77. Al-Mursalat بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ وَ الْمُرْسَلٰتِ By the ones sent forth عُرْفًاۙ one after another فَالْعٰصِفٰتِ And the winds that blow عَصْفًاۙ violently وَّ النّٰشِرٰتِ And the ones that scatter نَشْرًاۙ far and wide فَالْفٰرِقٰتِ And those who separate فَرْقًاۙ (by the) Criterion فَالْمُلْقِیٰتِ And those who bring down ذِكْرًاۙ (the) Reminder عُذْرًا (As) justification اَوْ or نُذْرًاۙ warning اِنَّمَا Indeed what تُوْعَدُوْنَ you are promised لَوَاقِعٌؕ will surely occur فَاِذَا So when النُّجُوْمُ the stars طُمِسَتْۙ are obliterated وَ اِذَا And when السَّمَآءُ the heaven فُرِجَتْۙ is cleft asunder وَ اِذَا And when الْجِبَالُ the mountains نُسِفَتْۙ are blown away وَ اِذَا And when الرُّسُلُ the Messengers اُقِّتَتْؕ are gathered to their appointed time لِاَیِّ For what یَوْمٍ Day اُجِّلَتْؕ are (these) postponed لِیَوْمِ For (the) Day الْفَصْلِۚ (of) Judgment وَ مَاۤ And what اَدْرٰىكَ will make you know مَا what یَوْمُ (is the) Day الْفَصْلِؕ (of) the Judgment وَیْلٌ Woe یَّوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day لِّلْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ to the deniers اَلَمْ Did not نُهْلِكِ We destroy الْاَوَّلِیْنَؕ the former (people) ثُمَّ Then نُتْبِعُهُمُ We follow them up الْاٰخِرِیْنَ (with) the later ones كَذٰلِكَ Thus نَفْعَلُ We deal بِالْمُجْرِمِیْنَ with the criminals وَیْلٌ Woe یَّوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day لِّلْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ to the deniers 77. Al-Mursalat Page 581 اَلَمْ Did not نَخْلُقْكُّمْ We create you مِّنْ from مَّآءٍ a water مَّهِیْنٍۙ despicable فَجَعَلْنٰهُ Then We placed it فِیْ in قَرَارٍ an abode مَّكِیْنٍۙ safe اِلٰی For قَدَرٍ a period مَّعْلُوْمٍۙ known فَقَدَرْنَا ۖۗ So We measured فَنِعْمَ and Best الْقٰدِرُوْنَ (are We to) measure! وَیْلٌ Woe یَّوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day لِّلْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ to the deniers اَلَمْ Have not نَجْعَلِ We made الْاَرْضَ the earth كِفَاتًاۙ a receptacle اَحْیَآءً (For the) living وَّ اَمْوَاتًاۙ and (the) dead وَّ جَعَلْنَا And We made فِیْهَا therein رَوَاسِیَ firmly set mountains شٰمِخٰتٍ lofty وَّ اَسْقَیْنٰكُمْ and We gave you to drink مَّآءً water فُرَاتًاؕ sweet وَیْلٌ Woe یَّوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day لِّلْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ to the deniers اِنْطَلِقُوْۤا Proceed اِلٰی to مَا what كُنْتُمْ you used بِهٖ in it تُكَذِّبُوْنَۚ (to) deny اِنْطَلِقُوْۤا Proceed اِلٰی to ظِلٍّ a shadow ذِیْ having ثَلٰثِ three شُعَبٍۙ columns لَّا No ظَلِیْلٍ cool shade وَّ لَا and not یُغْنِیْ availing مِنَ against اللَّهَبِؕ the flame اِنَّهَا Indeed it تَرْمِیْ throws up بِشَرَرٍ sparks كَالْقَصْرِۚ as the fortress كَاَنَّهٗ As if they (were) جِمٰلَتٌ camels صُفْرٌؕ yellow وَیْلٌ Woe یَّوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day لِّلْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ to the deniers هٰذَا This یَوْمُ (is) a Day لَا not یَنْطِقُوْنَۙ they will speak وَ لَا And not یُؤْذَنُ will it be permitted لَهُمْ for them فَیَعْتَذِرُوْنَ to make excuses وَیْلٌ Woe یَّوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day لِّلْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ to the deniers هٰذَا This یَوْمُ (is the) Day الْفَصْلِ ۚ (of) Judgment; جَمَعْنٰكُمْ We have gathered you وَ الْاَوَّلِیْنَ and the former (people) فَاِنْ So if كَانَ is لَكُمْ for you كَیْدٌ a plan فَكِیْدُوْنِ then plan against Me وَیْلٌ Woe یَّوْمَىِٕذٍ that Day لِّلْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ۠ to the deniers
(77:1) By the (winds) sent forth in quick succession,
(77:2) which then blow tempestuously
(77:3) and raise (clouds) and scatter them around,
(77:4) then winnow them thoroughly,
(77:5) and then cast (Allah's) remembrance (in people's hearts),
(77:6) to serve as an excuse or a warning.1
(77:7) Surely what you are promised2 shall come to pass. 3
(77:8) So when the stars are extinguished,4
(77:9) and the sky is rent asunder,5
(77:10) and the mountains are blown away,
(77:11) and the appointed time to bring the Messengers together arrives,(then shall the promised event come to pass).6
(77:12) To which Day has this task been deferred?
(77:13) To the Day of Judgement.
(77:14) What do you know what the Day of Judgement is?
(77:15) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!7
(77:16) Did We not destroy many a nation of the earlier times?8
(77:17) And We shall cause those of later times9 to follow them.
(77:18) Thus do We deal with the guilty.
(77:19) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!10
(77:20) Did We not create you of a mean fluid,
(77:21) which We then placed in a secure repository11
(77:22) until an appointed time?12
(77:23) See that We had the power to do so. Great indeed is Our power to do what We will.13
(77:24) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!14
(77:25) Did We not make the earth a receptacle,
(77:26) for the living and the dead,
(77:27) and did We not firmly fix towering mountains on it and give you sweet water to drink?15
(77:28) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!16
(77:29) Proceed17 now towards that which you were wont to deny as false;
(77:30) proceed towards the three-pronged shadow,18
(77:31) which neither provides (cooling) shade nor protection against the flames;
(77:32) it indeed throws up sparks like castles,
(77:33) which seem as though they are yellow-coloured camels.19
(77:34) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!
(77:35) That will be the Day on which they will not (be able to) utter a word,
(77:36) nor will they be allowed to proffer excuses.20
(77:37) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!
(77:38) That is the Day of Judgement on which We have assembled you as well as all those who went before you.
(77:39) So if you have any ploy, try it against Me!21
(77:40) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!
1. The winds serve several important purposes. Sometimes when they cease to blow, they give rise to the frightful prospect of a famine which tends to soften people’s hearts. This at times leads people to turn sincerely to God and repent. On other occasions, winds bring generous rainfall, filling people’s hearts with gratitude to God. On still other occasions, they blow tempestuously, inspiring fear in all hearts. As a result, many turn to God, dreading His chastisement that would wreak havoc on them (See also Appendix 3).
2. It could be a reference to the Day of Resurrection and the Hereafter against which they are warned.
3. The oath regarding the inevitability of the Day of Resurrection is taken here with reference to the following five features: (i) The (winds) sent forth in quick succession, (ii) which blow tempestuously, (iii) which raise (clouds) and scatter them around, (iv) which winnow them thoroughly and (v) which cast (God’s) remembrance. In the above account, the focus is only on the features, without specifying the object that is endowed with these attributes. As a result; ‘the Qur’an commentators differ as to whether all the above five features are of the same entity or of various entities. There is also disagreement among them in identifying these. A group of them is of the view that all these attributes are of the wind. This is contested by some, who think these are related to the angels. Some hold that the first three are the features of winds while the last two are of angels. Some ascribe only the first two to winds and the rest to angels. Some scholars hold the view that the first and the second are the features of the angels of mercy and punishment respectively, while the last three refer to the verses of the Qur’an.
In our opinion, since these five features are described one after another, without any indication of a break in the discourse, it would be unsound to assume that the reference is to more than one object. The cohesion and coherence of the text rather suggests that the whole passage is about the features of one particular entity. The purpose of this is to stress that the things related to the oath are absolutely true and correct. It is therefore unlikely that an intangible thing will be adduced as an argument for an intangible thing. Rather, a tangible entity is more apt. In our opinion, the reference is to winds. We do not accept the view of those who interpret the five things to be angels, for they too, like the Day of Resurrection, belong to the realm of the Unseen.
Let us now focus on how the system of winds serves as an argument for affirming the truth of the Resurrection. Air is one of the most important factors essential for sustaining animal and plant life on earth. Its close link with the life cycle itself proves that it is devised by the All-Powerful, Most-Wise Creator of the Universes. He has put in place everything in the perfect proportion needed for supporting the life cycle. The winds do not merely encompass the earth. Rather, out of His power and Wisdom, God has ensured their various states and features which regulate, since the beginning of time, the alternation of seasons and various states of weather, such as the blowing of a breeze, scorching heat, chilling cold, thick clouds, and heavy rainfall. At times, winds lead to devastating storms or beneficial rain, or even famine. There are varieties of winds which blow at their appointed time and serve numerous functions. The very system testifies to a powerful divine scheme of things. It is not difficult for Him to bring life into existence or take it away, or recreate it after it was obliterated. Only a fool may take the excellent working of the Universe as a sport, lacking any underlying sublime purpose. Man is so helpless against this wonderful arrangement that he can neither blow any wind for himself, nor can he protect himself against devastating, gale-force winds. Despite his obstinate and stubborn disbelief, winds, at times, remind him of his servitude to his All Powerful Master and Lord Who may use this most important means of life to bring His mercy or His curse upon him. As it is, man is utterly helpless to defy His decree. (For details see also Surah al-Jathiyah 45: n. 7 and Surah al-Dhariyat 51: nn. 1-4.)
4. The stars will lose their brightness.
5. The present system which binds all the celestial entities to their respective orbits will come to an end and all the barriers will be rent asunder.
6. It is mentioned quite often in the Qur’an that when God examines mankind’s record on the Day of Judgement, the Messenger of each nation will be summoned to testify that he had conveyed God’s message to his people. This will be the first and clinching argument from God against the wicked and wrongdoers. It will conclusively establish that they themselves were responsible for their error and misconduct, for God had employed every conceivable measure for warning them. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. IIL, Surah al-A’raf 7: nn. 134-135, pp. 97-101; Surah al-Zumar 39: n. 80 and Surah al-Mulk 67: n. 14.)
7. Meaning the disbelievers who rejected the tidings of the Resurrection and led their lives in the world assuming that they will never have to stand before God, rendering their record of deeds and be accountable for the same.
8. This argument for the Hereafter is taken from the annals of history, which man should study. All those nations who denied the Hereafter considered this world as the entirety of their existence, and determined moral principles based on the outcome of good and evil in this life alone, were eventually destroyed without any exception. This proves that the Hereafter is a reality, the rejection of which ruins one’s life in the same way as when one turns a blind eye to the realities of this life and severely harms himself. (For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, Surah Yunus 10: n. 12, pp. 11-13; vol. VIL, Surah al-Naml 27: n. 86, pp- 180-181; vol. VII, Surah al-Rum 30: n. 8, pp. 78-79 and vol. IX, Surah Saba’ 34: n. 25, pp. 173-174.)
9. This is God’s permanent law. The rejection of the Hereafter, which proved fatal for the earlier nations, will prove the same for communities in the future as well. No nation has escaped this fate in the past and none will be an exception in the future.
10. This is said to emphasize that howsoever woeful a person’s lot might be in this world, it does not represent the real chastisement that might lie in store for him. It is only on the Day of Judgement that each person will come to know the full extent of the chastisement that awaits him. The punishment in this world represents, at most, the detention of a criminal who continues committing crimes, refusing to mend his ways. Not in this world but in the court of the Hereafter alone will his case be decided, and he will be duly punished for his crimes. That will indeed be the actual day of his doom. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IIL, Surah al-A’raf 7: nn. 5-6, pp. 4-5 and vol. IV, Surah Hud 11: n. 105, p. 133.)
11. This appointed time is known to God alone. It is beyond man to tell beforehand for how many months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds the baby will remain inside the mother’s womb and exactly what will be the precise time of its birth. God has ordained an appointed time for each baby, of which only He has the knowledge.
12. After conception, the fetus is placed in the safe repository of the mother’s womb. The baby is placed there with such arrangements of security and nourishment that it cannot be miscarried unless there is a serious accident. Notwithstanding all the latest advancements in medical science, its abortion is still a difficult and risky process in view of its secure placement in the womb.
13. This is another weighty argument for Life-after-Death. Since God is able to create man out of an insignificant drop of sperm, why can He not then easily re-create him in any form after his death? The process of man’s creation itself testifies to God’s excellent creative power. He is in no way helpless to cause man’s rebirth after having created him in the first place.
14. Despite confronting the overwhelming argument for the possibility of Life-after-Death, those people who are denying it are free today to mock’ this belief as much as they like. They may even dismiss its believers as conservative, outdated, and superstitious in their outlook. But when the Day of Judgement, which they were denying and scoffing at, will appear, then they will realize this is the day of their complete ruin and disaster.
15. It constitutes another argument as to why the doctrine of the Hereafter is sound and tenable. Billions of creatures have inhabited the earth for millions of years, including human beings, and different animals and plant species. It has been sustaining them all along with its numerous resources and products. Furthermore, numerous creatures die every day on earth, yet there is an amazing system in place for disposing of their dead bodies in no time. The earth then gets itself ready for sustaining the new members of all species. The earth is not made-flat or level plain. Mountain ranges and high mountains are part of the landscape. These are instrumental in bringing about climatic changes, variations in seasons, rainfall, causing rivers to flow, creating fertile meadows, and in providing huge trees supplying timber, and a variety of minerals and stones. The earth is also a vast reservoir of water. Equally baffling is the arrangement of the rising of the vapors from the sea and their descent later to the earth as rainfall. All this points to the existence of the All-Powerful Creator, One Who is All-Hearing and All-Seeing. If this earth has been created with all its provisions and skillful management requirements, only by His power and wisdom, why then should an intelligent person have any difficulty in grasping that the same all-Powerful God can put an end to the world and create a new one to His liking? His wisdom demands that He should build a different world after this, so that He may call man to account for the deeds he has done in this world.
16. People decry the coming of the Hereafter and accountability for their activities as false, calling it both impossible and irrational. They do so in spite of the stunning manifestations of God’s power and wisdom.
They may remain immersed in their puerile fancies if they so wish. But a day will certainly come when they will see that many a thing, quite contrary to their expectations, will come to pass. It is then that they will fully realise how foolish they were in precipitating such devastation upon themselves.
17. After proffering the evidence that the Hereafter is bound to occur, the disbelievers are told about the treatment that they will receive after the Hereafter becomes a reality.
18. “Shadow” here denotes the shadow caused by smoke. What is meant by its three-pronged form can be grasped by observing a thick pall of smoke splitting into several branches.
19. Each of its sparks will be as massive as a palace. As these sparks burst, it will seem as though they are yellow-colored camels running about.
20. This will be their last condition when they will be consigned to Hell. In the grand assembly, they will resort to all sorts of pretexts and pleas in self-defense, blame others for their misdeeds in a bid to plead their innocence, and revile their chiefs for having misled them. Some will even have the temerity to deny their misdeeds, as the Qur’an states at several places. However, the irrefutable and solid evidence will prove them to be offenders and moreover their own limbs will testify against them, leaving no room for any allowance to be made to them, they will be left utterly speechless because the punishment will be awarded to them after fulfilling the due process of law and justice. They will then be unable to put up any defense whatsoever, nor will they be allowed to proffer any excuse. This does not mean that they will be declared guilty without gi sing them a chance to defend their case. What is meant is that as their crimes will be conclusively proved, they will not be ina position to offer any further pretext or excuse. They will be silenced by the irrefutable evidence against them.
21. Since they indulged in all sorts of frauds and falsehood in the world, they are sarcastically asked to try any of their ploys against God to escape in the Hereafter.