Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 78 An-Naba, Ayat 31-40

اِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ مَفَازًا ۙ‏ ﴿78:31﴾ حَدَآئِقَ وَاَعۡنَابًا ۙ‏ ﴿78:32﴾ وَّكَوَاعِبَ اَتۡرَابًا ۙ‏ ﴿78:33﴾ وَّكَاۡسًا دِهَاقًا ؕ‏ ﴿78:34﴾ لَا يَسۡمَعُوۡنَ فِيۡهَا لَـغۡوًا وَّلَا كِذّٰبًا​ ۚ‏ ﴿78:35﴾ جَزَآءً مِّنۡ رَّبِّكَ عَطَآءً حِسَابًا ۙ‏ ﴿78:36﴾ رَّبِّ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا الرَّحۡمٰنِ​ لَا يَمۡلِكُوۡنَ مِنۡهُ خِطَابًا​ ۚ‏ ﴿78:37﴾ يَوۡمَ يَقُوۡمُ الرُّوۡحُ وَالۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةُ صَفًّا ؕۙ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُوۡنَ اِلَّا مَنۡ اَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحۡمٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا​‏ ﴿78:38﴾ ذٰلِكَ الۡيَوۡمُ الۡحَـقُّ​ ۚ فَمَنۡ شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰى رَبِّهٖ مَاٰبًا‏  ﴿78:39﴾ اِنَّاۤ اَنۡذَرۡنٰـكُمۡ عَذَابًا قَرِيۡبًا ۖۚ  يَّوۡمَ يَنۡظُرُ الۡمَرۡءُ مَا قَدَّمَتۡ يَدٰهُ وَيَقُوۡلُ الۡـكٰفِرُ يٰلَيۡتَنِىۡ كُنۡتُ تُرٰبًا‏ ﴿78:40﴾

(78:31) Surely the state of triumph awaits the God-fearing:19 (78:32) gardens and vineyards, (78:33) and youthful maidens of like age,20 (78:34) and an overflowing cup. (78:35) Therein they shall hear no idle talk, nor any falsehood;21 (78:36) a recompense from your Lord and an ample reward22 (78:37) from the Lord of the heavens and the earth and of that which is between them; the Most Merciful Lord before Whom none dare utter a word.23 (78:38) The Day when the Spirit24 and the angels are ranged row on row. None shall speak save he whom the Merciful Lord will permit; and he too will speak what is right.25 (78:39) That Day is sure to come. So let him who will seek a resort with his Lord. (78:40) Lo! We warn you of a chastisement near at hand;26 the Day when a man will look on what his own hands have sent forth, and the unbelievers shall say: “Oh would that I were utter dust.”27

Notes

19. Here, the word righteous has been used in contrast to those who did not expect any accountability and who had belied Allah’s revelations. Therefore, this word inevitably implies those people who believed in Allah’s revelations and lived in the world with the understanding that they had to render an account of their deeds ultimately.

20. This may mean that they will be of equal age among themselves as well as that they will be of equal age with their husbands. This same theme has already occurred in Surah Suad, Ayat 52 and Surah Al-Waqiah, Ayat 37.

21. At several places in the Quran this has been counted as among the major blessings of Paradise. Human ears there will remain secure against idle, false and indecent talk. There will be no nonsensical, meaningless gossiping in Paradise; no one will tell lies nor belie others; nor will there be any use of abusive language, slandering; calumnies and false accusations which are so common in the world. (For further explanations, see E.N. 28 of Surah Maryam, E.Ns 13, 14 of Surah Al-Waqiah).

22. A reward and generous gift: that is, they will not only be given their due rewards which they will deserve for their good deeds, but over and above these they will be given additional and generous gifts and prizes as well. Contrary to this, in respect of the dwellers of Hell it has been said: They will be recompensed fully for their misdeeds. That is, they will neither be punished less than what they will deserve for their crimes nor more. This theme has been explained at length at many places in the Quran, for example, see Surah Younus, Ayats 26-27; Surah An-Naml, Ayats 89-90; Surah Al-Qasas, Ayat 84; Surah Saba, Ayats 33-38; Surah Al-Momin, Ayat 40.

23. That is, the court of Allah Almighty will be so aweinspiring that no one, whether belonging to the earth or to the heavens, will dare open his mouth of his own will before Allah, nor interfere in the court's work and proceedings.

24. According to most commentators, the Spirit implies the Angel Gabriel, who has been mentioned separately from the angels because of his high rank and position with Allah. (For further explanation, see E.N. 3 of Surah Al-Maarij).

25. To speak: to intercede, and intercession has been made conditional upon two things: (1) That the person who is granted permission by Allah to intercede for a sinner will alone be allowed to intercede and for the particular sinner only. (2) That the intercessor will say only what is right and proper, and nothing derogatory, and the one for whom he is interceding should have at least acknowledged the truth in the world. That is, he should only be a sinner, not an unbeliever. (For further explanation, see E.N. 281 of Surah Al-Baqarah; E.N. 5 of Surah Younus; E.N. 106 of Surah Houd; E.N. 52 of Surah Maryam; E.Ns 85, 86 of Surah TaHa; E.N. 27 of Surah Al-Anbiya; E.Ns 40, 41 of Surah Saba; E.N. 32 of Surah Al-Momin; E.N 63 of Surah Az- Zukhruf; E N. 21 of Surah An-Najm; E.N. 36 of Surah Al- Muddaththir).

26. Apparently, one might think that the people who were the audience of this verse died fourteen centuries ago, and even now it cannot be said how many hundreds or thousands or millions of years Resurrection will take to come. Then, in what sense has it been said: The torment of which you have been warned, has approached near at hand? And what is the meaning of saying in the beginning of the Surah: Soon they shall know? The answer is that man can have the feeling of time only until he is passing a physical life in the world within the bounds of space and time. After death when only the soul will survive, he will lose every feeling and consciousness of time, and on the Day of Resurrection when man will rise back to life, he will feel as though some one had aroused him from sleep suddenly. He will not at all be conscious that he has been resurrected after thousands of years. (For further explanation, see E.N. 26 of Surah An-Nahl; E.N. 56 of Surah Bani Israil; E.N. 80 of Surah TaHa; E.N. 48 of Surah YaSeen).

27. Would that I were mere dust: "Would that I had not been born in the world, or had become mere dust after death, and thus reduced to nothingness.