has the news of the forces who enlisted to combat and be an obstacle to the truth reached you, O Messenger?!

Has the news of the forces who enlisted to combat and be an obstacle to the truth reached you, O Messenger?!

Of Pharaoh and Thamud come to you?

(The armies of) Firaun and the tribe of Thamud.

Pharaoh and Thamood?

of Pharaoh, and of [the tribe of] Thamud?

Of the Fir'awn and the Thamud?

Of Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and Thamud?

Of Pharaoh and Thamood?

the armies of Pharaoh and Thamud?

Of Fir`awn and Thamud

Of Pharaoh and (the tribe of) Thamud?

of Pharaoh and Thamud?

of Pharaoh and of Thamood?

[Those of] Pharaoh and Thamud?

of the Pharaoh and Thamud?

Of Firon and Samood?

FirAAawna wathamood<b>a</b>

of Pharaoh and Thamud?

Of Pharaoh and the Thamud?

فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ

Pharaoh, and the Thamud, the people of Salih (peace be upon him).

Pharaoh, and the Thamud, the people of Salih (peace be upon him).

Yet the infidels persist in denial.

In fact the disbelievers are in denial.

Nay, but the unbelievers still cry lies,

And yet, they who are bent on denying the truth persist in giving it the lie:

But those who disbelieve are engaged in denial.

Nay! The disbelievers (persisted) in denying (Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and his Message of Islamic Monotheism).

In fact, those who disbelieve are in denial.

The unbelievers are indeed engaged in denying it, calling it a lie,

Nay! The disbelievers (persisted) in denying.

Nay, but those who disbelieve live in denial

Indeed the faithless dwell in denial,

Yet the unbelievers still belie,

But they who disbelieve are in [persistent] denial,

In fact, the disbelievers had always rejected (Our revelations).

Nay! those who disbelieve are in (the act of) giving the lie to the truth.

Bali alla<u>th</u>eena kafaroo fee tak<u>th</u>eeb<b>in</b>

Yet those who deny the truth persist in denial.

And yet the Unbelievers (persist) in rejecting (the Truth)!

بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى تَكْذِيبٍ

The obstacle to the faith of these people is not that the incidents of the destruction of the nations who denied did not come to them. Instead, they deny what their messengers brought to them due to following desires.

The obstacle to the faith of these people is not that the incidents of the destruction of the nations who denied did not come to them. Instead, they deny what their messengers brought to them due to following desires.

But God surrounds them from all sides.

And Allah is after them, has them surrounded.

and God is behind them, encompassing.

but all the while God encompasses them [with His knowledge and might] without their being aware of it.

Whereas Allah is, from behind them, Encompassing.

And Allah encompasses them from behind! (i.e. all their deeds are within His Knowledge, and He will requite them for their deeds).

And God encloses them from beyond.

although Allah surrounds them.

And Allah encompasses them from behind!

And Allah, all unseen, surroundeth them.

and Allah besieges them from all around.

Allah encompasses them all from behind.

While Allah encompasses them from behind.

However, God encompassed their activities.

And Allah encompasses them on every side.

Wa<b>A</b>ll<u>a</u>hu min war<u>a</u>ihim mu<u>h</u>ee<u>t</u><b>un</b>

God encompasses them from all sides.

But Allah doth encompass them from behind!

وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطٌۢ

Allah surrounds and keeps a record of their actions. Nothing of that misses him and He will give them the recompense for the same.

Allah surrounds and keeps a record of their actions. Nothing of that misses him and He will give them the recompense for the same.

This is indeed the glorious Qur'an

In fact it (what they deny) is the Noble Qur’an.

Nay, but it is a glorious Koran,

Nay, but this [divine writ which they reject] is a discourse sublime,

Aye! it is a Recitation glorious,

Nay! This is a Glorious Quran,

In fact, it is a Glorious Quran.

Nay; but this is a glorious Qur'an,

Nay! This is a Glorious Qur'an,

Nay, but it is a glorious Qur'an.

Indeed it is a glorious Quran,

Indeed, this is a Glorious Koran,

But this is an honored Qur'an

What is revealed to you is certainly a glorious Quran

Nay! it is a glorious Quran,

Bal huwa qur<u>a</u>nun majeed<b>un</b>

It is indeed a glorious Quran,

Nay, this is a Glorious Qur'an,

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌ مَّجِيدٌ

The Qur’ān is neither poetry nor rhyme as the deniers claim. Instead, it is a noble Qur’ān.

The Qur’ān is neither poetry nor rhyme as the deniers claim. Instead, it is a noble Qur’ān.

(Preserved) on the guarded tablet.

In the Preserved Tablet.

in a guarded tablet.

upon an imperishable tablet [inscribed].

Inscribed in a tablet preserved.

(Inscribed) in Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet)!

In a Preserved Tablet.

inscribed on a well-guarded Tablet.

In Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz!

On a guarded tablet.

in a preserved tablet.

in a Guarded Tablet.

[Inscribed] in a Preserved Slate.

that exists in a well-guarded tablet.

In a guarded tablet.

Fee law<u>h</u>in ma<u>h</u>foo<i><u>th</u></i><b>in</b>

written on a preserved Tablet.

(Inscribed) in a Tablet Preserved!

فِى لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ

In a tablet that is protected against alteration and distortion, and decrease and increase.

In a tablet that is protected against alteration and distortion, and decrease and increase.

I CALL TO witness the heavens and the night Star --

By oath of the heaven, and by oath of the nightly arriver.

By heaven and the night-star!

CONSIDER the heavens and that which comes in the night!

By the heaven and the night-comer

By the heaven, and At-Tariq (the night-comer, i.e. the bright star);

By the sky and at-Tariq.

By the heaven, and the night-visitor,

By the heaven, and At-Tariq;

By the heaven and the Morning Star

By the heaven, and by the nightly visitor

By the sky, and by the nightly comer!

By the sky and the night comer -

By the heavens and al-tariq.

I swear by the heaven and the comer by night;

Wa<b>al</b>ssam<u>a</u>i wa<b>al</b><u>tta</u>riq<b>i</b>

By the heavens and that which comes in the night --

By the Sky and the Night-Visitant (therein);-

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلطَّارِقِ

Allah took an oath by the sky and He took an oath by the star that knocks at night.

Allah took an oath by the sky and He took an oath by the star that knocks at night.

<p>Commentary</p><p>After swearing an oath by the sky and stars, in this Surah, Allah asserts that He has assigned a guardian angel to every human being who watches over his deeds and actions, and accurate and immediate record is kept on the basis of which the reckoning will be made, and on the Day of Reckoning, all secrets will be revealed. The rational conclusion is that man must ponder over the consequences of the deeds he is doing in this life. Therefore, he should not, at any moment of his life, lose sight of what is to happen on the Day of Reckoning. Thereafter, the verse disposes of a doubt that the Satan perennially casts into the people's hearts. When they are dead and have become dust and decomposed particles, how will they be recomposed and life be brought back? This seems to be an imaginary thought, rather, in the view of the general public, it is impossible. In answer to this doubt, man is invited to reflect on his origin. At the inception, he was created from various elements collected from throughout the world, and Allah's Power transformed them into a human being who is able to listen and see. Allah Who has created him and looked after him is well able to bring him back to life after death. Then some events of the Day of Judgment are mentioned. Then, after swearing an oath by the earth and the sky, the negligent man is told that the Hereafter he is urged to care about is no joke or amusement, but it is a reality that has to come to pass. Towards the end of the Surah, the unbelievers pose the question: If Allah abhors disbelief, idolatry and sins, why then does He not punish us in this life? The Surah ends with a rebuttal to this question. Let us now explain some expressions used in the Surah:</p><p>The first oath, in the beginning of the Surah, is by the sky and tariq. The word tariq means the 'Night-Corner'. Stars normally disappear during the day and only appear at night, therefore they are called tariq. The Qur'an itself raises the question:</p><p>وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ (and what may let you know what the Night-Comer is?...86:2) and then answers the question thus: النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ (The star of piercing brightness!...86:3). The word najm means 'star'. The Qur'an does not specify any particular 'star'. Therefore, it may be applied to any star. Some of the commentators say that najm refers to the Pleiades or Saturn, and they quote specimens of Arabic speech to confirm their argument. The word thaqib means 'piercing brightness'.</p>

CommentaryAfter swearing an oath by the sky and stars, in this Surah, Allah asserts that He has assigned a guardian angel to every human being who watches over his deeds and actions, and accurate and immediate record is kept on the basis of which the reckoning will be made, and on the Day of Reckoning, all secrets will be revealed. The rational conclusion is that man must ponder over the consequences of the deeds he is doing in this life. Therefore, he should not, at any moment of his life, lose sight of what is to happen on the Day of Reckoning. Thereafter, the verse disposes of a doubt that the Satan perennially casts into the people's hearts. When they are dead and have become dust and decomposed particles, how will they be recomposed and life be brought back? This seems to be an imaginary thought, rather, in the view of the general public, it is impossible. In answer to this doubt, man is invited to reflect on his origin. At the inception, he was created from various elements collected from throughout the world, and Allah's Power transformed them into a human being who is able to listen and see. Allah Who has created him and looked after him is well able to bring him back to life after death. Then some events of the Day of Judgment are mentioned. Then, after swearing an oath by the earth and the sky, the negligent man is told that the Hereafter he is urged to care about is no joke or amusement, but it is a reality that has to come to pass. Towards the end of the Surah, the unbelievers pose the question: If Allah abhors disbelief, idolatry and sins, why then does He not punish us in this life? The Surah ends with a rebuttal to this question. Let us now explain some expressions used in the Surah:The first oath, in the beginning of the Surah, is by the sky and tariq. The word tariq means the 'Night-Corner'. Stars normally disappear during the day and only appear at night, therefore they are called tariq. The Qur'an itself raises the question:وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ (and what may let you know what the Night-Comer is?...86:2) and then answers the question thus: النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ (The star of piercing brightness!...86:3). The word najm means 'star'. The Qur'an does not specify any particular 'star'. Therefore, it may be applied to any star. Some of the commentators say that najm refers to the Pleiades or Saturn, and they quote specimens of Arabic speech to confirm their argument. The word thaqib means 'piercing brightness'.

<h2 class="title">Which was revealed in Makkah</h2><h2 class="title">The Virtues of Surat At-Tariq</h2><p>An-Nasa'i recorded that Jabir said, "Mu`adh lead the Maghrib prayer and he recited Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa'. So the Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ يَا مُعَاذُ، مَا كَانَ يَكْفِيكَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ بِالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا وَنَحْوِهَا؟»</div><p>(Are you putting the people to trial O Mu`adh! Was it not sufficient for you to recite As-Sama'i wat-Tariq, and Ash-Shamsi wa Duhaha, and something like them)</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ</div><p>In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.</p><h2 class="title">Swearing by the Existence of Humanity surrounded by the Organized System of Allah</h2><p>Allah swears by the heaven and what He has placed in it of radiant stars. Thus, He says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالسَّمَآءِ وَالطَّارِقِ </div><p>(By the heaven, and At-Tariq;) Then He says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ </div><p>(And what will make you to know what At-Tariq is) Then He explains it by His saying,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ </div><p>(The star of Ath-Thaqib.) Qatadah and others have said, "The star has been named Tariq because it is only seen at night and it is hidden during the day." His view is supported by what has been mentioned in the authentic Hadith that prohibits a man to come to his family Taruq. This means that he comes to them unexpectedly at nighttime. Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الثَّاقِبُ</div><p>(Ath-Thaqib.) Ibn `Abbas said, "The illuminating." `Ikrimah said, "It is illuminating and it burns the Shaytan" Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ </div><p>(There is no human being but has a protector over him.) meaning, every soul has a guardian over it from Allah that protects it from the calamities. This is as Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَهُ مُعَقِّبَـتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ</div><p>(For Him, there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah.) (13:11)</p><h2 class="title">How Man is created is a Proof of Allah's Ability to Return Him to Him</h2><p>Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلْيَنظُرِ الإِنسَـنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ </div><p>(So, let man see from what he is created!) This is alerting man to the weakness of his origin from which he was created. The intent of it is to guide man to accept (the reality of) the Hereafter, because whoever is able to begin the creation then he is also able to repeat it in the same way. This is as Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ</div><p>(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him.) (30:27) Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ </div><p>(He is created from a water gushing forth.) meaning, the sexual fluid that comes out bursting forth from the man and the woman. Thus, the child is produced from both of them by the permission of Allah. Due to this Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَآئِبِ </div><p>(Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.) meaning, the backbone (or loins) of the man and the ribs of the woman, which is referring to her chest. Shabib bin Bishr reported from `Ikrimah who narrated from Ibn `Abbas that he said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَآئِبِ </div><p>(Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.) "The backbone of the man and the ribs of the woman. It (the fluid) is yellow and fine in texture. The child will not be born except from both of them (i.e., their sexual fluids)." Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّهُ عَلَى رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ </div><p>(Verily, He is Able to bring him back (to life)!) This means that He is able to return this man that is created from fluid gushed forth. In other words, He is able to repeat his creation and resurrect him to the final abode. This is clearly possible, because whoever is able to begin the creation then he surely is able to repeat it. Indeed Allah has mentioned this proof in more than one place in the Qur'an.</p><h2 class="title">On the Day of Judgement, Man will have no Power or Assistance</h2><p>In this regard Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَآئِرُ </div><p>(The Day when all the secrets will be examined.) meaning, on the Day of Judgement the secrets will be tested. This means that they will be exposed and made manifest. Thus, the secret will be made open and that which is concealed will be well known. It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs on the authority of Ibn `Umar that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«يُرْفَعُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ عِنْدَ اسْتِهِ يُقَالُ: هذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَان»</div><p>(Every betrayer will have a flag raised for him behind his back, and it will be said, `This is the betrayal of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.') Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَمَا لَهُ</div><p>(Then he will have no) meaning, man on the Day of Judgement.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مِن قُوَّةٍ</div><p>(any power) meaning, within himself.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ نَاصِرٍ</div><p>(nor any helper.) meaning, from other than himself. This statement means that he will not be able to save himself from the torment of Allah, and nor will anyone else be able to save him.</p>

Which was revealed in MakkahThe Virtues of Surat At-TariqAn-Nasa'i recorded that Jabir said, "Mu`adh lead the Maghrib prayer and he recited Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa'. So the Prophet said,«أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ يَا مُعَاذُ، مَا كَانَ يَكْفِيكَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ بِالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا وَنَحْوِهَا؟»(Are you putting the people to trial O Mu`adh! Was it not sufficient for you to recite As-Sama'i wat-Tariq, and Ash-Shamsi wa Duhaha, and something like them)بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِIn the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.Swearing by the Existence of Humanity surrounded by the Organized System of AllahAllah swears by the heaven and what He has placed in it of radiant stars. Thus, He says,وَالسَّمَآءِ وَالطَّارِقِ (By the heaven, and At-Tariq;) Then He says,وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ (And what will make you to know what At-Tariq is) Then He explains it by His saying,النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ (The star of Ath-Thaqib.) Qatadah and others have said, "The star has been named Tariq because it is only seen at night and it is hidden during the day." His view is supported by what has been mentioned in the authentic Hadith that prohibits a man to come to his family Taruq. This means that he comes to them unexpectedly at nighttime. Concerning Allah's statement,الثَّاقِبُ(Ath-Thaqib.) Ibn `Abbas said, "The illuminating." `Ikrimah said, "It is illuminating and it burns the Shaytan" Then Allah says,إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ (There is no human being but has a protector over him.) meaning, every soul has a guardian over it from Allah that protects it from the calamities. This is as Allah says,لَهُ مُعَقِّبَـتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ(For Him, there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah.) (13:11)How Man is created is a Proof of Allah's Ability to Return Him to HimAllah says,فَلْيَنظُرِ الإِنسَـنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ (So, let man see from what he is created!) This is alerting man to the weakness of his origin from which he was created. The intent of it is to guide man to accept (the reality of) the Hereafter, because whoever is able to begin the creation then he is also able to repeat it in the same way. This is as Allah says,وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him.) (30:27) Then Allah says,خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ (He is created from a water gushing forth.) meaning, the sexual fluid that comes out bursting forth from the man and the woman. Thus, the child is produced from both of them by the permission of Allah. Due to this Allah says,يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَآئِبِ (Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.) meaning, the backbone (or loins) of the man and the ribs of the woman, which is referring to her chest. Shabib bin Bishr reported from `Ikrimah who narrated from Ibn `Abbas that he said,يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَآئِبِ (Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.) "The backbone of the man and the ribs of the woman. It (the fluid) is yellow and fine in texture. The child will not be born except from both of them (i.e., their sexual fluids)." Concerning Allah's statement,إِنَّهُ عَلَى رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ (Verily, He is Able to bring him back (to life)!) This means that He is able to return this man that is created from fluid gushed forth. In other words, He is able to repeat his creation and resurrect him to the final abode. This is clearly possible, because whoever is able to begin the creation then he surely is able to repeat it. Indeed Allah has mentioned this proof in more than one place in the Qur'an.On the Day of Judgement, Man will have no Power or AssistanceIn this regard Allah says,يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَآئِرُ (The Day when all the secrets will be examined.) meaning, on the Day of Judgement the secrets will be tested. This means that they will be exposed and made manifest. Thus, the secret will be made open and that which is concealed will be well known. It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs on the authority of Ibn `Umar that the Messenger of Allah said,«يُرْفَعُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ عِنْدَ اسْتِهِ يُقَالُ: هذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَان»(Every betrayer will have a flag raised for him behind his back, and it will be said, `This is the betrayal of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.') Concerning Allah's statement,فَمَا لَهُ(Then he will have no) meaning, man on the Day of Judgement.مِن قُوَّةٍ(any power) meaning, within himself.وَلاَ نَاصِرٍ(nor any helper.) meaning, from other than himself. This statement means that he will not be able to save himself from the torment of Allah, and nor will anyone else be able to save him.

How will you comprehend what the night star is?

And have you understood what the nightly arriver is?

And what shall teach thee what is the night-star?

And what could make thee conceive what it is that comes in the night?

And what shall make thee know that which the night-comer is?-

And what will make you to know what At-Tariq (night-comer) is?

But what will let you know what at-Tariq is?

what do you know what the night-visitor is?

And what will make you to know what At-Tariq is

- Ah, what will tell thee what the Morning Star is!

(and what will show you what is the nightly visitor?

What could let you know what the nightly comer is!

And what can make you know what is the night comer?

Do you know what al-tariq is?

And what will make you know what the comer by night is?

Wam<u>a</u> adr<u>a</u>ka m<u>a</u> a<b>l</b><u>tta</u>riq<b>u</b>

and what could make you know what it is that comes in the night?

And what will explain to thee what the Night-Visitant is?-

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلطَّارِقُ

O Messenger! What will tell you the status of this great star?!

O Messenger! What will tell you the status of this great star?!

It is the star that shines with a piercing brightness --

The very brightly shining star!

The piercing star!

It is the star that pierces through [life's] darkness:

It is the star shing brightly.

(It is) the star of piercing brightness;

The Piercing Star.

It is the piercing star.

The star, Ath-Thaqib.

- The piercing Star!

It is the brilliant star):

(It is) the piercing star.

It is the piercing star -

(It is a nightly radiant star).

The star of piercing brightness;

A<b>l</b>nnajmu a<b>l</b>thth<u>a</u>qib<b>u</b>

It is the shining star --

(It is) the Star of piercing brightness;-

ٱلنَّجْمُ ٱلثَّاقِبُ

It is the star that pierces the sky with its glowing light.

It is the star that pierces the sky with its glowing light.

That over each soul there is a guardian.

There is not a soul that does not have a guardian over it.

Over every soul there is a watcher.

[for] no human being has ever been left unguarded.

No soul is there but hath over it a watcher.

There is no human being but has a protector over him (or her) (i.e. angels incharge of each human being guarding him, writing his good and bad deeds, etc.)

There is no soul without a Protector over it.

There is no living being but there is a protector over it.

There is no human being but has a protector over him.

No human soul but hath a guardian over it.

there is a guard over every soul.

For every soul there is a watcher.

There is no soul but that it has over it a protector.

There is no soul which is not guarded (by the two angels who record all of its deeds).

There is not a soul but over it is a keeper.

In kullu nafsin lamm<u>a</u> AAalayh<u>a</u> <u>ha</u>fi<i><u>th</u></i><b>un</b>

[for] no human being has been left unguarded.

There is no soul but has a protector over it.

إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ

There is no soul except that Allah has assigned to it an angel to record its deeds for the reckoning on the day of judgment.

There is no soul except that Allah has assigned to it an angel to record its deeds for the reckoning on the day of judgment.

<p>إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ (there is no human being, but there is a watcher over him....86:4). This is the subject of the oath. The particle in at the beginning of the statement is used in the sense of 'no', that is, a negative particle; and the particle lamma is used in the sense of 'but/except', that is, it is an exceptive particle in the dialect of Banu Hudhail. The verse purports to say that there is not a single person over whom there is not a watcher [ hafiz ]. The word hafiz may mean 'guardian' who may watch over someone's actions and deeds, so that the reckoning is made on that basis. The word hafiz may also be used in the sense of 'one who protects from calamities'. In the first sense, the word hafiz refers to the angels who record the deeds. Here the word hafiz , although appears in the singular form, it is used in the generic sense, because there is not just a single recording angel, but there is a host of them as another verse testifies to this fact:</p><p>وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ ﴿10﴾ كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ</p><p>'While [ appointed ] over you there are watchers, who are noble, the writers [ of the deeds ],[ 82: 10-11] '</p><p>According to the second sense of the word, hafiz refers to the angels who have been appointed to protect man from all kinds of calamities that befall him day and night, except the calamities that Allah has decreed for him, as the following verse explicitly states:</p><p>لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّـهِ</p><p>'For him there are angels replacing each other, before him and</p><p>behind him, who guard him under the command of Allah [ 13:11]</p><p>A tradition has reported the Messenger of Allah saying that Allah has appointed three hundred and sixty angels for every believer. They protect every limb of his. Of the three hundred and sixty, seven angels alone protect man's eye. These angels defend man from every calamity that is not decreed, like a fan chases away the flies coming to a vessel containing honey. If there are no security guards for man, the devils will snatch them away. [ Qurtubi ].</p>

إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ (there is no human being, but there is a watcher over him....86:4). This is the subject of the oath. The particle in at the beginning of the statement is used in the sense of 'no', that is, a negative particle; and the particle lamma is used in the sense of 'but/except', that is, it is an exceptive particle in the dialect of Banu Hudhail. The verse purports to say that there is not a single person over whom there is not a watcher [ hafiz ]. The word hafiz may mean 'guardian' who may watch over someone's actions and deeds, so that the reckoning is made on that basis. The word hafiz may also be used in the sense of 'one who protects from calamities'. In the first sense, the word hafiz refers to the angels who record the deeds. Here the word hafiz , although appears in the singular form, it is used in the generic sense, because there is not just a single recording angel, but there is a host of them as another verse testifies to this fact:وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ ﴿10﴾ كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ'While [ appointed ] over you there are watchers, who are noble, the writers [ of the deeds ],[ 82: 10-11] 'According to the second sense of the word, hafiz refers to the angels who have been appointed to protect man from all kinds of calamities that befall him day and night, except the calamities that Allah has decreed for him, as the following verse explicitly states:لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّـهِ'For him there are angels replacing each other, before him andbehind him, who guard him under the command of Allah [ 13:11]A tradition has reported the Messenger of Allah saying that Allah has appointed three hundred and sixty angels for every believer. They protect every limb of his. Of the three hundred and sixty, seven angels alone protect man's eye. These angels defend man from every calamity that is not decreed, like a fan chases away the flies coming to a vessel containing honey. If there are no security guards for man, the devils will snatch them away. [ Qurtubi ].

Let man consider what he was made of:

So man must consider from what he has been created.

So let man consider of what he was created;

LET MAN, then, observe out of what he has been created:

So let man look - from what is he created.

So let man see from what he is created!

Let man consider what he was created from.

So let man consider of what he was created.

So, let man see from what he is created!

So let man consider from what he is created.

So let man consider from what he was created.

Let the human reflect of what he is created.

So let man observe from what he was created.

Let the human being reflect that from what he has been created.

So let man consider of what he is created:

Falyan<i><u>th</u></i>uri alins<u>a</u>nu mimma khuliq<b>a</b>

Let man reflect on what he was created from.

Now let man but think from what he is created!

فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ

So let man reflect over what Allah created him from, so that Allah’s power and man’s inability becomes clear to him.

So let man reflect over what Allah created him from, so that Allah’s power and man’s inability becomes clear to him.

He was created of spurting water

Created from a gushing fluid.

he was created of gushing water

he has been created out of a seminal fluid

He is created from a water drip-ping,

He is created from a water gushing forth.

He was created from gushing liquid.

He was created of a gushing fluid,

He is created from a water gushing forth,

He is created from a gushing fluid

He was created from an effusing fluid

He was created from ejaculated water

He was created from a fluid, ejected,

He has been created from an ejected drop of fluid

He is created of water pouring forth,

Khuliqa min m<u>a</u>in d<u>a</u>fiq<b>in</b>

He was created from spurting fluid,

He is created from a drop emitted-

خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ

Allah created him from a spurting liquid that is split into the womb.

Allah created him from a spurting liquid that is split into the womb.

<p>خُلِقَ مِن مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ ﴿6﴾ يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ (He is created of a spouting water</p><p>that comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones...86:6, 7). The general body of commentators have explained that the spouting water (sperm) comes out from the loins of men and the chest-bones of women. However, the research of embryological science on the subject shows that the seminal fluid comes out from every part of human body, and every part of the foetus is made of the seminal fluid that has come out from that part of the man's and woman's body. The brain, of course, plays the greatest role in this matter. Thus experience shows that people who indulge in excessive cohabitation mostly suffer from weakness of mental weakness. The embryologists have at the same time discovered that the seminal fluid separates from all parts of the body, and through the spinal cord, collects in the testes and from there it spouts.</p><p>If these findings have any value, it is not far-fetched to reconcile them with the explanation of some of the commentators. Embryologists agree that the brain plays the most important role in the preparation of seminal fluid. The representative of the brain is the spinal cord that has come into the backbone from the brain, up to the loins and the testes. Some of its branches have come into the chest-bones. It is likely that the seminal fluid coming from the chest-bones into the woman's seminal fluid and the seminal fluid coming from the loins into a man's seminal fluid have a greater role to play. (Baidawi)</p><p>If we analyse the verse of the Qur'an carefully, we notice that it does not specify 'man or woman'. It merely says 'He is created of spouting water that comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones.' This may simply signify that the seminal fluid comes out from the entire body of both men and women. The expression 'the entire body' is understood from the mention of the principal organs of front and back. The front part of the body is chest and the back part of the body is the loin. These are the principal parts of the body. The expression, 'the spouting water that comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones' may mean 'comes out from the entire body'.</p>

خُلِقَ مِن مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ ﴿6﴾ يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ (He is created of a spouting waterthat comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones...86:6, 7). The general body of commentators have explained that the spouting water (sperm) comes out from the loins of men and the chest-bones of women. However, the research of embryological science on the subject shows that the seminal fluid comes out from every part of human body, and every part of the foetus is made of the seminal fluid that has come out from that part of the man's and woman's body. The brain, of course, plays the greatest role in this matter. Thus experience shows that people who indulge in excessive cohabitation mostly suffer from weakness of mental weakness. The embryologists have at the same time discovered that the seminal fluid separates from all parts of the body, and through the spinal cord, collects in the testes and from there it spouts.If these findings have any value, it is not far-fetched to reconcile them with the explanation of some of the commentators. Embryologists agree that the brain plays the most important role in the preparation of seminal fluid. The representative of the brain is the spinal cord that has come into the backbone from the brain, up to the loins and the testes. Some of its branches have come into the chest-bones. It is likely that the seminal fluid coming from the chest-bones into the woman's seminal fluid and the seminal fluid coming from the loins into a man's seminal fluid have a greater role to play. (Baidawi)If we analyse the verse of the Qur'an carefully, we notice that it does not specify 'man or woman'. It merely says 'He is created of spouting water that comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones.' This may simply signify that the seminal fluid comes out from the entire body of both men and women. The expression 'the entire body' is understood from the mention of the principal organs of front and back. The front part of the body is chest and the back part of the body is the loin. These are the principal parts of the body. The expression, 'the spouting water that comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones' may mean 'comes out from the entire body'.

Issuing from (the pelvis) between the backbone and the ribs.

That is issued from between the backs and the ribs.

issuing between the loins and the breast-bones.

issuing from between the loins [of man] and the pelvic arch [of woman].

That issueth from between the loins and the breast-bones.

Proceeding from between the back-bone and the ribs,

Issuing from between the backbone and the breastbones.

emanating from between the loins and the ribs.

Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.

That issued from between the loins and ribs.

which issues from between the loins and the breast-bones.

that issues from between the loins and the ribs.

Emerging from between the backbone and the ribs.

which comes out of the loins and ribs.

Coming from between the back and the ribs.

Yakhruju min bayni a<b>l</b><u>ss</u>ulbi wa<b>al</b>ttar<u>a</u>ib<b>i</b>

issuing from between the backbone and the breastbone:

Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs:

يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ ٱلصُّلْبِ وَٱلتَّرَآئِبِ

This liquid emerges from between the spinal column of a man and the bones of the chest.

This liquid emerges from between the spinal column of a man and the bones of the chest.

God has certainly power to bring him back (from the dead).

Indeed Allah is Able to return him.

Surely He is able to bring him back

Now, verily, He [who thus creates man in the first instance] is well able to bring him back [to life]

Verily He is Able to restore him,

Verily, (Allah) is Able to bring him back (to life)!

He is certainly able to return him.

Surely He (the Creator) has the power to bring him back (to life).

Verily, He is Able to bring him back!

Lo! He verily is Able to return him (unto life)

Indeed He is able to bring him back [after death],

Surely, He is Able to bring him back,

Indeed, Allah, to return him [to life], is Able.

God has all power to resurrect him.

Most surely He is able to return him (to life).

Innahu AAal<u>a</u> rajAAihi laq<u>a</u>dir<b>un</b>

He certainly has the power to bring him back to life.

Surely (Allah) is able to bring him back (to life)!

إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِۦ لَقَادِرٌ

He, may He be glorified - since He created him from that despised liquid - has the power to bring him back to life after death for the reckoning and recompense.

He, may He be glorified - since He created him from that despised liquid - has the power to bring him back to life after death for the reckoning and recompense.

<p>إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ (Surely He is Powerful to bring him back...86:8) The word raj means 'to bring back'. The verse signifies that Allah Who has created him from a drop of seminal fluid is well able to bring him back to life after death a fortiori.</p><p>يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ (on a day when all the secrets will be searched out.. 86:9). The word tubla literally means 'to test/examine' and sara'ir means 'secrets'. On the Day of Reckoning, the secrets will be tested and examined and laid bare. Man's beliefs, his thoughts, and his motives and intentions that were hidden in this life, and no one knew about them, will be revealed in the Hereafter.</p><p>Likewise, his deeds and actions that he had done secretly, and no one was aware of them in this world, all of them will be tested and scrutinised on the Plain of Gathering and will be laid bare. Said 'Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ has said that on the Day of Judgment Allah will disclose the secrets of all human beings. The sign of every good or bad belief and action will be displayed on man's face, in the form of beauty or darkness or gloom [ depending on each individual's situation ]. [ Qurtubi ].</p>

إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ (Surely He is Powerful to bring him back...86:8) The word raj means 'to bring back'. The verse signifies that Allah Who has created him from a drop of seminal fluid is well able to bring him back to life after death a fortiori.يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ (on a day when all the secrets will be searched out.. 86:9). The word tubla literally means 'to test/examine' and sara'ir means 'secrets'. On the Day of Reckoning, the secrets will be tested and examined and laid bare. Man's beliefs, his thoughts, and his motives and intentions that were hidden in this life, and no one knew about them, will be revealed in the Hereafter.Likewise, his deeds and actions that he had done secretly, and no one was aware of them in this world, all of them will be tested and scrutinised on the Plain of Gathering and will be laid bare. Said 'Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ has said that on the Day of Judgment Allah will disclose the secrets of all human beings. The sign of every good or bad belief and action will be displayed on man's face, in the form of beauty or darkness or gloom [ depending on each individual's situation ]. [ Qurtubi ].

The day all secrets are examined

A day when the secrets will be examined.

upon the day when the secrets are tried,

on the Day when all secrets will be laid bare,

On a Day whereon secrets shall be out.

The Day when all the secrets (deeds, prayers, fasting, etc.) will be examined (as to their truth).

On the Day when the secrets are disclosed.

On the Day when man's deepest secrets shall be put to the test

The Day when all the secrets will be examined.

On the day when hidden thoughts shall be searched out.

on the day when the secrets are examined

on the Day when consciences are examined,

The Day when secrets will be put on trial,

On the day when all secrets will be made public,

On the day when hidden things shall be made manifest,

Yawma tubl<u>a</u> a<b>l</b>ssar<u>a</u>ir<b>u</b>

On the Day when secrets are disclosed,

The Day that (all) things secret will be tested,

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى ٱلسَّرَآئِرُ

On the day when secrets will be tried and the intentions, beliefs etc. that the hearts conceal will be exposed, and the righteous will be distinguished from the corrupt.

On the day when secrets will be tried and the intentions, beliefs etc. that the hearts conceal will be exposed, and the righteous will be distinguished from the corrupt.

He will have no strength or helper.

So man will neither have any strength nor any aide.

and he shall have no strength, no helper.

and [man] will have neither strength nor helper!

Then he shall have no power nor any helper.

Then will (man) have no power, nor any helper.

He will have no strength, and no supporter.

he shall have no power, and no helper.

Then he will have no power, nor any helper.

Then will he have no might nor any helper.

and he shall have neither power nor helper.

when he will be helpless, with no supporter.

Then man will have no power or any helper.

he will have no power, nor anyone to help him.

He shall have neither strength nor helper.

Fam<u>a</u> lahu min quwwatin wal<u>a</u> n<u>as</u>ir<b>in</b>

[man] will have no power, and no helper.

(Man) will have no power, and no helper.

فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ

On that day man will not have any power to protect himself from Allah’s punishment, nor any helper to assist him.

On that day man will not have any power to protect himself from Allah’s punishment, nor any helper to assist him.

So I call to witness the rain-producing sky,

By oath of the sky from which comes down the rain.

By heaven of the returning rain,

Consider the heavens, ever-revolving,

By the heaven which returneth,

By the sky (having rain clouds) which gives rain, again and again.

By the sky that returns.

By the heaven with its recurring cycle of rain,

By the sky which gives rain, again and again.

By the heaven which giveth the returning rain,

By the resurgent heaven,

By the sky with its returning rain,

By the sky which returns [rain]

By the rotating heavens

I swear by the raingiving heavens,

Wa<b>al</b>ssam<u>a</u>i <u>tha</u>ti a<b>l</b>rrajAA<b>i</b>

By the heavens, ever-revolving,

By the Firmament which returns (in its round),

وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلرَّجْعِ

Allah took an oath by the sky that contains rain, because it comes down from its direction time after time.

Allah took an oath by the sky that contains rain, because it comes down from its direction time after time.

<p>وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ (I swear by the sky that rains...86:11) The word raj refers to 'the rain that comes down repeatedly'. In other words, the rain that comes down and stops and then returns.</p>

وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ (I swear by the sky that rains...86:11) The word raj refers to 'the rain that comes down repeatedly'. In other words, the rain that comes down and stops and then returns.

<h2 class="title">Swearing to the Truthfulness of the Qur'an and the Failure of Those Who oppose it</h2><p>Ibn `Abbas said, "Ar-raj` means rain." It has also been narrated from him that he said, "It means the clouds that contain rain." He also said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ </div><p>(By the sky (having rain clouds) which gives rain, again and again.) "This means that it rains and then it rains (again)." Qatadah said, "It returns the sustenance of the servants (creatures) every year. Were it not for this, they would all be destroyed and so would their cattle."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالاّرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ </div><p>(And the earth which splits.) Ibn `Abbas said, "Splitting to bring forth plant growths." This was also said by Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ </div><p>(Verily, this is the Word that separates.) Ibn `Abbas said (Fasl is), "True." Qatadah also said the same. Someone else said, "A just ruling."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا هوَ بِالْهَزْلِ </div><p>(And it is not a thing for amusement.) meaning, rather it is serious and true. Then Allah informs about the disbelievers saying that they reject Him and hinder others from His path. Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْداً </div><p>(Verily, they are but plotting a plot.) meaning, they plot against the people in their calling them to oppose the Qur'an. Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَ اَكِيْدُ كَيْدًا</div><p> (and I, too, am plotting a scheme) meaning, I am plotting such that all disbelievers plots will fail and success will be attained by believers.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَمَهِّلِ الْكَـفِرِينَ</div><p>(So, give a respite to the disbelievers;) meaning, wait for them and do not be in haste concerning them.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْداً</div><p>(deal gently with them for a while.) meaning, a little while. This means that you will see what befalls them of torment, punishment and destruction. This is as Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ </div><p>(We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.) (31:24) This is the end of the Tafsir Surat At-Tariq, and unto Allah is all praise and thanks.</p>

Swearing to the Truthfulness of the Qur'an and the Failure of Those Who oppose itIbn `Abbas said, "Ar-raj` means rain." It has also been narrated from him that he said, "It means the clouds that contain rain." He also said,وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ (By the sky (having rain clouds) which gives rain, again and again.) "This means that it rains and then it rains (again)." Qatadah said, "It returns the sustenance of the servants (creatures) every year. Were it not for this, they would all be destroyed and so would their cattle."وَالاّرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ (And the earth which splits.) Ibn `Abbas said, "Splitting to bring forth plant growths." This was also said by Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. Concerning Allah's statement,إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ (Verily, this is the Word that separates.) Ibn `Abbas said (Fasl is), "True." Qatadah also said the same. Someone else said, "A just ruling."وَمَا هوَ بِالْهَزْلِ (And it is not a thing for amusement.) meaning, rather it is serious and true. Then Allah informs about the disbelievers saying that they reject Him and hinder others from His path. Allah says,إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْداً (Verily, they are but plotting a plot.) meaning, they plot against the people in their calling them to oppose the Qur'an. Then Allah says,وَ اَكِيْدُ كَيْدًا (and I, too, am plotting a scheme) meaning, I am plotting such that all disbelievers plots will fail and success will be attained by believers.فَمَهِّلِ الْكَـفِرِينَ(So, give a respite to the disbelievers;) meaning, wait for them and do not be in haste concerning them.أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْداً(deal gently with them for a while.) meaning, a little while. This means that you will see what befalls them of torment, punishment and destruction. This is as Allah says,نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ (We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.) (31:24) This is the end of the Tafsir Surat At-Tariq, and unto Allah is all praise and thanks.

And the earth which opens up (with verdure),

And by oath of the earth which flourishes with it.

by earth splitting with verdure,

and the earth, bursting forth with plants!

And by the earth which splitteth,

And the earth which splits (with the growth of trees and plants),

And the earth that cracks open.

and by the earth ever bursting with verdure,

And the earth which splits.

And the earth which splitteth (with the growth of trees and plants)

and by the furrowed earth:

and by the earth bursting with vegetation;

And [by] the earth which cracks open,

and the replenishing earth,

And the earth splitting (with plants);

Wa<b>a</b>lar<u>d</u>i <u>tha</u>ti a<b>l</b><u>ss</u>adAA<b>i</b>

by the earth cracking open with new growth.

And by the Earth which opens out (for the gushing of springs or the sprouting of vegetation),-

وَٱلْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ ٱلصَّدْعِ

He took an oath by the earth that cracks open to reveal the plants, fruit and trees in it.

He took an oath by the earth that cracks open to reveal the plants, fruit and trees in it.

That this (Qur'an) is a decisive word

Indeed the Qur’an is a decisive Word.

surely it is a decisive word;

BEHOLD, this [divine writ] is indeed a word that between truth and falsehood,

Verily, it is a discourse distinguishing.

Verily! This (the Quran) is the Word that separates (the truth from falsehood, and commands strict legal laws for mankind to cut the roots of evil).

It is a Decisive Word.

this (Qur'an) is surely a decisive Word,

Verily, this is the Word that separates.

Lo! this (Qur'an) is a conclusive word,

it is indeed a conclusive discourse,

this is indeed a Decisive Word,

Indeed, the Qur'an is a decisive statement,

the Quran is the final word,

Most surely it is a decisive word,

Innahu laqawlun fa<u>s</u>l<b>un</b>

It is surely a decisive utterance;

Behold this is the Word that distinguishes (Good from Evil):

إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ

This Qur’ān that is revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a word that separates truth from falsehood, and fact from lie.

This Qur’ān that is revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a word that separates truth from falsehood, and fact from lie.

<p>إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ (this is a decisive word..86:13) In other words, the Qur'an is truly a Decisive Word that decides between truth and falsehood, and there is no room for any doubt in it.</p><p>Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ says that he heard the Holy Prophet ﷺ as saying about the Holy Qur'an:</p><p>کتاب فیہ خبرما قبلکم و حکم مابعدکم وھو الفصل لیس بلھزل</p><p>'[ It is ] a book which describes the stories of past communities and [ it contains ] injunctions for future generations. It is truly a Decisive Word. It is no joke.'</p><p>Alhamdulillah</p><p>The Commentary on</p><p>Surah At-Tariq</p><p>Ends here</p>

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ (this is a decisive word..86:13) In other words, the Qur'an is truly a Decisive Word that decides between truth and falsehood, and there is no room for any doubt in it.Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ says that he heard the Holy Prophet ﷺ as saying about the Holy Qur'an:کتاب فیہ خبرما قبلکم و حکم مابعدکم وھو الفصل لیس بلھزل'[ It is ] a book which describes the stories of past communities and [ it contains ] injunctions for future generations. It is truly a Decisive Word. It is no joke.'AlhamdulillahThe Commentary onSurah At-TariqEnds here

And no trifle.

And is not a matter of amusement.

it is no merriment.

and is no idle tale.

And it is not a frivolity.

And it is not a thing for amusement.

It is no joke.

not a flippant jest.

And it is not a thing for amusement.

It is no pleasantry.

and not a jest.

it is not a jest.

And it is not amusement.

and it is certainly not a jest.

And it is no joke.

Wam<u>a</u> huwa bi<b>a</b>lhazl<b>i</b>

and is not to be taken lightly.

It is not a thing for amusement.

وَمَا هُوَ بِٱلْهَزْلِ

It is not a game and falsehood, but it is serious and the truth.

It is not a game and falsehood, but it is serious and the truth.

They are hatching up a plot,

Indeed the disbelievers carry out their evil schemes.

They are devising guile,

Behold, they [who refuse to accept it] devise many a false argument [to disprove its truth];

Verily they are plotting a plot.

Verily, they are but plotting a plot (against you O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)).

They plot and scheme.

They are devising a guile,

Verily, they are but plotting a plot.

Lo! they plot a plot (against thee, O Muhammad)

Indeed they are devising a stratagem,

They are cunningly devising,

Indeed, they are planning a plan,

They (disbelievers) plot every evil plan,

Surely they will make a scheme,

Innahum yakeedoona kayd<u>a</u><b>n</b>

They are planning a scheme,

As for them, they are but plotting a scheme,

إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا

Those who deny what their messenger brought to them plot and scheme to reject and refute his call.

Those who deny what their messenger brought to them plot and scheme to reject and refute his call.

But I too am devising a plan.

And I secretly plan.

and I am devising guile.

but I shall bring all their scheming to nought.

And I am plotting a plot.

And I (too) am planning a plan.

But I plot and scheme.

and I too am devising a guile.

And I am planning a plan.

And I plot a plot (against them).

and I [too] am devising a plan.

and I am cunningly devising.

But I am planning a plan.

but I too plan against them.

And I (too) will make a scheme.

Waakeedu kayd<u>a</u><b>n</b>

and so am I:

And I am planning a scheme.

وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا

I too plot and scheme to make the religion victorious and to disprove falsehood.

I too plot and scheme to make the religion victorious and to disprove falsehood.

So bear with unbelievers with patience, and give them respite for a while.

Therefore give them some respite – give them some time.

So respite the unbelievers; delay with them awhile.

Let, then, the deniers of the truth have their will: let them have their will for a little while.

So respite thou the infidels - respite them gently,

So give a respite to the disbelievers. Deal you gently with them for a while.

Therefore, give the blasphemers respite, a brief respite.

So leave the unbelievers to themselves; respite them awhile.

So, give a respite to the disbelievers; deal gently with them for a while.

So give a respite to the disbelievers. Deal thou gently with them for a while.

So respite the faithless; give them a gentle respite.

Therefore respite the unbelievers, and delay them for a while.

So allow time for the disbelievers. Leave them awhile.

Give respite to the disbelievers and leave them alone for a while.

So grant the unbelievers a respite: let them alone for a while.

Famahhili alk<u>a</u>fireena amhilhum ruwayd<u>a</u><b>n</b>

so bear with those who deny the truth, and let them be for a little while.

Therefore grant a delay to the Unbelievers: Give respite to them gently (for awhile).

فَمَهِّلِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًۢا

So give respite, O Messenger, to these disbelievers. Give them respite for a short while, and do not seek to hasten their punishment and destruction.

So give respite, O Messenger, to these disbelievers. Give them respite for a short while, and do not seek to hasten their punishment and destruction.

GLORIFY THE NAME of your Lord, most high,

Proclaim the Purity of your Lord, the Supreme.

Magnify the Name of thy Lord the Most High

EXTOL the limitless glory of thy Sustainer's name: [the glory of] the Al-Highest,

Hallow thou the name of thine Lord, the Most High,

Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,

Praise the Name of your Lord, the Most High.

Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,

Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.

Praise the name of thy Lord the Most High,

Celebrate the Name of your Lord, the Most Exalted,

Exalt the Name of your Lord, the Highest,

Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,

(Muhammad), glorify the Name of your lord, the Most High,

Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,

Sabbi<u>h</u>i isma rabbika alaAAl<u>a</u>

Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,

Glorify the name of thy Guardian-Lord Most High,

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ سَبِّحِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلْأَعْلَى

Declare the transcendence of your Lord Who is High above His creation, by uttering His Name when you remember and revere Him.

Declare the transcendence of your Lord Who is High above His creation, by uttering His Name when you remember and revere Him.

<p>Commentary</p><p>Ruling [ 1]</p><p>Scholars have ruled that when anyone recites the verse: سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى (Pronounce the purity of the name of your most exalted Lord...87:1) it is commendable to say:</p><p>سُبحانَ رَبِِّیَ الْأَعْلَى</p><p>'I pronounce the purity of my most exalted Lord.'</p><p>This was the practice of all the noble Companions, like Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbaa, Ibn ` Umar, Ibn Zubair, Abu Musa and ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ Whenever they started reciting the Surah, they would recite:</p><p>سُبحانَ رَبِِّیَ الْأَعْلَى</p><p>'I pronounce the purity of my most exalted Lord.' [ Qurtubi ].</p><p>It should be noted that the desirability of reciting this is outside of the prayer.</p><p>Ruling [ 2]</p><p>Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn ` Amir Al-Juhani ؓ narrates that when the Surah Al-A` la was revealed, the Holy Prophet ﷺ instructed:</p><p>اجعلوا فی سجودکم</p><p>'Say this (SubhanaRabbiyal-A` 1a) in your sujud [ prostrations ] '</p><p>سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى (Pronounce the purity of the name of your Most exalted Lord.) The word tasbih means 'to pronounce the purity' and سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ signifies to 'honour the name of your Lord'. When the name of Allah is pronounced, it should be done with utmost humility and respect.</p><p>His name should be kept pure and free from anything that is unbecoming to His sublime status. Allah should be called by the names He Himself has stated or taught the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It is not permitted to call Him by any other name.</p><p>Ruling [ 3]</p><p>Besides, it is also included in the above imperative that there are some names exclusively meant for Allah; calling human beings or any other creation by those specific names is contrary to declaring the purity of Allah. Therefore, it is not permissible. [ Qurtubi ]. Nowadays, people are not particular about names like ` Abdur Rahman, ` Abdur Razzaq, ` Abdul Ghaffar and ` Abdul Quddus. They call the persons bearing these names 'Rahman', 'Razzaq', 'Ghaffar', 'Quddus' and so on, for short. People have got into the habit of shortening such names without realising that the speakers as well as the listeners are committing a sin. People commit this joyless sin day and night without any reason.</p><p>Some commentators interpret the word 'ism' does not mean 'name' in this verse. Instead, they say, it is referring to the Dhat or the 'Being' of Allah. According to the Arabic expressions, this interpretation is not unlikely, and the Qur'an has used the word 'ism' in that sense also. The Hadith that instructs us to recite the tasbih in sajdah [ prostration ] is not "I pronounce the purity of the name of my most exalted Lord, but "I pronounce the purity of my most exalted Lord". This indicates that in this context 'ism' is not used in the sense of 'name' but it refers to the Being of Allah Himself. [ Qurtubi ]</p>

CommentaryRuling [ 1]Scholars have ruled that when anyone recites the verse: سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى (Pronounce the purity of the name of your most exalted Lord...87:1) it is commendable to say:سُبحانَ رَبِِّیَ الْأَعْلَى'I pronounce the purity of my most exalted Lord.'This was the practice of all the noble Companions, like Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbaa, Ibn ` Umar, Ibn Zubair, Abu Musa and ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ Whenever they started reciting the Surah, they would recite:سُبحانَ رَبِِّیَ الْأَعْلَى'I pronounce the purity of my most exalted Lord.' [ Qurtubi ].It should be noted that the desirability of reciting this is outside of the prayer.Ruling [ 2]Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn ` Amir Al-Juhani ؓ narrates that when the Surah Al-A` la was revealed, the Holy Prophet ﷺ instructed:اجعلوا فی سجودکم'Say this (SubhanaRabbiyal-A` 1a) in your sujud [ prostrations ] 'سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى (Pronounce the purity of the name of your Most exalted Lord.) The word tasbih means 'to pronounce the purity' and سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ signifies to 'honour the name of your Lord'. When the name of Allah is pronounced, it should be done with utmost humility and respect.His name should be kept pure and free from anything that is unbecoming to His sublime status. Allah should be called by the names He Himself has stated or taught the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It is not permitted to call Him by any other name.Ruling [ 3]Besides, it is also included in the above imperative that there are some names exclusively meant for Allah; calling human beings or any other creation by those specific names is contrary to declaring the purity of Allah. Therefore, it is not permissible. [ Qurtubi ]. Nowadays, people are not particular about names like ` Abdur Rahman, ` Abdur Razzaq, ` Abdul Ghaffar and ` Abdul Quddus. They call the persons bearing these names 'Rahman', 'Razzaq', 'Ghaffar', 'Quddus' and so on, for short. People have got into the habit of shortening such names without realising that the speakers as well as the listeners are committing a sin. People commit this joyless sin day and night without any reason.Some commentators interpret the word 'ism' does not mean 'name' in this verse. Instead, they say, it is referring to the Dhat or the 'Being' of Allah. According to the Arabic expressions, this interpretation is not unlikely, and the Qur'an has used the word 'ism' in that sense also. The Hadith that instructs us to recite the tasbih in sajdah [ prostration ] is not "I pronounce the purity of the name of my most exalted Lord, but "I pronounce the purity of my most exalted Lord". This indicates that in this context 'ism' is not used in the sense of 'name' but it refers to the Being of Allah Himself. [ Qurtubi ]

<h2 class="title">Which was revealed in Makkah</h2><h2 class="title">The Virtues of Surat Al-A`la</h2><p>This Surah was revealed in Makkah before the migration to Al-Madinah. The proof of this is what Al-Bukhari recorded from Al-Bara' bin `Azib, that he said, "The first people to come to us (in Al-Madinah) from the Companions of the Prophet were Mus`ab bin `Umayr and Ibn Umm Maktum, who taught us the Qur'an; then `Ammar, Bilal and Sa`d came. Then `Umar bin Al-Khattab came with a group of twenty people, after which the Prophet came. I have not seen the people of Al-Madinah happier with anything more than their happiness with his coming (to Al-Madinah). This was reached to such an extent that I saw the children and little ones saying, `This is the Messenger of Allah who has come.' Thus, he came, but he did not come until after I had already recited (i.e., learned how to recite)</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><p>(Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) (87:1) as well as other Surahs similar to it." It has been confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah said to Mu`adh,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«هَلَّا صَلَّيْتَ بِــ</div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَـهَا </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى »</div><p>(Why didn't you recite "Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,"; "By the sun and its brightness," and "By the night when it envelopes.") Imam Ahmad recorded from An-Nu`man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah recited</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَـشِيَةِ </div><p>Surat Al-A`la (chapter 87) and Surat Al-Ghashiyh (chapter 88) in the two `Id prayers. If the `Id prayer fell on Friday, he would recite them in both prayers (`Id and Salat Al-Jumu`ah). Muslim also recorded this in his Sahih, as well as Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah. The wording of Muslim and the Sunan compilers says, "He used to recite</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَـشِيَةِ </div><p>Surat Al-A`la (chapter 87) and Surat Al-Ghashiyh (chapter 88) for the two `Ids and Jumu`ah. If they occurred on the same day, he would recite them in both of them." In his Musnad, Imam Ahmad recorded on the authority of Ubayy bin Ka`b, Abdullah bin `Abbas, `Abdur-Rahman bin Abza, and the Mother of the believers, `A'ishah, that the Messenger of Allah used to recite</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ يأَيُّهَا الْكَـفِرُونَ </div><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ </div><p>(Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) and (Say: `O you who disbelieve.') and (Say: `He is Allah, the One.') `A'ishah added in her version that he would also recite the Mu`awwidhatayn (Al-Falaq and An-Nas).</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيم</div><p>In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.</p><h2 class="title">The Command to pronounce Tasbih and its Response</h2><p>Imam Ahmad recorded from Ibn `Abbas that whenever the Messenger of Allah would recite</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><p>(Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) he would say,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى»</div><p>(Glory to my Lord, the Most High.) Ibn Jarir recorded from Ibn Ishaq Al-Hamdani that whenever Ibn `Abbas would recite</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><p>(Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) he would say, "Glory to my Lord, the Most High," and whenever he would recite</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ </div><p>(I swear by the Day of Resurrection.) (75:1) and then reach the end of it</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَـدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يُحْيِىَ الْمَوْتَى </div><p>(Is not He able to give life to the dead) (75:40) he would say, "Glory to You, of course." Qatadah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى </div><p>(Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) "It has been mentioned to us that whenever the Prophet of Allah used to recite it he would say,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى»</div><p>(Glory to my Lord, the Most High.)"</p><h2 class="title">The Creation, the Decree, and the bringing forth of Vegetation</h2><p>Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى </div><p>(Who has created, and then proportioned it.) meaning, He created that which has been created, and He fashioned every creation in the best of forms. Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى </div><p>(And Who has measured; and then guided.) Mujahid said, "He guided man to distress and happiness, and he guided the cattle to their pastures." This Ayah is similar to what Allah has said about Musa's statement to Fir`awn,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">رَبُّنَا الَّذِى أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى</div><p>(Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.) (20:50) meaning, He decreed a set measure and guided the creation to it. This is just as is confirmed in Sahih Muslim on the authority of `Abdullah bin `Amr that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ اللهَ قَدَّرَ مَقَادِيرَ الْخَلَائِقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاء»</div><p>(Verily, Allah ordained the measure of all creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was over the water.) Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالَّذِى أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَى </div><p>(And Who brings out the pasturage,) meaning, all types of vegetation and crops.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَآءً أَحْوَى </div><p>(And then makes it dark stubble.) Ibn `Abbas said, "Dried up and altered." It has been narrated that Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd, all made similar statements.</p><h2 class="title">The Prophet does not forget the Revelation</h2><p>Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَنُقْرِئُكَ</div><p>(We shall make you to recite,) meaning, `O Muhammad.'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلاَ تَنسَى</div><p>(so you shall not forget (it),) This is Allah informing and promising him (the Prophet ) that He will teach him a recitation that he will not forget.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ اللَّهُ</div><p>(Except what Allah may will.) Qatadah said, "The Prophet did not forget anything except what Allah willed." It has been said that the meaning of Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَلاَ تَنسَى</div><p>(so you shall not forget,) is, "do not forget" and that which would be abrogated, is merely an exception to this. Meaning, `do not forget what We teach you to recite, except what Allah wills, which He removes and there is no sin on your leaving it off (not retaining it).' Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَى</div><p>(He knows what is apparent and what is hidden.) meaning, He knows what the creatures do openly and what they hide, whether it be statements or deeds. None of that is hidden from Him. Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَى </div><p>(And We shall make easy for you the easy.) meaning, `We will make good deeds and statements easy for you, and We will legislate such Law for you that is easy, tolerant, straight and just, with no crookedness, difficulty or hardship in it.'</p><h2 class="title">The Command to remind</h2><p>Allah then says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَى </div><p>(Therefore remind in case the reminder profits.) meaning, remind where reminding is beneficial. From here we get the etiquette of spreading knowledge, that it should not be wasted upon those who are not suitable or worthy of it. The Commander of the believers, `Ali said, "You do not tell people any statement that their intellects do not grasp except that it will be a Fitnah (trial) for some of them." He also said, "Tell people that which they know. Would you like for Allah and His Messenger to be rejected" Allah said:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَى </div><p>(The reminder will be received by him who fears,) meaning, `he whose heart fears Allah and who knows that he is going to meet Him, will receive admonition from what you convey to him, O Muhammad.'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الاٌّشْقَى - الَّذِى يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَى - ثُمَّ لاَ يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلاَ يَحْيَا </div><p>(But it will be avoided by the wretched, who will enter the great Fire. There he will neither die nor live.) meaning, he will not die and thus be allowed to rest, nor will he live a life that is beneficial to him. Instead, his life will be harmful to him, because it will be the cause of his feeling of the pain of torment and various types of punishments what he is being punished with. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«أَمَّا أَهْلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَهْلُهَا لَا يَمُوتُونَ وَلَا يَحْيَوْنَ، وَأَمَّا أُنَاسٌ يُرِيدُ اللهُ بِهِمُ الرَّحْمَةَ فَيُمِيتُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّفَعَاءُ فَيَأْخُذُ الرَّجُلُ الضِّبَارَةَ فَيُنْبِتُهُمْ أو قال: يَنْبُتُونَ فِي نَهْرِ الْحَيَا، أو قال: الْحَيَاةِ، أو قال: الْحَيَوَانِ أو قال: نَهْرِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَنْبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الْحِبَّةِ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْل»</div><p>(Concerning the people of the Fire who are deserving of it, they will not die nor will they live. Regarding the people that Allah wants mercy for, He will cause them to die in the Fire. Then He will allow the intercessors to come to them, and a man will take his groups of supporters and plant them (or he said (they will be planted) in the River of Al-Haya (or he said (Al-Hayah, or Al-Hayawan, or Nahr Al-Jannah). Then they will sprout up like the sprouting of the seed on the moist bank of a flowing stream.) Then the Prophet said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«أَمَا تَرَوْنَ الشَّجَرَةَ تَكُونُ خَضْرَاءَ، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ صَفْرَاءَ، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خَضْرَاءَ؟»</div><p>(Haven't you all seen the tree that is green, then it turns yellow, then it turns green (again)) Abu Sa`id then said that some of those present said, "It is as if the Prophet used to live in the desert wilderness (i.e., due to his parables of nature)." Ahmad also recorded from Abu Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«أَمَّا أَهْلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَهْلُهَا فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يَمُوتُونَ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَوْنَ، وَلَــكِنْ أُنَاسٌ أو كما قال تُصِيبُهُمُ النَّارُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ أو قال: بِخَطَايَاهُمْ فَيُمِيتُهُمْ إِمَاتَةً حَتْى إِذَا صَارُوا فَحْمًا أُذِنَ فِي الشَّفَاعَةِ، فَجِيءَ بِهِمْ ضَبَائِرَ ضَبَائِرَ فَبُثُّوا عَلى أَنْهَارِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيُقَالُ:يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْهِمْ، فَيَنْبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الْحِبَّةِ تَكُونُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْل»</div><p>(Concerning the people of the Fire who will be dwellers of it, they will not die in it nor will they live. However, there will be a group of people - or as he said -( whom the Fire will burn due to their sins - or he said - (their wrongdoings. So, He will cause them to die until they become burnt coal. Then the intercession will be allowed and they will be brought group after group, and they will be scattered over the rivers of Paradise. Then it will be said: "O people of Paradise! Pour down upon them." Then they will sprout like the growing of the seed that is upon the moist bank of the flowing stream." Then, a man from among the people present said, "It is as if the Messenger of Allah used to live in the desert wilderness." Muslim also recorded this Hadith.</p>

Which was revealed in MakkahThe Virtues of Surat Al-A`laThis Surah was revealed in Makkah before the migration to Al-Madinah. The proof of this is what Al-Bukhari recorded from Al-Bara' bin `Azib, that he said, "The first people to come to us (in Al-Madinah) from the Companions of the Prophet were Mus`ab bin `Umayr and Ibn Umm Maktum, who taught us the Qur'an; then `Ammar, Bilal and Sa`d came. Then `Umar bin Al-Khattab came with a group of twenty people, after which the Prophet came. I have not seen the people of Al-Madinah happier with anything more than their happiness with his coming (to Al-Madinah). This was reached to such an extent that I saw the children and little ones saying, `This is the Messenger of Allah who has come.' Thus, he came, but he did not come until after I had already recited (i.e., learned how to recite)سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى (Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) (87:1) as well as other Surahs similar to it." It has been confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah said to Mu`adh,«هَلَّا صَلَّيْتَ بِــسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَـهَا وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى »(Why didn't you recite "Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,"; "By the sun and its brightness," and "By the night when it envelopes.") Imam Ahmad recorded from An-Nu`man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah recitedسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَـشِيَةِ Surat Al-A`la (chapter 87) and Surat Al-Ghashiyh (chapter 88) in the two `Id prayers. If the `Id prayer fell on Friday, he would recite them in both prayers (`Id and Salat Al-Jumu`ah). Muslim also recorded this in his Sahih, as well as Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah. The wording of Muslim and the Sunan compilers says, "He used to reciteسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَـشِيَةِ Surat Al-A`la (chapter 87) and Surat Al-Ghashiyh (chapter 88) for the two `Ids and Jumu`ah. If they occurred on the same day, he would recite them in both of them." In his Musnad, Imam Ahmad recorded on the authority of Ubayy bin Ka`b, Abdullah bin `Abbas, `Abdur-Rahman bin Abza, and the Mother of the believers, `A'ishah, that the Messenger of Allah used to reciteسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى قُلْ يأَيُّهَا الْكَـفِرُونَ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) and (Say: `O you who disbelieve.') and (Say: `He is Allah, the One.') `A'ishah added in her version that he would also recite the Mu`awwidhatayn (Al-Falaq and An-Nas).بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمIn the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.The Command to pronounce Tasbih and its ResponseImam Ahmad recorded from Ibn `Abbas that whenever the Messenger of Allah would reciteسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى (Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) he would say,«سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى»(Glory to my Lord, the Most High.) Ibn Jarir recorded from Ibn Ishaq Al-Hamdani that whenever Ibn `Abbas would reciteسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى (Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) he would say, "Glory to my Lord, the Most High," and whenever he would reciteلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ (I swear by the Day of Resurrection.) (75:1) and then reach the end of itأَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَـدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يُحْيِىَ الْمَوْتَى (Is not He able to give life to the dead) (75:40) he would say, "Glory to You, of course." Qatadah said,سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعْلَى (Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) "It has been mentioned to us that whenever the Prophet of Allah used to recite it he would say,«سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى»(Glory to my Lord, the Most High.)"The Creation, the Decree, and the bringing forth of VegetationAllah says,الَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى (Who has created, and then proportioned it.) meaning, He created that which has been created, and He fashioned every creation in the best of forms. Then Allah says,وَالَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى (And Who has measured; and then guided.) Mujahid said, "He guided man to distress and happiness, and he guided the cattle to their pastures." This Ayah is similar to what Allah has said about Musa's statement to Fir`awn,رَبُّنَا الَّذِى أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى(Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.) (20:50) meaning, He decreed a set measure and guided the creation to it. This is just as is confirmed in Sahih Muslim on the authority of `Abdullah bin `Amr that the Messenger of Allah said,«إِنَّ اللهَ قَدَّرَ مَقَادِيرَ الْخَلَائِقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاء»(Verily, Allah ordained the measure of all creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was over the water.) Concerning Allah's statement,وَالَّذِى أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَى (And Who brings out the pasturage,) meaning, all types of vegetation and crops.فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَآءً أَحْوَى (And then makes it dark stubble.) Ibn `Abbas said, "Dried up and altered." It has been narrated that Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd, all made similar statements.The Prophet does not forget the RevelationAllah says,سَنُقْرِئُكَ(We shall make you to recite,) meaning, `O Muhammad.'فَلاَ تَنسَى(so you shall not forget (it),) This is Allah informing and promising him (the Prophet ) that He will teach him a recitation that he will not forget.إِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ اللَّهُ(Except what Allah may will.) Qatadah said, "The Prophet did not forget anything except what Allah willed." It has been said that the meaning of Allah's statement,فَلاَ تَنسَى(so you shall not forget,) is, "do not forget" and that which would be abrogated, is merely an exception to this. Meaning, `do not forget what We teach you to recite, except what Allah wills, which He removes and there is no sin on your leaving it off (not retaining it).' Concerning Allah's statement,إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَى(He knows what is apparent and what is hidden.) meaning, He knows what the creatures do openly and what they hide, whether it be statements or deeds. None of that is hidden from Him. Then Allah says,وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَى (And We shall make easy for you the easy.) meaning, `We will make good deeds and statements easy for you, and We will legislate such Law for you that is easy, tolerant, straight and just, with no crookedness, difficulty or hardship in it.'The Command to remindAllah then says,فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَى (Therefore remind in case the reminder profits.) meaning, remind where reminding is beneficial. From here we get the etiquette of spreading knowledge, that it should not be wasted upon those who are not suitable or worthy of it. The Commander of the believers, `Ali said, "You do not tell people any statement that their intellects do not grasp except that it will be a Fitnah (trial) for some of them." He also said, "Tell people that which they know. Would you like for Allah and His Messenger to be rejected" Allah said:سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَى (The reminder will be received by him who fears,) meaning, `he whose heart fears Allah and who knows that he is going to meet Him, will receive admonition from what you convey to him, O Muhammad.'وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الاٌّشْقَى - الَّذِى يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَى - ثُمَّ لاَ يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلاَ يَحْيَا (But it will be avoided by the wretched, who will enter the great Fire. There he will neither die nor live.) meaning, he will not die and thus be allowed to rest, nor will he live a life that is beneficial to him. Instead, his life will be harmful to him, because it will be the cause of his feeling of the pain of torment and various types of punishments what he is being punished with. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah said,«أَمَّا أَهْلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَهْلُهَا لَا يَمُوتُونَ وَلَا يَحْيَوْنَ، وَأَمَّا أُنَاسٌ يُرِيدُ اللهُ بِهِمُ الرَّحْمَةَ فَيُمِيتُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّفَعَاءُ فَيَأْخُذُ الرَّجُلُ الضِّبَارَةَ فَيُنْبِتُهُمْ أو قال: يَنْبُتُونَ فِي نَهْرِ الْحَيَا، أو قال: الْحَيَاةِ، أو قال: الْحَيَوَانِ أو قال: نَهْرِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَنْبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الْحِبَّةِ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْل»(Concerning the people of the Fire who are deserving of it, they will not die nor will they live. Regarding the people that Allah wants mercy for, He will cause them to die in the Fire. Then He will allow the intercessors to come to them, and a man will take his groups of supporters and plant them (or he said (they will be planted) in the River of Al-Haya (or he said (Al-Hayah, or Al-Hayawan, or Nahr Al-Jannah). Then they will sprout up like the sprouting of the seed on the moist bank of a flowing stream.) Then the Prophet said,«أَمَا تَرَوْنَ الشَّجَرَةَ تَكُونُ خَضْرَاءَ، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ صَفْرَاءَ، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خَضْرَاءَ؟»(Haven't you all seen the tree that is green, then it turns yellow, then it turns green (again)) Abu Sa`id then said that some of those present said, "It is as if the Prophet used to live in the desert wilderness (i.e., due to his parables of nature)." Ahmad also recorded from Abu Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah said,«أَمَّا أَهْلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَهْلُهَا فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يَمُوتُونَ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَوْنَ، وَلَــكِنْ أُنَاسٌ أو كما قال تُصِيبُهُمُ النَّارُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ أو قال: بِخَطَايَاهُمْ فَيُمِيتُهُمْ إِمَاتَةً حَتْى إِذَا صَارُوا فَحْمًا أُذِنَ فِي الشَّفَاعَةِ، فَجِيءَ بِهِمْ ضَبَائِرَ ضَبَائِرَ فَبُثُّوا عَلى أَنْهَارِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيُقَالُ:يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْهِمْ، فَيَنْبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الْحِبَّةِ تَكُونُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيْل»(Concerning the people of the Fire who will be dwellers of it, they will not die in it nor will they live. However, there will be a group of people - or as he said -( whom the Fire will burn due to their sins - or he said - (their wrongdoings. So, He will cause them to die until they become burnt coal. Then the intercession will be allowed and they will be brought group after group, and they will be scattered over the rivers of Paradise. Then it will be said: "O people of Paradise! Pour down upon them." Then they will sprout like the growing of the seed that is upon the moist bank of the flowing stream." Then, a man from among the people present said, "It is as if the Messenger of Allah used to live in the desert wilderness." Muslim also recorded this Hadith.

Who creates and proportions,

The One Who created, and then made proper.

who created and shaped,

who creates [every thing], and thereupon forms it in accordance with what it is meant to be,

Who hath created and then proportioned,

Who has created (everything), and then proportioned it;

He who creates and regulates.

Who created all things and fashioned them in good proportion;

Who has created, and then proportioned it.

Who createth, then disposeth;

who created and proportioned,

who has created and shaped,

Who created and proportioned

Who has created (all things) proportionately,

Who creates, then makes complete,

Alla<u>th</u>ee khalaqa fasaww<u>a</u>

who created all things and gave them due proportions,

Who hath created, and further, given order and proportion;

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ

The One Who created man in due proportion and balanced his stature.

The One Who created man in due proportion and balanced his stature.

<p>Subtle and Profound Wisdom in the Creation of the Universe</p><p>الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ (who created [ everything ], then made [ it ] well, and who determined a measure [ for everything ], then guided [ it ]...87:2, 3). All these are the attributes of the 'Most Exalted Lord'. The first attribute is khalaqa which does not simply mean 'to make' or 'manufacture'. It has a deeper significance: 'to bring out something from pure non-existence into the realm of existence without the help of any pre-existing matter'. (This is the correct meaning of 'creation'. If something is made with the help of some pre-existing matter, it cannot be called 'creation' in its original sense.) This is not within the power of anyone else. Only the perfect power of Allah can bring things into existence, whenever He wills, without the help of any pre-existing matter.</p><p>The second attribute, which is connected with takhliq (creation), is sawwa. This word is derived from taswiyah, and it literally means 'to make well or equal'. The verse signifies that Allah made the constitution of everything symmetrical or made it congruously consistent in its several parts, the body structure, shape and size, limbs and organs. Man and every other animal is adapted to the requirements of wisdom. The hands and legs, the tips of the fingers and toes have joints with different types of springy connective tissues that make it possible to bend and fold in different ways. If we look at another limb or organ of human body, its symmetry and balance baffles our imagination and is sufficient for us to believe in the consummate wisdom and power of the Creator of the universe.</p><p>The third attribute is qaddara which is derived from taqdir and it means 'to determine; to measure; to balance; to design symmetrically; to decree/decide'. The word is used in the last sense here. The verse purports to say that things in the world have not been created without purpose. Everything has been created for a specific purpose, and has been endowed with natural capacities to fit its function. If we look carefully, the principle does not apply only to specific species. Every member of the universe has been assigned a specific function to perform. We witness the manifestation of the assignments in the sky, the stars, lightning, rain, humans, animals, vegetation and minerals.</p><p>Maulana Rumi رحمۃ علیہ says:</p><p>خاک و باد و آب و آتش بندہ اند بامن و تو مردہ باحق زندہ اند</p><p>'The earth, the wind, the water and the fire all of them are slaves of Allah.</p><p>According to me and you, they are senseless, but according to Allah, all of them are alive and sensible.</p><p>Allah has especially geared man and every species of animals to do particular works and they perform them according to their natural inclination, and their predisposition pivots around their respective tasks.</p><p>ہری کے رابہر کارے ساختند میل اور ادردلش اند اختند</p><p>Allah has created everything for a particular purpose And has filled its heart with inclination towards it.</p><p>The fourth attribute of Allah is fa-hada 'then guided it'. In other words, The Creator of the universe did not create things and left them to their own mercy to perform their particular function as they like, but they are shown the way in which they should be performed. As a matter of fact, He guided the entire creation by equipping each member of it with suitable nature to function for which it was created, whether the member is the sky or celestial creation, or it is the earth or the earthly creation. They all possess a special type of sense, though it is of a lower than that of man. The Qur'an says:</p><p>رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ</p><p>'Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright. [ 20:50] '</p><p>As a result, since the inception of their creation, the skies, the earth, the stars and planets, mountains and oceans are all performing their functions accurately, without any failure or deviation. Humans and animals, in particular, whose intellect and sensibility can be observed easily, have been invested with capabilities of fulfilling their minute needs and repelling harmful things in a way that baffles the one who thinks about it. Since man possesses sense and intelligence of a higher degree, his capabilities may not be so much surprising, but let us look into wild animals, ferocious animals or beasts of prey, birds and insects. Each and everyone of them is able to obtain its necessities of life. They are able to find their habitats. They have not acquired the skills of fulfilling their individual and communal needs through a teacher that may educate or train them, nor did they need any school or college to acquire this knowledge and skill. Their education and training comes directly from the Creator of the universe. It is this divine guidance that has been referred to in the Holy Qur'an by saying,</p><p>رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ</p><p>'Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright. [ 20:50] '</p><p>and in this Surah thus:</p><p>وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ</p><p>'and who determined a measure (for everything), then guided (it), [ 3] '</p><p>The Knowledge of Science is a Divine Gift to Man</p><p>Allah has equipped man with the higher order of intelligence and sense. The entire universe is made subservient to him, the earth, mountains and oceans and everything created therein are made to serve man and created for his benefit. However, full advantage of them is not possible unless man acquires knowledge and skill to put various things together and produce a new item. Nature has provided man with intelligence and understanding to excavate mountains and dive into the oceans to obtain minerals and marine objects. He composes certain items like wood, iron, steel, copper, brass and so on and makes new items of his need. This knowledge and technology is not dependent on scientific research and college or university education. Even illiterate people have been doing this since the inception of human existence. This is intrinsic science that Allah has endowed upon man as a natural gift. Later, man developed the capability of doing technical and scientific research. He thus made progress in various fields of science and technology. The capability to do this is also a Divine gift.</p><p>Obviously, science and technology does not create anything, but it merely shows the way to use the created things. The initial knowledge about their use is taught by Allah, but there is a wide scope to make progress in it by the capabilities Allah has bestowed to man, the manifestation of which we are witnessing in this scientific age day by day, and what further range of these abilities and talents will manifest in future is unknown. All this is the interpretation of hada '[ He ] guided (it), [ 3] In other words, Allah has placed in them potentials and capabilities to perform their natural functions. But alas! the scientists are getting more and more negligent, rather blind to these realities day by day.</p>

Subtle and Profound Wisdom in the Creation of the Universeالَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ (who created [ everything ], then made [ it ] well, and who determined a measure [ for everything ], then guided [ it ]...87:2, 3). All these are the attributes of the 'Most Exalted Lord'. The first attribute is khalaqa which does not simply mean 'to make' or 'manufacture'. It has a deeper significance: 'to bring out something from pure non-existence into the realm of existence without the help of any pre-existing matter'. (This is the correct meaning of 'creation'. If something is made with the help of some pre-existing matter, it cannot be called 'creation' in its original sense.) This is not within the power of anyone else. Only the perfect power of Allah can bring things into existence, whenever He wills, without the help of any pre-existing matter.The second attribute, which is connected with takhliq (creation), is sawwa. This word is derived from taswiyah, and it literally means 'to make well or equal'. The verse signifies that Allah made the constitution of everything symmetrical or made it congruously consistent in its several parts, the body structure, shape and size, limbs and organs. Man and every other animal is adapted to the requirements of wisdom. The hands and legs, the tips of the fingers and toes have joints with different types of springy connective tissues that make it possible to bend and fold in different ways. If we look at another limb or organ of human body, its symmetry and balance baffles our imagination and is sufficient for us to believe in the consummate wisdom and power of the Creator of the universe.The third attribute is qaddara which is derived from taqdir and it means 'to determine; to measure; to balance; to design symmetrically; to decree/decide'. The word is used in the last sense here. The verse purports to say that things in the world have not been created without purpose. Everything has been created for a specific purpose, and has been endowed with natural capacities to fit its function. If we look carefully, the principle does not apply only to specific species. Every member of the universe has been assigned a specific function to perform. We witness the manifestation of the assignments in the sky, the stars, lightning, rain, humans, animals, vegetation and minerals.Maulana Rumi رحمۃ علیہ says:خاک و باد و آب و آتش بندہ اند بامن و تو مردہ باحق زندہ اند'The earth, the wind, the water and the fire all of them are slaves of Allah.According to me and you, they are senseless, but according to Allah, all of them are alive and sensible.Allah has especially geared man and every species of animals to do particular works and they perform them according to their natural inclination, and their predisposition pivots around their respective tasks.ہری کے رابہر کارے ساختند میل اور ادردلش اند اختندAllah has created everything for a particular purpose And has filled its heart with inclination towards it.The fourth attribute of Allah is fa-hada 'then guided it'. In other words, The Creator of the universe did not create things and left them to their own mercy to perform their particular function as they like, but they are shown the way in which they should be performed. As a matter of fact, He guided the entire creation by equipping each member of it with suitable nature to function for which it was created, whether the member is the sky or celestial creation, or it is the earth or the earthly creation. They all possess a special type of sense, though it is of a lower than that of man. The Qur'an says:رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ'Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright. [ 20:50] 'As a result, since the inception of their creation, the skies, the earth, the stars and planets, mountains and oceans are all performing their functions accurately, without any failure or deviation. Humans and animals, in particular, whose intellect and sensibility can be observed easily, have been invested with capabilities of fulfilling their minute needs and repelling harmful things in a way that baffles the one who thinks about it. Since man possesses sense and intelligence of a higher degree, his capabilities may not be so much surprising, but let us look into wild animals, ferocious animals or beasts of prey, birds and insects. Each and everyone of them is able to obtain its necessities of life. They are able to find their habitats. They have not acquired the skills of fulfilling their individual and communal needs through a teacher that may educate or train them, nor did they need any school or college to acquire this knowledge and skill. Their education and training comes directly from the Creator of the universe. It is this divine guidance that has been referred to in the Holy Qur'an by saying,رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ'Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright. [ 20:50] 'and in this Surah thus:وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ'and who determined a measure (for everything), then guided (it), [ 3] 'The Knowledge of Science is a Divine Gift to ManAllah has equipped man with the higher order of intelligence and sense. The entire universe is made subservient to him, the earth, mountains and oceans and everything created therein are made to serve man and created for his benefit. However, full advantage of them is not possible unless man acquires knowledge and skill to put various things together and produce a new item. Nature has provided man with intelligence and understanding to excavate mountains and dive into the oceans to obtain minerals and marine objects. He composes certain items like wood, iron, steel, copper, brass and so on and makes new items of his need. This knowledge and technology is not dependent on scientific research and college or university education. Even illiterate people have been doing this since the inception of human existence. This is intrinsic science that Allah has endowed upon man as a natural gift. Later, man developed the capability of doing technical and scientific research. He thus made progress in various fields of science and technology. The capability to do this is also a Divine gift.Obviously, science and technology does not create anything, but it merely shows the way to use the created things. The initial knowledge about their use is taught by Allah, but there is a wide scope to make progress in it by the capabilities Allah has bestowed to man, the manifestation of which we are witnessing in this scientific age day by day, and what further range of these abilities and talents will manifest in future is unknown. All this is the interpretation of hada '[ He ] guided (it), [ 3] In other words, Allah has placed in them potentials and capabilities to perform their natural functions. But alas! the scientists are getting more and more negligent, rather blind to these realities day by day.

Who determines and directs,

And the One Who kept proper measure and then guided.

who determined and guided,

and who determines the nature [of all that exists], and thereupon guides it [towards its fulfilment],

And Who hath disposed and then guided,

And Who has measured (preordainments for each and everything even to be blessed or wretched); then guided (i.e. showed mankind the right as well as wrong paths, and guided the animals to pasture);

He who measures and guides.

Who determined and guided them,

And Who has measured; and then guided.

Who measureth, then guideth;

who determined and guided,

who has ordained and guided,

And who destined and [then] guided

decreed their destinies, and provided them with guidance.

And Who makes (things) according to a measure, then guides (them to their goal),

Wa<b>a</b>lla<u>th</u>ee qaddara fahad<u>a</u>

who determines the nature [of all that exists], and guided it accordingly;

Who hath ordained laws. And granted guidance;

وَٱلَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ

The One Who determined for all created things their species, types and attributes and Who guided every creation to what is appropriate and suitable for it.

The One Who determined for all created things their species, types and attributes and Who guided every creation to what is appropriate and suitable for it.

Who brings out the pastures

The One Who produced pasture.

who brought forth the pasturage

and who brings forth herbage,

And Who bringeth forth the pasturage,

And Who brings out the pasturage,

He who produces the pasture.

Who brought forth the pasture,

And Who brings out the pasturage,

Who bringeth forth the pasturage,

who brought forth the pasture

who brings forth the pastures,

And who brings out the pasture

It is He who has caused the grass to grow,

And Who brings forth herbage,

Wa<b>a</b>lla<u>th</u>ee akhraja almarAA<u>a</u>

who brings forth green pasture,

And Who bringeth out the (green and luscious) pasture,

وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَخْرَجَ ٱلْمَرْعَىٰ

The One Who brought out from the earth what your animals graze on.

The One Who brought out from the earth what your animals graze on.

<p>وَالَّذِي أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَىٰ ﴿4﴾ فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَاءً أَحْوَىٰ (and who brought forth pasturage, then turned it into a blackening stubble....87:4, 5)</p><p>The word مَرْعَىٰ ma’ ra means 'pasturage'. This is the land that has grass growing on it, and that is used for animals to graze. The word ghutha' غُثَا refers to 'stubble, and scum borne upon the surface of a torrent'. The word أَحْوَىٰ ahwa is derived from the root huwwah which refers to 'a kind of black colour that comes upon a dense vegetation'. The verse purports to depict the Divine power and wisdom related to herbage and vegetation. He grows the green vegetation and then He gradually turns it into black colour, and it loses its freshness. This directs man's attention also to his end. His body radiating with health, beauty, smartness and alertness is a Divine gift, but its tenure of life is limited. Eventually it will come to an end.</p>

وَالَّذِي أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَىٰ ﴿4﴾ فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَاءً أَحْوَىٰ (and who brought forth pasturage, then turned it into a blackening stubble....87:4, 5)The word مَرْعَىٰ ma’ ra means 'pasturage'. This is the land that has grass growing on it, and that is used for animals to graze. The word ghutha' غُثَا refers to 'stubble, and scum borne upon the surface of a torrent'. The word أَحْوَىٰ ahwa is derived from the root huwwah which refers to 'a kind of black colour that comes upon a dense vegetation'. The verse purports to depict the Divine power and wisdom related to herbage and vegetation. He grows the green vegetation and then He gradually turns it into black colour, and it loses its freshness. This directs man's attention also to his end. His body radiating with health, beauty, smartness and alertness is a Divine gift, but its tenure of life is limited. Eventually it will come to an end.

Then reduces them to rusty rubbish.

Then made it dry and dark.

then made it a blackening wrack.

and thereupon causes it to decay into rust-brown stubble!

Then maketh it to stubble dusky.

And then makes it dark stubble.

And then turns it into light debris.

and then made it into a blackish straw.

And then makes it dark stubble.

Then turneth it to russet stubble.

and then turned it into a black scum.

then made it dry dark, flaky stubble,

And [then] makes it black stubble.

then caused it to wither away.

Then makes it dried up, dust-colored.

FajaAAalahu ghuth<u>a</u>an a<u>h</u>w<u>a</u>

then turns it into black stubble.

And then doth make it (but) swarthy stubble.

فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَآءً أَحْوَىٰ

The He made it into dry blackish straw after it had been green and fresh.

The He made it into dry blackish straw after it had been green and fresh.

We shall make you recite (the Qur'an) so that you will not forget it,

We shall now make you read (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), so you will not forget.

We shall make thee recite, to forget not

WE SHALL teach thee, and thou wilt not forget [aught of what thou art taught],

We shall enable thee to recite, and then thou shalt not forget,

We shall make you to recite (the Quran), so you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) shall not forget (it),

We will make you read, so do not forget.

We shall make you recite and then you will not forget,

We shall make you recite, so you shall not forget,

We shall make thee read (O Muhammad) so that thou shalt not forget

We shall have you recite [the Quran], then you will not forget [any of it]

We shall make you recite so that you will not forget,

We will make you recite, [O Muhammad], and you will not forget,

We shall teach you (the Quran) and you will not forget it

We will make you recite so you shall not forget,

Sanuqrioka fal<u>a</u> tans<u>a</u>

[O Prophet!] We shall make you recite the Quran so that you will not forget any of it --

By degrees shall We teach thee to declare (the Message), so thou shalt not forget,

سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ

I will teach you, O Messenger, the Qur’ān, and gather it in your chest so you do not forget it. So do not race with Gabriel in the recitation as you used to do with the desire that you do not forget it.

I will teach you, O Messenger, the Qur’ān, and gather it in your chest so you do not forget it. So do not race with Gabriel in the recitation as you used to do with the desire that you do not forget it.

<p>سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰ ۔ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّـهُ (We will make you recite, then you will not forget, except that which Allah wills. Indeed He knows what is manifest and what is hidden....87:6-7). In the preceding verses, Allah depicted the manifestation of His Omnipotence and [ profound ] wisdom. Thereafter, a few guidelines are given to the Holy Prophet ﷺ regarding his prophetic obligation. Before putting forth the guidelines, he is given the cheerful news of making his task easier. When the Qur'an was revealed initially, and as Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) began to recite, the Holy Prophet ﷺ made haste to repeat, lest any word or sentence should be lost. He was, therefore, told not to make haste with it, and to wait until the angel had delivered the whole message, and then to repeat the words of the revelation, being assured that it was a Divine arrangement, and that nothing would be lost. On this occasion, he is still more plainly told: 'then you will not forget, except that which Allah wills.'</p><p>While Allah made the Holy Prophet ﷺ remember all of the Qur'an, there were certain verses which Allah made him forget, because they had been abrogated. This was done by Allah's command, and is not done without reason. There are several ways in which this is done. One way of doing this is that a second clear injunction is revealed contrary to the first injunction. Another way of abrogating a particular verse is to obliterate a verse from the memory of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the memory of all other Muslims, as stated in:</p><p>مَا نَنسَخ مِن آیَتٍ اَو نُنسِھَا</p><p>'Whenever We abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten. [ 2:106] '</p><p>Some scholars interpret the exceptive sentence 'except that which Allah wills' differently. They say that for some reason Allah blots out temporarily a verse from Holy Prophet's ﷺ memory, but he may remember it again, in support of which the following narrative may be adduced: One day the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited a Surah, but omitted one of the verses. Sayyidna Ubayy Ibn Ka` b ؓ ، one of the Prophet's scribes, was present. He thought it might have been abrogated. On inquiry, the Holy Prophet said that it was not abrogated, but that it was omitted by mistake. [ Qurtubi ]. In this interpretation, it may be summarised that forgetting a verse temporarily, and then remembering it again, does not go against the promise made in this verse. [ In fact, it is an exception from this promise.] Allah knows best!</p>

سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰ ۔ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّـهُ (We will make you recite, then you will not forget, except that which Allah wills. Indeed He knows what is manifest and what is hidden....87:6-7). In the preceding verses, Allah depicted the manifestation of His Omnipotence and [ profound ] wisdom. Thereafter, a few guidelines are given to the Holy Prophet ﷺ regarding his prophetic obligation. Before putting forth the guidelines, he is given the cheerful news of making his task easier. When the Qur'an was revealed initially, and as Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) began to recite, the Holy Prophet ﷺ made haste to repeat, lest any word or sentence should be lost. He was, therefore, told not to make haste with it, and to wait until the angel had delivered the whole message, and then to repeat the words of the revelation, being assured that it was a Divine arrangement, and that nothing would be lost. On this occasion, he is still more plainly told: 'then you will not forget, except that which Allah wills.'While Allah made the Holy Prophet ﷺ remember all of the Qur'an, there were certain verses which Allah made him forget, because they had been abrogated. This was done by Allah's command, and is not done without reason. There are several ways in which this is done. One way of doing this is that a second clear injunction is revealed contrary to the first injunction. Another way of abrogating a particular verse is to obliterate a verse from the memory of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the memory of all other Muslims, as stated in:مَا نَنسَخ مِن آیَتٍ اَو نُنسِھَا'Whenever We abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten. [ 2:106] 'Some scholars interpret the exceptive sentence 'except that which Allah wills' differently. They say that for some reason Allah blots out temporarily a verse from Holy Prophet's ﷺ memory, but he may remember it again, in support of which the following narrative may be adduced: One day the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited a Surah, but omitted one of the verses. Sayyidna Ubayy Ibn Ka` b ؓ ، one of the Prophet's scribes, was present. He thought it might have been abrogated. On inquiry, the Holy Prophet said that it was not abrogated, but that it was omitted by mistake. [ Qurtubi ]. In this interpretation, it may be summarised that forgetting a verse temporarily, and then remembering it again, does not go against the promise made in this verse. [ In fact, it is an exception from this promise.] Allah knows best!

Unless God may please. He knows the visible and knows what is hidden.

Except what Allah wills; indeed He knows all the evident and all the concealed.

save what God wills; surely He knows what is spoken aloud and what is hidden.

save what God may will [thee to forget] - for, verily, He [alone] knows all that is open to [man's] perception as well as all that is hidden [from it]

Save that which Allah may will. Verily He knoweth the public and that which is hidden.

Except what Allah, may will, He knows what is apparent and what is hidden.

Except what God wills. He knows what is declared, and what is hidden.

except what Allah should wish. He knows all that is manifest and all that is hidden.

Except what Allah may will He knows what is apparent and what is hidden.

Save that which Allah willeth. Lo! He knoweth the disclosed and that which still is hidden;

except what Allah may wish. Indeed, He knows the open and what is hidden.

except what Allah wills, surely, He knows all that is (spoken) aloud and what is hidden.

Except what Allah should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.

unless God wills it to be otherwise. He knows all that is made public and all that remains hidden.

Except what Allah pleases, surely He knows the manifest, and what is hidden.

Ill<u>a</u> m<u>a</u> sh<u>a</u>a All<u>a</u>hu innahu yaAAlamu aljahra wam<u>a</u> yakhf<u>a</u>

except whatever God wills; He knows both what is manifest and what is hidden --

Except as Allah wills: For He knoweth what is manifest and what is hidden.

إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ إِنَّهُۥ يَعْلَمُ ٱلْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ

Except for what Allah wishes you to forget for some reason. He (may He be glorified) knows what is made public and what is hidden. Nothing of that is hidden from Him.

Except for what Allah wishes you to forget for some reason. He (may He be glorified) knows what is made public and what is hidden. Nothing of that is hidden from Him.

We shall take you slowly towards ease.

And We shall create the means of ease for you.

We shall ease thee unto the Easing.

and [thus] shall We make easy for thee the path towards [ultimate] ease.

And We shall make easy Unto thee the easy way.

And We shall make easy for you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) the easy way (i.e. the doing of righteous deeds).

We will ease you into the Easy Way.

We shall ease you to follow the way of Ease.

And We shall make easy for you the easy.

And We shall ease thy way unto the state of ease.

And We shall ease you into facility.

We shall ease you to the easy.

And We will ease you toward ease.

We shall make all your tasks easy.

And We will make your way smooth to a state of ease.

Wanuyassiruka lilyusr<u>a</u>

We shall facilitate for you the Easy Way.

And We will make it easy for thee (to follow) the simple (Path).

وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ

I will make it easy for you to do actions that please Allah and enter you into Paradise.

I will make it easy for you to do actions that please Allah and enter you into Paradise.

<p>وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ (And We will facilitate for you [ to reach ] the easiest way....87:8). The phrase the easiest way' refers to the sacred laws of Islam. Apparently, according to the demand of the context, it should have been stated 'We will make the Shari'ah easy for you'. But the Qur'an chose, instead, to state 'And We will facilitate for you (to reach) the easiest way. [ 8] '. The reason for that, probably, is to indicate that Allah will predispose him to the sacred laws, so that they will become part of his nature, and he will become an embodiment of Shari'ah.</p>

وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ (And We will facilitate for you [ to reach ] the easiest way....87:8). The phrase the easiest way' refers to the sacred laws of Islam. Apparently, according to the demand of the context, it should have been stated 'We will make the Shari'ah easy for you'. But the Qur'an chose, instead, to state 'And We will facilitate for you (to reach) the easiest way. [ 8] '. The reason for that, probably, is to indicate that Allah will predispose him to the sacred laws, so that they will become part of his nature, and he will become an embodiment of Shari'ah.

So remind them if reminder is profitable:

Therefore advise, if advising is beneficial.

Therefore remind, if the Reminder profits,

REMIND, THEN, [others of the truth, regardless of] whether this reminding [would seem to] be of use [or not]:

Wherefore admonish thou; admonition hath surely profited,

Therefore remind (men) in case the reminder profits (them).

So remind, if reminding helps.

So render good counsel if good counsel will avail.

Therefore remind in case the reminder profits.

Therefor remind (men), for of use is the reminder.

So admonish, for admonition is indeed beneficial:

Therefore remind, if the Reminder benefits,

So remind, if the reminder should benefit;

Therefore, keep on preaching as long as it is of benefit.

Therefore do remind, surely reminding does profit.

Fa<u>th</u>akkir in nafaAAati a<b>l</b><u>thth</u>ikr<u>a</u>

Remind, if the reminder can be of benefit.

Therefore give admonition in case the admonition profits (the hearer).

فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ

So give counsel to people with the Qur’ān that I reveal to you and remind them as long as the reminder is heard.

So give counsel to people with the Qur’ān that I reveal to you and remind them as long as the reminder is heard.

<p>فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَىٰ (So, extend advice [ to people ] if advice is useful....87:9) The preceding verses described the facilities created by Allah for the Holy Prophet in performing his Prophetic obligation. This verse commands him to perform his obligation. The verse contains the conditional particle 'in' (if) that apparently makes the sentence a conditional statement. But, in fact, the command is not intended to be made conditional. It is rather an emphatic statement. This is similar to the grammatical phenomenon in many languages. The particle 'if' is sometimes used when something is always true. It is used for introducing a situation that always has the same meaning, result or effect. For example: "If you are a 'man' [ obviously he is a man ], then you will have to do this work;" In neither of such sentences, the particle 'if is conditional, but rather emphatic. Likewise, the verse purports to say that preaching truth and righteousness is certainly useful. Therefore, the beneficial thing should never be abandoned at anytime.</p>

فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَىٰ (So, extend advice [ to people ] if advice is useful....87:9) The preceding verses described the facilities created by Allah for the Holy Prophet in performing his Prophetic obligation. This verse commands him to perform his obligation. The verse contains the conditional particle 'in' (if) that apparently makes the sentence a conditional statement. But, in fact, the command is not intended to be made conditional. It is rather an emphatic statement. This is similar to the grammatical phenomenon in many languages. The particle 'if' is sometimes used when something is always true. It is used for introducing a situation that always has the same meaning, result or effect. For example: "If you are a 'man' [ obviously he is a man ], then you will have to do this work;" In neither of such sentences, the particle 'if is conditional, but rather emphatic. Likewise, the verse purports to say that preaching truth and righteousness is certainly useful. Therefore, the beneficial thing should never be abandoned at anytime.

Those who fear will understand.

Soon whoever fears will heed advice.

and he who fears shall remember,

in mind will keep it he who stands in awe [of God],

Admonished is he indeed who feareth,

The reminder will be received by him who fears (Allah),

The reverent will remember.

He who fears (Allah) shall heed it,

The reminder will be received by him who fears,

He will heed who feareth,

he who fears [God] will take admonition,

and he who fears shall remember,

He who fears [Allah] will be reminded.

Those who have fear of God will benefit

He who fears will mind,

Saya<u>thth</u>akkaru man yakhsh<u>a</u>

He who fears [God] will heed the reminder,

The admonition will be received by those who fear (Allah):

سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰ

The one who fears Allah will pay heed to your counsel, because he is the one who benefits from counsel.

The one who fears Allah will pay heed to your counsel, because he is the one who benefits from counsel.

Only the wretch will turn aside,

And the most wicked will stay away from it.

but the most wretched shall flout it,

but aloof from it will remain that most hapless wretch –

And the wretched shunneth it-.

But it will be avoided by the wretched,

But the wretched will avoid it.

but the wretched will turn away from it.

But it will be avoided by the wretched,

But the most hapless will flout it,

and the most wretched will shun it

but the most wretched shall avoid it,

But the wretched one will avoid it -

but the reprobates will turn away

And the most unfortunate one will avoid it,

Wayatajannabuh<u>a</u> alashq<u>a</u>

but it will be ignored by the most unfortunate,

But it will be avoided by those most unfortunate ones,

وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى

The disbeliever will keep away and alienate himself from the counsel, because he is the most wretched person in the afterlife as he will enter the Fire.

The disbeliever will keep away and alienate himself from the counsel, because he is the most wretched person in the afterlife as he will enter the Fire.

Who will burn in the terrible Fire,

The one who will enter the biggest fire.

even he who shall roast in the Great Fire,

he who [in the life to come] shall have to endure the great fire

He Who shall roast into the Great Fire,

Who will enter the great Fire and made to taste its burning,

He who will enter the Gigantic Fire.

He will be cast into the Great Fire.

Who will enter the great Fire.

He who will be flung to the great Fire

—he who will enter the Great Fire,

who will roast in the Great Fire,

[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,

and suffer the heat of the great fire

Who shall enter the great fire;

Alla<u>th</u>ee ya<u>s</u>l<u>a</u> a<b>l</b>nn<u>a</u>ra alkubr<u>a</u>

who will enter the Great Fire,

Who will enter the Great Fire,

ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ

The one who will enter the great Fire of the afterlife to suffer and bear its heat forever.

The one who will enter the great Fire of the afterlife to suffer and bear its heat forever.

In which he will neither die nor live.

Then he neither dies in it, nor lives.

then he shall neither die therein, nor live.

wherein he will neither die nor remain alive.

Wherein he shall neither die nor live,

Wherein he will neither die (to be in rest) nor live (a good living).

Where he will neither die, nor live.

Then he will neither die in it, nor live.

There he will neither die nor live.

Wherein he will neither die nor live.

then he will neither live in it, nor die.

in which he will neither die nor live therein.

Neither dying therein nor living.

wherein they will neither live nor die.

Then therein he shall neither live nor die.

Thumma l<u>a</u> yamootu feeh<u>a</u> wal<u>a</u> ya<u>h</u>y<u>a</u>

where he will neither die nor live.

In which they will then neither die nor live.

ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ

Then he will remain forever in the Fire without dying therein and being relieved of the punishment he suffers from, and without living a good and decent life.

Then he will remain forever in the Fire without dying therein and being relieved of the punishment he suffers from, and without living a good and decent life.

Surely he will succeed who grows in goodness,

Indeed successful is the one who became pure.

Prosperous is he who has cleansed himself,

To happiness [in the life to come] will indeed attain he who attains to purity [in this world],

He indeed hath attained bliss who hath cleansed himself,

Indeed whosoever purifies himself (by avoiding polytheism and accepting Islamic Monotheism) shall achieve success,

Successful is he who purifies himself.

He who purified himself shall prosper,

Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success.

He is successful who groweth,

‘Felicitous is he who purifies himself,

Prosperous is he who purifies himself,

He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself

Lasting happiness will be for those who purify themselves,

He indeed shall be successful who purifies himself,

Qad afla<u>h</u>a man tazakk<u>a</u>

He who purifies himself,

But those will prosper who purify themselves,

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ

The one who purified himself from idolatry and sins has attained the objective.

The one who purified himself from idolatry and sins has attained the objective.

<p>قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ (Success is surely achieved by him who purifies himself,..87:14) The word tazakka is derived from zakah, the primitive meaning of which is 'to purify'. The zakah of wealth is so called because it purifies the rest of man's wealth for him. In this context, the word tazakka is used in a general sense, which comprehends the purity of faith and character, and purity of wealth.</p><p>وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّىٰ (and pronounces the name of his Lord, then offers prayer....87:15). This covers all categories of prayer, obligatory as well as supererogatory. Some commentators say that it refers especially to Id prayers. This interpretation too can fall under the preceding category.</p><p>بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا (But you prefer the worldly life,...87:16). Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ says that people generally prefer the worldly blessings and comforts to the blessings and comforts of the Hereafter, because the former is visible and readily available, while the latter is invisible and unavailable readily. People unaware of reality preferred the visible to the invisible, which became the cause of eternal loss. In order to spare them the eternal loss, Allah, through His Messengers ﷺ and Books, described to them the blessings and comforts of the Hereafter so clearly as if they can perceive them [ through their sense organs ]. It has been made plain to them that what they think is readily available and preferred, is actually fragile and will very soon perish. It is unwise to put one's heart into, or faith in, it and waste one's energy on it. Thus the Qur'an says:</p><p>وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ (while the Hereafter is much better and much more durable...87:17). The verse purports to warn those who prefer this life to the Hereafter that they should use their intelligence to find out what they have preferred and what they have abandoned. They are, first of all, made to realise that the highest degree of comfort and pleasure in this life is not free from the mixture of grief and hardship. In the second place, it is not permanent. We experience in our daily life that a king of today becomes a pauper tomorrow. A vigorous youth of today becomes old tomorrow. In the Hereafter, on the other hand, there will be freedom from both these defects. All its blessings and comforts will be 'much better' and they cannot be compared to the blessings and comforts of this life. Most importantly, it is abqa 'much more durable'.</p><p>Let us consider the following scenario: It is said to a person that there are two houses in front of him, one of which is a magnificent mansion, fully furnished and another an ordinary, substandard house, not properly furnished. He has the choice to take the mansion, but only for a month or two. Thereafter, he will have to vacate the mansion. Or he may take the underdeveloped house that he will own permanently. Which of the two houses a wise person will prefer? The answer is obvious that he will prefer the second option. On this analogy, one should prefer the blessings of the Hereafter even if, for argument's sake, they are substandard, because they are permanent and eternal. But the fact is that they are not only permanent, but also much better and far more superior to the worldly comforts. In this situation only an unfortunate fool will prefer the blessings of this life to the bounties of the Hereafter.</p>

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ (Success is surely achieved by him who purifies himself,..87:14) The word tazakka is derived from zakah, the primitive meaning of which is 'to purify'. The zakah of wealth is so called because it purifies the rest of man's wealth for him. In this context, the word tazakka is used in a general sense, which comprehends the purity of faith and character, and purity of wealth.وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّىٰ (and pronounces the name of his Lord, then offers prayer....87:15). This covers all categories of prayer, obligatory as well as supererogatory. Some commentators say that it refers especially to Id prayers. This interpretation too can fall under the preceding category.بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا (But you prefer the worldly life,...87:16). Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ says that people generally prefer the worldly blessings and comforts to the blessings and comforts of the Hereafter, because the former is visible and readily available, while the latter is invisible and unavailable readily. People unaware of reality preferred the visible to the invisible, which became the cause of eternal loss. In order to spare them the eternal loss, Allah, through His Messengers ﷺ and Books, described to them the blessings and comforts of the Hereafter so clearly as if they can perceive them [ through their sense organs ]. It has been made plain to them that what they think is readily available and preferred, is actually fragile and will very soon perish. It is unwise to put one's heart into, or faith in, it and waste one's energy on it. Thus the Qur'an says:وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ (while the Hereafter is much better and much more durable...87:17). The verse purports to warn those who prefer this life to the Hereafter that they should use their intelligence to find out what they have preferred and what they have abandoned. They are, first of all, made to realise that the highest degree of comfort and pleasure in this life is not free from the mixture of grief and hardship. In the second place, it is not permanent. We experience in our daily life that a king of today becomes a pauper tomorrow. A vigorous youth of today becomes old tomorrow. In the Hereafter, on the other hand, there will be freedom from both these defects. All its blessings and comforts will be 'much better' and they cannot be compared to the blessings and comforts of this life. Most importantly, it is abqa 'much more durable'.Let us consider the following scenario: It is said to a person that there are two houses in front of him, one of which is a magnificent mansion, fully furnished and another an ordinary, substandard house, not properly furnished. He has the choice to take the mansion, but only for a month or two. Thereafter, he will have to vacate the mansion. Or he may take the underdeveloped house that he will own permanently. Which of the two houses a wise person will prefer? The answer is obvious that he will prefer the second option. On this analogy, one should prefer the blessings of the Hereafter even if, for argument's sake, they are substandard, because they are permanent and eternal. But the fact is that they are not only permanent, but also much better and far more superior to the worldly comforts. In this situation only an unfortunate fool will prefer the blessings of this life to the bounties of the Hereafter.

<h2 class="title">A Statement concerning the People of Success</h2><p>Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى </div><p>(Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success.) meaning, he purifies himself from despised characteristics and he follows what Allah has revealed to the Messenger .</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى </div><p>(And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.) meaning, he establishes the prayer in its appointed time, seeking the pleasure of Allah, obedience to His command, and implementation of His Law. We have already reported from the Commander of the believers, `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, that he used to command the people to give the Sadaqat Al-Fitr, and he would recite this Ayah:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى </div><p>(Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.) Abu Al-Ahwas said, "If someone comes to any of you begging, and he wants to pray, then he should give charity (Zakah) before he prays. For verily, Allah the Exalted says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى </div><p>(Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.)" Qatadah said concerning this Ayah,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى </div><p>(Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah (Fasalla).) "He purifies his wealth and pleases his Creator."</p><h2 class="title">This World is Worthless in Comparison to the Hereafter</h2><p>Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا </div><p>(Rather you prefer the life of this world.) meaning, `you give it precedence over the matter of the Hereafter, and you prefer it because of what it contains of usefulness and benefit for you in livelihood, and your returns (i.e., income, profitable gain).'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى </div><p>(Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.) meaning, the reward of the final abode is better than the worldly life, and it is more lasting. For indeed, this worldly life is lowly and temporal, whereas the Hereafter is noble and eternal. Thus, how can an intelligent person prefer that which is short-lived over that which is eternal. How can he give importance to that which will soon pass away from him, while ignoring the importance of the abode of eternity and infinity. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«مَنْ أَحَبَّ دُنْيَاهُ أَضَرَّ بِآخِرَتِهِ، وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ آخِرَتَهُ أَضَرَّ بِدُنْيَاهُ، فَآثِرُوا مَا يَبْقَى عَلَى مَا يَفْنَى»</div><p>(Whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his Hereafter, will suffer in his worldly life. Therefore, chose that which is everlasting over that which is temporal.) Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith.</p><h2 class="title">The Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa</h2><p>Allah then says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ هَـذَا لَفِى الصُّحُفِ الاٍّولَى - صُحُفِ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَمُوسَى </div><p>(Verily, this is in the former Scriptures -- the Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.) This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement in Surat An-Najm,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَى - وَإِبْرَهِيمَ الَّذِى وَفَّى - أَلاَّ تَزِرُ وَزِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى - وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلإِنسَـنِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَى - وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَى - ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَآءَ الأَوْفَى - وَأَنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الْمُنتَهَى </div><p>(Or is he not informed with what is in the Scriptures of Musa. And of Ibrahim who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (Allah ordered him to do or convey): that no burdened person (with sins) shall bear the burden (sins) of another. And that man can have nothing but what he does. And that his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense. And that to your Lord is the End (Return of everything).) (53:36-42) And so forth, until the end of these Ayat. Abu `Aliyah said, "The story of this Surah is in the earlier Scriptures." Ibn Jarir preferred the view that the meaning of Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ هَذَآ</div><p>(Verily, this) is referring to His previous statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى - بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا - وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى </div><p>(Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and offers Salah. Rather you prefer the life of this world. Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.) Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ هَذَآ</div><p>(Verily, this) meaning, the content of this discussion,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ هَـذَا لَفِى الصُّحُفِ الاٍّولَى - صُحُفِ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَمُوسَى </div><p>(in the former Scriptures, the Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.) This view that he (At-Tabari) has chosen is good and strong. Similar to it has been reported from Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. And Allah knows best. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-A`la (Sabbih). All praise and blessings are due to Allah, and He is the Giver of success and protection from error.</p>

A Statement concerning the People of SuccessAllah says,قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى (Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success.) meaning, he purifies himself from despised characteristics and he follows what Allah has revealed to the Messenger .وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى (And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.) meaning, he establishes the prayer in its appointed time, seeking the pleasure of Allah, obedience to His command, and implementation of His Law. We have already reported from the Commander of the believers, `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, that he used to command the people to give the Sadaqat Al-Fitr, and he would recite this Ayah:قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى (Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.) Abu Al-Ahwas said, "If someone comes to any of you begging, and he wants to pray, then he should give charity (Zakah) before he prays. For verily, Allah the Exalted says,قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى (Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.)" Qatadah said concerning this Ayah,قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى (Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah (Fasalla).) "He purifies his wealth and pleases his Creator."This World is Worthless in Comparison to the HereafterThen Allah says,بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا (Rather you prefer the life of this world.) meaning, `you give it precedence over the matter of the Hereafter, and you prefer it because of what it contains of usefulness and benefit for you in livelihood, and your returns (i.e., income, profitable gain).'وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى (Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.) meaning, the reward of the final abode is better than the worldly life, and it is more lasting. For indeed, this worldly life is lowly and temporal, whereas the Hereafter is noble and eternal. Thus, how can an intelligent person prefer that which is short-lived over that which is eternal. How can he give importance to that which will soon pass away from him, while ignoring the importance of the abode of eternity and infinity. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari that the Messenger of Allah said,«مَنْ أَحَبَّ دُنْيَاهُ أَضَرَّ بِآخِرَتِهِ، وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ آخِرَتَهُ أَضَرَّ بِدُنْيَاهُ، فَآثِرُوا مَا يَبْقَى عَلَى مَا يَفْنَى»(Whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his Hereafter, will suffer in his worldly life. Therefore, chose that which is everlasting over that which is temporal.) Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith.The Scriptures of Ibrahim and MusaAllah then says,إِنَّ هَـذَا لَفِى الصُّحُفِ الاٍّولَى - صُحُفِ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَمُوسَى (Verily, this is in the former Scriptures -- the Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.) This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement in Surat An-Najm,أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَى - وَإِبْرَهِيمَ الَّذِى وَفَّى - أَلاَّ تَزِرُ وَزِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى - وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلإِنسَـنِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَى - وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَى - ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَآءَ الأَوْفَى - وَأَنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الْمُنتَهَى (Or is he not informed with what is in the Scriptures of Musa. And of Ibrahim who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (Allah ordered him to do or convey): that no burdened person (with sins) shall bear the burden (sins) of another. And that man can have nothing but what he does. And that his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense. And that to your Lord is the End (Return of everything).) (53:36-42) And so forth, until the end of these Ayat. Abu `Aliyah said, "The story of this Surah is in the earlier Scriptures." Ibn Jarir preferred the view that the meaning of Allah's statement,إِنَّ هَذَآ(Verily, this) is referring to His previous statement,قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى - بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا - وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى (Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and offers Salah. Rather you prefer the life of this world. Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.) Then Allah says,إِنَّ هَذَآ(Verily, this) meaning, the content of this discussion,إِنَّ هَـذَا لَفِى الصُّحُفِ الاٍّولَى - صُحُفِ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَمُوسَى (in the former Scriptures, the Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.) This view that he (At-Tabari) has chosen is good and strong. Similar to it has been reported from Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. And Allah knows best. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-A`la (Sabbih). All praise and blessings are due to Allah, and He is the Giver of success and protection from error.

And recites the name of his Lord and serves with devotion.

And who mentioned the name of his Lord, then offered prayer.

and mentions the Name of his Lord, and prays.

and remembers his Sustainer's name, and prays [unto Him].

And who remembereth the name of his Lord, and then prayeth.

And remembers (glorifies) the Name of his Lord (worships none but Allah), and prays (five compulsory prayers and Nawafil additional prayers).

And mentions the name of his Lord, and prays.

remembering his Lord's name and praying.

And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.

And remembereth the name of his Lord, so prayeth,

celebrates the Name of his Lord, and prays.

and remembers the Name of his Lord, so he prays.

And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.

remember the name of the Lord, and pray to Him.

And magnifies the name of his Lord and prays.

Wa<u>th</u>akara isma rabbihi fa<u>s</u>all<u>a</u>

who remembers the name of his Lord and prays, shall indeed be successful.

And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer.

وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ

Who remembered his Lord by the various forms of remembrance that He ordained. Who discharged the prayer in the required manner.

Who remembered his Lord by the various forms of remembrance that He ordained. Who discharged the prayer in the required manner.

But no, you prefer the life of the world,

But rather you prefer the life of this world!

Nay, but you prefer the present life;

But nay, [O men,] you prefer the life of this world,

But ye prefer the life of this world,

Nay, you prefer the life of this world;

But you prefer the present life.

No; but you prefer the present life,

Rather you prefer the life of this world.

But ye prefer the life of the world

But you prefer the life of this world,

But you prefer the present life,

But you prefer the worldly life,

However, (the disbelievers) prefer the worldly life

Nay! you prefer the life of this world,

Bal tuthiroona al<u>h</u>ay<u>a</u>ta a<b>l</b>dduny<u>a</u>

But you prefer the life of this world,

Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world;

بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

But, you give preference to the worldly life and prefer it over the afterlife despite the huge disparity between them.

But, you give preference to the worldly life and prefer it over the afterlife despite the huge disparity between them.

Though the life to come is better and abiding.

Whereas the Hereafter is better and everlasting.

and the world to come is better, and more enduring.

although the life to come is better and more enduring.

Whereas the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

Though the Hereafter is better, and more lasting.

whereas the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

while the Hereafter is better and more lasting.’

but the Everlasting Life is better, and more enduring.

While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

even though the life hereafter will be better and will last forever.

While the hereafter is better and more lasting.

Wa<b>a</b>l<u>a</u>khiratu khayrun waabq<u>a</u>

although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

But the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

وَٱلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ

The Hereafter is indeed, better and superior to the world and the enjoyments and pleasures it contains, and it is more lasting, because the bliss it contains does not ever end.

The Hereafter is indeed, better and superior to the world and the enjoyments and pleasures it contains, and it is more lasting, because the bliss it contains does not ever end.

This is surely in the earlier Books,

Indeed this is in the former scriptures.

Surely this is in the ancient scrolls,

Verily, [all] this has indeed been [said] in the earlier revelations –

Verily this is in Writs ancient

Verily! This is in the former Scriptures,

This is in the former scriptures.

This, indeed, was in the ancient Scrolls,

Verily, this is in the former Scriptures

Lo! This is in the former scrolls.

This is indeed in the former scriptures,

Surely, this is in the ancient Scrolls,

Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,

This is what is written in the ancient heavenly Books,

Most surely this is in the earlier scriptures,

Inna h<u>atha</u> lafee a<b>l</b><u>ss</u>u<u>h</u>ufi alool<u>a</u>

This indeed is what is taught in the former scriptures --

And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelation),-

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ

These instructions and stories that I mentioned to you are in the scriptures revealed before you.

These instructions and stories that I mentioned to you are in the scriptures revealed before you.

<p>إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ (Indeed this is [ written ] in the earlier divine scripts, the scripts of Ibrahim and Musa....87:18, 19] In other words, either all the themes of this Surah or its last theme, that the Hereafter is much better and much more durable than this life, was written in the earlier Divine scriptures. It is further explicated that this theme was written in the scriptures of Prophets Ibrahim and Musa (علیہما السلام) . Probably, it refers to other scriptures that were given to Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) before Torah. It is also possible that it refers to Torah itself.</p><p>Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام)</p><p>Ajurri transmits a narration from Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ that he inquired from the Prophet ﷺ as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ replied that they contained educating parables . A story is told in it about a tyrant king where he is addressed and told: You haughty, arrogant and oppressive ruler! I did not give you kingdom so that you may amass wealth, but I had given you power so that you may let the supplication of the oppressed against the oppressor reach me, because my law does not reject the supplication of an oppressed, even though it may be uttered by an unbeliever.</p><p>Another parable addresses the general public thus: A wise person should divide his time into three parts. One part should be reserved for the worship of his Lord and supplication to Him. The second part should be reserved for self-assessment of his deeds, and reflection on the Omnipotence and creation of Allah. The third part should be allocated for acquisition of livelihood and fulfilling the natural needs. It further imparts that a wise person should keep himself abreast of the circumstances of his time, and keep himself busy in performing his intended work. He should take care of his tongue. He who takes speech as one of his works, his speech will be confined only to the things of real need.</p><p>Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام)</p><p>Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ says that he then inquired from the Holy Prophet ﷺ as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ replied</p><p>that they contained lessons of wisdom. Some of them are as follows:</p><p>§ I am surprised at the person who believes that he will certainly die, and yet he lives happily.</p><p>• I am surprised at the person who believes in Divine destiny, and yet he is despondent and aggrieved.</p><p>• I am surprised at the person who experiences the vicissitudes of life and rise and fall of nations, and yet he is content with the world.</p><p>• I am surprised at the person who believes in the Reckoning of the Hereafter, and yet he abandons [ good ] deeds.</p><p>Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ says that he asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ whether anything from these scriptures was revealed to him, he replied in the affirmative and asked Sayyidna Abu Dharr Ghifari ؓ to recite verses 14-19 of this Surah. [ Qurtubi ]</p><p>Alhamdulillah</p><p>The Commentary on</p><p>Surah Al-A` la</p><p>Ends here</p>

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ (Indeed this is [ written ] in the earlier divine scripts, the scripts of Ibrahim and Musa....87:18, 19] In other words, either all the themes of this Surah or its last theme, that the Hereafter is much better and much more durable than this life, was written in the earlier Divine scriptures. It is further explicated that this theme was written in the scriptures of Prophets Ibrahim and Musa (علیہما السلام) . Probably, it refers to other scriptures that were given to Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) before Torah. It is also possible that it refers to Torah itself.Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام)Ajurri transmits a narration from Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ that he inquired from the Prophet ﷺ as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ replied that they contained educating parables . A story is told in it about a tyrant king where he is addressed and told: You haughty, arrogant and oppressive ruler! I did not give you kingdom so that you may amass wealth, but I had given you power so that you may let the supplication of the oppressed against the oppressor reach me, because my law does not reject the supplication of an oppressed, even though it may be uttered by an unbeliever.Another parable addresses the general public thus: A wise person should divide his time into three parts. One part should be reserved for the worship of his Lord and supplication to Him. The second part should be reserved for self-assessment of his deeds, and reflection on the Omnipotence and creation of Allah. The third part should be allocated for acquisition of livelihood and fulfilling the natural needs. It further imparts that a wise person should keep himself abreast of the circumstances of his time, and keep himself busy in performing his intended work. He should take care of his tongue. He who takes speech as one of his works, his speech will be confined only to the things of real need.Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام)Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ says that he then inquired from the Holy Prophet ﷺ as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ repliedthat they contained lessons of wisdom. Some of them are as follows:§ I am surprised at the person who believes that he will certainly die, and yet he lives happily.• I am surprised at the person who believes in Divine destiny, and yet he is despondent and aggrieved.• I am surprised at the person who experiences the vicissitudes of life and rise and fall of nations, and yet he is content with the world.• I am surprised at the person who believes in the Reckoning of the Hereafter, and yet he abandons [ good ] deeds.Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ says that he asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ whether anything from these scriptures was revealed to him, he replied in the affirmative and asked Sayyidna Abu Dharr Ghifari ؓ to recite verses 14-19 of this Surah. [ Qurtubi ]AlhamdulillahThe Commentary onSurah Al-A` laEnds here

The Books of Abraham and Moses.

In the Books of Ibrahim and Moosa.

the scrolls of Abraham and Moses.

the revelations of Abraham and Moses.

Writs of Ibrahim and Musa.

The Scriptures of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses).

The Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

the Scrolls of Abraham and Moses.

The Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.

The Books of Abraham and Moses.

the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

the Scrolls of Abraham and Moses.

The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

the Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

The scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.

<u>S</u>u<u>h</u>ufi ibr<u>a</u>heema wamoos<u>a</u>

the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

The Books of Abraham and Moses.

صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ

These are the scriptures revealed to Abraham and Moses (peace be upon them).

These are the scriptures revealed to Abraham and Moses (peace be upon them).

HAS NEWS OF the Overpowering Event reached you?

Certainly the news of the calamity that will overwhelm has come to you!

Hast thou received the story of the Enveloper?

HAS THERE COME unto thee the tiding of the Overshadowing Event?'

Hath there come Unto thee the story of the Enveloping Event?

Has there come to you the narration of the overwhelming (i.e. the Day of Resurrection);

Has there come to you the news of the overwhelming?

Has the news of the overwhelming event reached you?

Has there come to you the narration of Al-Ghashiyah (the overwhelming)

Hath there come unto thee tidings of the Overwhelming?

Did you receive the account of the Enveloper?

Have you received the news of the Enveloper?

Has there reached you the report of the Overwhelming [event]?

Have you heard the story of the overwhelming event (the Day of Judgment)?

Has not there come to you the news of the overwhelming calamity?

Hal at<u>a</u>ka <u>h</u>adeethu algh<u>a</u>shiyat<b>i</b>

Have you heard about the Overwhelming Event?

Has the story reached thee of the overwhelming (Event)?

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ هَلْ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلْغَٰشِيَةِ

Has the news of the day of judgment that will overwhelm people with its horrors come to you, O Messenger?!

Has the news of the day of judgment that will overwhelm people with its horrors come to you, O Messenger?!

<h2 class="title">Which was revealed in Makkah</h2><h2 class="title">Reciting Surat Al-A`la and Al-Ghashiyah in the Friday Prayer</h2><p>It has already been mentioned on the authority of An-Nu`man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah used to recite Surat Al-A`la (87) and Al-Ghashiyah in the `Id and Friday prayers. Imam Malik recorded that Ad-Dahhak bin Qays asked An-Nu`man bin Bashir, "What else did the Messenger of Allah recite on Friday along with Surat Al-Jumu`ah" An-Nu`man replied, "Al-Ghashiyah (88)." This narration has been recorded by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, Muslim and Ibn Majah.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ </div><p>In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.</p><h2 class="title">The Day of Judgement and what will happen to the People of the Fire during it Al-Ghashiyah is one of</h2><p>This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. It has been called this because it will overwhelm the people and overcome them. Allah then says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَـشِعَةٌ </div><p>(Some faces that Day will be Khashi`ah.) meaning, humiliated. This was said by Qatadah. Ibn `Abbas said, "They will be humble but this action will be of no benefit to them." Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ </div><p>(Laboring, weary.) meaning, they did many deeds and became weary in their performance, yet they will be cast into a blazing Fire on the Day of Judgement. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Burqani narrated from Abu `Imran Al-Jawni that he said, " `Umar bin Al-Khattab passed by the monastery of a monk and he said: `O monk!' Then the monk came out, and `Umar looked at him and began to weep. Then it was said to him: `O Commander of the faithful! Why are you weeping' He replied: `I remembered the statement of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in His Book,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ - تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً </div><p>(Laboring, weary. They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah.) So that is what has made me cry. "' Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ </div><p>(Laboring, weary.) "The Christians." It is narrated that `Ikrimah and As-Suddi both said, "Laboring in the worldly life with disobedience, and weariness in the Fire from torment and perdition." Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً </div><p>(They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah) meaning, hot with intense heat.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">تُسْقَى مِنْ عَيْنٍ ءَانِيَةٍ </div><p>(They will be given to drink from a boiling (Aniyah) spring.) meaning, its heat has reached its maximum limit and boiling point. This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi. Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ </div><p>(No food will there be for them but from Dari`,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "A tree from the Hellfire." Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Al-Jawza' and Qatadah, all said, "It is Ash-Shibriq (a type of plant)." Qatadah said, "The Quraysh called it Ash-Shabraq in the spring and Ad-Dari` in the summer." `Ikrimah said, "It is a thorny tree which reaches down to the ground." Al-Bukhari related that Mujahid said, "Ad-Dari` is a plant that is called Ash-Shibriq. The people of the Hijaz call it Ad-Dari` when it dries, and it is poisonous." Ma`mar narrated that Qatadah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ </div><p>(No food will there be for them but from Dari`,) "This is Ash-Shibriq. When it dries it is called Ad-Dari`." Sa`id narrated from Qatadah that he said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ </div><p>(No food will there be for them but Dari`,) "This is of the worst, most disgusting and loathsome of foods." Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَّ يُسْمِنُ وَلاَ يُغْنِى مِن جُوعٍ </div><p>(Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.) This means that the intent in eating it will not be achieved, and nothing harmful will be repelled by it.</p>

Which was revealed in MakkahReciting Surat Al-A`la and Al-Ghashiyah in the Friday PrayerIt has already been mentioned on the authority of An-Nu`man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah used to recite Surat Al-A`la (87) and Al-Ghashiyah in the `Id and Friday prayers. Imam Malik recorded that Ad-Dahhak bin Qays asked An-Nu`man bin Bashir, "What else did the Messenger of Allah recite on Friday along with Surat Al-Jumu`ah" An-Nu`man replied, "Al-Ghashiyah (88)." This narration has been recorded by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, Muslim and Ibn Majah.بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.The Day of Judgement and what will happen to the People of the Fire during it Al-Ghashiyah is one ofThis was said by Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. It has been called this because it will overwhelm the people and overcome them. Allah then says,وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَـشِعَةٌ (Some faces that Day will be Khashi`ah.) meaning, humiliated. This was said by Qatadah. Ibn `Abbas said, "They will be humble but this action will be of no benefit to them." Then Allah says,عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ (Laboring, weary.) meaning, they did many deeds and became weary in their performance, yet they will be cast into a blazing Fire on the Day of Judgement. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Burqani narrated from Abu `Imran Al-Jawni that he said, " `Umar bin Al-Khattab passed by the monastery of a monk and he said: `O monk!' Then the monk came out, and `Umar looked at him and began to weep. Then it was said to him: `O Commander of the faithful! Why are you weeping' He replied: `I remembered the statement of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in His Book,عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ - تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً (Laboring, weary. They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah.) So that is what has made me cry. "' Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said,عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ (Laboring, weary.) "The Christians." It is narrated that `Ikrimah and As-Suddi both said, "Laboring in the worldly life with disobedience, and weariness in the Fire from torment and perdition." Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said,تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً (They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah) meaning, hot with intense heat.تُسْقَى مِنْ عَيْنٍ ءَانِيَةٍ (They will be given to drink from a boiling (Aniyah) spring.) meaning, its heat has reached its maximum limit and boiling point. This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi. Concerning Allah's statement,لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ (No food will there be for them but from Dari`,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "A tree from the Hellfire." Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Al-Jawza' and Qatadah, all said, "It is Ash-Shibriq (a type of plant)." Qatadah said, "The Quraysh called it Ash-Shabraq in the spring and Ad-Dari` in the summer." `Ikrimah said, "It is a thorny tree which reaches down to the ground." Al-Bukhari related that Mujahid said, "Ad-Dari` is a plant that is called Ash-Shibriq. The people of the Hijaz call it Ad-Dari` when it dries, and it is poisonous." Ma`mar narrated that Qatadah said,لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ (No food will there be for them but from Dari`,) "This is Ash-Shibriq. When it dries it is called Ad-Dari`." Sa`id narrated from Qatadah that he said,لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ (No food will there be for them but Dari`,) "This is of the worst, most disgusting and loathsome of foods." Concerning Allah's statement,لاَّ يُسْمِنُ وَلاَ يُغْنِى مِن جُوعٍ (Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.) This means that the intent in eating it will not be achieved, and nothing harmful will be repelled by it.

Many faces will be contrite on that day,

Many a face will be disgraced on that day.

Faces on that day humbled,

Some faces will on that Day be downcast,

Faces on that Day shall be downcast,

Some faces, that Day, will be humiliated (in the Hell-fire, i.e. the faces of all disbelievers, Jews and Christians, etc.).

Faces on that Day will be shamed.

Some faces that Day shall be downcast with fear,

Some faces that Day will be Khashi`ah.

On that day (many) faces will be downcast,

Some faces on that day will be humbled,

On that Day faces shall be humbled,

[Some] faces, that Day, will be humbled,

On that day the faces of some people will be humbly cast down,

(Some) faces on that day shall be downcast,

Wujoohun yawmai<u>th</u>in kh<u>a</u>shiAAa<b>tun</b>

On that Day, there shall be downcast faces,

Some faces, that Day, will be humiliated,

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَٰشِعَةٌ

People on the day of judgment will either be wretched or fortunate. The faces of the wretched will be humiliated and downcast.

People on the day of judgment will either be wretched or fortunate. The faces of the wretched will be humiliated and downcast.

<p>Commentary</p><p>وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ (Many faces on that day will be humbled, working hard, exhausted...88:3). On the Day of Judgment, there will be two separate groups of people, believers and unbelievers, and their faces will be different. This verse describes the faces of the unbelievers. They will be downcast. The word khashi` ah from the root word khusha' means to humble, humiliate, cast down'. This is the meaning of casting oneself down before Allah in prayer. People who did not cast themselves down before Allah in this world, their faces on the Day of Judgement will be downcast with humiliation and disgrace.</p><p>The other conditions of the unbelievers are amilah and nasibah. The word ` amilah from ` aural means 'to work hard' and ` amil or ` amilah in Arabic is used for 'a person who works continuously, so as to become completely tired'. The word nasibah is derived from nasab. This word also refers to 'one who toils unceasingly so as to become totally exhausted'. It seems that the latter two conditions of the unbelievers relate to this world, because Hereafter is not a realm in which one has to work to become so tired and exhausted. Therefore, Qurtubi and other commentators are of the view that the humbleness of their faces relates to the Hereafter, but their working hard and being exhausted refers to their work in this world. Given this interpretation, the sense is that many unbelievers exert themselves in their false rituals, and work hard in their presumed acts of worship in the world, as for instance the Hindu Yogis and many Christian monks do. They endure many difficulties in the devotional acts of worship sincerely in order to seek the good pleasure of Allah, but being on wrong and idolatrous ways, they are not acceptable to, or rewarded by, Allah. Thus their faces show signs of exhaustion in this world; and in the Hereafter they will show signs of disgrace and humiliation.</p><p>Sayyidna Hasan Basri رحمۃ علیہ reports that when Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ went to Syria, a Christian monk came to him. He was an old man, and on account of his religious exercises and great endeavours, his face was exhausted, his body was dry and his dressing was miserable. When Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ looked at him, he began to weep. People asked him about the cause of his weeping. He replied: "I pity the condition of this old man. This poor soul worked so hard and showed such readiness to lay down his life to achieve a particular purpose (that is, to gain the pleasure of Allah) but, alas! He could not achieve it”. Then he recited the following verse:</p><p>وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ . عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ</p><p>Many faces on that day will be humbled, 'working hard, exhausted. [ 88:2-3] '</p>

Commentaryوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ (Many faces on that day will be humbled, working hard, exhausted...88:3). On the Day of Judgment, there will be two separate groups of people, believers and unbelievers, and their faces will be different. This verse describes the faces of the unbelievers. They will be downcast. The word khashi` ah from the root word khusha' means to humble, humiliate, cast down'. This is the meaning of casting oneself down before Allah in prayer. People who did not cast themselves down before Allah in this world, their faces on the Day of Judgement will be downcast with humiliation and disgrace.The other conditions of the unbelievers are amilah and nasibah. The word ` amilah from ` aural means 'to work hard' and ` amil or ` amilah in Arabic is used for 'a person who works continuously, so as to become completely tired'. The word nasibah is derived from nasab. This word also refers to 'one who toils unceasingly so as to become totally exhausted'. It seems that the latter two conditions of the unbelievers relate to this world, because Hereafter is not a realm in which one has to work to become so tired and exhausted. Therefore, Qurtubi and other commentators are of the view that the humbleness of their faces relates to the Hereafter, but their working hard and being exhausted refers to their work in this world. Given this interpretation, the sense is that many unbelievers exert themselves in their false rituals, and work hard in their presumed acts of worship in the world, as for instance the Hindu Yogis and many Christian monks do. They endure many difficulties in the devotional acts of worship sincerely in order to seek the good pleasure of Allah, but being on wrong and idolatrous ways, they are not acceptable to, or rewarded by, Allah. Thus their faces show signs of exhaustion in this world; and in the Hereafter they will show signs of disgrace and humiliation.Sayyidna Hasan Basri رحمۃ علیہ reports that when Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ went to Syria, a Christian monk came to him. He was an old man, and on account of his religious exercises and great endeavours, his face was exhausted, his body was dry and his dressing was miserable. When Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ looked at him, he began to weep. People asked him about the cause of his weeping. He replied: "I pity the condition of this old man. This poor soul worked so hard and showed such readiness to lay down his life to achieve a particular purpose (that is, to gain the pleasure of Allah) but, alas! He could not achieve it”. Then he recited the following verse:وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ . عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌMany faces on that day will be humbled, 'working hard, exhausted. [ 88:2-3] '

Labouring, wearied out,

Labouring, striving hard.

labouring, toilworn,

toiling [under burdens of sin], worn out [by fear],

Travailing, worn.

Labouring (hard in the worldly life by worshipping others besides Allah), weary (in the Hereafter with humility and disgrace).

Laboring and exhausted.

be toiling and worn-out;

Laboring, weary.

Toiling, weary,

wrought-up and weary:

laboring, wornout,

Working [hard] and exhausted.

troubled and tired as a result of their deeds in the past.

Laboring, toiling,

AA<u>a</u>milatun n<u>as</u>iba<b>tun</b>

labouring, weary,

Labouring (hard), weary,-

عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ

Tired and strained due to the chains that they will be dragged by and the shackles that they will be tied with.

Tired and strained due to the chains that they will be dragged by and the shackles that they will be tied with.

Burning in the scorching fire,

(Yet) Going into the blazing fire.

roasting at a scorching fire,

about to enter a glowing fire,

They shall roast into the scalding Fire,

They will enter in the hot blazing Fire,

Roasting in a scorching Fire.

they shall burn in a Scorching Fire;

They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah.

Scorched by burning fire,

they will enter a scorching fire

roasting at a scorching Fire

They will [enter to] burn in an intensely hot Fire.

They will suffer the heat of the blazing fire

Entering into burning fire,

Ta<u>s</u>l<u>a</u> n<u>a</u>ran <u>ha</u>miya<b>tan</b>

they shall enter a burning Fire

The while they enter the Blazing Fire,-

تَصْلَىٰ نَارًا حَامِيَةً

Those faces will enter a hot fire to suffer from its heat.

Those faces will enter a hot fire to suffer from its heat.

<p>نَارًا حَامِيَةً (...[ the ] scorching fire...88:4). The word حَامِيَةً hamiyah literally means 'hot' and 'scorching'. Although this is the natural property of fire that needed no mention, yet the specific reference to this quality of the fire brings out the point that the fire of Hell cannot be compared to the fire of this world. The heat of the fire of this world, some time or the other, is reduced or ends. But the fire of Hell is everlasting and eternal. Its heat will neither reduce nor end.</p>

نَارًا حَامِيَةً (...[ the ] scorching fire...88:4). The word حَامِيَةً hamiyah literally means 'hot' and 'scorching'. Although this is the natural property of fire that needed no mention, yet the specific reference to this quality of the fire brings out the point that the fire of Hell cannot be compared to the fire of this world. The heat of the fire of this world, some time or the other, is reduced or ends. But the fire of Hell is everlasting and eternal. Its heat will neither reduce nor end.

Given water from the boiling spring to drink.

Made to drink water from the boiling hot spring.

watered at a boiling fountain,

given to drink from a boiling spring.

Given to drink of a spring fiercely boiling.

They will be given to drink from a boiling spring,

Given to drink from a flaming spring.

their drink shall be from a boiling spring.

They will be given to drink from a boiling (Aniyah) spring,

Drinking from a boiling spring,

and made to drink from a boiling spring.

that is fueled from a tremendously hot fountain,

They will be given drink from a boiling spring.

and will be made to drink from a fiercely boiling spring.

Made to drink from a boiling spring.

Tusq<u>a</u> min AAaynin <u>a</u>niya<b>tin</b>

and will be made to drink from a boiling spring,

The while they are given, to drink, of a boiling hot spring,

تُسْقَىٰ مِنْ عَيْنٍ ءَانِيَةٍ

They will be given to drink from a spring with extremely hot water.

They will be given to drink from a spring with extremely hot water.

They will have no food except bitter thorn,

There is no food for them except thorns of fire.

no food for them but cactus thorn

No food for them save the bitterness of dry thorns,

No food shall be theirs save bitter thorn,

No food will there be for them but a poisonous thorny plant,

They will have no food except thorns.

They shall have no food except bitter dry thorns

No food will there be for them but from Dari`,

No food for them save bitter thorn-fruit

They will have no food except cactus,

no food for them except thorny plants

For them there will be no food except from a poisonous, thorny plant

They will have no food other than bitter and thorny fruit

They shall have no food but of thorns,

Laysa lahum <u>t</u>aAA<u>a</u>mun ill<u>a</u> min <u>d</u>areeAA<b>in</b>

they shall have no food but thorns,

No food will there be for them but a bitter Dhari'

لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِن ضَرِيعٍ

They will not have any food to nourish them besides the worst and most rotten type of food from a plant that is called shibriq, which becomes poisonous when it becomes dry.

They will not have any food to nourish them besides the worst and most rotten type of food from a plant that is called shibriq, which becomes poisonous when it becomes dry.

<p>لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِن ضَرِيعٍ (There will be no food for them except from a thorny plant...88:6) The only food available for the inmates of Hell would be dari`. In the world, this is a kind of thorny grass that spreads on the ground. No animal goes near it. It is foul-smelling, poisonous and thorny. [ As interpreted by ` Ikrimah, Mujahid, and quoted by Qurtubi ].</p><p>How will Grass or Tree Survive in Hell</p><p>One may ask the question that the grass or trees are among things</p><p>that burn in fire. How will they survive in Hellfire? The answer is that the Supreme Creator Who cherished and sustained them in this world with water and air, has the power and ability to make the fire itself the nutrient of these trees, so that they may flourish.</p><p>Another question may be raised here. The Qur'an mentions several things as the food of the inmates of Hell. Here it refers to their food as dart`. On another occasion, it refers to zaqqum, and on a third occasion it refers to ghislin. This verse restricts their food to dari', thus: 'There will be no food for them except from a thorny plant...88:6)</p><p>The answer is that the restriction in this verse is in contrast to a palatable food that may be fit for [ human ] consumption. Dari` is cited here as an example. The verse means that the inmates of Hell will not get any palatable food. They will get worst, most disgusting and loathsome food like Dari`. Thus the purpose of mentioning Dari` is not restriction. In fact, Dari` includes zaqqum and ghislin. Qurtubi says that it is possible there will be different levels in Hell, and on different levels there will be different kinds of food. On one level, there will be dart` and on another level, ghislin, and so on.</p>

لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِن ضَرِيعٍ (There will be no food for them except from a thorny plant...88:6) The only food available for the inmates of Hell would be dari`. In the world, this is a kind of thorny grass that spreads on the ground. No animal goes near it. It is foul-smelling, poisonous and thorny. [ As interpreted by ` Ikrimah, Mujahid, and quoted by Qurtubi ].How will Grass or Tree Survive in HellOne may ask the question that the grass or trees are among thingsthat burn in fire. How will they survive in Hellfire? The answer is that the Supreme Creator Who cherished and sustained them in this world with water and air, has the power and ability to make the fire itself the nutrient of these trees, so that they may flourish.Another question may be raised here. The Qur'an mentions several things as the food of the inmates of Hell. Here it refers to their food as dart`. On another occasion, it refers to zaqqum, and on a third occasion it refers to ghislin. This verse restricts their food to dari', thus: 'There will be no food for them except from a thorny plant...88:6)The answer is that the restriction in this verse is in contrast to a palatable food that may be fit for [ human ] consumption. Dari` is cited here as an example. The verse means that the inmates of Hell will not get any palatable food. They will get worst, most disgusting and loathsome food like Dari`. Thus the purpose of mentioning Dari` is not restriction. In fact, Dari` includes zaqqum and ghislin. Qurtubi says that it is possible there will be different levels in Hell, and on different levels there will be different kinds of food. On one level, there will be dart` and on another level, ghislin, and so on.

Neither nourishing nor banishing hunger.

Which neither give strength nor satisfy the hunger.

unfattening, unappeasing hunger.

which gives no strength and neither stills hunger.

Which shall neither nourish nor avail against hunger.

Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.

That neither nourishes, nor satisfies hunger.

that will neither nourish nor satisfy their hunger.

Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.

Which doth not nourish nor release from hunger.

neither nourishing, nor of avail against hunger.

which neither sustains, nor satisfy hunger.

Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.

which will neither fatten them nor satisfy them.

Which will neither fatten nor avail against hunger.

L<u>a</u> yusminu wal<u>a</u> yughnee min jooAA<b>in</b>

which will neither nourish nor satisfy hunger.

Which will neither nourish nor satisfy hunger.

لَّا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِى مِن جُوعٍ

It does not nourish the one who eats it nor does it satiate his hunger.

It does not nourish the one who eats it nor does it satiate his hunger.

<p>لَّا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِن جُوعٍ (that will neither nourish, nor satisfy hunger...88:7). When the preceding verse was revealed in which it was stated that the inmates of Hell will get food like Dari`, some of the pagans of Makkah [ mockingly ] said that their camels eat Dari` and yet they are fat and healthy. In response to their statement, the following verse of the Qur'an was revealed which means that they should not compare the Dari` of this world with that of the Hereafter. The latter will neither provide nutrition, nor satisfy their hunger.</p>

لَّا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِن جُوعٍ (that will neither nourish, nor satisfy hunger...88:7). When the preceding verse was revealed in which it was stated that the inmates of Hell will get food like Dari`, some of the pagans of Makkah [ mockingly ] said that their camels eat Dari` and yet they are fat and healthy. In response to their statement, the following verse of the Qur'an was revealed which means that they should not compare the Dari` of this world with that of the Hereafter. The latter will neither provide nutrition, nor satisfy their hunger.

Many faces will be joyous on that day,

Many a face will be in serenity on that day.

Faces on that day jocund,

[And] some faces will on that Day shine with bliss,

Faces on that Day shall be de lighted,

(Other) faces, that Day, will be joyful,

Faces on that Day will be joyful.

On that very Day some faces shall be radiant with joy,

Faces that Day will be joyful,

In that day other faces will be calm,

Some faces on that day will be joyous,

(Whereas other) faces on that Day will be joyful,

[Other] faces, that Day, will show pleasure.

However, on that day the faces of other people will be happy.

(Other) faces on that day shall be happy,

Wujoohun yawmai<u>th</u>in n<u>a</u>AAima<b>tun</b>

Some faces on that Day will be radiant,

(Other) faces that Day will be joyful,

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاعِمَةٌ

The faces of the fortunate on that day will display luxury, delight and happiness, because of the bliss they received.

The faces of the fortunate on that day will display luxury, delight and happiness, because of the bliss they received.

<h2 class="title">The Condition of the People of Paradise on the Day of Judgement</h2><p>After mentioning the situation of the wretched people, Allah changes the discussion to mention those who will be happy. He says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ</div><p>(Faces that Day.) meaning, on the Day of Judgement.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">نَّاعِمَةٌ</div><p>(will be joyful,) meaning, pleasure will be noticeable in them (those faces). This will only occur due to their striving. Sufyan said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لِّسَعْيِهَا رَاضِيَةٌ </div><p>(Glad with their endeavor.) "They will be pleased with their deeds." Then Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ </div><p>(In a lofty Paradise.) meaning, elevated and brilliant, secure in their dwellings.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَّ تَسْمَعُ فِيهَا لَـغِيَةً </div><p>(Where they shall neither hear harmful speech nor falsehood.) meaning, they will not hear in the Paradise that they will be in, any foolish word. This is as Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَّ يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْواً إِلاَّ سَلَـماً</div><p>(They shall not hear therein any Laghw, but only Salam.) (19:62) Allah also says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَّ لَغْوٌ فِيهَا وَلاَ تَأْثِيمٌ</div><p>(Free from any Laghw, and free from sin.) (52:23) and He says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْواً وَلاَ تَأْثِيماً - إِلاَّ قِيلاً سَلَـماً سَلَـماً </div><p>(No Laghw will they hear therein, nor any sinful speech. But only the saying of: "Salam! Salam!" ) (56:25-26) Then Allah continues,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِيهَا عَيْنٌ جَارِيَةٌ </div><p>(Therein will be a running spring.) meaning, flowing freely. This is mentioned with the intent of emphasizing affirmation. It is not intended to mean that there is only one spring. So here it refers to springs collectively. Thus, the meaning is that in it (Paradise) are flowing springs. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّةِ تَفَجَّرُ مِنْ تَحْتِ تِلَالِ أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ جِبَالِ الْمِسْك»</div><p>(The rivers of Paradise spring forth from beneath hills -- or mountains -- of musk.)</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فِيهَا سُرُرٌ مَّرْفُوعَةٌ </div><p>(Therein will be thrones raised high.) meaning, lofty, delightful, numerous couches, with elevated ceilings. Upon which will be seated wide-eyed, beautiful maidens. They have mentioned that whenever the friend of Allah wishes to sit on these lofty thrones, they (the thrones) will lower themselves for him.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَكْوَابٌ مَّوْضُوعَةٌ </div><p>(And cups set at hand.) meaning, drinking containers that are prepared and presented for whoever among their masters (i.e., the people of Paradise) wants them.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَنَمَارِقُ مَصْفُوفَةٌ </div><p>(And Namariq set in rows.) Ibn `Abbas said, "An-Namariq are pillows." This was also said by `Ikrimah, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Ath-Thawri and others. Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَزَرَابِيُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ </div><p>(And Zarabi, spread out (Mabthuthah).) Ibn `Abbas said, "Az-Zarabi are carpets." This was also said by Ad-Dahhak and others. Here the word Mabthuthah means placed here and there for whoever would like to sit upon them.</p>

The Condition of the People of Paradise on the Day of JudgementAfter mentioning the situation of the wretched people, Allah changes the discussion to mention those who will be happy. He says,وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ(Faces that Day.) meaning, on the Day of Judgement.نَّاعِمَةٌ(will be joyful,) meaning, pleasure will be noticeable in them (those faces). This will only occur due to their striving. Sufyan said,لِّسَعْيِهَا رَاضِيَةٌ (Glad with their endeavor.) "They will be pleased with their deeds." Then Allah says,فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ (In a lofty Paradise.) meaning, elevated and brilliant, secure in their dwellings.لاَّ تَسْمَعُ فِيهَا لَـغِيَةً (Where they shall neither hear harmful speech nor falsehood.) meaning, they will not hear in the Paradise that they will be in, any foolish word. This is as Allah says,لاَّ يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْواً إِلاَّ سَلَـماً(They shall not hear therein any Laghw, but only Salam.) (19:62) Allah also says,لاَّ لَغْوٌ فِيهَا وَلاَ تَأْثِيمٌ(Free from any Laghw, and free from sin.) (52:23) and He says,لاَ يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْواً وَلاَ تَأْثِيماً - إِلاَّ قِيلاً سَلَـماً سَلَـماً (No Laghw will they hear therein, nor any sinful speech. But only the saying of: "Salam! Salam!" ) (56:25-26) Then Allah continues,فِيهَا عَيْنٌ جَارِيَةٌ (Therein will be a running spring.) meaning, flowing freely. This is mentioned with the intent of emphasizing affirmation. It is not intended to mean that there is only one spring. So here it refers to springs collectively. Thus, the meaning is that in it (Paradise) are flowing springs. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,«أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّةِ تَفَجَّرُ مِنْ تَحْتِ تِلَالِ أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ جِبَالِ الْمِسْك»(The rivers of Paradise spring forth from beneath hills -- or mountains -- of musk.)فِيهَا سُرُرٌ مَّرْفُوعَةٌ (Therein will be thrones raised high.) meaning, lofty, delightful, numerous couches, with elevated ceilings. Upon which will be seated wide-eyed, beautiful maidens. They have mentioned that whenever the friend of Allah wishes to sit on these lofty thrones, they (the thrones) will lower themselves for him.وَأَكْوَابٌ مَّوْضُوعَةٌ (And cups set at hand.) meaning, drinking containers that are prepared and presented for whoever among their masters (i.e., the people of Paradise) wants them.وَنَمَارِقُ مَصْفُوفَةٌ (And Namariq set in rows.) Ibn `Abbas said, "An-Namariq are pillows." This was also said by `Ikrimah, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Ath-Thawri and others. Concerning Allah's statement,وَزَرَابِيُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ (And Zarabi, spread out (Mabthuthah).) Ibn `Abbas said, "Az-Zarabi are carpets." This was also said by Ad-Dahhak and others. Here the word Mabthuthah means placed here and there for whoever would like to sit upon them.

Well-pleased with their endeavour,

Rejoicing over their efforts.

with their striving well-pleased,

well-pleased with [the fruit of] their striving,

With their endeavour well pleased.

Glad with their endeavour (for their good deeds which they did in this world, along with the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism).

Satisfied with their endeavor.

well-pleased with their striving.

Glad with their endeavor.

Glad for their effort past,

pleased with their endeavour,

well pleased with their striving,

With their effort [they are] satisfied

and pleased with the result of their deeds in the past.

Well-pleased because of their striving,

LisaAAyih<u>a</u> r<u>ad</u>iya<b>tun</b>

well pleased with the result of their striving,

Pleased with their striving,-

لِّسَعْيِهَا رَاضِيَةٌ

Pleased with the righteous actions they did in the world, as they had found the reward of their actions stored up and multiplied.

Pleased with the righteous actions they did in the world, as they had found the reward of their actions stored up and multiplied.

In the high empyrean,

In a high Garden.

in a sublime Garden,

in a garden sublime,

They shall be in a Garden lofty:

In a lofty Paradise.

In a lofty Garden.

They will be in a lofty Garden

In a lofty Paradise.

In a high Garden

in a lofty garden,

in a Garden on high,

In an elevated garden,

They will live in an exalted garden

In a lofty garden,

Fee jannatin AA<u>a</u>liya<b>tin</b>

in a sublime garden,

In a Garden on high,

فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ

In a Paradise elevated in position and rank.

In a Paradise elevated in position and rank.

Never hearing idle talk.

In which they will not hear any lewd speech.

hearing there no babble;

wherein thou wilt hear no empty talk.

They shall hear therein no vain discourse;

Where they shall neither hear harmful speech nor falsehood,

In it you will hear no nonsense.

wherein they shall hear no vain talk.

Where they shall neither hear harmful speech nor falsehood.

Where they hear no idle speech,

where they will not hear any vain talk.

where they will hear no idle talk.

Wherein they will hear no unsuitable speech.

wherein they will not hear any vain talk.

Wherein you shall not hear vain talk.

L<u>a</u> tasmaAAu feeh<u>a</u> l<u>a</u>ghiya<b>tan</b>

where they will hear no idle talk,

Where they shall hear no (word) of vanity:

لَّا تَسْمَعُ فِيهَا لَٰغِيَةً

In Paradise they will not hear any word of falsehood and futility, let alone hearing any prohibited word.

In Paradise they will not hear any word of falsehood and futility, let alone hearing any prohibited word.

<p>لَّا تَسْمَعُ فِيهَا لَاغِيَةً (in which they will not hear any absurd talk...88:11). It includes the words of disbelief, futile or idle talk, obscene language, calumny or false accusation, or any other talk that hurts people's feelings. On another occasion, the Qur'an puts it thus:</p><p>لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا تَأْثِيمًا</p><p>'They will hear neither an absurd talk therein, nor something leading to sin, [ 56:25]</p><p>This shows that false accusation and absurd talks are hurtful. That is why the Holy Qur'an has described it as a blessing to the inmates of Paradise that no such foolish words will come across their ears that may pollute their hearts.</p>

لَّا تَسْمَعُ فِيهَا لَاغِيَةً (in which they will not hear any absurd talk...88:11). It includes the words of disbelief, futile or idle talk, obscene language, calumny or false accusation, or any other talk that hurts people's feelings. On another occasion, the Qur'an puts it thus:لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا تَأْثِيمًا'They will hear neither an absurd talk therein, nor something leading to sin, [ 56:25]This shows that false accusation and absurd talks are hurtful. That is why the Holy Qur'an has described it as a blessing to the inmates of Paradise that no such foolish words will come across their ears that may pollute their hearts.

There is a stream of running water in it;

In it is a flowing spring.

therein a running fountain,

Countless springs will flow therein,

Therein shall be a spring running!

Therein will be a running spring,

In it is a flowing spring.

In it there shall be a flowing spring,

Therein will be a running spring.

Wherein is a gushing spring,

In it is a flowing spring

A gushing fountain shall be there

Within it is a flowing spring.

Therein will be a flowing spring,

Therein is a fountain flowing,

Feeh<u>a</u> AAaynun j<u>a</u>riya<b>tun</b>

with a flowing spring,

Therein will be a bubbling spring:

فِيهَا عَيْنٌ جَارِيَةٌ

In this Paradise there are flowing springs that they will make flow and direct however they wish.

In this Paradise there are flowing springs that they will make flow and direct however they wish.

And within it are couches placed on high,

In which are high thrones.

therein uplifted couches

[and] there will be thrones [of happiness] raised high,

Therein shall be couches elevated!

Therein will be thrones raised high,

In it are raised beds.

and couches raised high,

Therein will be thrones raised high.

Wherein are couches raised

and raised couches,

and raised couches,

Within it are couches raised high

raised couches,

Therein are thrones raised high,

Feeh<u>a</u> sururun marfooAAa<b>tun</b>

raised couches,

Therein will be Thrones (of dignity), raised on high,

فِيهَا سُرُرٌ مَّرْفُوعَةٌ

In it are high couches.

In it are high couches.

Goblets set,

And chosen goblets.

and goblets set forth

and goblets placed ready,

And goblets ready placed!

And cups set at hand.

And cups set in place.

and goblets laid out,

And cups set at hand.

And goblets set at hand

with goblets set,

and prepared goblets,

And cups put in place

well arranged goblets,

And drinking-cups ready placed,

Waakw<u>a</u>bun maw<u>d</u>ooAAa<b>tun</b>

and goblets set at hand,

Goblets placed (ready),

وَأَكْوَابٌ مَّوْضُوعَةٌ

And cups laid out and ready for drinking.

And cups laid out and ready for drinking.

<p>Etiquette of Living</p><p>وَأَكْوَابٌ مَّوْضُوعَةٌ (and goblets, well placed...88:14) The word akwab is the plural of kub and it refers to a 'goblet', a 'glass' or a cup for drinking water. It has been qualified by the adjective maudu’ ah and it means 'well placed'. This signifies that the glasses or cups or containers will be set in their due places close to water. This description opens an important chapter in setting down some of the rules of correct behaviour in social situations. The drinking containers for water ought to be placed near the water in the designated place. They should not be misplaced so that the other members of the household will have to look for them when they wish to drink water. This situation is irritating. Other household items of daily use, such as cans, glasses, towels, and so on, should be arranged in their designated places, and after using them, they must be kept back in their respective places, so that the other members of the household do not face any difficulty in finding them out. A11 this is deducible from the word maudu'ah 'well placed', because Allah has arranged the goblets near the water for the comfort of the inmates of Paradise.</p>

Etiquette of Livingوَأَكْوَابٌ مَّوْضُوعَةٌ (and goblets, well placed...88:14) The word akwab is the plural of kub and it refers to a 'goblet', a 'glass' or a cup for drinking water. It has been qualified by the adjective maudu’ ah and it means 'well placed'. This signifies that the glasses or cups or containers will be set in their due places close to water. This description opens an important chapter in setting down some of the rules of correct behaviour in social situations. The drinking containers for water ought to be placed near the water in the designated place. They should not be misplaced so that the other members of the household will have to look for them when they wish to drink water. This situation is irritating. Other household items of daily use, such as cans, glasses, towels, and so on, should be arranged in their designated places, and after using them, they must be kept back in their respective places, so that the other members of the household do not face any difficulty in finding them out. A11 this is deducible from the word maudu'ah 'well placed', because Allah has arranged the goblets near the water for the comfort of the inmates of Paradise.

Cushions arranged,

And arranged carpets.

and cushions arrayed

and cushions ranged,

And cushions ranged!

And cushions set in rows,

And cushions set in rows.

and cushions arrayed in rows,

And Namariq, set in rows.

And cushions ranged

and cushions laid out in an array,

and arranged cushions

And cushions lined up

well-placed cushions,

And cushions set in a row,

Wanam<u>a</u>riqu ma<u>s</u>foofa<b>tun</b>

cushions ranged,

And cushions set in rows,

وَنَمَارِقُ مَصْفُوفَةٌ

In it are cushions packed closely to one another.

In it are cushions packed closely to one another.

And rich carpets spread.

And linen spread out.

and carpets outspread.

and carpets spread out…

And carpets ready spread,

And rich carpets (all) spread out.

And carpets spread around.

and rich carpets levelled out.

And Zarabi, spread out (Mabthuthah).

And silken carpets spread.

and carpets spread out.

and outspread carpets.

And carpets spread around.

and well spread carpets.

And carpets spread out.

Wazar<u>a</u>biyyu mabthootha<b>tun</b>

and carpets spread out.

And rich carpets (all) spread out.

وَزَرَابِىُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ

In it are carpets spread out here and there.

In it are carpets spread out here and there.