Surah An-Nazi'at 79:1-26 - Quran Translation Commentary

1. The word in the text is gharqa which implies tearing out the soul from the inmost parts of the body such as tearing it off from down under the nails, the root of every hair, and from down under the skin, etc., in a most rough and cruel manner (Zamakhshari, Qurtubi, Alusi, Shawkani). You will say naza`a fi ‘l-qaws when one pulls the arrow in the bow so hard as to touch the arrow-head to the bow (Razi).

2. The term nasht is used for untying a knot, or removing a stopper. For example, removal of the stopper from the mouth of a water-skin to allow water to escape freely is nasht (Ma`arif).

Nasht is also used for withdrawing something gracefully, such as withdrawing of water from a well with a pail (Razi).

The Withdrawal of Souls

The difference between the two terms - gharq for the unbelievers and nasht for the believers - is that, with the removal of the veil between this world and the next at the approach of the angels, (or the soul-snatchers, as the Qur’an has put it), the soul of the former sees the punishment before its eyes and tries to hide around in every nook and corner of the body, requiring the angels to pull it out forcibly. In contrast, the soul of the believers, perceiving a blissful journeying into the realm of the Hereafter, offers no resistance, rather is too eager to be transported to the next world - painful though it is for the body to part with the soul, although not as painful as to the unbeliever.

The latter three verses speak of the speed at which the angels fly through the space carrying the soul to the heavens, trying to outstrip each other in doing so, and who will, when the time comes, conduct the affairs of the Day of Judgment, as ordered by Allah, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Self-sufficient.

That it is the angels that are alluded to in verses 1-5 is the opinion of the first and second generation scholars such as Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Sa`id b. Jubayr, Abu Saleh, Abu al-Dhuhha and Suddi, as reported by Ibn Kathir, Alusi and Shawkani; although there have been other minority opinions also. Razi, for instance, quotes five other possibilities, each supported by more than one scholar (Au.).

Nafs and Ruh

Mufti Shafi` has abridged the following on nafs and ruh from “Tafsir al-Maz-hari” of Qadi Thana-’ullah Panipati.

“Humans are made up of three components: the body, nafs and the ruh (the soul). Similar to the body, the nafs is also composed of the four basic elements of nature - hence it is very much physical - but is much refined, subtle and almost ethereal in its substance. It pervades the whole of the dense physical being. The philosophers and the medical men mistakenly refer to it as the soul. It is not. It is only the nafs. Ruh (soul) is something more refined and subtle a substance which is related to nafs in a very complex manner. The existence of nafs itself depends on that of the ruh exactly as the existence of the body is dependent on that of the nafs. Ruh is directly from Allah: non-material, incorporeal. Nothing more is known about it since only Allah has the knowledge of it.

Nafs on the other hand is like a mirror which reflects light when placed before a shining body and itself begins to shine. This happens to it when a body incorporating it lives by the commandments of Allah. If it does not, then it tends to accept influences of the physical world which causes it to lose its shine and become dark. It is nafs which is taken up to the heavens and is ordered to be returned to the earth - either to be punished or receive blessings in accordance with what it made of itself during its earthly sojourn. It is this subtle but corporeal being (nafs) about which a verse of the Qur’an says that it has been made of the earth and will be returned to it. It is nafs which has to face the questioning in the grave and be punished or receive blessings. As for ruh, it is taken back to the heavens. Nonetheless, it also feels pain or pleasure at the pain and pleasure of the nafs, because of its subtle relationship with it. Hence, in one sense it is right to say that the ruh is being punished or blessed in the grave, as it is also correct to say that it is in the heavens."

The above, it might be noticed, goes some way in solving some of the riddles and apparent contradictions surrounding ruh and nafs, but is not as well substantiated as one would wish (Au.).

3. Another interpretation is that by the term al-Sabihat the allusion is to stars (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir); perhaps because they are swimming in their orbits (Au.).

4. The word amran has been used in the generic sense, hence verbally, it is in the nakirah form but can be understood in the plural sense (Razi).

5. The rattle and the blast refer to the first and second blow of the Sur. The first will destroy all life, and the second quicken the dead (Qurtubi). According to a hadith the interval between the first and the second blow will be forty (unspecified periods). See surah 78, n. 12 (Ibn Jarir, Alusi).

Razi adds that during this period it will continuously rain.

Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim have reported a hadith according to which the Prophet (saws) said:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "جاءت الراجفة، تتبعها الرادفة، جاء الموت بما فيه". فقال رجل: يا رسول الله، أرأيت إن جعلت صلاتي كلها عليك؟ قال: "إذًا يكفيك الله ما أهَمَّك من دنياك وآخرتك".

“`The rattle has come. It will be followed by the blast. Death has come, with all that it implies.’ Someone asked: 'Supposing, O Messenger of Allah, I were to gift all my Prayers to you?’ The Prophet answered: 'If you do that then Allah will suffice you against everything that is of concern to you, both in this world as well as the next’” (Ibn Kathir).

The above narrative has been evaluated as Hasan (Au.).

6. The translation of this verse is based on the explanation offered by Mujahid as stated in Ibn Kathir, Zamakhshari and Alusi.

7. Sahira of the original is for bright, white earth. But it is also applicable to an eye that has lost its sleep - in this case because of fear. However, the interpretation of Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id b. Jubayr, Qatadah, Abu Saleh, `Ikrimah, Hasan, Dahhak and Ibn Zayd is that the allusion is to the “earth.” The rendering then would be: “it will be but a blast, and, suddenly, they will be on the surface of the earth” (Ibn Kathir).

The addition of the word “surface” is from Qurtubi (Au.).

8. “Tuwa is probably the name of a valley which lies to the right of Mount Tur, as one comes up from Madyan in North Hijaz” (Sayyid Qutb).

9. Note the softness of the words, but, as Sayyid Qutb has said, “This warm, friendly attitude, however, cannot win over a heart that has been hardened by tyranny, and, ignorance of the Lord of the universe.”

10. That is, let me guide you to the ways that will lead you to the ma`rifah of Allah. It is with ma`rifah that taqwa grows in the heart, as Allah (swt) said (35: 28):

{إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ } [فاطر: 28]

“Verily. It is the knowledgeable of His slaves who fear Allah (truly),” and, as in a hadith (of Tirmidhi: Alusi),

من خاف أدلج ، ومن أدلج بلغ المنزل

“He who feared will travel the whole night; and he who traveled the whole night will reach his destination” (Zamakhshari, Razi).

11. Opinions vary between “the Rod that became snake;” “the Hand which shone brightly,” and the “whole of the nine signs given to Musa” as being alluded to by the 'Great Sign.’

12. Majid observes: “The Pharaohs believed themselves to be the visible gods, begotten by God, and themselves the Divine begetters of the sun-god, invested with the attributes of Divinity, and presumed to be of the like nature with the gods. `While it easily happened that conspicuous individuals after death came to be regarded by a later generation as effective gods, the cult of the actually living king prevailed in north Babylonia and Egypt and royal statues were objects of worship. In the Amarna Letters (about 1400 B.C.) the petty princes of Syria and Palestine address the reigning Pharaoh as ”my sun-god" or “my god”’ (EMK. II. p. 1046).

Razi has another point to make. When Fir`awn said: “I am your Supreme Lord,” he did not obviously mean that he was the Creator and Sustainer of the world. He was an atheist and was merely denying the existence of a Creator and Sustainer who would conduct the Resurrection and Reckoning. Now, since according to him there was no such Being in existence, he considered himself the Supreme Lord in the sense of being the sole law-giver in his Kingdom to whom all were required to submit ungrudgingly.

13. The word in the original for chastisement is nakal, which is used for an exemplary punishment (Ma`arif).

The present translation is in the light of one possible meaning of the original. The other is that Fir`awn had made two unforgivable statements. One (28: 38):

{مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِي} [القصص: 38]

“I do not know of a Lord for you other than I,” and the other, mentioned here: “I am your Supreme Lord.” (There was a gap of several decades between the two statements). Allah punished him for both the blasphemies, to which the present verse is alluding. This is the opinion of Mujahid, Sha`bi, Sa`id ibn Jubayr, and also of Ibn `Abbas. The translation then should be: “Then Allah seized him as punishment for both the earlier and the later (crimes)” - Zamakhshari, Razi, Qurtubi, Shawkani.