النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-Infițar: 82 : 1 - 19
Surah Al-Infitar
(Cleaving)
This Surah is Makki. and it has 19 verses.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 19
إِذَا السَّمَآءُ انْفَطَرَتْ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انْتَثَرَتُ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ
فُجِّرَتُ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا الْقُبُوُرُ بُعْثِرَتْ ﴿٤﴾ عَلِمَتُ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتُ وَاَخَّرَتْ
﴾ الَّذِىُ خَلَقَكَ فَسَوْلِكَ
يَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ ﴿
فَعَدَلَكَ ﴿٢﴾ فِىِّ أَّ صُوْرَةٍ مَّاشَآءَ رَّبَكَ ﴿٨ٌ﴾ كَلَّ بَلْ تُكَذِّبُوُنَ
بِالدِّيْنِ ﴿٤﴾ وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَخِفِظِيْنَ ﴿١٠﴾ كِرَامًا كُتِبِيْنَ ﴿١١) يَعْلَمُوْنَ
مَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿١٢﴾ إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِىُ نَعِيُمِ ﴿١٢٣) وَإِنَّ الْفُجَارَ لَفِىُ جَحِيمٍ
﴿١٤﴾ يَّصُلَوْنَهَا يَوْمَ الدّيْنِ ﴿١٥) وَمَاهُمُ عَنْهَا بِغَائِبِيْنَ ﴿١٦﴾ وَمَآ
اَدْرِنكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّيْنِ ﴿١٧﴾ ثُمَّ مَآ أَدْرِكَ مَايَوْمُ الدِّيْنِ ﴿١٨﴾ يَوْمَ لَا
تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِنَفْسِ شَيْئًاءُ وَالْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلَّهِ ﴿٢﴾
When the sky will be cleft asunder, [1] and when the stars
will disperse, [2] and when the seas will be burst forth, [3]
and when the graves will be overturned, [4] then one will
know what he sent ahead and what he left behind. [5] O
man! What has deceived you about your Gracious Lord, [6]
who created you, then perfected you, then brought you in
due proportion? [7] He composed you in whichever form
He willed. [8] Never! (i.e. one should never be heedless

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Surah Al-Infitar: 82 : 1 - 19
towards him.) But you deny the Requital, [9] while
(appointed) over you there are watchers, [10] who are
noble, writers (of the deeds), [11] who know whatever you
do. [12] Surely the righteous will be in bliss, [13] and surely
the sinners will be in Hell, [14] in which they will enter on
the Day of Requital, [15] and they will not (be able to) keep
away from it. [16] And what may let you know what the
Day of Requital is? [17] Again, what may let you know
what the Day of Requital is? [18] A Day when no one will
have power to do any thing for another! And all matters,
on that Day, will belong to Allah (alone). [19]
Commentary
then one will know what he sent ahead and ... ) عَلِمَتُ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتُ وَآَخَّرَتْ
what he left behind .... 82:5) In the preceding verses [1-4] of the Surah,
Allah depicts the scene of the Day of Judgement that when the sky splits,
the stars fall, the seas are poured forth [ie the fresh and salt water bodies
will merge to form one mass of water] and the graves are overturned [ie
corpses will emerge from their graves], every soul shall come to know
what it had sent ahead and what it had left behind. The phrase 'what he
sent ahead' means the good or evil act which he has done in his life; and
the phrase 'what he left behind' means what he failed to do or refrained
from doing. It is also possible that 'what he sent ahead' refers to the acts
he has done himself, and 'what he left behind' refers to the acts one has
not done himself, but he has laid down a custom in the society. The Holy
Prophet
is reported to have said: "If anyone establishes a good tradition
in Islam, he will have a reward for it and the equivalent of the rewards of
those who act upon it after him, without theirs being diminished in any
respect; but he who establishes a bad custom in Islam will bear the
responsibility of it and the responsibility of those who act upon it after
him, without theirs being diminished in any respect." This subject was
dealt with earlier under the following verse: ◌َيُنَبَّؤُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَآَخْر 'Man
will be informed of what he sent ahead and what he left behind. [53:13]'
Sy Sy Qo (O man! What has deceived you about your Gracious
Lord ... 82:6) The opening of the Surah mentions the violent events that
will take place at the end of this worldly life, and the current set of verses
reminds us of the inceptive stages of our creation. The sum total of the
verses purport to say that if man had considered carefully, he would have
believed in Allah and His Messenger, and he would not have deviated a

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hair's breadth from Divine injunctions, but he slumped into heedlessness
and forgetfulness. In the present verse, he is reprimanded by a rhetorical
question and by means of gentle remonstrance as to what has lured him
away from His Gracious Lord, and led him to disobedience, despite he
knows his beginning, and he knows his end.
The verse further goes on to remind man of the inceptive stages of his
creation. First, it says: ◌َخَلَقَكَ فَسَوْك (who created you, then perfected you,
... 82:7). The sense is that not only did Allah create man, but He also
perfected his creation and proportioned his body, limbs and organs. Every
limb and organ is well placed. The body, height, length and breadth of
every limb are kept in harmony, symmetry and balance. Any deviation
from the symmetrical construction of the human body, the organs will
become dysfunctional. Then the verse says: SIAt ( ... then brought you in
due proportion ?... 82:7). Man is granted such symmetry, harmony and
balance that no other animal in the world is granted to that degree. Along
with physical and physiological symmetry and harmony, he has been
granted well-balanced disposition, despite the fact that man is made up of
opposing humours - blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. Some are
hot and others are cold, and yet the perfect wisdom of Allah prepared a
well-balanced disposition. Thereafter a third characteristic is mentioned as
follows:
He composed you in whichever form He) فِىِ آَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَّاشَآءَ رَكَّبَكَ
willed .... 82:8). This is to indicate that since the basic structure of all
human beings is the same, it was expected that the zillions of members of
the human society would have shared the same shape, size and features,
but the perfect mastery and the wonderful acumen of the Supreme
Creator has created them so differently that each one of them has its own
unique features that make him clearly distinct from all others, and no one
is confused with another.
Having stated the creative acumen of the Great Creator, the verse
states: ◌ِيَأَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيم (O man! What has deceived you about
your Gracious Lord, ... 82:6). Allah has endowed man with such natural
faculties and abilities that every limb and every joint of his body was
enough to remind him of His Creator, and to make him obedient. But he
is lured away from his gracious Lord, has forgotten Him and disobeyed
Him. The question is: How did he forget his Lord, how did he become

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Surah Al-Infițar: 82 : 1 - 19
heedless of Him, and how is he lured away from his Lord? On this
occasion, the adjective karim (Gracious) used for the 'Lord' points to the
answer. The reason for such an ungrateful attitude is that Allah is
Gracious and does not punish man immediately after his committing a
sin. Rather, his sustenance, welfare and well-being, and worldly comforts
[and pleasures] are not curtailed. He misinterprets Allah's magnanimity,
and thus falls into deception. If man were to think rationally, he would
adopt a grateful attitude and obedient behaviour, rather than adopting
an ungrateful attitude and impudent behaviour. Sayyidna Hasan
Al-Basri رحمه الله تعالى says:
كم منْ مغرور تحت السّتر وهو لا يشعر
'How many humans are there whose faults are put [by Allah]
under cover, (i.e. He did not disgrace them), yet they do not
appreciate (and are deluded by His grace.'
Surely the righteous will be in bliss, and) إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِىُ نَعِيْمٍ وَّإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِىْ جَحِيمٍ
surely the sinners will be in Hell, ... 82:13-14) These two statements are
connected with verse [5] above: ◌ُعَلِمَتُ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ وَأَخَرَت 'then one will know
what he sent ahead and what he left behind. [5]'
The verse informs us that each person, on the Day of Reckoning, will
know what he has done, and what will be the consequences of his deeds.
The present verse says that the righteous will be in perfect bliss, while
the sinners will be in a Blazing Fire of Hell.
(82:16 ... and they will not [be able to] keep away from it) وَمَاهُمْ عَنْهَا بِغَائِبِيْنَ
The inmates of Hell will never be able to get away from it, because the
torment will be eternal, as the concluding verse of the Surah asserts: (~
A Day when no one [with his own free will in the Plain) لَا تَمُلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِنَفْسِ شَيْئًا
of Gathering] will have power to do any thing for another!). This does not
negate intercession, because that will not happen with one's own free will,
unless Allah grants permission to someone to intercede on someone's
behalf, and then accepts the intercession. And all matters, on that Day,
will belong to Allah (alone). [19]' Allah knows best!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Infitar
Ends here

725
Surah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
Surah At-Tatfif
(Curtailing the Rights)
Surah At-Tatfif was revealed in Makkah It has 36 Verses and 1 Section.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 36
زصلح
وَيُلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِيْنَ ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِيْنَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُوْنَ
٢٥,
وَإِذَا كَالُوُهُمْ أَوْ وَّزَنُوُهُمْ يُخْسِرُوْنَ ﴿٣ٌ﴾ آلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُمُ
مَّبْعُوْتُونَ ﴿٤﴾ لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيٍْ ﴿٥) يَّوْمَ يَقُوْمُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٦ٌ﴾
كَلِّ إِنَّ كِتْبَ الْفُجَّارِ لَفِى سِجِّيْنٍ ﴿٢﴾ وَمَآ أَدْرِىكَ مَاسِجِّيْنٌ ﴿1﴾
كِتْبٌ مَّرْقُوُمٌ ﴿٩ُ﴾ وَيْلٌ يَّوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِيْنَ ﴿١٠﴾ الَّذِيْنَ يُكَذِّبُوُنَ
بِيَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ﴿١١﴾ وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِ إِلَّ كُلُّ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيْمٍ ﴿(١٢) إِذَا تُتُلى
عَلَيْهِ أَيْتَنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيُرُ الْأَوَّلِيْنَ ﴿١٣﴾ كَلَّ بَلُ سكنْرَانَ عَلَى قُلُوُبِهِمُ
مَّا كَانُوا يَكُسِبُونَ ﴿١٤﴾ كَلَّ إِنَّهُمُ عَنُ رَّبِّهِمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحُجُوْبُوْنَ
﴿١٥) ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُوا الْجَحِيْمِ ﴿١٦﴾ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَذَا الَّذِىُ كُنْتُمُ بِهِ
تُكَذِّبُونَ ﴿١٧﴾ كَلَّ إِنَّ كِتْبَ الْأَبْرَارِ لَفِىُ عِلَّيْنَ ﴿١٨﴾ وَمَآ أَدْرِيكَ
مَاعِلِيُّونَ ﴿١٩﴾ كِتْبٌ مَّرُقُوُمٌ ﴿٢﴾ يَّشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ﴿٢﴾ إِنَّ
الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِىُ نَعِيْمِ ﴿٢﴾ عَلَى الْآَرَآئِكِ يَنْظُرُوْنَ ﴿٢٣﴾ تَعْرِفُ فِىُ

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لا
٢٥٠
﴿٢٤﴾ يُسُقَوُنَ مِنْ رَّحِيْقِ مَّخْتَوْمِ
ج
وُجُوُهِهِمُ نَضُرَةَ النِّعِيْمِ
خِتُمُهُ مِسْكٌُ وَفِىُ ذِلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنْفِسُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَمِزَاجُهُ مِنْ
تَسُنِيْمِ ﴿٢٧﴾ عَيْنًا يَّشُرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ أَجْرَمُوا
كَانُوا مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا يَضْحَكُوْنَ ﴿٢٩﴾ وَإِذَا مَرُوا بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُوْنَ
، وَإِذَا انْقَلَبُؤْا إِلَى أَهْلِهِمُ انْقَلَبُوْا فَكِهِيْنَ ﴿٢ْ﴾ وَ إِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ
زصلى
٣
قَالُوا إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ لَضَالُّونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَمَآ أُرْسِلُوا عَلَيْهِمُ لحِفِظِينَ ﴿٣٣﴾
فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ عَلَى الْأَرَآئِكِ
يَنْظُرُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾ هَلْ ثُوِّبَ الْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾
Woe to the curtailers [1] who, when they measure
something to receive from people, take it in full, [2] and
when they measure or weigh something to give it to
them, give less than due. [3] Do they not think that they
have to be raised up [4] on a Great Day, [5] the Day
when all the people will stand before the Lord of the
worlds? [6] Never! (i.e. they should never forget that
Day.) Indeed the Record of Deeds of the sinners is in
sijjin. [7] And what may let you know what sijjin is? [8]
A register, inscribed! [9] Woe that day to the deniers, [10]
who deny the Day of Requital! [11] And none denies it
but every sinful transgressor. [12] When Our verses are
recited to him, he says, "(These are) tales of the
ancients." [13] No! But that which they used to commit
has covered their hearts with rust. [14] No! Indeed they
will be screened off from their Lord on that Day. [15]
Then they will have to enter the Hell. [16] Then it will
be said, "This is what you used to deny." [17]
No! The record of deeds of the righteous is in 'illiyyun.
[18] And what may let you know what 'illiyyun is? [19] A
register inscribed, [20] attended by those (angels) who
are blessed with nearness to Allah! [21] Indeed the
righteous will be in absolute bliss. [22] While (sitting)
on thrones, they will be watching (the scenes of
Paradise). [23] You will recognize on their faces the
glamour of bliss. [24] They will be served with a pure
sealed wine to drink, [25] the seal of which will be of
musk. And in aspiring for this, the competitors should

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Surah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
compete. [26] and it will be blended with (a drink from)
Tasnim, [27] a spring from which will drink those who
are blessed with nearness. [28]
Indeed those who were guilty used to laugh at those
who believed, [29] and when they passed by them, they
used to wink at one another, [30] and when they went
back to their family, they went enjoying their mockery,
[31] and when they saw them, they said, "Surely these
are the ones who have gone astray" [32] while they were
not sent as watchmen over them. [33] So, today those
who believed will laugh at the disbelievers. [34] While
(sitting) on thrones, they will be seeing [35] whether the
disbelievers have been paid back for what they used to
do. [36]
Commentary
According to Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4ee, Surah Tatfif was
revealed in Makkah. Therefore, most of the copies of the Qur'an refer to it
as the Makki Surah. According to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah,
Mugatil and Dahhak , it is a Madani Surah, but only about eight
verses are Makki. Imam Nasa'i transmits a narrative from Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas dee that when the Holy Prophet
arrived in Madinah, the people
of Madinah whose most transactions were based on measurements used to
cheat and short measure. For this reason, Allah revealed the Surah. It is
reported from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
e that this is the first Surah that
was revealed as soon as the Holy Prophet
arrived at Madinah. The
reason is that it was a common practice in Madinah that the people used
to be very strict in measuring when they had to receive something from
others, but when they sold something, they used to cheat the buyers.
After the revelation of this Surah, all of them abandoned this bad custom
totally, and mended themselves in a way that they are now well-known in
their honesty in weighing and measuring. (Reported by Hakim, Nasa'I, and Ibn
Majah, with sound chain of narrators)
Woe to the curtailers ... 83:1) The word mutaffifin 'those) وَيُلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِيْنَ
who give short measure or weight' is derived from Tatfif 'to give short
measure or short weight'. The Qur'anic expression 'Woe to the curtailers'
is indicative of the injunction that this practice is prohibited.
Tatfif has a Wider Scope
The Qur'an and Sunnah have prohibited Tatfif which primarily

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Sūrah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
signifies 'giving short measure and weight', because generally all
transactions are carried out by things that can be measured or weighed.
But the basic purpose of weighing or measuring is none else but to give a
person what he deserves. It, therefore, indicates that the rule is not
restricted to weights and measures only, but it includes all other means
through which the rights of someone are evaluated, assessed or
appraised. It is obligatory that all rights are given to the deserving
persons in full, whether they are assessed by weight, measure, number or
any other means. In terms of this concept of Tatfif, it is prohibited to give
to any person less than his due.
It is recorded in Muwatta' of Imam Malik that Sayyidna 'Umar
Ibn-ul-Khattab4
saw a person curtailing [cutting short] his bowing and
prostration postures in prayers, he said to him:
لَقَدْ طَفَّفُتَ
'You have committed Tatfif (curtailed the right) of Allah.'
Having cited this statement of Sayyidna 'Umar Ibn-ul-Khattab
Imam Malik formulates the following postulate:
لكلّ شىءٍ وفاء وتطفيف
'Everything has a full due and a short measure.'
This postulate can apply even to prayers, ablution, cleanliness and all
the rights of Allah and the ways of worship. If someone is deficient in
fulfilling these rights of Allah, he is guilty of Tatfif. Similarly if one cuts
short human rights [by failing to perform duties imposed upon him or
keeping to the terms of agreement duly], he is covered by the rule laid
down by the verse regarding Tatfif. For example, if an employee has
entered into a contract with the employer that he shall work for specified
time, it is imperative for him to work for the stipulated hours. If he
curtails the hours, he is guilty of Tatfif. Generally, people - even scholars
- are lax in this matter. They do not regard curtailment of their
obligations relating to service or labour as sin. May Allah protect us from
it!
HADĪTH: Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas
has narrated that the
Holy Prophet
has said:

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Surah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
خمس بخمس
"There are five sins, for which there are five punishments.'
[1] He who breaks his covenant, Allah will cause his enemy to subdue
him.
[2] The nation that abandons the sacred laws of Allah, and decides
cases according to other laws, poverty will prevail commonly among them.
[3] The nation among whom promiscuity and zina (fornication or
adultery) becomes rampant, Allah will punish them with epidemics and
endemic diseases.
[4] Those who curtail measures and weights, Allah will cause famine
to break out amongst them. and
[5] Those who fail to pay their Zakah, Allah will withhold rain from
them.
[Cited by Qurtubi who said that Al-Bazzar has narrated the over-all
sense of this hadith, though with different words; and Malik Ibn Anas
has also narrated it from Ibn 'Umar].
Țabarani narrates from Ibn 'Abbas 4
that the Holy Prophet # said:
"When it becomes rampant in a community to steal from the spoils of war,
Allah will cast terror of enemies into their hearts; when usury becomes a
common practice in a community, death becomes a frequent occurrence in
that society; a community that gives short measure and weight, Allah cuts
off their sustenance; those who decide against the truth, murder becomes
common among them; and those who betray their agreement, Allah
causes their enemies to prevail upon them." [Malik has also transmitted it, but
as a saying of Ibn 'Abbas. See Mazhari].
Various Forms of Poverty, Famine and Curtailment of
Sustenance
The Hadith (cited above) states that people's 'sustenance' may be Cut
Off as a punishment to short measuring: This can take different forms.
They may be completely deprived of their sustenance; or sustenance may
be available, but they may not be able to eat or use it, as it commonly
happens nowadays in the case of many diseases. Likewise, 'famine' might
take different forms: Items of necessity might be lacking; or they might be
1

730
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available abundantly, but it might be difficult to purchase them, because
the prices are unbearably exorbitant, as is experienced nowadays. The
Hadith says that in certain situations faqr will prevail in the society. Faqr
is generally translated as 'poverty', but its real meaning in Arabic is
'being in need' or 'being dependent on someone'. Keeping this meaning in
view, the situation of faqr pointed out in the Hadith is not confined to lack
of money and other necessary things, but it also includes a situation
where people depend on others in their business and other necessities of
life. The more a person is in need of others, the greater is his degree of
faqr. Let us consider the conditions of the present age. Man is bound by
the most complicated laws that restrict his living, his movement and his
intentions, so that he is unable to eat what he wants to eat, or utter what
he wants to utter. He possesses money, but he is not free to buy of his
choice from where he wants to. He is not free to undertake a journey [or
to travel] as and when he wants to. He is bound so much by these
restrictive laws that he has no choice but to follow the official procedure
for which he has to flatter the officials [at every level] including the
peons. Without this, life is difficult. This entire system of dependence on
others is a part of faqr. This elaborate explanation should dispel the
doubts that might apparently arise regarding the statement of the
Hadith.
Sijjin and 'illiyin
[.Never! [i.e. they should never forget that Day) كَلَّ إِنَّ كِتْبَ الْفُجَّارِ لَفِىُ سِجِّيْنٍ
Indeed the Record of Deeds of the sinners is in sijjin. [83:7]' The word
sijjin is derived from sajana which means to 'imprison in a narrow place'.
According to Qamus, the word sijjin means 'eternal imprisonment'.
Traditions indicate that sijjin is a special place where the souls of the
non-believers are kept, and in the same place, the Record of the evil deeds
of every wicked person is kept separately. It is also possible that in this
there is a consolidated book in which the deeds of all the non-believers of
the world are recorded.
Where is this place? According to a lengthy hadith reported by
Sayyidna Bara' Ibn 'Azib 4
e, the Holy Prophet
has said that sijjin is
beneath the seventh level of the earth, and 'illiyin is in the seventh
heaven beneath the Divine Throne. [Baghawi, and Ahmad etc., as quoted by
Mazhari]. According to certain Traditions, sijjin is the seventh earth which
i
j

731
Sūrah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
contains the souls of the disbelievers, and 'illiyin is the seventh heaven
which contains the souls of the believers.
The Locale of Paradise and Hell
Baihaqi has recorded a narration from Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Salam
that Paradise is in the heaven, and Hell is in the earth. Ibn Jarir cites
in his commentary on the authority of Sayyidna Mu'adh Ibn Jabal
a
narrative of the Holy Prophet
3, according to which he was asked about
the meaning of the following verse:
وجِاىّءَ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِجَهَنَّمَ
'and Jahannam (Hell), on that day, will be brought forward,
[89:23]'
The Holy Prophet
" was asked from where the Hell be brought
forward? He replied: "From the seventh earth." These narratives indicate
that Hell will be brought forward from the seventh earth. It will suddenly
flare up there, and all the oceans will join its blazing fire, and come
forward in full view of all. This interpretation is reconcilable with
narratives that define sijjin as the name of a place in Hell. [Mazhari]. And
Allah knows best!
A register inscribed !... 83:9) The word marqum (translated) كِتْبٌ مَّرُقُومٌ
above as 'inscribed') signifies here makhtum meaning 'sealed'. Imam
Baghawi and Ibn Kathir say that this statement is not the interpretation
of sijjin, but rather the explication of a phrase before that, namely:
كِتْبَ الفُجَّارِ
'Indeed the record of deeds of the sinners is in sijjin. [83:7]'
It is a book inscribed and sealed. No one can add anything to it, nor
can anyone remove anything from it, nor is any alteration possible in it.
The place where it will be kept for safe-custody is called sijjin, and it is the
place where the souls of the wicked unbelievers are gathered.
No! But that which they used to) كَلَّا بَلُ سكنهُ رَانَ عَلى قُلُوُ بِهِمُ مَّا كَانُوْ يَكْسِبُونَ
commit has covered their hearts with rust ... 83:14). The word rana is
derived from rain and it means 'rust' or 'dust' or 'filth'. In other words, the
rust of committing many sins has covered up their hearts. Just as rust
consumes the iron, and turns it into dust, in the same way, the rust of

732
Surah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
sins has destroyed their innate capacity to distinguish right from wrong.
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
narrates that the Holy Prophet &g said:
"Surely, when the servant commits a sin, a black dot appears on his heart.
If he repents from it, his heart is polished clean. However, if he increases
in the sin, the blackness continues to increase. That is the statement of
Allah: ◌ْكَلَّا بَلُ سكنه رَانَ عَلى قُلُوبِهِم 'No! But that which they used to commit has
covered their hearts with rust. [83:14]'." [Baghawi, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn
Majah, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim have recorded it, and Tirmidhi has rated it as sahih,
asquoted by Mazhari]. The particle kalla, in Arabic grammar, is called
harf-ur-rad' 'particle of disapproval, particle of repelling or averting'. In
the preceding verses, mention was made of the attitude of the unbelievers
towards the Qur'anic verses, in that when they are recited to them, they
say, "(These are) tales of the ancients." [13]. The present verse uses kalla
to repel the false idea of the ignoramus [that Qur'an is the tale of the
ancients]. In fact, [the heavy] load of their sins have eclipsed the light
and innate capacity to separate the right and the wrong. This capacity is
innate and inborn in man. The verse purports to say that their rejection is
not based on any logical or intellectual evidence, but their hearts have
become blind, as a result they are unable to see the good and the bad.
No! Indeed they will be screened off from their) إِنَّهُمُ عَنْ رَّبِّهِمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحُجُوْبُونَ
Lord on that Day ... 83:15). This will be their punishment for their failure
to recognise Allah in the world. The unbelievers will remain deprived of
seeing their Lord on the Day of Judgement, and a screen will fall between
them and their Lord. Imams Shafi'i and Malik said that in this verse is a
proof that the believers and friends of Allah will be able to see Him.
Otherwise, the wording that the unbelievers will be screened off from
their Lord on that Day will have no real sense.
Special Note
According to some of the learned predecessors, this verse is a proof
that man, by virtue of his innate nature, is forced to love Allah.
Therefore, all unbelievers in the world, no matter how deeply they are
steeped in their form of disbelief or hold false beliefs regarding the
[Supreme] Being and attributes of Allah, there is a common denominator
in their hearts. They love, respect and honour Allah. They worship Him
according to their belief system in quest of Him and His pleasure. Because
they have taken the wrong road, they are unable to reach their

733
Surah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
destination, but they are, nonetheless, in search of the same destination
of truth. If they did not have the desire to see their Lord, it would not
have been said, in their punishment, that they will remain deprived of
seeing Allah, because if a person is not desirous [rather he is hateful] of
seeing Him, it would be no punishment for him.
No! The record of deeds of the righteous is in) كَلَّ إِنَّ كِتْبَ الْأَبْرَارِ لَفِىُ عِلِّيْنَ
'illiyyun .... 83:18). According to some authorities, 'illiyyun is the plural of
'uluww and it signifies the 'highest point'. According to Farra', this is the
name of a place. It is not a plural, but on the measure of plural. When
analysing the word sijjin in the foregoing paragraphs, the traceable
Tradition of Sayyidna Bara' Ibn 'Azib
was cited to prove that 'illiyyin
is a place on the seventh heaven beneath the Divine Throne where the
souls of the believers and their registers of deeds are kept. The phrase:
+3 3 (A register inscribed ... 83:20) is not the interpretation of 'illiyyin,
but rather an explication their records of deeds, as in the verse that
precedes it:
attended by those [angels] who are blessed with ... ) يَّشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ
nearness to Allah !... 83:21) The verb yash-hadu is derived from shuhud
which means 'to attend, to witness, to be present, to observe'. The verse
purports to say that the record of deeds of the righteous will be in the
custody of angels who are blessed with nearness to Allah. [Qurțubi]. If
shuhud is taken in the sense of 'being present', then the attached
pronoun will refer to 'illiyyin instead of kitab or 'register' (and 'those who
are blessed with nearness to Allah' will refer to the righteous people, and
not to the angels), and the verse in that case will mean: "The souls of
those blessed with nearness to Allah will be in the place called 'illiyyin'
because that is the abode of their souls, as sijjin is the abode of the
unbelievers. The proof of this is the narrative of 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud.
recorded in Muslim in which the Holy Prophet
said that the souls of
the martyrs are in the crops of green birds, enjoying the rivers and
gardens of Paradise, and their abode will be the lamps suspended from
[the Divine] Throne. This indicates that the souls of the martyrs will be
under the Divine Throne, and will be able to stroll in Paradise. In Surah
Yasin, we came across the incident of Habib Najjar, where it is stated
that:

734
Sūrah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
قِيْلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّهَ قَالَ يِلَيْتَ قَوْمِىُ يَعْلَمُونَ بِمَا غَفَرَلِىُ رَبِّىُ
'He was told, "Enter the Garden!" He said, "If my people only
knew how my Lord has forgiven me [36:26]"
This indicates that no sooner he passed away than he entered
Paradise. Similarly, some Prophetic narratives also show that the souls of
the believers are in Paradise. The sum total of these verses and narratives
is that the abode of all the souls is in the seventh heaven beneath the
Divine Throne. This is the locale of Paradise, and the souls have been
given freedom of movement within the Paradise. Here reference has been
made particularly to 'those souls who are blessed with nearness to Allah'
because of the most exalted ranks they will enjoy. [This does not,
however, mean that souls at the lower ranks will not be in this abode.] In
fact, this will be the abode of the souls of all the believers as is narrated
by Sayyidna Ka'b Ibn Malik 4
that the Holy Prophet
said:
انما نسمة المؤمن طائر يعلّق فى شجر الجنّة حتّى ترجع الى جسده يوم القيمة.
(رواه مالك والنّسائى بسند صحيح)
"The soul of a believer is a bird that will be hanging in the tree
of Paradise, until it returns to its body on the Day of
Judgement.' [Malik and Nasa'i through an authentic chain of
narrators. A Tradition of Umm Hani' to the same effect is recorded in
Musnad of Ahmad and in Țabarani. See Mazhari].
The Abode of Human Souls After Death
What is the abode of human souls after death? In answer to this
question, reports seem apparently different. Narratives were cited in
explanation of sijjin and 'illiyyun above which showed that the souls of
the unbelievers are in sijjin which is beneath the seventh earth, and the
souls of the believers are in 'illiyyun which is in the seventh heaven
beneath the Divine Throne. Some traditions indicate that the souls of the
unbelievers will be in Hell, and the souls of the believers will be in
Paradise. Some narratives, like the lengthy narrative of Bara' Ibn 'Azib,
suggest that the souls of all the deceased, believers and non-believers, will
be in the graves. When the angels carry the soul of a believer to the sky,
Allah says: 'Keep the record of deeds of this servant of mine in 'illiyyun
and return him to the earth, because I have created him from earth, and
to it I shall return him, and from it I shall resurrect him.' Complying with
this command, the angels return his soul to the grave. Likewise, the soul

735
Surah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
of the non-believer is carried to the sky, but the doors are not opened for
him. The angels will be commanded to return the soul to its grave. Imam
'Abdul Barr prefers this narrative and believes that the souls of all
[believers and non-believers] remain in their graves. As for the first two
sets of traditions, there is no contradiction because, carefully considered,
'illiyyun is in the seventh heaven beneath the Divine Throne, and this is
exactly the locale of Paradise, as is clear from the Qur'anic text:
عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى عِنْدَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوِى
'by sidrat-ul-muntaha (the lot-tree in the upper realm), near
which there is Jannat-ul-ma'wa (the Paradise of Abode), [53:14-15]'
This clearly states that Paradise is near the lot-tree in the upper
realm, and ahadith confirm that the lot-tree is in the seventh heaven.
Thus it may be argued that since the abode of the souls is 'illiyyun,
Paradise must be near it. These souls will stroll in and along the Gardens
of Paradise. Therefore, their abode may be said to be Paradise.
Similarly, the souls of the unbelievers remain in sijjin which is
situated beneath the seventh earth. It is also proved by ahadith that Hell
is beneath the seventh earth, and the dwellers of sijjin will receive the
heat and torture of the Hell. Therefore, it would be correct to say that
their abode is in Hell.
However, the hadith that informs us that the souls of the unbelievers
will remain in the graves, is apparently contradictory to the preceding two
narratives. The Baihaqi of his time, Qadi Thana'ullah Pani Pati, in his
Tafsir Mazhari, has reconciled them thus: It is not far-fetched to assume
that 'illiyyun and sijjin are the real abodes of the souls, but they have a
special connection with their graves. None, besides Allah, knows the
actual nature of the connection. However, there is the sun and the moon
in the sky, but their rays fall on the earth and provide to it light and heat.
Similarly, the souls of 'illiyyun and sijjin may have some spiritual
connection with the graves. The scholarly view of Qadi Thana'ullah Pani
Patī has just been discussed in Surah Nazi'at, the sum total of which is as
follows: There are two types of soul: The one is a subtle substance that
permeates the human body. Despite being a material substance, it is too
subtle to be visible, and its other name is nafs. The other soul is abstract
and non-material, pure essence. The pure, abstract and non-material soul

736
Surah At-Tațfif : 83 : 1 - 36
is the life of the first soul, and therefore it is called the 'soul of soul'. Both
the categories of souls are connected to human body, but the first type of
soul resides in the human body. When the soul leaves the body, death
occurs. The second type of soul is connected with the body more closely
than the first type, but Allah alone knows the nature of the connection.
The first soul, after death, is taken to the heaven, and then returned to
the grave. Grave is its abode where it is rewarded and punished. The
abstract soul remains in 'illiyyun or sijjin [as the case might be]. Thus we
have several views on the issue. The final destination of souls is Paradise
or 'illiyyun, or its opposite Hell or sijjin. The abode of the abstract souls is
'illiyyun or sijjin. The souls of the first type, the nafs, or the body,
remains in the grave after death. And Allah knows best!
and in aspiring for this, the competitors should) وَفِىُ ذلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنِفِسُونَ
compete .... 83:26) The word tanafus means for a few people 'to try or strive
to gain some desirable things before others can get them.' Having
mentioned the bounties of Paradise, the attention of heedless people are
drawn to the fact that they are thinking that certain material things are
desirable, and therefore they are competing one another to obtain them
before others. They are told that the material blessings [after which they
are running] are perishable. They should not be made the ultimate goal
of life, nor the object of racing. Man should be content with what he has
for the comfort of the fleeting period of this life. If he loses the means, it
should not hurt him much, because it is not a loss that cannot be
recovered. However, people with aspiration should aspire, race and
compete for the blessings of Paradise that are perfect and eternal in every
possible dimension. How aptly the late poet Akbar has put it:
ہے کیال کا فانه پ سود وزيال، جو کیا سوکیا جو لا سو ملا
كبوول ت فرصت عمر ؛ كم، جو ولا تو ضای کی یاو ولا
Gain and loss - what fiction is this?
What is lost is lost, what is gained is gained
Say to the mind, the life is little.
If you wish to remind me, remind me of God.'
Indeed those who were guilty used) إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ اجُرَمُوا كَانُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يَضْحَكُونَ
to laugh at those who believed, 83:29). In these verses, Allah depicts fully
the attitudes of the followers of falsehood [non-believers] towards the

737
Surah At-Tatfif : 83 : 1 - 36
upholders of truth [the believers]. The non-believers used to laugh at the
believers in the worldly life. In other words, they would mock at them and
despise them. Whenever they would pass by the believers, they would
wink at each other in contempt of them. When the non-believers returned
home, they would take great pleasure in describing the mocking manner
in which they treated the poor believers, saying that Muhammad has
misled the simpletons.
If we review the situation today, [ it is no better.] People whose minds
are contaminated with contemporary secular education, are careless about
the religion and the Hereafter. Belief in Allah and the Holy Prophet
is nominal. They treat the [religious] scholars and righteous people
exactly in the same manner as the non-believers used to treat the
Companions in the days of the Holy Prophet
]. May Allah salvage the
Muslims from this painful scourge. There is much solace in this verse for
the righteous believers. Never bother about their laughter and mockery.
How well a poet puts it:
ين جاف ت جب تك بم وريل حً
'So long as we fear people's laughter [at us],
the people will continue laughing at us'
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah At-Tatfif
Ends here

738
Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
Surah Al-Inshiqaq
(The Splitting)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 25 verses and 1 section.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 25
إِذَا السَّمَآءُ انْشَقَّتُ ﴿٢﴾ وَأَذِنَتُ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتُ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا الْأَرْضُ
مُدَّتُ ﴿ٌ﴾ وَالْقَتُ مَافِيْهَا وَتَخَلَّتُ ﴿٤﴾ وَأَذِنَتُ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتُ
يَأيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَدُحًا فَمُلِقِيْهِ ﴿٢﴾ فَامًّا
مَنْ أُوْتِىَ كِتْبَهُ بِيَمِيْنِهِ ﴿٢﴾ فَسَوُفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَّسِيْرًا ﴿1﴾
وَيَنْقَلِبُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُوُرًا ﴿٩ٌ﴾ وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوُتِىَ كِتْبَهُ وَرَآءَ ظَهْرِهِ
﴿٢﴾ فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُوا ثُبُورًا (١﴾ وَيَصُلِى سَعِيْرًا ﴿١٢﴾ إِنَّهْ كَانَ فِىِّ
اَهُلِهِ مَسُرُورًا ﴿١٣﴾ إِنَّهْ ظَنَّ أَنْ لَّنُ يَّحُوُرَ﴿١٤) بَلَى إِنَّ رَبَّهْ كَانَ بِهِ
بَصِيْرًا ﴿١٥﴾ فَلا أُقْسِمُ بِالشَّفَقِ ﴿١٦﴾ وَالَّيْلِ وَمَا وَسَقَ ﴿١٧﴾
وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا أَتَّسَقَ ﴿١٨﴾ لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًّا عَنْ طَبَقِ ﴿١٩﴾ فَمَالَهُمْ لَا
يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿ْ﴾ وَإِذَا قُرِئَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُوْنَ ﴿٢١﴿ بَلِ الَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوْا يُكَذِّبُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُؤْعُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾ فَبَشِّرُهُمُ
بِعَذَابِ اَلِيُمِ ﴿٤﴾ ◌ِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحِتِ لَهُمُ اَجُرٌ غَيْرُ
مَمُنُونٍ ﴿٤٥﴾

739
Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
When the sky will split apart, [1] and will listen to (the
command of) its Lord, and it ought to, [2] and when the
earth will be stretched (to give room to more people), [3]
and it will throw up whatever it contains, and will
become empty, [4] and will listen to (the command of)
its Lord, and it ought to, (then man will see the
consequences of his deeds.) [5] O man, you have to work
hard constantly to reach your Lord, then you have to
meet Him. [6] So, as for him whose book (of deeds) will
be given to him in his right hand, [7] he will be called to
account in an easy manner, [8] and he will go back to
his people joyfully. [9] As for the one whose book (of
deeds) will be given to him from his back side, [10] he
will pray for death, [11] and will enter the blazing fire.
[12] He had been joyful among his people. [13] He
thought he would never revert (to Allah). [14] Why not?
Indeed his Lord was watchful over him. [15] So, I swear
by the twilight (after sunset), [16] and by the night and
what it envelops, [17] and by the moon when it develops
at the full, [18] you shall certainly ascend from stage to
stage. [19] So, what has happened to them that they do
not believe, [20] and when the Qur'an is recited to them,
they do not offer sajdah (prostration)? [21] Rather,
those who disbelieve deny (the truth). [22] And Allah is
most aware of what they store. [23] So give him the
'good news' of a painful punishment, [24] but those who
believed and did righteous deeds, for them there is a
reward that will never be interrupted. [25]
Commentary
The present Surah depicts the conditions that will prevail on the Day
of Judgement, such as reckoning and accountability, reward of good and
torment of evil. The heedless man is asked to look into himself and his
environs, which will lead him to believe in Allah and the Qur'an. [The
powerful opening of the Surah sketches some of the scenes of universal
upheaval]. First, it speaks about the sky that will split apart. Then it goes
on to speak about the earth that will be stretched and will throw up
whatever it contains - whether natural treasures, or buried treasures, or
dead human bodies, and then it will become empty. A new earth will be
prepared for Hashr (Gathering of the Day of Requital). It will have
neither caves nor mountains, neither buildings nor trees. It will be flat
and smooth. It will be stretched so that there is ample room for the former
as well as the latter generations to gather on the plain. This description

740
Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
has been given in other Surahs with different styles, but in the present
verses, there is an addition. About what Allah will demonstrate about the
heaven and earth on the Day of Judgement, the following comment is
made:
and will listen to (the command of) its Lord, and it) وَأَذِنَتُ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتُ
ought to, ... 84:5) The verb adhinat means 'it will listen'. Here listening
includes obedience. The verb huqqat may be interpreted as 'It had an
obligation to listen and obey Allah's command'.
Two Categories of Divine Commands
The obedience of the heaven and the earth, referred to here, may
have two meanings, because the Divine commands are of two kinds: [1]
the Divinely legislated [tashri'[] injunctions; and [2] the cosmic and
destined [takwini and taqdiri] commands. In the former case, the
command appears as a law the violation of which is punishable. However,
men are not practically coerced in the sense that they become practically
unable to violate it. Instead, they have their free will to choose whether to
abide by the law or to violate it. Such laws are imposed upon those who
are endowed with intellect like humans and Jinn. This divides them into
believers and non-believers, obedient and disobedient. In the former case,
the commands are implemented by force. No one can deviate from them in
the least. The entire universe, including humans and Jinn, follow them
by force. The cosmic commands [which Allah has decreed] are applied
forcefully and all the creatures, whether believers or unbelievers, pious or
impious, have no choice or will but to do according to that command.
زندگی کے خواب کی الی بی تعیر
'Every particle in this world is bound by the Divine Decree.
Jami, this is the interpretation of the dream of life.'
It is possible that Allah will, on that day, endow the sky and the earth
with special sense and perception like humans and Jinn. When they
receive a command from Allah, they, of their own volition choose to act
upon it. Alternatively, the command may refer to the second kind, that is,
وَأَذِنَتُ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتُ ,the cosmic command that no one can violate. But the words
"and will listen to [the command of] its Lord, and it ought to," are closer to
the first meaning of command, while the second one is possible, if these