Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 14 Ibrahim, Ayat 42-52
وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ اللّٰهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ ؕ اِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡ لِيَوۡمٍ تَشۡخَصُ فِيۡهِ الۡاَبۡصَارُ ۙ
﴿14:42﴾
مُهۡطِعِيۡنَ مُقۡنِعِىۡ رُءُوۡسِهِمۡ لَا يَرۡتَدُّ اِلَيۡهِمۡ طَرۡفُهُمۡ ۚ وَاَفۡـئِدَتُهُمۡ هَوَآءٌ ؕ
﴿14:43﴾
وَاَنۡذِرِ النَّاسَ يَوۡمَ يَاۡتِيۡهِمُ الۡعَذَابُ فَيَـقُوۡلُ الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اَخِّرۡنَاۤ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ قَرِيۡبٍۙ نُّجِبۡ دَعۡوَتَكَ وَنَـتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَؕ اَوَلَمۡ تَكُوۡنُوۡۤااَقۡسَمۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ مَالَـكُمۡ مِّنۡ زَوَالٍۙ
﴿14:44﴾
وَّسَكَنۡتُمۡ فِىۡ مَسٰكِنِ الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ وَتَبَيَّنَ لَـكُمۡ كَيۡفَ فَعَلۡنَا بِهِمۡ وَضَرَبۡنَا لَـكُمُ الۡاَمۡثَالَ
﴿14:45﴾
وَقَدۡ مَكَرُوۡا مَكۡرَهُمۡ وَعِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ مَكۡرُهُمۡؕ وَاِنۡ كَانَ مَكۡرُهُمۡ لِتَزُوۡلَ مِنۡهُ الۡجِبَالُ
﴿14:46﴾
فَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ اللّٰهَ مُخۡلِفَ وَعۡدِهٖ رُسُلَهٗؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَزِيۡزٌ ذُوۡ انْتِقَامٍؕ
﴿14:47﴾
يَوۡمَ تُبَدَّلُ الۡاَرۡضُ غَيۡرَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَالسَّمٰوٰتُ وَبَرَزُوۡا لِلّٰهِ الۡوَاحِدِ الۡقَهَّارِ
﴿14:48﴾
وَتَرَى الۡمُجۡرِمِيۡنَ يَوۡمَـئِذٍ مُّقَرَّنِيۡنَ فِى الۡاَصۡفَادِۚ
﴿14:49﴾
سَرَابِيۡلُهُمۡ مِّنۡ قَطِرَانٍ وَّتَغۡشٰى وُجُوۡهَهُمُ النَّارُۙ
﴿14:50﴾
لِيَجۡزِىَ اللّٰهُ كُلَّ نَفۡسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتۡؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ سَرِيۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ
﴿14:51﴾
هٰذَا بَلٰغٌ لِّـلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنۡذَرُوۡا بِهٖ وَلِيَـعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّمَا هُوَ اِلٰـهٌ وَّاحِدٌ وَّلِيَذَّكَّرَ اُولُوا الۡا َلۡبَابِ
﴿14:52﴾
(14:42) Do not think Allah is heedless of the evil deeds in which the evil-doers
are engaged. He is merely granting them respite until a Day when their eyes
shall continue to stare in horror, (14:43) when they shall keep pressing ahead in haste, their heads lifted
up, their gaze directed forward,54 unable to look away from what
they behold, their hearts utterly void. (14:44) (O Muhammad), warn mankind of the Day when a severe chastisement
shall overtake them, and the wrong-doers will say: "Our Lord, grant us respite
for a short while; we shall respond to Your call and will follow Your Messengers."
(But they will be clearly told): "Are you not the same who swore earlier that
they shall never suffer decline?" (14:45) You said so even though you had lived in the dwellings of those who
had wronged themselves (by sinning), and you were aware how We dealt with them,
and We had even explained to you all this by giving examples. (14:46) Indeed the unbelievers contrived their plan, but it is in Allah's
power to nullify their plan, even though their plans were such that would move
even mountains.55 (14:47) So, do not think, (O Prophet), that Allah will go back upon His promise
to His Messengers.56 Surely Allah is Mighty, Lord of retribution.
(14:48) (Do warn them of the) Day when the heavens and the earth shall be
altogether changed;57 when all will appear fully exposed before Allah,
the One, the Irresistible! (14:49) On that Day you shall see the guilty ones secured in chains; (14:50) their garments shall be black58 as if made out of pitch,
and flames of the Fire shall cover their faces (14:51) so that Allah may requite each person for his deeds. Allah is swift
in reckoning. (14:52) This is a proclamation for all mankind that they may be warned by
it, and that they may know that their God is none but the One True God, and
that men of understanding may take heed.
Notes
54. This graphic picture depicts the horrible plight of the wrongdoers on
the Day of Reckoning. When they will realize the situation, they will be so
taken aback that they will have their looks fixed straight in front of them
without seeing anything.
55. That is, you have seen that the former people who violated the divine
law, and who opposed the message, devised very effective and cunning schemes
to avert the consequences of their iniquity, but Allah defeated them with His
single counter device. You did not give up your crafty schemes against the message
of truth in the vain hope that your strong measures would succeed where the
schemes of your predecessors had failed.
56. Though this has been addressed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), it
is really meant for his opponents. They are being warned that they should not
delude themselves because of the delay in their punishment. They should note
it well that Allah fulfilled the promises He made to the former Messengers and
defeated their opponents. Likewise He will surely fulfill the promises He had
made to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
57. It is obvious from this verse and some hints in the Quran that on the
occasion of Resurrection, the Earth and the Heavens will not be totally destroyed
but at the blowing of the First Trumpet, the existing physical system shall
be disarranged. After this, between the blowing of the First and the Last Trumpet
(Allah alone knows how long this interval will last), the present form and aspect
of the earth and the heavens shall be transformed and a new physical system
with new physical laws will come into existence. That will be the world of the
Hereafter. When the Last Trumpet will be blown, all human beings from Adam to
those born before the First Trumpet, shall be brought to life and appear before
Allah. The Quran calls this Hashr which literally means “to muster and gather
together”. It appears from the wording of the Quran and some clear statements
in the traditions that this will take place on this Earth. The Seat of Judgment
and the Scales will be established on the Earth and the decisions will be passed
here. This is also clear from the Quran and the traditions that the life in
the Hereafter will not merely be a spiritual life but the very physical and
spiritual life which we are living now on this earth; and every individual shall
receive his reward or punishment exactly in that personality in which he or
she is living in the life of this world. 4
58. Some commentators and translators are of the opinion that Qatiran stands
for sulphur or molten copper but actually it stands for tar and the like.