At-Tariq

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

See ayat 10 for tafseer.

Like many other sūrahs of the final section of the Qur’an, this sūrah begins with beautiful and thought‑provoking oaths—oaths that serve as a prelude to the exposition of a great and decisive truth. It states: وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ — By the heaven and the night‑visitor, وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ — and what will make you know what the night‑visitor is?, النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ — the piercing, radiant star. The word طارق derives from ṭarq (striking or knocking). A road is called ṭarīq because it is struck by the feet of travelers, and a hammer is called miṭraqah because it strikes metal. Since doors are shut at night, whoever arrives then must knock; thus, a night visitor is called ṭāriq. In Nahj al‑Balāghah, Amīr al‑Muʾminīn ʿAlī عليه السلام, referring to al‑Ashʿath ibn Qays who came to him at night carrying sweetmeats in an attempt to sway his judgment, says: (وَأَعْجَبَ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ طَارِقٌ طَرَقَنَا بِمُلْفُوفَةٍ وِعَائِهَا) — underscoring the usage of ṭāriq as one who comes by night. However, the Qur’an itself explains the meaning here: the ṭāriq is the luminous star that appears by night, so lofty and brilliant that it seems to pierce the canopy of the sky. Its dazzling light cleaves the darkness and penetrates human vision. (Note that ثاقب derives from thaqb, meaning to pierce or perforate.) Regarding whether this refers to a specific star—such as the Pleiades, Saturn, Venus, a meteor, or to all intensely luminous stars—numerous interpretations exist. Yet the description النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ suggests not all stars, but those whose light pierces the veils of darkness and penetrates sight. Some narrations interpret النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ as Saturn, among the brightest planets of the solar system. In a report, Imām Jaʿfar al‑Ṣādiq عليه السلام explained to an astronomer that Saturn rises in the seventh heaven and its light pierces through the heavens down to the lower sky—hence its description as thāqib. Saturn, also known in Persian as Kayvān, is among the most distant planets visible to the naked eye and has luminous rings and multiple moons—astronomical phenomena unknown at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation but uncovered centuries later. Even so, identifying Saturn here may be understood as mentioning a clear instance, not excluding broader application to other piercing stars, as exemplificatory interpretation is common in the narrations. Similarly, in إِلَّا مَنْ خَطِفَ الْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ (الصافات: 10), a piercing flame is described with the same adjective, indicating that a meteoric interpretation is also possible. The question then arises: why are these oaths taken? The following verse answers: إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ — There is no soul except that over it is a guardian. (Here إِن is negative and لَمَّا means except.) Every human being is thus constantly watched over by appointed guardians who record actions for reckoning and recompense, as stated in وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ * كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ * يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ. Human beings are never alone; wherever they are, they remain under divine surveillance—a concept of immense moral and educational impact. While the verse does not explicitly identify the guardians or specify what they guard, other Qur’anic verses clarify that they are angels who record human deeds, whether obedience or sin. Other interpretations—such as protection from calamities or satanic whispering—are not mutually exclusive, though the context favors the first meaning. A striking connection exists between the opening oaths and this statement: just as the orderly motion of the heavens and stars demonstrates regulation and accountability in the cosmos, so too human actions cannot be left without oversight or record. The sūrah then advances another argument for resurrection by challenging deniers: فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ — Let the human being consider from what he was created. The Qur’an draws attention back to the first creation and immediately answers: خُلِقَ مِن مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ — He was created from a gushing fluid, *يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ. صلب denotes the back, while ترائب (plural of tarībah) refers—according to linguists—to the bones of the upper chest, where a necklace rests. Numerous interpretations have been offered regarding this phrase. Among them: (1) ṣulb referring to the male and tarāʾib to the female, indicating the joint contribution of both; (2) restriction to the male body, with ṣulb as the back and tarāʾib as the front torso; (3) reference to the location of reproductive organs during embryonic development; (4) a modern embryological insight, noting that both the testes and ovaries initially develop near the spinal region before descending; (5) the view that semen derives from the vitality of the whole body; and (6) interpretations linked to spinal and organ function. Since مَاءٍ دَافِقٍ (a gushing fluid) clearly applies to male semen, and since Qur’anic discussion of human creation often references the perceptible male contribution, the most straightforward interpretation is that the verse refers to the emergence of this fluid from between the back and the front of the body—clear, linguistically sound, and free from unnecessary complexity. The verse then concludes decisively: إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ — Indeed, He is fully able to bring him back. One who fashioned the human being from dust and led him through intricate stages to full form can certainly restore him to life again. Similar reasoning appears in يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّنَ الْبَعْثِ... (الحج: 5) and أَوَلَا يَذْكُرُ الْإِنسَانُ... (مريم: 67). The scene of resurrection is then depicted: يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ — the Day when secrets will be laid bare. The term تُبْلَى implies testing that results in disclosure, while السَّرَائِرُ refers to inner intentions, hidden traits, and concealed realities. On that Day—the Day of manifestation—all inner states will be exposed: faith and hypocrisy, sincerity and ostentation, good and evil intent. For believers this will be honor and joy; for criminals, humiliation and regret—often more painful than physical torment. The Qur’an notes: يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ and describes faces on that Day as radiant or darkened. Just as the ṭāriq and the stars become visible in the night sky, so too will the guardians who recorded deeds reveal everything then. In a narration, the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny explained السَّرَائِرُ as acts such as prayer, fasting, zakāt, ablution, and ritual purity—acts hidden from people but known to God; thus يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ signifies the exposure of these realities. At that time, human beings will have no inner power and no external helper: فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ. No force can conceal wrongdoing; no supporter can repel divine justice. Numerous Qur’anic verses affirm that no ransom, intercession, escape, or return will avail—only righteous deeds will. Yes, salvation lies in righteous action alone.

See ayat 17 for tafseer.

See ayat 17 for tafseer.

See ayat 17 for tafseer.

See ayat 17 for tafseer.

See ayat 17 for tafseer.

See ayat 17 for tafseer.

After the preceding verses, which presented argumentation by drawing attention to the human sperm‑drop and the earliest stage of life, these verses once again emphasize the reality of resurrection and point to further proofs thereof. It declares: وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ — By the sky that is endowed with returning rain, and وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ — and by the earth that splits open and from which vegetation emerges, إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ — that it is indeed a decisive word, وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ — and it is not a matter of jest or play. The term الرَّجْعِ, derived from rujūʿ, means return. The Arabs refer to rain as rajʿ because water rises from the land and seas and then returns to the earth in the form of rainfall, or because rain falls repeatedly at different intervals. The depressions in which rainwater collects are also called rajʿ, either because of the gathering of water or because of the ripples produced upon their surfaces by the movement of wind. The term الصَّدْعِ refers to the splitting or cracking of hard substances; when taken together with the previous expression, it points to the earth cracking open after rainfall and producing vegetation. In reality, both oaths allude to the revival of dead land through rain, a phenomenon that the Qur’an frequently presents as evidence for resurrection. For example, وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا كَذَلِكَ الْخُرُوجُ indicates that just as dead land is revived by rain, human beings will similarly be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection. Thus, there exists a clear and harmonious correspondence between these oaths and that for which the oaths are made. One of the distinctive features of the Qur’an is precisely this meaningful correspondence between its oaths and their objectives, as can also be observed in other passages where resurrection is demonstrated by reference to both human creation from a mere drop and the reanimation of dead earth through rain. Some exegetes have offered an alternative interpretation of وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ, suggesting that it refers to the repeated cycles and returning motions of the celestial bodies: the rotation of the earth around its axis and around the sun, the movements of the planets in the solar system, and the rising and setting of the sun, moon, and stars. All of these involve constant return and repetition, which in turn serve as a sign of humanity’s eventual return to life. Nevertheless, the first interpretation better accords with the reference to the splitting of the earth and with the evidences of resurrection presented here. The expression قَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ denotes a word that decisively distinguishes truth from falsehood. In light of the preceding verses, some exegetes have interpreted it as a reference to the Resurrection itself, while others have understood it to refer to the Qur’an. Narrations from the Infallibles also allude to both meanings, and since the Qur’an frequently describes the Day of Resurrection as يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ, combining the two interpretations is entirely plausible. A tradition transmitted from the Noble Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny through Amīr al‑Muʾminīn ʿAlī عليه السلام states: (إِنَّهَا سَتَكُونُ فِتْنَةٌ… كِتَابُ اللَّهِ فِيهِ نَبَأُ مَا قَبْلَكُمْ وَخَبَرُ مَا بَعْدَكُمْ وَحُكْمُ مَا بَيْنَكُمْ هُوَ الْفَصْلُ لَيْسَ بِالْهَزْلِ), affirming that the Qur’an contains clear judgment, is decisive, and is never idle or frivolous. The discourse then turns to consolation for the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny and reassurance for the believers, while simultaneously threatening the enemies of Islam. God declares: إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا — they indeed plot and scheme, وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا — and I too devise a plan, فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا — so allow the disbelievers some respite; grant them a little reprieve. Indeed, they constantly devise malicious plans against the Messenger and the believers: at times mocking, at times declaring him mad, at times professing faith in the morning only to reject it by evening in order to mislead others, at times objecting that his followers are poor and insignificant, at times demanding compromise with their idols, and at times plotting exile or assassination — all in an effort to extinguish the light of God. Yet they must know that God has willed that this light become universal; it is the light of God, which cannot be extinguished by mere breath nor overwhelmed by the denial of those who reject it. The term كَيْد denotes calculated stratagem. While it is often employed regarding blameworthy deception, it can also refer to praiseworthy planning, as in كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ. In the present verses, the plotting of the enemies is blameworthy and clear, whereas divine kayd refers either to the granting of respite that leads to inevitable punishment or, more fittingly, to the subtle divine assistance and support granted to the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny and the believers, which repeatedly nullified the enemies’ conspiracies throughout Islamic history. God commands the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny to show patience and restraint, granting the disbelievers time so that the proof may be firmly established and so that those with even minimal readiness for guidance may yet embrace faith. Hastiness befits one who fears missed opportunities, but such concern has no place with the Almighty, whose power and decree encompass all. The repetition of فَمَهِّلِ and أَمْهِلْهُمْ serves to emphasize this command without resorting to mere verbal repetition, and رُوَيْدًا indicates a short and measured reprieve. This brief directive teaches the believers the value of patience, strategic restraint, and avoidance of rash action, particularly in confronting adversaries or conveying divine truth. History itself bore witness to the brevity of this reprieve: the downfall of the opponents of Islam soon followed, beginning with Badr and culminating in the triumphs of later campaigns, until the light of Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond within a short span. Moreover, the nearness of inevitable punishment renders any delay insignificant, for whatever is certain is, in essence, near. Thus this sūrah begins with an oath by the sky and the stars and concludes with a warning against the scheming enemies of truth. Between these two ends lie powerful arguments for resurrection, subtle reminders of divine guardianship, and words of solace for the believers. All of this is conveyed in remarkably concise, refined, and decisive language. O God, turn the schemes of our enemies back upon themselves, and render their malicious plans futile. Our Lord, on the Day when secrets are laid bare, do not disgrace us. O Lord, we have no protector, helper, or supporter besides You — do not entrust us to any other than Yourself. Āmīn, O Lord of all the worlds.