Surah An-Naba 78:1-30 - Quran Translation Commentary

1. What is it about, that these unbelievers are disputing with the believers as well as among themselves? Is it concerning the Great News that they have been given - that of the Day of Judgment?! Well, it is not a matter of dispute. It shall happen. That’s Allah’s promise.

The opinion expressed by Ibn `Abbas, however, is that by the term “Awesome Tiding” the allusion is to the Qur’an, as Allah (swt) said in another place (38: 67, 68):

{قُلْ هُوَ نَبَأٌ عَظِيمٌ (67) أَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضُونَ} [ص: 67، 68]

“Tell (them, O Muhammad) this is a great News, from which you are turning away” (Qurtubi). This is also the opinion of Mujahid (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

Nonetheless, the prevalent opinion among the commentators is that the allusion is to the Day of Reckoning (Qurtubi). Qatadah is of this view (Ibn Jarir).

Yusuf Ali writes: “There is practically nothing about the Resurrection in the Old Testament, and the Jewish sect of Sadducees even in the time of Christ denied the Resurrection altogether. The Pagan ideas of a future life - if any - varied from place to place and from time to time. Even in the early Christian Church, as we learn from Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, there were contentions in that little community (I Corinthians, i, 11), and some definitely denied the resurrection of the dead (ib., xv, 12).”

Asad comments: “The question which preoccupies man above all others - the question as to whether there is life after death - has been variously answered throughout the ages. It is, of course, impossible to describe the innumerable variations of those answers; nevertheless, a few main lines of thought are clearly discernible, and their mention may be useful for a better understanding of the Qur’an in treatment of this problem. Some people - probably a minority - seem to be convinced that bodily death amounts to total and irreversible extinction, and that, therefore, all talk about a hereafter is but an outcome of wishful thinking. Others are of the opinion that after individual death the human 'life-essence' returns to the supposed sources of its origin - conceived as the 'universal soul' - and merges with it entirely. Some believe in a successive transmigration of the individual soul, at the moment of death, into another body, human or animal, but without a continuation of individual consciousness.

"Others, again, think that only the soul, and not the entire human 'personality', continues to live after death - that is, in a purely spiritual, disembodied form. And, lastly, some believe in an undiminished survival of the individual personality and consciousness, and regard death and resurrection as the twin stages of a positive act of re-creation of the entire human personality, in whatever form this may necessarily involve: and this is the Qur’anic view of the life to come."

2. That is, the Muslims and the non-Muslims: one believing in the Resurrection, and the other denying it. Alternatively, the allusion could be to the differences among the unbelievers themselves over the issue of Resurrection. Some do not believe in it at all. Others believe in the spiritual resurrection but not in the physical and bodily resurrection, as, for instance the main body of the Christians (Qurtubi, Ruh).

3. Those who refuse to believe in the day of Reckoning shall soon know the consequences of their disbelief (Qurtubi).

(Although emphasis seems to be a reason for repetition), Dahhak has said that the first verse: “No indeed, they shall soon know,” addresses the unbelievers, while the following: “Once again, no indeed, they shall soon know,” addresses the believers (Ibn Jarir).

4. That is, He placed the mountains in the earth and anchored them in it for its stabilization (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). A hadith says that when Allah (swt) created the earth it began to shake, so He placed the mountains and stabilized it (Ruh).

Mountains as Pegs

What the Qur’an has stated here is confirmed by modern research. Details are as follows:

Traditionally the geologists divided the earth’s solid body (approx. diameter 12,800 km) into three main regions: The core, which is probably fluid, (of dia. approx. 7,000 km), mantle (of dia. about 12,650 km) and the crust (which varies in thickness from 50-70 km below the continents and about 8 km below the oceans).

But according to the “Plate Tectonic Theory,” developed in the 1960’s, the earth has more layers. Its upper layer is now known as the lithosphere (of thickness 100 km under the continents and 70 km under the oceans). This lithosphere is said to consist of the upper crust and part of the upper layer of the central mantle. The lithosphere floats on another and more easily deformed, plastic layer called asthenosphere (about 200 km thick). The lithosphere is again broken up into about 12, large, rigid plates. Each of these plates is said to be in motion independently, slipping past one another in different directions, carrying the continents with them which are now drifting at the approximate rate of 3-6 cm per year. Lithospheric plates move about in response to the way in which heat arrives (from the core) at the base of the lithosphere, and perhaps also as an effect of the motion of the Earth about its own axis. Both processes are believed to have been more active in the geological past, and hence it has been predicted that plate movements operated more rapidly before and has been slowing down due to the steady building up of mountainous chains and accretion of continents. These movements, and the collision of plates, more vigorous in the past, are said to be responsible for the formation of the mountains, as well as for determining their heights. Thus, over centuries, these mountains grow from below the surface, where they have their root, exactly similar to the roots of plants, but much deeper than what is above the surface of the earth. They help stabilize the surface movements as well as act as balancing pegs (like lead pieces in a car wheel) to remove the vibrations due to the earth’s rotation around its axis (Au.).

Dr. Zeghlul El-Naggar writes: “Mountains have always been looked upon as conspicuous land forms ... Nevertheless the Qur’an consistently describes them (no less than 22 times) as stabilizers for the Earth that hold its outer surface firmly, lest it should shake with us, and as pickets (or pegs) which hold that surface downwardly as a means of fixation. So, simply stated, the Qur’an describes the outward protrusions of mountains from the Earth’s surface and emphasizes their downward extensions within the Earth’s lithosphere, as well as their exact role as stabilizers and as a means of fixation for such a lithosphere.

“These facts started to come to light only in the middle of the nineteenth century ... when it was realized through experiments that the excess mass of the mountain above sea level is compensated by a deficiency of mass in the form of underlying roots ... the ratio of which to its elevation can go up to 15:1...

“Facts and theories started appearing more rapidly in the early 1960’s when the theory of Plate Tectonic was developed...

“The role of the mountains as stabilizers for the Earth’s crust can be clearly seen in their very deep roots, and can be justified by the fact that the motions of the lithospheric plates only come to a halt when a continent collides with another, producing a collisional type mountain, which is believed to be the last phase in mountain-building. Without mountains, the movement of lithospheric plates would have been much faster and their collision more drastic... hence the hadith which says that `When Allah created the Earth, it started to shake and jerk, then Allah stabilized it by the mountains’” (The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, The International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1993).

5. According to Ibn al-Anbari, the word in the original (subata) is primarily used for stretching a thing. That is, 'made the night a time in order that you could stretch yourself' (Qurtubi). Another linguistic possibility is: “(a time for) cessation (of activities).” And a third meaning is “death,” since sleep is symbolically death (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Razi and others).

Muhammad Shafi` remarks: “Not only humans, but even the animal world, by and large, comes to rest at night. Obviously, if that did not to happen, even humans could not have found rest.”

6. The word in the original is “libasa” which has been interpreted by Ibn `Abbas as “(a means of) repose and relaxation” (Qurtubi). This is also the opinion of Qatadah (Ibn Kathir). Another possible meaning is ”He made it a mantle," i.e., a means of covering, by giving the night its darkness (Ibn Jarir - quoting Qatadah, Qurtubi).

7. That is, by providing light to the day, He made it a time when you can go about in search of your livelihood (Ibn Jarir from Mujahid, Ibn Kathir).

Night, a Global Phenomenon

Majid writes: “This gives expression, incidentally though, to a very profound scientific fact. `The food of all living things comes ultimately from plants which, in the presence of sunlight, and only in their presence ... manufacture starch and sugar from the carbonic acid ... whilst they are also thus enabled to take up nitrogen, and so to form their living substance or protoplasm. At night these particle or cells of the living protoplasm of plants ... cease this work. They necessarily repose from their labor because the light has gone. This is the simplest example of the sleep of living things ... This alternation of activities in day and night occurs even in the invisible microscopic vegetation of pools and streams. Animals, even the most minute, only visible with a strong microscope - move about in search of 'bits' of food - in fact, bits of other animals or plants - and they, too, are, with special exceptions, checked in their search for food by the darkness, for even extremely minute and simple animals are guided in their search by the light, that is to say, by a more or less efficient sense of light (Lankester, Science from an Easy Chair, pp. 157-159)."

8. The opinions held by the earliest Muslims about the nature of heavens were, of course, following the astronomical knowledge then in current, which, as presented by Alusi, seem to have been based in conjectures (Au.).

Ancient Muslim scholars were of the opinion that the space beyond the visible world is neither filled nor void (la khala’ wa la mala’) - Syed Hussein Nasr (Sufi Essays, p. 31, New York Press).

It may be added that Muslim scholars are generally of the opinion that all that is in vision, or that can be observed at any time in the future, either with the naked eye or with the help of scientific instruments, falls within the first firmament: and that there are six more to it. With regard to modern science, although the proofs of the so-called Big Bang model are so far inconclusive, it might yet be briefly stated that for the past 20 years or so, astrophysicists and cosmologists have begun to admit the possibility of the existence of multiple universes, though they caution that contacts with other universes might not be possible because they are likely to be composed of ten or more dimensions as against our own which is merely four-dimensional. One such theory that is being proposed is termed as the “Inflationary Theory.” It postulates, in the words of Andrei Linde: “Instead of being an expanding ball of fire (of the Big Bang model: Au.) the universe is a huge, growing fractal. It consists of many inflatory balls that produce new balls, which in turn produce more balls (our universe being one of them: Au.)... Cosmologists did not arbitrarily invent this rather peculiar vision of the universe. Several workers, first in Russia and later in the U.S., proposed the inflationary hypothesis that is the basis of its foundation. We did so to resolve some of the complications left by the big bang idea” (Andrei Linde, The Self-Reproducing Inflationary Universe, The Scientific American, November 1994).

The above was written way back in 1994. Since then the scientists have not been able to make any progress on how the universe came into being. The Big-bang theory, with the questions it raises but stubbornly refuses to answer, is still the best bet. The Max Planck limits do not allow for any further progress. String Theory is also stuck in Quantum quagmire. All that the scientists agree over is that the Big-bang took place some 14 billion years ago, that the universe is expanding (almost at the speed of light), that the expansion is accelerating, that there seems to be a new force referred to as Dark Force (so christened because the nature of this immensely powerful immeasurable force is in dark) and that the universe is 93 trillion light years wide, end to end, but we humans will never know what is beyond 14 billion light years, because the equation E=mc2 does not allow anything to travel at speeds greater than that of light, and any information originating beyond 14 billion light years can never reach the earth, because of the expansion of the universe (Au.).

9. “Clouds” is the preferred meaning of the original “mu`sirat” as stated by `Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Abu al-`Aliyyah, Dahhak, Hasan, Rabi` b. Anas and Thawri. However, Ibn `Abbas and `Ikrimah, backed by Mujahid, Qatadah, Muqatil, Kalbi, Zayd b. Aslam, Aslam and his son Abdul Rahman (and others: Au.), have said that by “mu`sirat” the allusion is to “winds.” This is because mu`sir is used for something that squeezes, and the winds squeeze out rains from the clouds. But “clouds” remain the preferred meaning (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). This meaning comes from the root `asira which is to hold back, or retain. A woman for instance whose periods are at hand, but who has not yet begun to bleed is referred to as mu`sirah since she is holding back the discharge. Hence, the clouds which retain or hold back rain water (Qurtubi, Shawkani and others).

10. “Note how the evidences of God and His beneficence are set out in four groups. (1) Look to external nature on the earth, around you (verses 6-7); (2) your own nature, physical, mental and spiritual (verses 8-11); (3) the starry heavens, and the glory of the sun (verses 12-13); and (4) the interdependence of earth, air and sky in the cycle of water, clouds, rain, corn and gardens, all serving in their several ways to further the whole plan of the World as it affects us. Can you not then believe that a Creator who does this will sort out the Good and Evil on an appointed Day with real justice and power?” (Yusuf Ali)

Asad adds: “(The above implies that) the overwhelming evidence of purpose and plan in all observable nature points to the existence of a conscious Creator who has ”not created [anything of] this without meaning and purpose" (3: 191), and who - as is stressed in the sequence - will one day pronounce His judgment on every human being’s willingness or unwillingness to live up to the standards of morality made clear to him through inborn instinct as well as through divine revelation."

11. It is called “the day of Sorting Out” because that day the unbelievers will be sorted out and separated from the believers.

12. There will be two mighty blows of the Sur (the Trumpet). The first will destroy all life and the present world order, and the second will herald a new phase, when everyone will come to life again. Mankind will be assembled on this earth which will be rendered flat, in the shape of a disk. It is on this earth that the Reckoning will be conducted and Judgment pronounced (Au.).

The reference here is to the second blow (Razi).

The Prophet (saws) has given us some details. In a hadith (preserved by Bukhari) he said:

مَا بَيْنَ النَّفْخَتَيْنِ أَرْبَعُونَ قَالَ أَرْبَعُونَ يَوْمًا قَالَ أَبَيْتُ قَالَ أَرْبَعُونَ شَهْرًا قَالَ أَبَيْتُ قَالَ أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً قَالَ أَبَيْتُ قَالَ ثُمَّ يُنْزِلُ اللَّهُ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَيَنْبُتُونَ كَمَا يَنْبُتُ الْبَقْلُ لَيْسَ مِنْ الْإِنْسَانِ شَيْءٌ إِلَّا يَبْلَى إِلَّا عَظْمًا وَاحِدًا وَهُوَ عَجْبُ الذَّنَبِ وَمِنْهُ يُرَكَّبُ الْخَلْقُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

“Between the two blows (of the Sur) there will be a gap of forty.” They enquired, “Will it be forty days?” He replied, “I do not say that.” They asked, “Forty months?” He said, “I do not say that.” They asked, “Forty years?” He said, “I do not say that either.” Then he said, “Allah will then send down water from the heavens and they will start growing out like plants. There is nothing from the body of a man that remains (uneaten by the earth) but a single bone. It is the tail-bone. It is from this that mankind will be resurrected” (Ibn Kathir).

According to another version mankind will be recreated from an atom surviving from the tail-bone (see surah 80, note 10). It might also be of interest to note that medical science tells us that in the order of creation, the tail-bone happens to be the first bone to be formed in the embryo (Au.).

13. That is, so many doors will be opened that it will appear as if the heaven is nothing but countless doors. Obviously, a beautiful description. The sight of millions of doors in the vault opening, and angels - of all kinds and shapes - pouring out in millions would be entirely awe-inspiring (Au.).

14. That is, one would think there was something like a mountain, but there would be nothing. It would prove to be a mirage. Allah (swt) said in another place (27: 88):

{وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ} [النمل: 88]

“You will see the mountains and imagine that they are fixed but they would be moving - like the clouds.”

And, in another place (101: 5):

{وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنْفُوشِ} [القارعة: 5]

"And when the mountains will be like plucked wool-tufts” (Ibn Kathir).

The mountains have been differently described in other parts of the Qur’an, implying that the references are to various stages or phases of the Day of Judgment (Au.).

15. Hasan and Qatadah have said in explanation of the word mirsad (ambush) that no one will enter Paradise without first crossing the Fire. Only those who arrive with a pass would be allowed to go through; those not carrying it would be refused entry (Qurtubi).

And Sufyan Thawri has said that there would be three bridges spanning the Fire (Ibn Kathir).

16. The word in the original (ahqab, sing. huqb) is for an unknown but a very lengthy period of time. It is reported of `Ali (ra) that he said: “It is 80 years. Each year of twelve months. Each month of thirty days. And each day a thousand years.” This is also the opinion of Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id b. Jubayr, `Amr b. Maymun, Hasan, Qatadah, Rabi` b. Anas, and Dahhak. There are other opinions too. However, there would be no end to the punishment as one huqb would be followed by another because the unbelievers will abide in Hell for ever (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Razi, Alusi, Shawkani and others).

Nevertheless, since the unbelievers will remain in the Fire for ever, if huqb, as it occurs here, is taken to mean a limited period - however long - then it will be applicable to the “ahl `l-tawhid,” i.e., those who did not ascribe partners unto Allah (Shawkani and others). Bazzar has reported that the Prophet (saws) said: “By Allah. No one who entered the Fire will come out before remaining there a few ahqab” (Ibn Kathir). Therefore, anyone who believes that those who commit shirk will also be let out of the Fire - even if after a long spell - are wrong in their opinion. Several verses of the Qur’an speak clearly of their eternal stay in the Fire. To quote one, (5: 37):

{يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ} [المائدة: 37]

“They would want to come out of the Fire, but they shall not come out of it. They shall face an eternal chastisement there" (Razi, Alusi).

A second opinion of some of the Salaf was that the “abad” itself of the above is quantified.

17. Linguistically, it is possible to render the bard of the original as “sleep,” as is the opinion of Mujahid, Suddi, Kisa’i, and Abu Mu`adh. Nonetheless, from Ibn `Abbas we have both the opinions: sleep as well as coolness (Qurtubi).

18. The word in the original is “hamim” which is for water that has been heated to its boiling point (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Qurtubi, Kathir). When drunk, it will tear the intestine to pieces (Ma`arif).

19. The translation of the word ghassaq as pus is perhaps not very accurate. For the word ghassaq is used for pus, sweat, tears and blood, put together (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). The intensity of thirst will be so great that the inhabitants of the Fire will drink any liquid offered to them.

20. So they denied both the messages: the one ingrained in the human soul, as well as that which came to them from the external sources, such as that brought by the Prophets (Au.).

21. According to a report of Abu Barzah, the Prophet (saws) said that this is the harshest verse in the Qur’an (Qurtubi). Ibn Kathir however thinks this is a weak report. And Shawkani has declared it a statement of Abdullah b. `Amr.