Meaning

Ayah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

1. When the sky is cleft asunder;

إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْفَطَرَتْ (1)

THE EXPLANATION

1.  {إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْفَطَرَتْ}           

            Al-Farra’ said:  The infitar (انفطار) of the sky is its clefting asunder.  This refers to the Day when the sky will split apart with crevices.

2.  {وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انْتَثَرَتْ}

            And when the stars drop off from their positions.

3.  {وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْ}            

            Ar-Rabi^ Ibn Khathim said fujjirat (فُجِّرَتْ) means ‘flooded.’  Al-Bukhariyy narrated this and commented by saying:  The Hafidh said in his book Al-Fath:  What is copied from the sayings of ar-Rabi^ is that fujirat (فُجرَتْ) with a single (ج) befits this aforementioned interpretation.  The meaning then is 'and when the oceans are flooded.’

4.  {وَإِذَا الْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ}

            On the Day when the graves shall be agitated, turned inside out and upside down, split open and the dead shall be resurrected and quickened.

5.  {عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ وَأَخَّرَتْ}

            This ayah is the reply statement for the previous four ayahs. It predicates, when the aforementioned matters happen, every soul shall learn about the obedience it had performed and sent forward, and about the right of Allah one had not fulfilled and thus kept one behind deserving the punishment of Allah.  This meaning was mentioned by Ibn ^Abbas.

6.  {يَاأَيُّهَا الإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ}              

            What is meant by al-insan (الإِنْسَانُ) here specifically is the blasphemer human being. It was said it was revealed about 'Ubayy Ibn Khalaf.  The ayah addresses the blasphemers by asking,  "What has seduced you, i.e., drawn you away and cheated you to the extent that you have blasphemed and disbelieved in your generous Lord Who bestowed upon you a variety of endowments?"  Seduction here refers to the matters that seduce man such as money, prestige, desires, and devils.  Al-Baydawiyy said "The answer to the question, ‘What has seduced you?’ is the devil." 

            Al-Karim (الْكَرِيمِ) is one of the names of Allah meaning He is the Forgiving One Who does not punish the sinner shortly after he errs.  Allah mentioned His name, Al-Karim, here to emphasize to the blasphemer the importance of refraining from being seduced away from Allah, before the punishment eventually befalls him.  That Allah is Al-Karim does not mean the blasphemer will be forgiven or will be treated as an equal to the obedient person.  Rather, if he does not repent from his blasphemy, he will be severely punished.  This becomes especially clear when one remembers the attributes of Allah of al-Qahr (القهر), 'subjugating His slaves', and al-Intiqam (الانتقام), 'justly punishing those who deserve to be punished.'  One must not listen should the devil whisper to him, “Do as you like, for your Lord is Karim and does not punish anyone.” 

            Muhammad Ibn Sabih Ibn as-Sammak, the ascetic role model, said in his poetry:

يا كاتم الذنب اما تستحى                    والله فى الحلوة رائيكا

غرَّك من ربك امهاله                 وستره طول مساويكا

This means: O you who is concealing the sin, are you not ashamed?  For Allah sees you even when you are alone. You have blurred yourself, by the fact that Allah allowed you some time so you may repent before punishing you, as well as by the fact that Allah has not uncovered the long history of your sins.

            Dhun-Nun al-Misriyy said:  "Many of those are unknowingly seduced because Allah has not uncovered their sins."  May Allah forgive us and cover our sins in this life and in the Hereafter, Amin. 

7.  {الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ}                        

            Your Lord is the One Who destined that you be created from a sperm-drop.  He made your body parts harmonious, without any disproportion.  He made them sound, enabling them to perform their functions.  Thus, He did not make one hand longer than the other, one eye wider than the other, or some body parts black and others white.

            Al-Bukhariyy said:  Al-A^mash and ^Asim recited fa^adalak (فَعَدَلَكَ)[1] with a single  dal (د).  However, the people of al-Hijaz recited it with a doubled dal (دّ).  The first recitation means ‘Allah created you in conformity with the form He eternally Willed--whether beautiful, ugly, tall, or short.  The second recitation means ‘harmoniously created.’ 

            It is mentioned in Al-Fath: "The summary of both recitations is that the one with the doubled dal (دّ) means ‘harmoniously created,’ and the one with the single dal (د)[2] means ‘created you with whatever attribute He willed for you.’"

8.  {فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَا شَاءَ رَكَّبَكَ}                       

            Your Lord is the One Who created you with some attributes among the various attributes, in conformity to His eternal Will.  The qualities a person has whether tall or short, male or female, resembling his kin or not, was willed for him by Allah in eternity.

9.  {كَلا بَلْ تُكَذِّبُونَ بِالدِّينِ}      

            After Allah elucidated--by the intellectual proofs--the truthfulness of the Resurrection and Assembly, Allah stated some ramifications.  Kalla  ( كَلا )in this verse severely reprimands the blasphemers for being seduced by the devil away from the generosity of Allah.  The part of the ayah (بَلْ تُكَذِّبُونَ بِالدِّينِ) confirms that the blasphemers deny the Day of Judgment and claim it will not take place.  Abu Ja^far recited bal yukadhdhibuna (يكذبون بَلْ) with a ya'.

10.  {وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ}        

            Then Allah informed the blasphemers that the record of their deeds is kept.  Among the angels are those who record their doings and sayings.

11.  {كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ}                  

            These angels are greatly honored to Allah.  They record the doings of the slaves.  Moreover, what goes on in peoples’ hearts Allah makes known to them. The angels record accordingly, so that the people may also be judged for what is in their hearts.  Aggrandizing the angels in this verse signifies the importance of the Day of Judgment.

12.  {يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ}            

            Nothing of your doings, whether good or evil, will be concealed from these angels and they will record it all.

13.  {إِنَّ الأبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ}         

            Al-birr (البرّ) with a kasrah is 'the goodness and merit.'  Al-abrar (الأبرار) is the plural of al-barr (البار) who is 'the doer of goodness and merit.'  Ar-Raghib-al-Asbahaniyy said:  When al-birr (البرّ) is attributed to the slave towards his Lord, it refers to the slave’s exaggeration in being obedient to his Lord.  When attributed to Allah, it means bestowing reward on the slave.  Al-birr (البرّ) is of two kinds, one pertains to the creed and the other to the acts of worship. Both are elucidated in the saying of Allah in Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 177:

{لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَالْمَلائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَءَاتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاةَ وَءَاتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ}

This ayah means:  [It is not meritorious that you turn your faces--without being believers--towards East or West; but it is meritorious to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your money that you love, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the slaves to pay for their freedom; to be steadfast in prayer, and to pay Az-Zakat; to fulfill the contracts which you have made; and to be patient, in financial and physical adversities, and throughout warring periods. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing ones.]

            This ayah includes matters pertaining to the belief, obligatory actions, and supererogatory acts of worship.  For the true believers who are God-fearing in this life, the enjoyment is through obedience to Allah, and accepting the Destining of Allah, and feeling content by it.  Their enjoyment in the Hereafter shall be Paradise.

14.  {وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِي جَحِيمٍ}    

            Al-fujjar (الْفُجَّارَ) is the plural of fajir (فاجر) and the infinitive form is al-fujur (الفجور).  Ar-Raghib al-Asbahani defined al-fujur as ‘clefting the cover of the Religion.’ The blasphemers are the ones meant here.  The punishment for their ill-doings shall be dwelling in the fervor of Hellfire.

15.  {يَصْلَوْنَهَا يَوْمَ الدِّينِ}           

            On the Day of Judgment (the day of reward and/or punishment for ones deeds), the blasphemers shall enter Hell and suffer from its fervor.

16.  {وَمَا هُمْ عَنْهَا بِغَائِبِينَ}         

            Once they enter Hell, they (the blasphemers) will never depart from it.  By that, the promise and threat of punishing the blasphemers with everlasting torture in Hellfire will be fulfilled.

17.  {وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ}    

            Ar-Raziyy said:  The scholars hold different opinions regarding the addressee.  Some said the blasphemer is the one addressed in this ayah, in order to severely reprimand him.  The majority, including al-Baydawiyy, said the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, is the one addressed to reflect that no one--including the Prophet--knows the extent of Hellfire, and to make the people more in awe of the Day of Judgment.

18.  {ثُمَّ مَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ}  

            The words of ayah 17 were repeated again in this ayah to enhance in our minds the seriousness and importance of the Judgment Day.

19.  {يَوْمَ لا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِنَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَالأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلَّهِ}                     

            On that day, no creature shall be able to benefit another in the least with the exception of the intercession that takes place by the Will of Allah.  No blasphemous soul will be able to benefit any other blasphemous soul.  The entire matter will be with Allah on that day and no one can contend.  In this ayah there is an indication that Allah is attributed with Existence and Everlastingness.  His attributes are eternal and everlasting by virtue of the Eternity and the Everlastingness of Allah’s Self[3].  Allah is clear of change because changing from one state to another is an attribute of the creations.  Allah is clear from any of the creations’ attributes. Dhun-Nun al Misriyy said:  “Whatever you imagine in your mind, Allah is different from It.” i.e., Allah is not similar to it.

Ibn Kathir and Abu ^Amr recited yawmu (يَوْمُ) with a dammah on the mim[4]. The rest recited it with a fathah on the mim[5].