Al-Buruj

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

See ayat 9 for tafseer.

We know that the Muslims of Mecca were, in the early period, under severe pressure and persecution, and their enemies considered every form of torment against them permissible. As explained in the discussion of the sūrah’s themes, the purpose of this revelation was, on the one hand, to warn these persecuting disbelievers to reflect upon the fate of earlier nations similar to themselves, and, on the other hand, to comfort, console, and spiritually strengthen the believers of that time, while providing a lasting lesson for all Muslims. It begins by declaring: وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوجِ — By the sky endowed with constellations. بُرُوج is the plural of بُرْج, which originally means a palace or fortress. Some exegetes have interpreted it as referring to something manifest and visible, considering lofty structures as burūj due to their prominence. Hence, a special visible section of a city wall, a prominent place where troops assemble, or a woman publicly displaying her adornment (tabarruj) are all related uses of the same root. (Some researchers consider the word to be derived from a Persian term conveying height and grandeur.) The “constellations of the sky” may refer either to the luminous stars themselves or to the celestial forms and patterns—groups of stars that resemble earthly shapes according to human perception. The twelve constellations represent the twelve zodiacal forms, through the regions of which the sun appears to pass over the course of a year (though in reality it is the earth that revolves). These twelve are: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Whichever interpretation is adopted, their grandeur is undeniable. Although such cosmic realities may not have been fully appreciated by the Arabs of that era, they are well known today. The more apparent interpretation, however, is that it refers to the stars themselves. It is also reported in a narration that when people asked the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny about this verse, he replied that it refers to the stars. The second oath follows: وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ — and by the Promised Day, the Day of Resurrection foretold by all prophets, affirmed in hundreds of Qur’anic verses, the rendezvous of all past and future generations, and the day on which judgment and reckoning will be decided. The third and fourth oaths state: وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ — and by the witness and the witnessed. Scholars have offered more than thirty interpretations of these two concepts, the most important of which include: 1. Shāhid refers to the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny, as in إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا (الأحزاب: 45), while Mashhūd refers to the Day of Resurrection, described as يَوْمٌ مَّشْهُودٌ (هود: 103). 2. Shāhid refers to the witnesses over human deeds, such as bodily limbs, as in تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم (النور: 24), while Mashhūd refers to the human being and his actions. 3. Shāhid is Friday, witnessing the great weekly congregation, and Mashhūd is the Day of ʿArafah, witnessed by the pilgrims. This interpretation is reported from the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny, Imam Muḥammad al‑Bāqir, and Imam Jaʿfar al‑Ṣādiq. 4. Shāhid is the Day of Sacrifice, and Mashhūd is the Day of ʿArafah. 5. Shāhid refers to nights and days, and Mashhūd to the children of Adam whose deeds they witness, as expressed in the supplications of Imam Zayn al‑ʿĀbidīn. 6. Shāhid refers to the angels and Mashhūd to the Qur’an. 7. Shāhid is the Black Stone, and Mashhūd are the pilgrims who come to it. 8. Shāhid is creation, and Mashhūd is God. 9. Shāhid refers to the Muslim community and Mashhūd to other nations, as in لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ (البقرة: 143). 10. Shāhid refers to the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny and Mashhūd to the rest of the prophets, as indicated in وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَـؤُلَاءِ شَهِيدًا (النساء: 41). 11. Shāhid is the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny and Mashhūd is Imam ʿAlī عليه السلام. In view of the context of the surrounding verses, the interpretation that best accords with the passage is that Shāhid refers to all witnesses on the Day of Resurrection—whether the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny, other prophets, angels, bodily limbs, or time itself—while Mashhūd refers to human beings and their deeds. Thus, many interpretations converge into a comprehensive meaning. Friday, ʿArafah, and the Day of Sacrifice may also fall within this conceptual scope, as each is a witnessed day and a reflection—within this world—of the vast gathering of the Hereafter. Consequently, there is no real contradiction among these interpretations. Rather, the breadth of meaning illustrates the Qur’an’s richness and capacity to encompass layered interpretations. It is also noteworthy that both Shāhid and Mashhūd appear in the indefinite form, which itself conveys greatness and magnitude. A subtle and profound harmony exists between these oaths and that which is sworn to: the sky, stars, and constellations are signs of order and calculation; the Promised Day is the manifestation of final reckoning; and the witnesses and the witnessed are integral to that accounting. All these oaths serve to warn the persecuting oppressors that every injustice inflicted upon the true believers is recorded, preserved for the Promised Day, and fully witnessed—whether by angels, bodily limbs, time, or other divinely appointed witnesses. For this reason, immediately after these oaths the text declares: قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ — Perished are the companions of the trench, النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ — the fire fed with fuel, إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ — when they sat by it, وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ — and were themselves witnesses to what they were doing to the believers. According to al‑Rāghib al‑Iṣfahānī, ukhdūd refers to a vast, deep cleft in the earth—large trenches or pits. Its root is associated with the furrows of the human face along which tears flow. These persecutors dug enormous trenches, filled them with fuel, ignited them, and forced believers either to renounce their faith or to be cast into the flames. وَقُود refers primarily to the fuel itself—wood and similar materials—though here it also conveys the intensity and abundance of the fire. Some exegetes have observed that وقود can imply both fuel and blazing flame, indicating the ferocity of the fire they kindled. The verses إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ and وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ depict a group sitting coldly by, watching and even taking pleasure in the torture—a clear sign of extreme cruelty. Some scholars suggest there were two groups: the executioners and the onlookers. Others say the seated group supervised the torture and ensured obedience to royal commands. Since they consented to and observed the acts, responsibility is ascribed to all. The use of the imperfect verb يَفْعَلُونَ indicates that the persecution continued over a period of time and was not a single isolated event. The reason for this brutality was solely that the victims believed in God: وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ. Their only “crime” was faith in God—the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. Is belief in such a God a crime, or is devotion to lifeless idols the greater offense? The verb نَقَمُوا implies blame, reproach, or punitive resentment—terms ordinarily applied only in response to serious wrongdoing, not belief in God. This alone reveals the profound moral corruption of the society that committed such atrocities. A similar statement appears in هَلْ تَنقِمُونَ مِنَّا إِلَّا أَنْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ (المائدة: 59). The attributes الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ provide a decisive answer to the persecutors: God is invincible and worthy of all praise. Belief in such a God is the highest virtue, not a crime. Implicitly, this is also a warning to every oppressor in history that the Almighty and Praiseworthy lies in wait. The verse then adds: الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ — God alone possesses dominion over the heavens and the earth and is witness over all things. Together, these four attributes—absolute power, perfect praiseworthiness, universal sovereignty, and all‑encompassing witness—establish the exclusive worthiness of divine worship. For believers, this is glad tidings: God observes their patience, sacrifice, and steadfastness. For the oppressors, it is a solemn warning: any respite granted is not due to divine weakness but a test, and the end will be a painful punishment that they have earned

We have explained that al‑ukhdūd means vast pits or trenches, and here it refers to large ditches filled with fire into which persecutors cast the believers in order to burn them. The question then arises as to which people this event concerned, when it occurred, and whether it was a single, specific historical incident or an allusion to multiple similar events that took place in different regions of the world. Among exegetes and historians there is disagreement regarding this matter. The most widely known view is that the event occurred in the land of Yemen during the reign of a king named Dhū Nuwās from the Ḥimyar tribe. Dhū Nuwās, who belonged to the Himyarite people, embraced Judaism, and his tribe followed him in that conversion. He changed his name to Yūsuf, and for some time matters remained thus. Eventually, he was informed that in the region of Najrān (in northern Yemen) there still remained a community that adhered to Christianity. His co‑religionists incited him to compel the people of Najrān to adopt Judaism. He set out for Najrān, gathered its inhabitants, and presented Judaism to them, urging them insistently to accept it. They refused and instead chose martyrdom, declining to abandon their faith. On the orders of Dhū Nuwās, large trenches were dug, filled with firewood, and ignited. Groups of believers were seized and burned alive in the fire, while others were put to death by the sword, until the number of those burned and killed reached twenty thousand. Some exegetes report that one of the Christians of Najrān escaped this persecution and reached the court of the Roman emperor. He complained of Dhū Nuwās and sought assistance. The emperor responded that Najrān was far from his territory but wrote instead to the king of Abyssinia, the Negus (al‑Najāshī), who was a Christian and a neighboring ruler, urging him to avenge the blood of the Christians of Najrān. The Najrān survivor then met the Negus and recounted the incident. Deeply affected, the Negus grieved over the extinguishing of the light of Christianity in Najrān and resolved to avenge the martyrs. An Abyssinian army was dispatched to Yemen, and after a fierce battle Dhū Nuwās was decisively defeated and many of his followers were killed. Najrān soon fell under the authority of the Negus and became an Abyssinian province. Some historians wrote that the trench was forty cubits long and twelve cubits wide, and others stated that there were seven trenches, each of similar dimensions. This event is recorded in numerous works of Qur’anic exegesis and history, including those of al‑Ṭabrisī in Majmaʿ al‑Bayān, Abū al‑Futūḥ al‑Rāzī, Fakhr al‑Rāzī, al‑Ālūsī in Rūḥ al‑Maʿānī, al‑Qurṭubī, and others, as well as historical works such as Ibn Hishām’s Sīrah. From these accounts it becomes clear that those ruthless persecutors ultimately fell into divine punishment, that retribution for the innocent blood was exacted from them already in this world, while the punishment of Hell still awaits them in the Hereafter. These human‑burning furnaces established by the Jews may well have constituted the first crematoria in human history; strikingly, however, the same Jews later became victims of similar cruelty, as many of them were burned in extermination furnaces by order of Hitler and thus tasted عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ in this world as well. Dhū Nuwās himself, the architect of this ominous act, did not escape the consequence of his misdeeds. What has been related here reflects the most famous historical application of the account of Aṣḥāb al‑Ukhdūd, yet other narrations indicate that these were not confined solely to Yemen in the era of Dhū Nuwās. Some exegetes have transmitted as many as ten opinions on their identity. In a narration attributed to Amīr al‑Muʾminīn ʿAlī عليه السلام, it is said that they were Zoroastrians among the People of the Book who adhered to their scripture. One of their kings committed incest with his sister and sought to legalize such marriage, but when believers opposed him, he ordered that many of them be cast into blazing trenches of fire. This refers to the Aṣḥāb al‑Ukhdūd of Persia. Scholars have also written of the Aṣḥāb al‑Ukhdūd of Syria, where believers were cast into trenches by a ruler named Antiyākhūs. Others have connected the event with the companions of the prophet Daniel, as alluded to in the Book of Daniel, a view attributed to al‑Thaʿlabī. It is not unlikely that all these incidents, and others like them, are encompassed within the Qur’anic reference to Aṣḥāb al‑Ukhdūd, even though the most prominent and well‑known manifestation remains that of Dhū Nuwās in Yemen.

There are striking examples of sacrifice for the protection of faith in both past and present history. Human history records numerous individuals who drank the cup of martyrdom along this path, embraced the gallows’ rope and the executioner’s sword, and burned like moths in the fires ignited by tyrants—though only the names of some of them have been preserved in historical records. We are familiar with the account of Āsiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, who, because of her faith in Moses son of ʿImrān, endured every form of hardship and ultimately offered her life in the presence of the Lord of creation. In a narration attributed to Imam ʿAli, peace be upon him, it is reported that God sent a prophet from among the people of Abyssinia. When his people resolved to deny him, fighting broke out between them. Eventually, a group of the prophet’s companions were killed, and another group—along with the prophet himself—were taken captive. A fire was then prepared, and the people were summoned before it. They were told: whoever follows our religion should step aside, and whoever follows the religion of this group should throw himself into the fire. The chained companions of the prophet rushed ahead of one another to leap into the flames. At that moment, a woman arrived with a one‑month‑old infant in her arms. When she hesitated to jump, overcome by maternal compassion, the infant spoke and said: “O my dear mother, do not be afraid—jump into the fire, and throw me in as well. By God, this is insignificant in the path of God (إن هذا والله في الله قليل).” That infant was among those who spoke while still in the cradle. (Reported in Tafsīr al‑ʿAyyāshī, cited by al‑Mīzān, vol. 20, p. 377, abridged.) This account indicates that a fourth group of the People of the Trench (Aṣḥāb al‑Ukhdūd) was located in Abyssinia. The story of the parents of ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir and others like them, and even more so the epic of self‑sacrifice of Imam Ḥusayn, peace be upon him, and the mutual race toward martyrdom on the plain of Karbalāʾ, are well‑known in Islamic history. In our own time as well, we continually hear with our ears and observe with our eyes countless examples of the elderly and the young who placed their lives in their hands and advanced with profound devotion toward the station of martyrdom in defense of religion and faith. It must be said that the preservation of God’s religion—both in ancient times and in the present age—has never been possible without such sacrifices.

See ayat 16 for tafseer.

See ayat 16 for tafseer.

See ayat 16 for tafseer.

See ayat 16 for tafseer.

See ayat 16 for tafseer.

See ayat 16 for tafseer.

After the mention of the extreme cruelty of the oppressors among earlier nations—those who burned the people of faith alive—these verses announce severe punishment for those persecutors and great reward for the believers. It first declares: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ. The verb فَتَنُوا derives from fitnah, whose original meaning is to place gold into fire in order to test it and distinguish the pure from the impure. Later, this root came to be used for trial, punishment, persecution, misguidance, and polytheism. In the present verse it clearly conveys the meaning of torment, abuse, and violent persecution. A similar usage appears in يَوْمَ هُمْ عَلَى النَّارِ يُفْتَنُونَ ذُوقُوا فِتْنَتَكُمْ. The phrase ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا shows that even for such brutal persecutors the door of repentance remains open, which itself demonstrates the immense mercy God wishes to bestow upon sinners. At the same time, it serves as a warning to the people of Mecca to immediately cease persecuting the believers and to turn back to God. The Qur’an, as a principle, never closes the door of return to anyone, and this demonstrates that even painful worldly punishments aim at reform and guiding people back toward the truth. It is noteworthy that two types of punishment are mentioned: عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ and عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ. This may be because Hell contains various forms of punishment, among which burning fire is a distinctive and emphasized one—particularly appropriate here because these persecutors burned believers with fire in this world. Yet what a difference there is between these two fires: one is ignited by divine wrath and is everlasting, accompanied by humiliation and disgrace, while the worldly fire is transient and kindled by weak creatures. The believers who were burned in this world stand honored and exalted, occupying the foremost ranks of the martyrs of truth. Some exegetes have said that عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ is the punishment for disbelief, while عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ is the recompense for acts of persecution. The verse then turns to the reward of the believers, stating: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ. What success could be greater than being granted residence, with honor and dignity, in the proximity of the Lord of the Worlds, amid enduring and diverse blessings? Yet it must not be forgotten that the essential key to this great success lies in faith and righteous deeds. This is the primary capital of the path; everything else branches from it. The expression عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ, using the plural, indicates that one or two righteous acts are insufficient; rather, righteous conduct must accompany a person at every step. The demonstrative ذَلِكَ, which in Arabic is used for distant reference, here conveys greatness and loftiness—meaning that the success, salvation, and honors granted to them surpass the reach of ordinary human imagination. The discourse then returns to warning the persecutors and disbelievers: إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ. Do not imagine that reckoning will never come, or that return is difficult for God; إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ. The term بَطْش denotes a grasp imbued with wrath and power, often preceding punishment. The phrase رَبِّكَ serves as reassurance to the Prophet and an affirmation of divine support. This verse contains multiple layers of emphasis: the strong connotation of بطش, the nominal sentence structure, the adjective شديد, the particle إِنَّ, and the emphatic لام—all combining to deliver an unequivocal threat. The clause إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ adds a concise yet powerful rational proof of resurrection. The verses then enumerate five divine attributes: وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ — He is the All‑Forgiving and the Most Loving; ذُو الْعَرْشِ الْمَجِيدُ — the Possessor of the Glorious Throne and absolute sovereignty; فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ — the Doer of whatever He wills. Both غفور and ودود are intensive forms, emphasizing His boundless forgiveness and deep affection: forgiving the repentant sinner and loving the righteous servants. Mention of these attributes alongside warnings clarifies that although God is severe in punishment, the path of repentance is always open. The term ودود here clearly conveys the active meaning—God loving His servants—not the passive sense of being loved, which would not harmonize with غفور preceding it. The descriptor ذُو الْعَرْشِ symbolizes supreme dominion and absolute authority, while فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ is a natural consequence of that sovereign power, including the ability to resurrect the dead and punish tyrants after death. Finally, المجيد, derived from majd, conveys expansive nobility, generosity, and majesty—a quality predominantly reserved for God. Taken together, these attributes reveal a perfectly coherent reality: forgiveness and love are meaningful only where absolute power exists; infinite generosity and effective will require supreme authority, free from weakness, hesitation, or obstruction.

See ayat 22 for tafseer.

See ayat 22 for tafseer.

See ayat 22 for tafseer.

See ayat 22 for tafseer.

See ayat 22 for tafseer.

After the preceding verses, which spoke of God’s absolute power, His decisive sovereignty, and the threat issued to the aggressive disbelievers, the verses under discussion turn directly to the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny to show that these warnings are not mere words or slogans but realities manifested in history. It states: هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ — Has there reached you the account of the armies? These were the mighty forces that mobilized against the divine prophets and stood ready for battle, imagining that they could confront divine power itself. The Qur’an then points to two particularly clear and manifest examples—one from ancient history and the other from the comparatively recent past—saying: فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ. These were the very armies of Pharaoh and Thamūd: one extended dominion over vast regions of the earth, while the other carved solid mountains, hewing massive stones to build great dwellings, palaces, and fortresses, and no one dared to challenge them. Yet God shattered the first through water and the second through wind—both among the most subtle elements of existence and ordinarily sources of life. The waves of the Nile engulfed Pharaoh and his troops, while the frigid, crushing wind lifted the people of Thamūd like chaff and flung their lifeless bodies across the land. Thus the Arab polytheists were shown that they were utterly powerless by comparison. If God dealt thus with such immense and formidable forces, what standing could those far weaker have? Before divine power, the strong and the weak are alike. The choice of Pharaoh and Thamūd as representative tyrannical nations stems from their extraordinary strength: Thamūd belonged to ancient times, while Pharaoh represented a nearer historical memory. Moreover, the Arab audience was familiar with both names and aware, at least in outline, of their histories. The following verse declares: بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ — Rather, those who disbelieve persist in denial. It is not that the signs of truth are hidden; stubborn hostility and obstinacy prevent some from opening any path toward the truth. The particle بَلْ, used for rhetorical redirection, indicates that this group is even more obstinate than the peoples of Pharaoh and Thamūd. They remain constantly engaged in denying the Qur’an and deploy every means to that end. Yet they must realize that God completely encompasses them: وَاللَّهُ مِن وَرَائِهِم مُّحِيطٌ. If God grants them respite, it is not from incapacity; if punishment is delayed, it is not because they have escaped His dominion. The expression مِن وَرَائِهِم suggests that they are surrounded on all sides by divine power, with no avenue of escape from God’s justice. It may also signify God’s comprehensive knowledge of their words, deeds, and intentions, from which nothing is concealed. The next verse further states that their insistence on denying the Qur’an and labeling it magic, poetry, or soothsaying is futile; rather, بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَّجِيدٌ — it is a glorious Qur’an, established فِي لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍ — in a preserved tablet. It is thus inaccessible to demons and soothsayers and safe from alteration, distortion, addition, or loss. Therefore, if they hurl false accusations at you—calling you poet, sorcerer, soothsayer, or mad—do not be grieved: your foundation is firm, your path is clear, and your supporter is the All‑Powerful. The term مَّجِيدٌ, derived from majd, denotes expansive nobility and exalted honor—qualities that fully apply to the Qur’an, whose themes are vast and lofty, encompassing beliefs, knowledge, ethics, admonitions, laws, and guidance. The word لَوْح here signifies a vast tablet upon which something is written—not a physical board like those known to humans, but, as reported from Ibn ʿAbbās, a reality whose length spans the distance between heaven and earth and whose width extends between east and west. In this understanding, the Preserved Tablet represents a facet of God’s encompassing knowledge, embracing all existence and immune to change or corruption. Accordingly, the ultimate source of the Qur’an is God’s infinite knowledge; it is neither a product of human thought nor the result of satanic insinuation. The depth and coherence of its contents testify decisively to this truth. This concept corresponds to what the Qur’an elsewhere calls كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ and أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ, as in يَمْحُو اللّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ and وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ. O God, grant us deeper acquaintance with the truth of this magnificent heavenly Book. Our Lord, on the Day when the righteous believers attain the greatest triumph and the guilty disbelievers are seized by the blazing punishment, place us under Your protection. O God, You are Forgiving, Loving, Compassionate, and Kind—deal with us according to the harmony of those attributes, not according to what our deeds alone would merit. Āmīn, O Lord of the worlds.