Al-Mursalat

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

See ayat 15 for tafseer.

At the opening of this surah, by way of introduction, five oaths are presented in five verses — the exegesis of whose meaning is subject to considerable disagreement. It is stated: "By those that are sent forth in succession." (وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا). [Explanatory note: "'Urf" carries the meaning of one after another and in succession, and originally means "the mane hair of a horse" which lies one upon another; some have also interpreted it as "good and well-known deeds."] "And by those that move like a storm and violent tempest." (فَالْعَاصِفَاتِ عَصْفًا). "And by those that spread and scatter." (وَالنَّاشِرَاتِ نَشْرًا). "And by those that separate and distinguish." (فَالْفَارِقَاتِ فَرْقًا). "And by those that cast forth awakening reminders." (فَالْمُلْقِيَاتِ ذِكْرًا). "For the completion of the proof or as a warning." (عُذْرًا أَوْ نُذْرًا). [Explanatory note: The accusative case on "udhrhan aw nudhran" is on the basis of its being a "maf'ūl lahu" — a causative object — and some have regarded it as a circumstantial qualifier.] Now let us examine what is the meaning of these allusive oaths — which give news of important matters. Three well-known interpretations exist here: All five oaths allude to "winds and tempests," which exercise a significant influence in many natural phenomena. On the basis of this view, the meaning of these verses would be as follows: By the oath of those winds that blow in successive succession. By the oath of those storms that blow with great swiftness and speed. By the oath of those that spread and scatter the clouds and send the life-giving drops of rain from within them toward arid lands. By the oath of those that disperse the clouds after they have brought rain. By the oath of those winds that, through this programme, occupy human beings in the remembrance of God. (Some have also taken "فَالْعَاصِفَاتِ عَصْفًا" as an allusion to the storms of punishment, which stand in opposition to life-giving winds and are in their own nature also a cause of reminder and awakening.) All these oaths allude to "the celestial angels" — meaning: By the oath of those angels who are sent in succession to the prophets (the many angels who are sent with well-known and established programmes). By the oath of those who pursue their missions with complete speed and swiftness like storms. By the oath of those who unfold and disseminate the verses of the heavenly books before the prophets. By the oath of those who through this action separate truth from falsehood. By the oath of those who cast upon the prophets the remembrance of God Almighty and His commands. The first and second oaths concern "winds and tempests," while the third, fourth, and fifth oaths concern the dissemination of the verses of God Almighty through the agency of angels, followed by the separation of truth from falsehood, and thereafter the casting upon the prophets of God's remembrance and His commands for the purpose of completing the proof and issuing warning. What may serve as a basis for the third interpretation is, first, the separation of these two kinds of oaths in the verses by "wāw," whereas the remainder are conjoined by "fā'" — which is a sign of their interconnection and relatedness. Second — as we shall see — all these oaths are for a single purpose, stated in the seventh verse, namely the truth and reality of the Resurrection and resurrection — and we know that near the Resurrection a tremendous transformation will occur in the world. On the one hand there will be severe storms, tempests, earthquakes, and shattering events, and thereafter on the other hand the court and tribunal of divine justice will be established, where angels will unfold and disseminate the records of deeds, will separate and distinguish the ranks of the believers from those of the disbelievers, and will cast down in this connection the divine command. If the above five oaths are set forth in accordance with this interpretation, the "muqsam bihi" — the matter for which the oaths are sworn — will be appropriate, and the last interpretation holds superiority from this perspective. In the sentence "فَالْمُلْقِيَاتِ ذِكْرًا," "dhikr" either carries the meaning of the sciences and knowledge cast upon the prophets, or the meaning of the verses revealed to them — and we know that in the Quranic verses the Quran itself is also expressed as "dhikr," as appears in verse 6 of Surah al-Ḥijr: (وَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ) — "(The enemies) used to say: O you upon whom the dhikr has been sent down, you are surely mad!" The expression "al-mulqiyāt" is in plural form, although the angel of revelation — Gabriel — is no more than one. The reason for this is that certain narrations indicate that on occasion for the descent of Quranic verses, many groups of angels accompanied Gabriel. In verse 15 of Surah 'Abasa this also appears: "bi-aydī safaratin" — "the Quranic verses were sent down to the Prophet of Islam by the hands of God's ambassadors — the angels." Now let us examine what purpose these oaths serve. In the subsequent verse, lifting the veil from this meaning, it states: "What you are promised will most certainly come to pass." (إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَاقِعٌ). The raising of the dead, the gathering, reward and punishment, reckoning and recompense — all are true and there is no doubt whatsoever in them. Some have taken this as an allusion to all of God's promises, whether those to the righteous or to the wicked, in this world or in the Hereafter — but the subsequent verses indicate that what is intended is the promise of the Resurrection. [Explanatory note: The conjunctive "fā'" also supports this meaning.] Although in this verse no argumentation has been offered for the matter of resurrection, and satisfaction has been expressed with the declaration alone — the excellence of the matter lies in the fact that within the preceding oaths there came matters that are themselves proofs of resurrection and the Day of Judgment: among them the coming to life of dead lands through the descent of rains — which is itself a prefiguration of the scene of resurrection — and secondly the descent of divine commands and obligations upon the prophets and the sending of messengers, which has no meaning without resurrection. These considerations themselves indicate that the promise of the Resurrection is certain and established. The counterpart of this meaning also appears in verse 23 of Surah al-Dhāriyāt: God states: (فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ) — "By the Lord of the heavens and the earth, your sustenance is true." The oath by "rabb" — which alludes to the Lord's rububiyya and His administration of the realm of creation — demands that He not leave His servants without sustenance. Thereafter, setting forth the signs of that coming day, it states: "That coming day will arrive when the stars are effaced and darkened from the face of the sky." (فَإِذَا النُّجُومُ طُمِسَتْ). "And the sky will be rent asunder." (وَاِذَا السَّمَآءُ فُرِجَتْ). "And the mountains are uprooted from their place." (وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ نُسِفَتْ). "Ṭumisat" is derived from the root "ṭams" (on the metrical pattern of "shams"), meaning to efface and eliminate all traces of something — and here it may allude either to the extinguishing of the light of the stars or to their crumbling and scattering, though the first interpretation is more appropriate, as appears in verse 2 of Surah al-Takwīr: وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتْ — "When the stars are darkened." "Nusifat" is derived from the root "nasf" (on the metrical pattern of "ḥadhf"), originally meaning the shaking of grain in a sieve so that the husk separates from the grain — and here it carries the meaning of the crumbling of the mountains and their subsequent dispersal in the air. In principle, from numerous Quranic verses it becomes apparent that the end of this world will be accompanied by a series of most terrifying and overwhelming events, such as to completely disrupt its system — and the realm of the Hereafter will take its place with a new order. These events will be so extraordinary and awe-inspiring that they cannot be adequately described in any statement. Can those events that will uproot the mountains from their places and cause them to collide with one another such that they are reduced to dust and assume the form of carded wool — can these be given an adequate account? According to the expression of some exegetes, these events will be so tremendous that the greatest earthquakes humanity has ever witnessed will compare to them as small firecrackers — which children ignite in play — compare to the most enormous atomic bomb. In any case, these Quranic expressions are evidence of the vast difference between the systems of the Hereafter and those of this world. Thereafter, alluding to the Day of Resurrection, it further states: "And this will be when an appointed time is set for the prophets, that they should come in their respective turns and bear witness concerning their communities." (وَإِذَا الرُّسُلُ أُقِّتَتْ). [Explanatory note: "Uqqitat" is originally from the root "waqt" and was "wuqqitat," in which the watered "wāw" was transformed into "hamza" — and it carries the meaning of the appointment of a time for the messengers of the Lord. It is understood that the time is not appointed for themselves but for their action — that is, for their testimony — and accordingly some have also said that an implied element is present in the verse.] As appears in verse 6 of Surah al-A'rāf: (فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ) — "We will question both those to whom messengers were sent and the messengers themselves." Thereafter it further states: "For what day has the testimony and witnessing of those messengers concerning their communities been deferred?" (لِأَيِّ يَوْمٍ أُجِّلَتْ). [Explanatory note: According to this interpretation, the pronoun of "ujjilat" refers back to the testimony of the prophets and messengers, which is understood from the preceding verse. Some, however, have held that it refers back to all those matters connected with the prophets and the news they gave concerning reward, punishment, and the events of the Resurrection. Some have also taken it as an allusion to all the matters mentioned in the preceding verses — such as the darkening of the stars, etc. It is clear, however, that the first interpretation is more appropriate since the referent of the pronoun in the verse is adjacent to it.] "For the Day of Separation." (لِيَوْمِ الْفَصْلِ). The day of the separation of truth from falsehood, the day of the separation of the ranks of the believers from those of the disbelievers, the day of the separation of the righteous from the wicked, and the day of God Almighty's absolute sovereignty and justice concerning all. This question and answer is for the purpose of expressing the grandeur of that day — and what a meaningful and eloquent expression it is: "the Day of Separation." Thereafter, in order to express the magnificence of that day, it states: "And what can make you know what the Day of Separation is?" (وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ). Where the Prophet himself, despite his vast knowledge and those sharp-sighted eyes that beheld the mysteries of the unseen, does not fully know the dimensions of the greatness of that day — the responsibility of the rest of humanity is clear. And as has been stated on numerous occasions, the comprehension of all the magnificent mysteries of the Resurrection is not possible for us who are prisoners in the cage of this world; we only perceive from afar a faint shadow of them and hold faith in them. In the final verse under consideration, warning most severely those who give the lie to that day, it states: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). "Wayl" has been interpreted by some as meaning "destruction," by some as meaning "punishments of every kind," and by some as meaning "a valley of severe punishment in Hell." This word is generally employed in connection with sorrowful and distressing events, and here it recounts the painful fate of those who deny the Day of Resurrection. [Explanatory note: A further elaboration of the meanings of "wayl" and its distinction from "days" and "dahaj" appears in volume 13, under verse 60 of Surah al-Dhāriyāt.] By "mukadhdhibīn" here are meant those who deny the Resurrection — and we know that one who holds no faith in the Resurrection, in God's court of justice, and in the reckoning and recompense, can easily commit every kind of sin, injustice, and corruption. But firm faith in that day bestows upon the human being a sense of responsibility, accountability, piety, and God-consciousness.

In the preceding verses, oaths were first sworn by the winds and tempests — and this is on account of the significant influence they exercise in the realm of creation: they drive the clouds and then gather them together above arid and dead lands, and after the rain has fallen they disperse and scatter them. They scatter the seeds of plants and bring forests and pastures into existence; they fertilise many flowers and fruits; they transfer heat and cold from one part of the earth to another and create moderation in the atmosphere. They carry living, oxygen-filled air from the fields and deserts toward the cities, and carry polluted air toward the deserts for purification. They set the waters of the seas in agitation and motion and fill the water with oxygen for the living creatures that dwell within it. Indeed, the winds and the breeze perform great and life-giving services in the world. The second portion of these oaths — which concerns the programme of the descent of revelation through the agency of the angels — similarly resembles in the spiritual realm the breeze that blows in the material realm. The angels send down the words of revelation — which like drops of rain are life-giving — upon the hearts of God's prophets, and cause the flowers and fruits of piety and divine knowledge to grow within hearts. In this manner God has sworn by both the nurturers of the material realm and the nurturers of the spiritual realm. And it is worthy of attention that all these oaths are for the purpose of stating the reality of that day in which all these efforts will bear fruit — which is the Day of Resurrection and the Day of Separation.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

See ayat 28 for tafseer.

In these verses as well, the deniers of the Resurrection are warned in various ways and are awakened from the deep slumber of heedlessness through diverse forms of discourse. First, taking them by the hand, the discourse leads them toward past history and shows them the lands of the afflicted peoples of old, stating: "Did We not destroy the first peoples who took the path of disbelief and denial?" (أَلَمْ نُهْلِكِ الْأَوَّلِينَ). Their traces are evident not only upon the pages of history but upon the very face of the earth — peoples such as 'Ād, Thamūd, the people of Noah, the people of Lot, and the people of Pharaoh; of which one group was destroyed by a flood, another by a thunderbolt, another by a fierce storm, and another by an earthquake and the punishment of celestial stones. "Then We cause the later peoples who possess the same conduct to follow after them." (ثُمَّ نُتْبِعُهُمُ الْآخِرِينَ). For this is a continuously ongoing law admitting no exception or discrimination — can it be possible that one group is punished for a crime while the same crime is deemed acceptable for others? Hence the subsequent verse further states: "We deal thus with the criminals." (كَذَلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِالْمُجْرِمِينَ). This verse is in reality stated as the reason for the destruction of the "first peoples" and the destruction of the peoples that came after them — since divine punishment contains no element of retribution or personal score-settling, but is subject to what is truly deserved and to the demands of wisdom. Some have said that "awwalīn" refers to the peoples of the remote past — such as the people of Noah, 'Ād, and Thamūd — and "ākhirīn" refers to the peoples that came after them, such as the people of Lot and the people of Pharaoh. However, attending to the fact that "nutbi'uhum" appears in the imperfect tense while "a-lam nuhlik" carries the meaning of the past, it becomes clear that "awwalīn" is used for all the past peoples who perished through divine punishment, and "ākhirīn" encompasses all the disbelievers who were in the time of the Prophet or who will come into existence after him and will be immersed in crime, sin, injustice, and corruption. Finally, drawing a conclusion, it states: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). "Yawma'idhin" here alludes to the Day of Resurrection, since their primary and most important punishment is connected to that day — and this repetition is for emphasis. The interpretive possibility proposed by some — that this verse speaks of worldly punishment and that the similar verse preceding it speaks of punishment in the Hereafter — appears very far-fetched. Thereafter, taking them by the hand, the discourse leads them toward the world of the embryo and shows them God's greatness and power in that mysterious world, and the abundance of His blessings within it — so that on the one hand they may become aware of God's power with respect to resurrection and the Resurrection, and on the other hand may regard themselves as indebted to His countless blessings and bow their heads in veneration before His threshold. It is stated: "Did We not create you from a base and contemptible fluid?" (أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّاءٍ مَّهِينٍ). "Then We placed it in a secure and established place of lodging." (فَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ). [Explanatory note: "Qarār" means "a place of settlement" and "makīn" means "secure" — originally from "makāna," which carries the meaning of stability. "Makāna" is sometimes also used in the sense of "status and rank."] Such a place of lodging in which all the necessities for the sustenance and growth of life and the human seed are present in every respect — so remarkable, excellent, and appropriate as to fill every human being with a sense of wonder. Thereafter it further states: "The seed's remaining in that secure place continues for a specified and determined period." (إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ). A period that none but God knows — a period replete with many transformations, changes, and transitions, in which the seed is each day clothed in a new garment of life, and is advanced along the path of perfection and elevation in that hidden place. Thereafter it draws the conclusion: "We had the power to create from a worthless, contemptible, and insignificant seed such a noble and complete human being — so excellent are We in Our power." (فَقَدَرْنَا فَنِعْمَ الْقَادِرُونَ). [Explanatory note 1: In this verse there is an ellipsis; the full implied construction is "fa-ni'ma al-qādirūna naḥnu" — technically, the "makhṣūṣ bil-madḥ" is omitted.] [Explanatory note 2: Some exegetes have interpreted this verse as: "We have apportioned the seed with the necessary measures, diverse determinations, and characteristics in body and soul — and We are excellent in Our apportioning." However, this interpretation appears far-fetched in light of the fact that the Quranic text and the well-known reading are without the emphatic shaddah. Although some have said that the simple triliteral root also carries the meaning of measuring and apportioning, the word "qādir" is not used in this meaning in common usage. (Reflect upon this.)] This is the very same argument upon which the Quran has repeatedly relied to establish the matter of resurrection — among others, in the opening verses of Surah al-Ḥajj, where it states: "How can you deny the return of the dead to new life, when you witness His power in the creation of the human being from a worthless seed — each day of which is its own resurrection? What then is the difference between dust and a worthless seed?" Finally, repeating the same sentence once more, it states: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَّوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِيْنَ). Woe to those who behold all these signs of His power and yet deny. Amir al-Mu'minīn 'Alī, peace be upon him, states in this connection: أَيُّهَا الْمَخْلُوقُ السَّوِيُّ وَالنَّشَأُ الْمَرْعِيُّ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْحَامِ وَمُضَاعَفَاتِ الْأَسْتَارِ، بُدِئْتَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ، وُضِعْتَ فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ، إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَأَجَلٍ مَقْسُومٍ، تَمُورُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّكَ جَنِيناً، لَا تُحِيرُ دُعَاءً وَلَا تَسْمَعُ نِدَاءً، ثُمَّ أُخْرِجْتَ مِنْ مَقَرِّكَ إِلَى دَارٍ لَمْ تَشْهَدْهَا وَلَمْ تَعْرِفْ سُبُلَ مَنَافِعِهَا، فَمَنْ هَدَاكَ لِاجْتِرَارِ الْغِذَاءِ مِنْ ثَدْيِ أُمِّكَ وَعَرَّفَكَ عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ مَوَاضِعَ طَلَبِكَ وَإِرَادَتِكَ — "O creature fashioned with a comely form, nurtured in the darkness of the womb and multiple coverings — your creation began from an essence of clay, and you were placed in a secure place of lodging for a determined measure of time and an apportioned term. You moved within your mother's womb as an embryo, unable to respond to any call or hear any voice. Then you were brought forth from your dwelling place to an abode you had never witnessed and whose paths of benefit you did not know. Now tell me: who guided you to draw nourishment from your mother's breast? And who, at the time of need, showed you the means of fulfilling your desires and intentions?" [Reference: Nahj al-Balāgha, Khutba 163.] In the second portion of these verses, one portion of God's cosmic signs and the blessings and gifts of His in the vast world is set forth — which constitutes both a proof of His expansive power and mercy and a proof of the possibility of resurrection. The preceding verses, by contrast, concerned God's personal signs and the blessings present in the very creation of the human being. It is stated: "Did We not make the earth a gathering place for human beings?" (أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا). [Explanatory note: "Kifātan" is the second object of "naj'al" and is a verbal noun used in the sense of an active participle.] "Both in their state of life and in their state of death." (أَحْيَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا). [Explanatory note: "Aḥyā'an wa amwātan" is a circumstantial qualifier of an implied pronominal object, the full implied construction being "kifātan lakum aḥyā'an wa amwātan."] "Kifāt" (on the metrical pattern of "kitāb") and "kaft" (on the metrical pattern of "kashf") carry the meaning of gathering and joining things to one another. The rapid flight of birds is also called "kifāt" since at the time of swift flight they fold their wings together so as to cleave through the air with greater speed. What is meant is that the earth is a dwelling place for all human beings — it gathers the living upon its surface and fulfils all their needs and requirements, and also provides a place within itself for their dead. For if the earth were not prepared to receive the burial of the dead, the putrefaction and diseases arising from them would create a calamity for all the living. Indeed, the earth — like a mother who gathers her children around her and places them under her wings — gives place to human beings upon its surface, bestows blessings upon them, nourishes them, clothes them, gives them home and shelter, and fulfils all their needs. And it preserves within itself the bodies of the dead, absorbs them, and eliminates their harmful effects. Some have interpreted "kifāt" here as meaning "swift flight" and regard this verse as an allusion to the earth's movement around the sun and other movements — which had certainly not been discovered at the time of the Quran's revelation. However, attending to the subsequent verse — "aḥyā'an wa amwātan" — the first interpretation appears more appropriate. Especially since in one narration it is related that when Amir al-Mu'minīn 'Alī, peace be upon him, was returning from the battle of Ṣiffīn and approached Kufa, when his blessed gaze fell upon the cemetery outside the gates of Kufa, he stated: "hādhā kifātu al-amwāti ay masākinuhum" — "This is the kifāt of the dead — that is, their dwellings and homes." Then he cast his gaze upon the houses of Kufa and stated: "hādhā kifātu al-aḥyā'" — "These are the dwellings of the living." Thereafter he recited the above verses: أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا أَحْيَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا. [Reference: Tafsīr al-Burhān, vol. 4, p. 417, citing Tafsīr 'Alī ibn Ibrāhīm.] This alludes to the fact that there is no great distance between the dwellings of the living and those of the dead. Thereafter, alluding to another great blessing of God upon the terrestrial globe, it further states: "And We placed therein firm, established, and lofty mountains." (وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ شَامِخَاتٍ). [Explanatory note: "Rawāsī" is the plural of "rāsiya," meaning firm and steadfast; and "shāmikhāt" is the plural of "shāmikh," meaning lofty and high. In certain expressions — such as "shamarkha bi-anfih" — it is a metonym for arrogance. (Mufradāt al-Rāghib.)] These mountains — whose peaks soar toward the sky and whose roots are interjoined with one another — on the one hand encircle the earth like a coat of armour and protect it from internal pressure and the pressure generated by the external tidal pull of the moon; on the other hand they prevent the collision of the atmospheric layer with the earth, plunge into the air, and bring it into rotational motion with them; and from a third direction they control tremendous storms and tempests — thus conferring tranquility and repose upon the inhabitants of the earth in several different ways. In the continuation of this same verse, alluding to another of the blessings of the mountains, it further states: "And We have given you wholesome water to drink." (وَأَسْقَيْنَاكُم مَّاءً فُرَاتًا). Water that is pleasant and life-giving for you and for your animals, fields, and gardens. It is true that all wholesome water derives from rain — but the mountains also play the most significant role in it. Many springs and streams issue from the mountains, and the source of many great rivers and channels is the layered masses of snow that accumulate and freeze at the mountain peaks, constituting the most important reserves of water for human beings. The peaks of mountains, on account of their distance from the earth's surface, are always cold and can store reserves of snow for years, so that it may gradually and slowly be transformed by the heat of the sun into water and flow as streams and rivers. At the end of this section it states once more: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). Those very people who behold all these signs and manifestations of God's power with their own eyes and witness the blessings of God in which they are immersed — yet even so deny the Resurrection and the court of the Resurrection, which is the manifestation of His justice and wisdom.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

See ayat 50 for tafseer.

In these verses the true and ultimate fate of those who deny the Resurrection and reject the court of divine justice is set forth — a portrayal that truly plunges the human being into a profound terror and makes the dimensions of the calamity clear. It is stated: "They will be told: Without hesitation, proceed toward that which you always used to deny!" (انطَلِقُوا إِلَى مَا كُنتُم بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ). Proceed toward that burning Hell of which you always used to make mockery. Proceed toward the various kinds of punishment that you have already prepared for yourselves through your deeds. "Inṭalaqū" is derived from the root "inṭilāq," meaning to proceed without pause — and within it there is also concealed a kind of release from constraint and confinement. In reality this is a description of their condition on the plain of the gathering: they will be detained for a long period for the reckoning, and thereafter released and told to proceed toward Hell without delay. The one who utters this may be God Almighty, Who will address them directly, or the angels of punishment — in any case, this is a tone carrying deep reproach, which is itself a painful and heart-rending punishment. Thereafter, elaborating further upon this punishment, it states: "Proceed toward the shade of three branches — of the suffocating smoke of the fire." (انطَلِقُوا إِلَى ظِلٍّ ذِي ثَلَاثِ شُعَبٍ). One branch above the head, one to the right, and one to the left — and in this manner this dense, deadly smoke will enclose them and swallow them. "But it will not be a comforting shade, and it will in no way protect the inhabitants of Hell from the flames." (لاَّ ظَلِيلٍ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنَ اللَّهَبِ). Since it itself has risen from the fire. The expression "ẓill" — shade — might give rise to the impression that there will be some shade that somewhat reduces the burning of the flames; but this verse negates that erroneous notion, stating: this shade is in no way the shade you imagine — it is a shade that burns and suffocates, arising from the dense smoke of the fire, capable of reflecting the heat of the flames in full measure. [Explanatory note: "Lā ẓalīlin" is an attribute of "ẓill," and is accordingly in the genitive case.] In support of this discourse, the verses of Surah al-Wāqi'a state concerning the companions of the left: (فِي سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ وَظِلٍّ مِّن يَحْمُومٍ لَّا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ) — "They will be in a scorching wind and boiling water and the shade of black smoke — neither cool nor of any comfort." (al-Wāqi'a, 42–44.) Some have said that these three branches are the consequence of their denial of the three foundations of religion — monotheism, prophethood, and resurrection — since the denial of resurrection is inseparable from the denial of monotheism and prophethood. Others have said that this is an allusion to the three causes of sin: the faculty of anger, the faculty of desire, and the faculty of illusion. Indeed, that dark smoke is the embodiment of the darkness of desires: ز تاریکی خشم و شهوت حذر کن / که از دود آن چشم دل تیره گردد! غضب چون در آید رود عقل بیرون / هوی چون شود چیره جان خیره گردد! "Beware of the darkness of anger and desire, for from its smoke the eye of the heart is blinded. When anger enters, reason departs; and when carnal passion gains the upper hand, the soul is dazzled." Thereafter, further elaborating upon another quality of that burning fire, it states: "It throws forth sparks like great palaces." (إِنَّهَا تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ كَالْقَصْرِ). [Explanatory note: "Sharar" (on the metrical pattern of "ḍarar") is the plural of "sharāra," denoting the small particles that fly out of fire and leap into the air — derived from the root "sharr."] These are not like the sparks of the fire of this world, which are sometimes no larger than the head of a pin. The simile of "qaṣr" — palace — is a most meaningful comparison. One might suppose it would have been more appropriate to say that the sparks were like mountains; but it should not be forgotten that mountains — as alluded to in the preceding verses — are the source of blessings of every kind and the wellspring of sweet, pleasant, and wholesome water. These are the palaces of the oppressors that become the cause of burning flames and fire-raining sparks. [Explanatory note: Some exegetes such as Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī have transmitted on the authority of Ibn 'Abbās that he interpreted "qaṣr" as meaning the pieces of wood that were gathered from the wilderness for the winter and stacked one upon another — and it is not unlikely that this interpretation is on account of the fact that a pile of wood stacked upon one another was likened to a lofty palace.] In the subsequent verse, setting forth another quality of the sparks and flames of that burning fire, it states: "They are like yellow camels." (كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالَتٌ صُفْرٌ). [Explanatory note: The pronoun of "ka'annahu" may refer back to "qaṣr" or to "sharar" — but since "sharar" is a plural, this is not possible without a figurative interpretation unless we regard "sharar" as a collective noun.] "Jimāla" is the plural of "jamal," meaning camel (on the metrical pattern of "ḥijāra"), and "ṣufr" (on the metrical pattern of "qufl") is the plural of "aṣfar," meaning something of yellow colour — and is sometimes used for dark, blackish colours; but here the first meaning is appropriate, since the flames of fire are yellow and reddish. In the preceding verse these flames were likened to a great palace in terms of their size, and in this verse they are likened to yellow camels in terms of their abundance, colour, swiftness of movement, and their scattering and dispersal in every direction — rushing headlong everywhere. Where the sparks are of this kind, it is clear what the fire itself must be like — and what other painful punishments must accompany it. (May God protect all of us from it through His mercy and grace.) At the end of this section of verses, the same warning is repeated once more: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). Thereafter, beginning another passage on the distinguishing features and characteristics of that terrible day, it further states: "Today is a day on which they will not speak." (هٰذَا يَوْمُ لَا يَنْطِقُوْنَ). [Explanatory note: Note that "yawm" here is without tanwīn — because it is in a genitive construction with the implied meaning of the sentence "lā yanṭiqūn."] Indeed, on that day God will seal with silence the mouths of the criminals and sinners — as appears in verse 65 of Surah Yā-Sīn: "al-yawma nakhtimu 'alā afwāhihim" — "Today We shall seal their mouths" — and then, as stated in continuation of that same verse, "their hands and feet will speak." To the extent that, according to other Quranic verses, their very skins too will speak and disclose everything. Thereafter it further states: "And they will not be granted permission to offer excuses." (وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ). [Explanatory note: Regarding why the sentence "ya'tadhirūna" appears in the nominative form, whereas by grammatical rule it should have been in the accusative with the "nūn" elided — some have said the reason is that their abandonment of excuse-making is due to the fact that they will have no valid excuse to offer, not due to the absence of divine permission.] They will be given neither permission to speak nor to make excuses or defend themselves — for all the realities there are clear and manifest, and there is nothing left to say. Indeed, that tongue which made improper use of its freedom in this world — giving the lie to the prophets, mocking and ridiculing the saints, presenting truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth — ought in that place, as a punishment for these deeds, to be locked and rendered ineffective. And this is itself a punishment and a painful torment — that a human being, in a situation of this kind, should not retain the capacity to defend himself or offer excuses. In a hadith transmitted on the authority of Imam al-Ṣādiq, peace be upon him, it is stated: "God is far too exalted, just, and great to have a servant who possesses a sound and reasoned excuse and yet deny him permission to present it. In reality they will have no kind of sound, reasoned, and acceptable excuse whatsoever that they could present." [Reference: Nūr al-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 49.] It should be noted, however, that certain Quranic verses indicate that criminals will on occasion speak on the Day of Resurrection — the reason for this being that — as has previously been indicated — there will be many stations on the Day of Resurrection: in some of them the tongue will become ineffective and the testimony of the limbs and organs will commence, while in other stations the tongue will open and certain matters will be expressed that are signs of their intense regret, bewilderment, and wretchedness. At the end of this passage it states: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). In another portion, turning the address toward the criminals and by way of describing the scene of that day, it states: "Today is that very Day of Separation in which We have gathered you and those who came before." (هَذَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ جَمَعْنَاكُمْ وَالْأَوَّلِينَ). Today We have gathered all peoples — without exception, from the first to the last — in this field and great court of justice for the rendering of account and the resolution of all disputes. "Now if you have any stratagem to escape the grip of punishment and chastisement before Me, execute it." (فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ كَيْدٌ فَكِيدُونِ). [Explanatory note: The "nūn" in "fakīdūni" is with kasra — the kasra standing in place of the "yā' al-mutakallim" — the original form being "fakīdūnī," with the "yā'" elided and the kasra that marks it retained. The pronoun of the first person singular, in accordance with the apparent meaning of the verses, refers back to God's holy essence; the interpretive possibility that it refers to the Prophet's person appears very far-fetched.] Can you escape the boundaries of My sovereignty? Or gain ascendancy over My power? Or possess the means to free yourself by paying a ransom? Or have the capacity to deceive the officers charged with the reckoning? Perform whatever you are capable of — but know that you are capable of nothing. In reality this is, in technical terms, an "imperative expressing helplessness" — stated to make manifest the other party's incapacity and powerlessness. This is analogous to what has come in the Quran concerning the Quran itself: "If you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then bring a surah like it." "Kayd" (on the metrical pattern of "ṣayd") — as Raghib states in the Mufradāt — means a kind of planning and stratagem, which is sometimes reprehensible and sometimes praiseworthy, though its use is predominantly in reprehensible contexts — as is also the case in the verse under consideration. Assuredly nothing will be possible for them on that day — since we know that that day will be one in which the human being's hand will be empty of all means and causes, as appears in verse 166 of Surah al-Baqara: (وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الأَسْبَابُ) — "All causes will be severed from them." It is worthy of attention that on the one hand it states "yawm al-faṣl" — the Day of Separation — and on the other hand it states that that day is "yawm al-jam'" — the Day of Gathering — and both of these will take place in the same location. First all will be assembled in that great court of justice, and then they will be separated into different ranks on the basis of their beliefs and deeds — to the extent that even those proceeding toward Paradise will be in diverse ranks and different degrees, and those heading toward Hell will likewise be in different ranks and varying degrees. Indeed: that will be the day of the separation of truth from falsehood, and of the oppressor from the oppressed. Then, repeating the same threatening and awakening sentence, it states: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ).

We know that the Quran's programme combines warning with glad tidings and threat with encouragement, and likewise sets forth the fate of the believers in contrast to the fate of the criminals — so that through the contextual indicator of comparison the matters may be better comprehended. On the basis of this same established pattern, in the subsequent verses, after setting forth the various punishments of the criminals on the Day of Resurrection, a meaningful and concise allusion is made to the condition of the God-fearing on that day: "The God-fearing will be amid shades and springs." (إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي ظِلَالٍ وَعُيُونٍ). This while the criminals — as has become apparent from the preceding verses — will be in the shade of suffocating, fire-raining, and burning smoke. "Ẓilāl" is the plural of "ẓill," meaning shade — whether shade of the kind that comes from trees during the day or the shade obtained in the darkness of night. "Fay'" by contrast denotes the shade that comes into existence only in opposition to a luminous source, such as the shade of trees in the face of the sun. Thereafter it further states: "And they will be among fruits of whatever kind they desire." (وَفَوَاكِهَ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ). It is clear that the mention of fruits, shades, and springs constitutes an allusion to one dimension of God's great blessings upon them — a dimension that can be described and depicted in the language of the people of this world; but the blessings that cannot be described and cannot be contained within the hearts and minds of those who dwell in this world are many degrees superior. It is worthy of attention that in this guesthouse of God the highest possible form of hospitality will be extended to them — as stated in the subsequent verse, where they will be addressed: "Eat and drink with wholesome enjoyment — all of this is in return for the deeds you used to perform." (كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ). This sentence — whether it constitutes a direct address from God to them or is conveyed through the angels — is accompanied by a manifest grace and love that serves as a nourishment for their spirit and soul. The expression "bi-mā kuntum ta'malūna" — "in return for the deeds you used to perform" — alludes to the fact that these blessings are not given to anyone without reckoning, and are not attained through mere claim, imagination, and supposition; they are obtained only through righteous deeds. "Hanī'" (on the metrical pattern of "malīḥ") — according to Raghib in the Mufradāt — means everything for which no toil is required and from which no discomfort or trouble arises; hence food and water that is palatable and wholesome is called "hanī'," and sometimes pleasant life is also designated by it. This alludes to the fact that the fruits, food, and beverages of Paradise are not like the food and drink of this world, which sometimes leave harmful effects in the human body or from which undesirable complications arise. Exegetes disagree as to whether this command to eat and drink declares the permissibility of benefiting from these blessings or constitutes an actual command and injunction. However, it should be noted that commands of this kind, given on occasions of hospitality, represent a kind of desire and wish on the part of the speaker — expressed out of respect and honour for the guest — and the host wishes the guest to eat as much as possible so that he may be accorded greater honour and generosity. In the subsequent verse the same point is again emphasised — that these blessings are not given without reckoning — and it further states: "Verily, We thus recompense the righteous doers." (إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ). It is worthy of attention that the first verse places emphasis on the matter of "taqwā," the verse after it on "deed," and this verse on righteousness and excellence of conduct. "Taqwā" is abstention from every kind of sin, corruption, polytheism, and disbelief; "iḥsān" is the performance of every good deed; and "amal" also serves to describe righteous deeds — so that it becomes clear that God's programme of blessings is specific to this group alone, and not to the false claimants of faith and those immersed in every kind of corruption, even though they may ostensibly count themselves among the believers. Finally, once more it repeats: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). Woe to those who will be deprived of all these blessings and loving gifts — for the grief of regret over this deprivation will be no less than the burning fire of Hell. And since one of the factors of denying the Resurrection is inclination toward the transient pleasures of this world and unbounded freedom to benefit from those pleasures, the subsequent verse, turning the address toward the criminals in a threatening tone, states: "Eat and make use of benefits for these few brief days — but know that God's punishment awaits you, for you are criminals." (كُلُوا وَتَمَتَّعُوا قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُم مُّجْرِمُونَ). The expression "qalīlan" may allude to the brief duration of human life in this world, and also to the insignificance of the blessings of this world in comparison with the boundless blessings of the Hereafter. Although some exegetes have said that this address will be made to the criminals in the Hereafter, attending to the fact that in the Hereafter there is no conceivable sense in which criminals can benefit from the blessings of life, it must be accepted that this discourse is an address to them in this world. In reality, the God-fearing and righteous will be received in the Hereafter with the utmost honour and will be addressed with the gracious sentence "kulū wa-ishrabū hanī'an" — "Eat and drink with wholesome enjoyment" — but the worldly-minded are addressed in this very world with the threatening sentence "kulū wa-tamatta'ū qalīlan." To the God-fearing it is stated: "bi-mā kuntum ta'malūna" — "this is in return for the righteous deeds you used to perform" — and to these it is stated: "innakum mujrimūna" — "this threat is because you are criminals." [Explanatory note: In reality this verse contains an ellipsis. According to Majma' al-Bayān the full implied construction is: "kulū wa-tamatta'ū qalīlan fa-inna al-mawta kā'inun lā maḥālata" — but it appears more appropriate that the implied construction be: "kulū wa-tamatta'ū qalīlan wa-intaẓirū al-'adhāba fa-innakum mujrimūna."] In any case, this indicates that the source of divine punishment is none other than the human being's own crime and sin — arising from faithlessness or from being ensnared in the grip of carnal passions. Thereafter once more this threat is completed with the words: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). Those very people who were captivated by the glitter and pleasures and desires of this world — and thereby purchased for themselves the punishment of God. In the subsequent verse, alluding to yet another factor of their deviation, wretchedness, and corruption, it states: "They are so intoxicated with the wine of arrogance that when they are told to bow before the Lord, they do not bow." (وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ارْكَعُوا لَا يَرْكَعُونَ). Many exegetes have stated that this verse was revealed concerning the tribe of Thaqīf, to whom the Prophet said "Perform the prayer," whereupon they replied: "We will never bow down before anyone — this is a disgrace for us." The Prophet then stated: "Lā khayra fī dīnin laysa fīhi rukū'un wa lā sujūdun" — "A religion that contains no bowing and prostration has no worth whatsoever." [References: Majma' al-Bayān, vol. 10, p. 419; and the same meaning is transmitted by Ālūsī in Rūḥ al-Ma'ānī, by al-Qurṭubī in his commentary, by Zamakhsharī in the Kashshāf, and by Rūḥ al-Bayān, under the verse under consideration.] Not only did they refuse bowing and prostration, but this spirit of arrogance and haughtiness pervaded all their thoughts and lives: they neither submitted before God nor obeyed the commands of the Prophet; they neither formally acknowledged the rights of people, nor showed humility before the Creator, nor modesty and submissiveness before the created. In reality these two factors — arrogance and the worship of carnal desire — are among the most important causes of crime, sin, disbelief, injustice, and rebellion. Some have proposed the interpretive possibility that the address "arka'ū" — "bow down" — will be made to them on the Day of Resurrection — but this possibility appears far-fetched, especially in light of the preceding and subsequent verses. Thereafter, for the tenth and final time in this surah, it states: "Woe on that day to those who deny." (وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ). And in the final verse under consideration — which is the last verse of Surah al-Mursalāt — in a reproachful tone full of rebuke, in the form of a rhetorical interrogative expressing astonishment, it states: "If they do not believe in this Quran — whose proofs of truthfulness are evident in all its verses and whose righteousness is reflected in all its expressions — then after it, in what discourse will they believe?" (فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ). One who does not believe in this Quran — which, were it to be sent down upon the mountains, would cause them to tremble and split open in humble submission — will accept no heavenly book and no rational argument; and this is a sign of the spirit of obstinacy and intransigence.

As we indicated at the opening of this surah, the sentence "وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ" is repeated ten times within it — and this is for the purpose of emphasis upon an important and arresting reality. In the discourse of the eloquent and rhetorically accomplished, similar sentences are frequently found, certain portions of which — upon which particular attention and emphasis are desired — are repeated in both poetry and prose. Some exegetes, however, hold the view that each of these ten verses alludes to a new point connected to the denial of what immediately precedes it — and on this basis no repetition has taken place. We conclude the commentary on this surah with a sentence from the Tafsīr Rūḥ al-Bayān, which states: this surah was revealed to the Prophet, peace be upon him, near the mosque of al-Khayf, during a prayer on the land of Minā — and I have personally visited that cave. O Lord, grant us the grace that we may never become tainted with the denial of Your verses. O Sustainer, preserve us from arrogance, haughtiness, and carnal desire — which are the primary wellsprings of crimes. O God, on the day when the God-fearing are received with full honour in the proximity of Your nearness — place us in their rank. Āmīn, yā Rabb al-'Ālamīn.