وَ لَا And (do) not تَحْسَبَنَّ think اللّٰهَ (that) Allah غَافِلًا (is) unaware عَمَّا of what یَعْمَلُ do الظّٰلِمُوْنَ ؕ۬ the wrongdoers اِنَّمَا Only یُؤَخِّرُهُمْ He gives them respite لِیَوْمٍ to a Day تَشْخَصُ will stare فِیْهِ in it الْاَبْصَارُۙ the eyes 14. Ibrahim Page 261 مُهْطِعِیْنَ Racing ahead مُقْنِعِیْ raised up رُءُوْسِهِمْ their heads لَا not یَرْتَدُّ returning اِلَیْهِمْ towards them طَرْفُهُمْ ۚ their gaze وَ اَفْـِٕدَتُهُمْ and their hearts هَوَآءٌؕ (are) empty وَ اَنْذِرِ And warn النَّاسَ the mankind یَوْمَ (of) a Day یَاْتِیْهِمُ (when) will come to them الْعَذَابُ the punishment فَیَقُوْلُ then will say الَّذِیْنَ those who ظَلَمُوْا did wrong رَبَّنَاۤ Our Lord اَخِّرْنَاۤ Respite us اِلٰۤی for اَجَلٍ a term قَرِیْبٍ ۙ short نُّجِبْ we will answer دَعْوَتَكَ Your call وَ نَتَّبِعِ and we will follow الرُّسُلَ ؕ the Messengers اَوَ لَمْ Had not تَكُوْنُوْۤا you اَقْسَمْتُمْ sworn مِّنْ before قَبْلُ before مَا not لَكُمْ for you مِّنْ any زَوَالٍۙ end وَّ سَكَنْتُمْ And you dwelt فِیْ in مَسٰكِنِ the dwellings الَّذِیْنَ (of) those who ظَلَمُوْۤا wronged اَنْفُسَهُمْ themselves وَ تَبَیَّنَ and it had become clear لَكُمْ to you كَیْفَ how فَعَلْنَا We dealt بِهِمْ with them وَ ضَرَبْنَا and We put forth لَكُمُ for you الْاَمْثَالَ the examples وَ قَدْ And indeed مَكَرُوْا they planned مَكْرَهُمْ their plan وَ عِنْدَ but with اللّٰهِ Allah مَكْرُهُمْ ؕ (was) their plan وَ اِنْ even if كَانَ was مَكْرُهُمْ their plan لِتَزُوْلَ that should be moved مِنْهُ by it الْجِبَالُ the mountains فَلَا So (do) not تَحْسَبَنَّ think اللّٰهَ (that) Allah مُخْلِفَ will fail وَعْدِهٖ (to) keep His Promise رُسُلَهٗ ؕ (to) His Messengers اِنَّ Indeed اللّٰهَ Allah عَزِیْزٌ (is) All-Mighty ذُو Owner (of) Retribution انْتِقَامٍؕ Owner (of) Retribution یَوْمَ (On the) Day تُبَدَّلُ will be changed الْاَرْضُ the earth غَیْرَ (to) other (than) الْاَرْضِ the earth وَ السَّمٰوٰتُ and the heavens وَ بَرَزُوْا and they will come forth لِلّٰهِ before Allah الْوَاحِدِ the One الْقَهَّارِ the Irresistible وَ تَرَی And you will see الْمُجْرِمِیْنَ the criminals یَوْمَىِٕذٍ (on) that Day مُّقَرَّنِیْنَ bound together فِی in الْاَصْفَادِۚ the chains سَرَابِیْلُهُمْ Their garments مِّنْ of قَطِرَانٍ tar وَّ تَغْشٰی and will cover وُجُوْهَهُمُ their faces النَّارُۙ the Fire لِیَجْزِیَ So that Allah may recompense اللّٰهُ So that Allah may recompense كُلَّ each نَفْسٍ soul مَّا (for) what كَسَبَتْ ؕ it earned اِنَّ Indeed اللّٰهَ Allah سَرِیْعُ (is) Swift الْحِسَابِ (in) the reckoning هٰذَا This بَلٰغٌ (is) a Message لِّلنَّاسِ for the mankind وَ لِیُنْذَرُوْا that they may be warned بِهٖ with it وَ لِیَعْلَمُوْۤا and that they may know اَنَّمَا that only هُوَ He اِلٰهٌ (is) One God وَّاحِدٌ (is) One God وَّ لِیَذَّكَّرَ and that may take heed اُولُوا men الْاَلْبَابِ۠ (of) understanding
(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.
54. The harrowing spectacle of the Day of Judgement will cast a spell on the unbelievers. They will continuously gaze, unable to blink or turn their eyes away from the terrible scene. It will seem.as though their eyes have been petrified.
55. The nations of the past resorted to all sorts of contriving to evade the consequences of having denied God’s laws and to defeating the mission of God’s Messengers. But it is well known that just one move from God checkmated them. Despite this, the unbelievers have not ceased their contriving, fancying that their efforts will ultimately meet with success.
56. Though this statement is apparently addressed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), it is in fact meant for his enemies. They are being told that all the promises which God had made to His earlier Messengers were fulfilled and caused their enemies to be vanquished. In view of this, it is quite evident that the promise that God made to Muhammad (peace be on him) will also come true, and all those who oppose him will be totally destroyed.
57. The present verse as well as several allusions to the subject at different places in the Qur’an indicate that the present heavens and earth will not be totally destroyed. It seems that it is only the present physical order of things that will be disrupted: Between the first and the second blowing of the Trumpet there will be a time gap the duration of which is known only to God. During this intervening period the present form of the heavens and the earth will be transformed. A new physical order will be created along with a different set of natural laws. This will mark the advent-of the Hereafter. Also, with the second blowing of the Trumpet, all human beings created since Adam till the Day of Judgement will be resurrected and will be made to stand before God. This is what the Qur’an calls hashr (‘the gathering’). It becomes evident from the allusions in the Qur’an and explicit statements in the Hadith that people will be gathered together on this very earth and will stand before God’s judgement. It is on the earth that God will take stock of people’s deeds. It is also on the earth that God’s scale will be fixed to weigh men’s actions. It is also on the earth that God’s judgement will be made.
The teachings of the Qur’4n and the Hadith also make it clear that the Next Life will not be merely one of a spiritual nature. Men will be resurrected both physically and spiritually, exactly as they are today. Everyone will assume the same personality which he held in the present world.
58. Some translators and commentators of the Qur’an have interpreted qatiran as arsenic and others in the sense of molten brass. However, in Arabic usage it refers to pitch or coal-tar.