Surah 75. Al-Qiyamah

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Verses [Section]: 1-30[1], 31-40 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-3075. Al-Qiyamahبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِلَاۤNay!اُقْسِمُI swearبِیَوْمِby (the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِۙ(of) the Resurrection وَ لَاۤAnd nay!اُقْسِمُI swearبِالنَّفْسِby the soulاللَّوَّامَةِؕself-accusing اَیَحْسَبُDoes thinkالْاِنْسَانُ[the] manاَلَّنْthat notنَّجْمَعَWe will assembleعِظَامَهٗؕhis bones بَلٰىNay!قٰدِرِیْنَ[We are] ableعَلٰۤیonاَنْthatنُّسَوِّیَWe can restoreبَنَانَهٗ his fingertips بَلْNay!یُرِیْدُDesiresالْاِنْسَانُ[the] manلِیَفْجُرَto give (the) lieاَمَامَهٗۚ(to) what is before him یَسْـَٔلُHe asksاَیَّانَWhenیَوْمُ(is the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِؕ(of) the Resurrection فَاِذَاSo whenبَرِقَis dazzledالْبَصَرُۙthe vision وَ خَسَفَAnd becomes darkالْقَمَرُۙthe moon وَ جُمِعَAnd are joinedالشَّمْسُthe sunوَ الْقَمَرُۙand the moon یَقُوْلُWill sayالْاِنْسَانُ[the] manیَوْمَىِٕذٍthat DayاَیْنَWhereالْمَفَرُّۚ(is) the escape كَلَّاBy no means!لَا(There is) noوَزَرَؕrefuge اِلٰىToرَبِّكَyour Lordیَوْمَىِٕذِthat Dayلْمُسْتَقَرُّؕ(is) the place of rest یُنَبَّؤُاWill be informedالْاِنْسَانُ[the] manیَوْمَىِٕذٍۭthat Dayبِمَاof whatقَدَّمَhe sent forthوَ اَخَّرَؕand kept back بَلِNay!الْاِنْسَانُ[The] manعَلٰىagainstنَفْسِهٖhimselfبَصِیْرَةٌۙ(will be) a witness وَّ لَوْEven ifاَلْقٰىhe presentsمَعَاذِیْرَهٗؕhis excuses لَاNotتُحَرِّكْmoveبِهٖwith itلِسَانَكَyour tongueلِتَعْجَلَto hastenبِهٖؕwith it اِنَّIndeedعَلَیْنَاupon Usجَمْعَهٗ(is) its collectionوَ قُرْاٰنَهٗۚۖand its recitation فَاِذَاAnd whenقَرَاْنٰهُWe have recited itفَاتَّبِعْthen followقُرْاٰنَهٗۚits recitation ثُمَّThenاِنَّindeedعَلَیْنَاupon Usبَیَانَهٗؕ(is) its explanation 75. Al-Qiyamah Page 578كَلَّاNo!بَلْButتُحِبُّوْنَyou loveالْعَاجِلَةَۙthe immediate وَ تَذَرُوْنَAnd leaveالْاٰخِرَةَؕthe Hereafter وُجُوْهٌFacesیَّوْمَىِٕذٍthat Dayنَّاضِرَةٌۙ(will be) radiant اِلٰىTowardsرَبِّهَاtheir Lordنَاظِرَةٌۚlooking وَ وُجُوْهٌAnd facesیَّوْمَىِٕذٍۭthat Dayبَاسِرَةٌۙ(will be) distorted تَظُنُّThinkingاَنْthatیُّفْعَلَwill be doneبِهَاto themفَاقِرَةٌؕbackbreaking كَلَّاۤNo!اِذَاWhenبَلَغَتِit reachesالتَّرَاقِیَۙthe collar bones وَ قِیْلَAnd it is saidمَنْ ٚWhoرَاقٍۙ(will) cure وَّ ظَنَّAnd he is certainاَنَّهُthat itالْفِرَاقُۙ(is) the parting وَ الْتَفَّتِAnd is woundالسَّاقُthe legبِالسَّاقِۙabout the leg اِلٰىToرَبِّكَyour Lordیَوْمَىِٕذِthat Dayلْمَسَاقُؕ۠(will be) the driving

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Translation of Verse 1-30In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(75:1) Nay,¹ I swear by the Day of Resurrection;

(75:2) and nay, I swear by the self-reproaching soul!²

(75:3) Does man imagine that We will not be able to bring his bones together again?³

(75:4) Yes indeed; We have the power to remould even his finger-tips.⁴

(75:5) But man desires to persist in his evil ways.⁵

(75:6) He asks: “When will the Day of Resurrection be?”⁶

(75:7) When the sight is dazed,⁷

(75:8) and the moon is eclipsed,

(75:9) and the sun and the moon are joined together,⁸

(75:10) on that Day will man say: “Whither the refuge?”

(75:11) No, there is no refuge.

(75:12) With your Lord alone will be the retreat that Day.

(75:13) On that Day will man be apprised of his deeds, both the earlier and the later.⁹

(75:14) But lo, man is well aware of himself,

(75:15) even though he might make up excuses.¹⁰

(75:16) (O Prophet),¹¹ do not stir your tongue hastily (to commit the Revelation to memory).

(75:17) Surely it is for Us to have you commit it to memory and to recite it.

(75:18) And so when We recite it,¹² follow its recitation attentively;

(75:19) then it will be for Us to explain it.¹³

(75:20) Nay;¹⁴ the truth is that you love ardently (the good of this world) that can be obtained hastily,

(75:21) and are oblivious of the Hereafter.¹⁵

(75:22) Some faces on that Day will be fresh and resplendent,¹⁶

(75:23) and will be looking towards their Lord;¹⁷

(75:24) and some faces on that Day will be gloomy,

(75:25) believing that a crushing calamity is about to strike them.

(75:26) Nay;¹⁸ when a man's soul reaches up to the throat,

(75:27) and it is said: “Is there any enchanter who can step forward and help (by his chanting)?”¹⁹

(75:28) and he realises that the hour of parting is come,

(75:29) and calf is inter-twined with calf.²⁰

(75:30) On that Day you will be driven to your Lord.

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Commentary

1. To open a discourse with “nay” itself indicates that this Surah was revealed in order to refute something. “Nay” in the present context signifies that the disbelievers’ notions about the Resurrection and Life- After-Death are false. They not only rejected the belief of the Resurrection, but mocked it too. This is followed by a sworn statement enunciating what the truth really is. The stylistic feature is the refutation of a false view and the affirmation of the true one.

2. The Qur’an speaks of the three types of the human self: (i) His base self-prompts him to evil. Itis designated as nafs al-ammarah. (ii) The self that regrets a bad deed or a false thought and reproaches man. This is called nafs al-lawwamah, a synonym for conscience. (iii) Nafs al-mutma’innah takes delight in following the correct path and in abandoning the wrong path.

The thing for which Allah has sworn an oath by the Day of Resurrection and the self-reproaching self has not been specified because the following sentence itself points it out. The oath has been sworn to stress that God will certainly resurrect man after his death and that He is fully capable to do so. Now the question arises as on what ground the oath of the two things has been taken.

As for the Day of Resurrection, the reason for swearing by it is that it is bound to happen. The order of the universe testifies that it is not eternal. It has not been there from the beginning, nor will it last forever.

Man did not have the notion that this ever-changing world is eternal or immortal. The more knowledge man gains, the more convinced he gets that the universe came into existence at a point of time, prior to which it did not exist. Moreover, it has its end which is bound to come. For this reason, God affirms the occurrence of the Resurrection by taking recourse to swearing by the Day of Resurrection itself.

The above oath underscores that the present order will disintegrate one day. The self-reproaching soul is invoked as a second oath to assert the Resurrection, man’s accountability about his deeds, and the recompense for his good and bad activities. Every human being is gifted with conscience, with a strong sense of good and evil. Even a headstrong sinner’s conscience pricks him for his evil deeds and for his failure to do good, notwithstanding his own criteria of vice and virtue. This in itself vindicates that man is not a mere animal. Rather, he is a moral being. Instinctively he discerns good and evil. He considers himself responsible for both his good and bad deeds. Even if he silences his conscience over the wrong he inflicts upon someone else, he naturally demands punishment, if he is subjected to the same wrong which he had committed. The self-reproaching soul is an ineluctable part of human nature. Equally undeniable is the truth of the Hereafter, which is eloquently endorsed by the self-reproaching soul. The argument for Resurrection is innate in human nature. Man instinctively demands that good and bad be rewarded and punished respectively. This recompense is possible only in the Hereafter, for no sane person can deny that were man to disappear altogether after his death, he will be deprived of reward for many of his good deeds. Likewise, he will escape just and lawful punishment for his many evil deeds. Only such fools can deny the Hereafter who think that man has been placed in a haphazard universe, which has nothing to do with morality. The notion of the transmigration of souls is not natural either, for were man to be reborn regularly for facing the recompense, he would continue committing certain actions in each of his life cycles. He will have to be rewarded or punished for these. It would be an unending business, of which the account will never be settled. Nature demands that man should have only one life and be resurrected at the end of this world so that he is recompensed in full for his good and evil actions. (See also Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. II, Surah al-A‘raf 7: n. 30, pp. 23-26.)

3. The two arguments given in the form of the oaths prove two truths: (i) The Last Day (ie. the first stage of resurrection) is a certainty. (ii) Life-after-Death is essential, for this alone can meet the logical and natural dictates of man’s moral being. Man’s conscience too, bears out the same. A third argument is advanced here to ascertain that Life-after- Death is possible. The Makkan disbelievers who denied the Resurrection repeatedly said that those who had died centuries before cannot be brought back to life for their bodies have been completely disintegrated, with their bones decomposed as well. Moreover, some were burnt to ashes, some were devoured by beasts, still others were drowned or eaten away by fish. Their body parts could not be put back together. It was beyond them that someone who had been dead for thousands of years could be brought back to life. God retorts, putting before them this succinct question: “Does man imagine that We will not be able to bring his bones again together?” (verse 3) Had the Qur’an stated that your disintegrated bodies will be revived on its own and you will come back to life by yourself, then you have every reason to justify it as impossible. However, the Qur’an specifically states that it will be accomplished by God the Almighty. Can they imagine that God being the Creator (whom’ they too regarded as the Creator of the universe) is unable to do so? One who believes in God as the Creator of the universe cannot take the position that God cannot resurrect what He created in the first place. A fool who persist in this error should be asked that since God created him out of numerous elements and substances, why now can He not easily re-constitute the same once again?

4. What to say of re-constituting man’s body by bringing his big bones together, God has the power to remold the most delicate parts of his body, even his fingertips.

5. This brief sentence diagnoses the root cause of the malaise afflicting the disbelievers. They do not reject the Hereafter, deeming it as something improbable. They deny and disbelieve in it because its affirmation imposes certain moral restrictions on them. They are not ready to observe " any restriction. Rather; they want to lead an unbridled way of life, free to indulge in their sin, and wickedness, error, injustice, and cheating.

The doctrine of the Hereafter binds them to accountability. Thus their pervasive desires, rather than intellect, prevents them from believing in the Hereafter.

6. They asked this question not as a genuine query. Rather, they raised it out of denial and mockery. They derisively asked the Prophet, “Tell us when the Last Day with which you threaten us is coming?”

7. Bariqa al-basar signifies the dazzling of one’s sight. However, in Arabic usage it also connotes one’s amazement, awe, or shock over.

something bewildering or stunning. Another instance of its occurrence in the Qur’an is verse 42 of Surah Ibrahim, which reads: “He is merely granting them respite until a Day when their eyes shall continue to stare in horror”.

8. This is a brief account of the collapse of the present order as the first stage of the Last Day. Both the sun and the moon will lose their luster; they will look alike, devoid of their light. Or it might mean that the earth will abruptly rotate in the opposite direction and both the sun and the moon will rise simultaneously in the West. Or it could mean that the moon will suddenly come out from the earth’s sphere of influence and will merge with the sun on the Last Day. There could be some other meanings of this which man cannot fathom at this stage.

9. It is a comprehensive sentence, open to several meanings, all of - which may be equally valid: “That on the Last Day man will be apprised of his deeds, both earlier and the later ones”, conveys multiple meanings. On that Day, man will be informed of his record of deeds and their impact on subsequent generations. Or it might mean that he will be told about what he failed to do and what he did which he should not have done. Or a chronological record of his deeds will be presented before him. He will be told about both his good and bad deeds in the sense of his acts of commission and omission.

10. Man’s record will be placed before him on the Day of Judgement. This will be done not to acquaint the evil-doers with their evil deeds, for each person is already aware of the evil deeds he has committed. The record will nevertheless be brought forward so as to fulfil the requirements of justice, which demand that proof of a culprit’s offence be placed before the court. Otherwise, everyone knows well what type of a person he is. He does not need someone to apprise him of his misconduct. A liar may deceive the whole world, yet in his heart of hearts he knows he is lying. The same holds true for a thief he may use hundreds of tricks to conceal his theft, but in his own heart he knows he is stealing. By the same token, an atheist or a disbeliever may advance an array of arguments, but his conscience tells him the real reason of his clinging to falsehood. He himself recognizes what prevents him from acknowledging the truth. A wrongdoer, a cheat, a wicked person, or a sinner may try his best to silence his conscience in order to overcome his self-reproach. He may invent numerous pretexts for justifying his misconduct. Still, he is fully aware of each of his wrong doing, his usurping someone’s due, his attack on another’s honor, his cheating, and his unlawful earnings. So, in the court of the Hereafter every culprit, every sinner, every disbeliever, every hypocrite, and every wicked person will already be aware of the evil deeds he has committed in the world and in what _ capacity he stands before God.

11. The whole passage from here to “then it will be for Us to explain it” (Verses 16-19) is a parenthetical statement which interrupts the discourse to bring an important matter to the Prophet's attention as already explained in the introduction to this Surah. The need to do so arose because, when Gabriel was communicating this Surah to the Prophet (peace be upon him), the latter kept repeating it so that he could firmly commit it to his memory. Accordingly, he was instructed that he should not try to memorize while the revelation is being received by him. Rather, he should listen to it attentively. God will ensure that he fully commits it to his memory and can recite it accurately. He is also assured that he will neither forget a word of it, nor will he make any mistake in reciting it. This directive is followed by “nay” in verse 2, which those not familiar with the background take as something incoherent. However, the above account of the background explains why these directives were needed. It is akin to a note of warning by a teacher during his lecture on noting an inattentive student, which is followed by the resumption of his lecture. One not aware of this interruption might find the note of warning as incoherent. However, its circumstantial setting will set his mind at rest.

Our above explanation of the parenthetical statement is not based on any speculation. Authentic reports endorse the same. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas’s following report is cited by Ahmad (Musnad, 1, 220 and 343), Bukhari (K. Tafsir Surah al-Qiyamah), Muslim (K. al Salat, Bab Istima’ lil Qira’ah), Tirmidhi (K. Tafsir Surah al-Qiyamah), Nasa’i (K. al-Iftitah, Bab Jami’ ma ja’a fi al-Qur’an), Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (23, 496-500), Al-Tabarani, Bayhaqi and other Hadith scholars: “When the Prophet (peace be upon him) received the revelation from Gabriel, he repeated the words with his tongue lest he forget any of it later. It was against this backdrop that he was advised: ‘Do not move your tongue hastily.’” The above stance is supported also by Sha’bi, Ibn Zayd, Dahhak, Hasan al-Basri, Qatadah, Mujahid and other leading scholars of the Qur’an (Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tafsir, 23, 496-500).

12. Although Gabriel recited the revelation to the Prophet (peace be upon him), since he did so on God’s behalf, the Qur’an attributes this act to God Himself: “So when We recite it” (Verse 18).

13. It emerges from the above, and the same is expressed by some of the leading scholars of the Qur’an, that in the early days, during receiving revelation, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sought clarification from Gabriel about a Qur’anic verse or the meaning of its words or the thrust of its commands. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is therefore instructed to follow the recitation attentively. He is not only assured that its each and every word will be preserved in his memory and he will be enabled to recite the Qur’an exactly as it was revealed originally, but at the same time he is also promised by God that the meaning and intent of each command and instruction will be explained to him fully.

It is indeed a very significant verse for it spells out certain principles and norms, which if properly understood, may help one to protect himself from the misconceptions spread by some people in the past and which are spread by some even today.

First, it clearly establishes that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to receive not only that revelation which is recorded in the Qur’an, but he was also given specific knowledge through means of revelation which does not feature in the Qur’an. Had the Qur’an itself contained the explanation of the Qur’anic ‘concepts, terms and commands, there was no need for this divine statement: “It is for Us to explain it” (verse 19). God explained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) the meaning and message of the Qur’an by some other means as well. This constitutes the _ evidence for the existence of some implicit revelation (Wahi Khafi), which is borne out by the Qur’an itself. (This point is discussed at length in our Urdu book, Sunnat ki A’ini Haythiyat, pp. 94-95 and 118-125.)

Secondly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was given the explanation of the meaning, message, and commands of the Qur’an for the purpose of communicating it to the people through his words and actions, and also to teach them how to act upon the message it entails. Had it not been so, and the explanation was given to him only for his personal understanding, it would then appear a futile exercise as it would not have helped him in any way to discharge his duty as God’s Messenger. Therefore, only a fool can take the position that the explanatory knowledge which the Prophet (peace be upon him) acquired from God is not legal and is not something sanctioned by Shari’ah. God Himself declares elsewhere in the Qur’an “We have now sent down this Reminder upon you [O Prophet] that you may elucidate to people the teaching that has been sent down for them.” (For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, Surah al-Nahl 16: n. 40, pp. 332-334.) At four places in the Qur’an, God has specified that the Prophet’s responsibility was not only to recite the Qur’anic verses but teaching the Book was also a part of the Prophet’s assignment. (See verses 129 and 151 of Surah al-Baqarah, 164 of Surah Al ‘Imran and 2 of Surah al-Jumu’‘ah and their elucidation in our Urdu book Sunnat ki A’ini Haythiyat, pp. 74-77.) Given this, how can a believer in the Qur’an dare deny that the Qur’an’s explanation, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) has conveyed through his words and actions, is not his personal explanation, but is based on the authentic and authoritative version taught by God. Therefore, one who disregards the Prophet's elucidation ° of the Qur’an and offers his own whimsical interpretation commits an outrageous act which no believer. can ever contemplate.

Thirdly, even a cursory study of the Qur’an convinces that even a person well-versed in the Arabic language cannot really grasp the true meaning and intent of a number of verses simply through reading the Qur’an. Nor can he ascertain how to act on a command prescribed by it. Take the Qur’anic term Salat as illustrative. Salat is frequently emphasized in the Qur’an, next only to belief. However, Arabic lexicon cannot guide us to its true meaning and form. From the frequent use of this word in the Qur’an, one can at best assume that it relates to some special term and probably implies a particular act required to be performed by the believers. Yet even one having mastery over the Arabic language cannot ascertain what sort of act it is and how it is to be performed. If God had not appointed a teacher of His choice and explained to him its precise meaning and taught him the full detail of how to perform salt, there could never be any agreement even between two Muslims about its exact meaning and form. However, it is common knowledge that for the last almost 1,500 years, millions of Muslims, generations upon generations, have been performing salat in an identical manner: This is mainly because God has not only revealed the wording of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but explained to him fully the meaning and intent of the words which he then transmitted to all those who accepted the Qur’an as the Word of God and him as the Messenger.

Fourthly, the only source for us to ascertain that the explanation of _ the Qur’an was given by God to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and in tum he taught it to his Ummah through his own words and example of his actions, is nothing but the hadith and the sunnah. Hadith refers to all the reports about the Prophet’s sayings and actions which reached from one generation to another through narrations with authentic chains. As to the sunnah, it represents the Prophet's teachings through his words and deeds, which were introduced in the individual and collective lives of Muslims. Their authentic details were transmitted from one generation to another and they witnessed these in practice in the former generation as well. Given this, one who refuses to accept the hadith and the sunnah as sources of knowledge in fact asserts that God, who took the responsibility of explaining the meaning and message of the Qur’an to the Prophet, somehow failed to fulfil His promise that “it is for Us to explain it”. This responsibility was not undertaken to teach the Prophet in his personal capacity only, but the purpose was that through the medium of the Prophet it will be communicated to the entire ummah. The moment the hadith and the sunnah are rejected as its sources of law, it is tantamount to indicating that God did not fulfil this responsibility. May God protect us against such outrageous notions. If somebody argues “then what about so many ahadith that have been fabricated by people?”, we would say in response that the fabrication of ahadith in itself is strong proof that from the beginning of Islam, the sayings and actions of the Prophet were acclaimed as Islamic Jaw by the entire Muslim community. Otherwise, why should the people who engage in spreading falsehood take the trouble of fabricating these? Only a valid currency is subject to counterfeiting. Which fool will venture to counterfeit currency which has no value in-the market at all? Then those who raise the bogey of fabricated ahadith conveniently forget that Muslims have taken special effort from the very beginning to preserve the record of the Prophet's sayings and deeds and repel any attempt of ascribing any falsehood to him, as these constitute an integral part of Islamic law. As the danger of foisting false things on him started to increase, the well-wishers and the ummah took more and more stringent measures to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of hadith and the sunnah, and prominently distinguished the genuine from falsehood. The science of distinguishing ° between genuine and falsehood is a major and elaborate branch of knowledge which until recently, none other than Muslims have been able to invent and develop. Unfortunate are those who, instead of acquiring the knowledge, fall victim to Western Orientalists and tend to discredit the authenticity of hadith and the sunnah. In doing so, they fail to realize the immense damage they cause to Islam through their reckless ignorance.

14. It resumes the earlier discourse, interrupted by the parenthetical statement. The word “nay” here emphasizes that the true reason for denying the Hereafter was not that they were truly convinced that it was beyond God's power to raise the dead to life. The true reason, instead, was that they ardently loved this world and wanted to pursue their worldly interests with full impunity.

15. This is another reason for the disbelievers’ dismissal of the reality of the Hereafter. Verse 5 of this Surah spells out one of the first reasons for their denial: “Man desires to persist in his evil ways.” Their base self prevents them from believing in the Hereafter, then they resort to some quasi-logical points to defend their rejection. In the verse under discussion, the Qur’an states that since the disbelievers are myopic, their eyes are set only on worldly gains, and they disregard the long-term gains which could accrue in the Hereafter. They think they should exert their fullest efforts and energy only in seeking the pleasures and benefits of this world which is the be-all and end-all for them, no matter whether severe loss is waiting for them in the Hereafter. This accounts for their striving only for worldly concerns. They are not ready to forego their immediate gains, so their arguments do not have any real substance or logic. They are stubbornly bent upon denying the Hereafter. In doing so, they suppress the voice of their conscience and ignore altogether the weighty arguments of the Qur’an, which vindicate the existence and necessity of the Hereafter. It does not occur to them that their counterarguments are superfluous and baseless.

16. The faces of the believers will be resplendent with joy, for the Hereafter in which they had believed will be in front of their eyes, perfectly in accordance with their definite belief. They had kept themselves away from unlawful gains in the world for the sake of the Hereafter and had suffered some genuine losses. After the Day of Judgment, it will be so gratifying for them that they had taken absolutely the right decision about their way of life. The time has come when they will enjoy the best of the rewards in the Hereafter.

17. “That they will be looking towards their Lord” is interpreted metaphorically by some commentators of the Qur’an. For them, it refers to their expectation of God’s merciful and favourable decisions. However, many ahadith related to the commentary given by the Prophet on this subject confirms that they will have the ultimate privilege of seeing God in the Hereafter. Bukhari (K. al-Tawhid), cites this hadith: “You will publicly see your Lord.” Muslim (K. al-Iman, Bab Ithbat Ru’yah al-Mu’minin) and Tirmidhi (K. Tafsir al-Qur’an, Surah Yunus) quote Suhaib to the effect: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that after the believers’ admission to Paradise, God will ask them whether they want Him to give them something more. They will submit: ‘Have You not already made our faces resplendent? Have You not already admitted us to Paradise and saved us from Hell?’ At that point, God will remove the barrier and for ~ them it will be the highest reward imaginable in that they will physically see God”, The Qur’an alludes to the same reward thus: “For those who do good there is good reward and more besides.” (Verse 26 of Surah - Yunus) Bukhari (K. al-Tawhid) and Muslim (K. al-Iman, Bab Ma‘rifah Tarig — al-Ru’yah) relate the following hadith on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al- Khudri and Abu Hurayrah: “People asked: ‘O Messenger of God! Will we be able to see our Lord on the Day of Judgement?’ He replied: ‘Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon when there is no cloud?’ When they replied in the negative, he remarked: “You will see your Lord in the same way.” An identical hadith narrated by Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah is cited by Bukhari (K. al-Tawhid) and Muslim (K. al-Masajid, Bab Fadl Salat al-Subh). Ahmad (Musnad of Imam Ahmad, 2, 64), Tirmidhi (K. al-Tafsir, Surah al- Qiyamah), Daraqutni, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (Tafsir, 23, 509), Ibn al-Mundhir, Al-Tabarani, Bayhaqi, Ibn Abi Shaybah and some other scholars of hadith have cited ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar’s report, with slight variations, which recounts that even dwellers of Paradise of the lowest rank will see the vastness of the Kingdom extending over two thousand years of journey space, whereas the most exalted ones will see their Lord at least twice a day.

At that point, the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited this verse: “Some faces on that Day will be fresh and resplendent and will be looking towards their Lord.” (Verses 22-23 of Surah al-Qiyamah) Ibn Majah quotes Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah’s report: “God will look towards them and they towards Him. Until He places a barrier, they will not look at any other bounty of Paradise and will keep looking towards Him.” In light of several other such reports, the consensus view is that the dwellers of Paradise will be blessed with the sight of God in the Hereafter. This is borne out by the Qur’an thus: “No indeed! On that Day, they (the wicked) will be screened off from seeing their Lord.” (Verse 15 of Surah al-Mutaffifin) One’ may easily infer from the above that only the sinners, not the pious, will be screened off from seeing their Lord.

It raises. the question as to how man will be able to see God, for something must be at a particular place or direction and have a definite form and color so that it could be seen. Its reflection should reach the human eye through the rays of light and its image should be conveyed to the human brain. Will God be seen in the above manner by man? However, this question is marred by a big fallacy. It fails to take into account the distinction between the essence of seeing and the particular act of seeing with which we are familiar in this world. As to the former, it calls for the following - the faculty of vision, and exposure to what is to be seen. However, in this world we see things in a particular manner and * this act of seeing is routinely performed by human beings and animals, for this the eye is essential, together with its faculty of vision. Moreover, the eye should come into contact with something tangible, having a form and color and its image should be conveyed to the eye through the rays of light. It is only then that the eye sees it. One’s insistence on only this _ particular act of seeing betrays his own narrow outlook, for there could be numerous other ways of seeing according to divine dispensation, which we cannot even imagine. Those perturbed by this question should first answer this question — whether God has the faculty of sight or not. If He _ has and watches all that is in the universe, whether He sees all this with the body part known as the eye, in the same manner as human beings and animals do. Does He see in the same way as we do? Obviously, the answer to these questions is simply “no”. Since this is so, there should not be any confusion or difficulty about appreciating that in the Hereafter the dwellers of Paradise will not see God in the way which we are accustomed to seeing here. The nature of seeing there will be completely different, which we cannot comprehend here. It is even more difficult for us to perceive how this act will be performed than it is for a two-year-old child to understand the intricacies of matrimonial affairs, though at a later stage, when he grows up he will experience these in full.

18. This “nay” relates to the main subject under discussion. It underlines that they were mistaken in fancying that death would bring about their final extinction and that they would not return to their Lord for His reckoning”.

19. Raq may refer to amulets or may mean ascent. Taken in the former sense, it would mean that as carers despair of a patient’s chance of recovery, they resort to sorcerers who may be able to cure him. According "to its latter sense, the reference is to the taking possession of his soul by the angels, whether it is to be transported by the angels of punishment or mercy. At the time of his death it will be decided. If he is pious, angels of mercy will carry his soul. In the opposite case, they will not approach him at all. Rather, he will be seized by the angels of punishment.

20. Saq is construed literally as a body part known as the calf by some commentators of the Qur’an. They consider it as a reference to the time of his death when one calf will be intertwined with another. Some interpret it figuratively in accordance with the Arabic idiom, signifying hardship and crisis. At his death, a sinner will be gripped with these two problems: agony over leaving this world and all that is in it, and the torment of being seized as a culprit. Every disbeliever, hypocrite, and wicked person will have this agonizing experience at the time of his death.