Meaning

Ayah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

THE EXPLANATION

1.  {هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ}    

          The meaning is [O Muhammad you have received the news of al-ghashiyyah (الْغَاشِيَةِ) the overwhelming fire.]  Hal (هَلْ) here means ‘you have,’ as mentioned by Qutrub.  Ibn ^Abbas said al-ghashiyyah is 'the Day of Judgment that overwhelms the people with striking fears.’  Sa^id Ibn Jubayr said al-ghashiyyah is 'the fire which overwhelms the faces of the blasphemers.'

2.  {وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ}           

            The faces of the blasphemers on the Day of Judgment shall be degraded with torture.

3.  {عَامِلَةٌ نَاصِبَةٌ}                     

            Al-Qurtubiyy said the ayah means 'laboring and toiling themselves in this life, because the Hereafter is not an abode of performing deeds.'  Nasibah (نَاصِبَةٌ) means ‘toiled.’  This ayah refers to all the blasphemers who labored in this life to blaspheme and commit sins.  ^Abdur Razzaq narrated from the route of Qatadah that he said:  Khashi^atun ( خَاشِعَةٌ ) means ‘degraded in Hellfire,’ ^amilatunn-nasibah (عَامِلَةٌ نَاصِبَةٌ) means ‘laboring hard and toiling in the Hellfire by moving heavily with fetters, manacles, and neck bonds, as the camels would move in mud.'

4.  {تَصْلَى نَارًا حَامِيَةً}               

            The blasphemers shall suffer and burn in the fervid heat of Hellfire as said by al-Khalil Ibn Ahmad.  It is also said salaytu ash-shat (صليت الشاة) means ‘I broiled the lamb.’  Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

<<أوقد على النار ألف سنة حتى احمرت ثم أوقد عليه ألف سنة حتى أبيضت ثم أوقد عليه ألف سنة حتى اسودت فهى سوداء مظلمة>>

which means:  <<The Fire of Hell was fueled for one thousand (1,000) years until it turned red, and for one thousand (1,000) years until it turned white, and for one thousand (1,000) years until it turned black.  Now it is pitch black.>> (Narrated by at-Tirmidhiyy.)  The people of Basrah and ^Asim, but not Hafs, recited tusla (تصلى) with a dammah on the ta'.

5.  {تُسْقَى مِنْ عَيْنٍ ءَانِيَةٍ}           

            Al-Hasan said:  The blasphemers shall drink from a spring that reached its hottest level.

6.  {لَيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلا مِنْ ضَرِيعٍ}                       

            Mujahid said ad-dari^ (الضَرِيعٍ) is a thorny vegetation strongly rooted in the ground.  The people of Quraysh call it ash-shabriq (الشبرق) when moist and ad-dari^ (الضَرِيعٍ) once it dries.  Animals do not graze on the dry dari^.  The interpreters said when this ayah was revealed, the blasphemers said, “Indeed, our camels get fat feeding on ad-dari^.”  So, Allah revealed Ayah #7.

7.  {لا يُسْمِنُ وَلا يُغْنِي مِنْ جُوعٍ}                       

            This ayah means this dari^ shall neither fatten nor satiate the hungry.  Thereby, Allah belied the blasphemers.

8.  {وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاعِمَةٌ}             

            Other faces on the Day of Judgment shall be bright, shining with enjoyment and bliss.

9.  {لِسَعْيِهَا رَاضِيَةٌ}                   

            Faces that will be pleased for striving to be obedient in this world, for such endeavors are rewarded with Paradise.

10.  {فِي جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ}                 

            Such faces will be rewarded in a Paradise high both in place and in status.  An-Nabighah al-Ja^diyy said, “I composed and recited the following verses of poetry to the Prophet and he liked them:

“وإنا لنرجو فوق ذلك مظهرا                            بلغنا السماء مجدُنا وسناؤنا

These verses mean:  “Our glory and success have reached the sky, and we are hopeful to be further elevated.”  The Prophet said, “O Abu Layla, further elevated to where?”  I said, “To Paradise.”  The Prophet said, “Yes, God willing.” 

11.  {لا تَسْمَعُ فِيهَا لاغِيَةً}         

            ^Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Qatadah said the ayah means:  Not a word of vanity or sin would be heard.  Ibn Kathir, Abu ^Amr and Ruways recited (yusma^u), Nafi^ recited (la tusma^u fiha laghiyatun) and the rest recited (la tasma^u fiha laghiyatun).

12.  {فِيهَا عَيْنٌ جَارِيَةٌ}               

            Paradise has an ^ayn (عَيْنٌ) running with water.  ^Ayn here refers to the class of things rather than a specific one.  Thus, the ayah means that in Paradise there are many springs running with water.

13.  {فِيهَا سُرُرٌ مَرْفُوعَةٌ}            

            It has platforms elevated in the air so that the believer may see all the bliss that Allah has endowed upon him in Paradise.  Ibn ^Abbas said:  The platforms, raised high in the sky, have plaques of gold and are decorated with pearls, rubies and aquamarines.  Surur (سُرُرٌ) is the plural of sarir (سرير), which is a platform.

14.  {وَأَكْوَابٌ مَوْضُوعَةٌ}           

            Al-kub (الكوب) is a round cup without handles (a goblet).  The plural is akwab (goblets, أَكْوَابٌ).  The goblets are placed on the edges of the springs ready for the believers’ use.

15.  {وَنَمَارِقُ مَصْفُوفَةٌ}             

            Both an-numruq (النمرق) and an-numruqah (النمرقة) are defined in Al-Qamus Al-Muhit as ‘the small cushion.’  The plural is namariq (نـمارق) or ‘cushions.’  This ayah means,' cushions will be lined up, one next to the other, for the believers to lean on and rest against.

16.  {وَزَرَابِيُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ}                 

            In Al-Qamus Al-Muhit it is mentioned that az-zarabiyy (الزرابى) are an-namariq and al-busut (البُسُط) or ‘everything which is spread out.’  Everything one leans against for rest is a zirbiyyu (زربى).  These carpets are wide and luxurious, numerous and spread here and there in the sitting areas.

17.  {أَفَلا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الإبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ}           

            It means the blasphemers of Makkah ought to take a lesson from what camels are created from.  Allah specified the camel over other animals because the Arabs did not consider any other animal to have a greater monetary value.  As well, the camel, unlike other animals, has many attributes beneficial for man.  Its meat is edible and its milk is palatable.  It has great strength and endurance to do hard work.  It is able to rise from a sitting position carrying a heavy load.  It can be used as a pack animal and can be ridden for long-distance travel.  It grazes on almost any kind of vegetation and can go without drinking water for more than ten (10) days.  It is easily led, even by a boy, and responds to tonal changes in voice commands.

            The camel is also a very sentimental animal.  Several trustworthy people told the story of a man who, (knowing the story of the camel who longed for and cried in the presence of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam), began singing praises of the Prophet in front of a camel.  He and others witnessed that camel begin to shed heavy tears.

            Al-Hasan al-Basriyy narrated from the route of Anas Ibn Malik the hadith of the moaning of the stump of the palm tree longing for the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.  This incident happened after the people of Madinah built a mimbar for the Prophet to stand on to deliver his speeches.  Before that, he used to lean against the stump of a particular palm tree when delivering his speeches.  When the Prophet climbed the mimbar for the first time, all the people present heard the moaning of the stump.  The Prophet came down from the mimbar and comfortingly stroked the stump.  The people said they heard the stump’s moaning change to resemble the moaning of a boy being pacified.  When narrating this hadith, al-Hasan al-Basriyy used to say, “O Muslims, the wood longs for meeting the Messenger of Allah.  You ought to long to meet him more than the wood longs.”

            Ibn ^Abbas, Abu ^Imran Al-Jawniyy, Al-Asma^iyy from Abu ^Amr recited (Al-'ibl).Ubayy Ibn Ka^b, ^Aishah, Abu Al-Mutawakkil, Al-Jahdariyy, Ibn As-Sumayfi^, Yunus Ibn Habib and Harun, both from Abu ^Amr, recited (Al-'ibill). Harun reported about Abu ^Amr that (Al-'ibil) means, 'the clouds that carry the water.'  Aliyy Ibn Abu Talib, Ibn ^Abbas, Abu Al-^Aliyah, Abu ^Imran recited (khalaqtu, rafa^tu, nasabtu and satahtu).

 18.  {وَإِلَى السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ} 

            And look at how the sky is raised so high up, without pillars (to support it).

 19.  {وَإِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ}

            And [look at] how the mountains are erected firmly onto earth and do not tilt, no matter how high they are.

 20.  {وَإِلَى الأرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ}

            And [look at] how the earth is stretched out and enlarged.

 21.  {فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ}

            O Muhammad, warn them, for you are but the Warner for them.  In his Tafsir, Ibn al-Jawziyy said:  At that time the Prophet was not ordered with other than admonishing the blasphemers, and what supports this saying is the following Ayah (#22).

 22.  {لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُسَيْطِرٍ}

            Imam al-Bukhariyy said the ayah means:  Allah did not direct you to fight the blasphemers.  This verse was later abrogated by the ayah which mentioned using the sword against them.  The ayahs pertaining to fighting the blasphemers were revealed after the immigration.  Before that time, the Prophet was not ordered to fight them, rather he was ordered to overlook fighting them.  His reason for not fighting them, although they harmed him by beating and cursing him, was not lack of courage.  Rather, he was waiting for the Revelation of the order to fight them.  The prophets before Prophet Muhammad fought many blasphemers.

            Ibn Al-Jawziyy said that some interpreters said the meaning of lasta ^alayhim bi-musaytir (لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُسَيْطِرٍ) is that, 'you are not assigned as a controller over them in a manner to coerce them to become believers.'  According to this explanation the ayah is not abrogated.  ^Ikrimah, Mujahid, Qatadah, and Al-Halawani from the route of Ibn ^Amir recited bi-musaytir (بمسيطر) with a sin.

 23.  {إِلا مَنْ تَوَلَّى وَكَفَرَ}

            It means Allah shall defeat the one who turns his back to the belief and blasphemes. 'Illa (الا) in the ayah does not mean exclusion; otherwise the meaning would be invalid.  The intended meaning is that the Messenger does not control the blasphemers; however, Allah shall immensely torture those blasphemers for their blasphemy.

Ibn ^Abbas, ^Amr Ibn Al-^ass, Anas Ibn Malik, Abu Majlaz, Qatadah and Sa^id Ibn Jubayr recited 'ala (ألا) with a fathah on the alif (أ) and a single lam (ل).

 24.  {فَيُعَذِّبُهُ اللَّهُ الْعَذَابَ الأكْبَرَ}

            By punishing him the great torture in Hellfire, in which he will dwell forever.  He shall never come out of it and will not die, thus he will never escape the torture.  It is the great torture because it is greater than the other tortures of this world.

 25.  {إِنَّ إِلَيْنَا إِيَابَهُمْ}

            Ibn ^Abbas said it means:  To Allah they shall return. 'Ubayy, ^A'ishah, and Ja^far recited 'iyyabahum (ايابهم) with double ya' (ي).

26.  {ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُمْ}

            Then Allah shall subject them to settle their accounts.