Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
words are taken in their figurative sense.
and when the earth will be stretched [to give room to) وَإِذَا الْأَرُضُ مُدَّتْ
more people] ... 84:3) The word madda means 'to stretch, spread, expand
out'. Sayyidna Jabir ibn 'Abdullah
narrates that the Holy Prophet
said that on the Day of Judgement the earth will be stretched out like
leather (or rubber) and expanded into a smooth plain, and there will be
just enough space on it for all individuals of human race to keep their
feet. To understand this tradition, it is necessary to keep in mind that on
the Day of Resurrection all individuals who will have been born from the
inception of creation till resurrection will be brought back to life
simultaneously. Thus each individual will have just enough space on the
earth where he could place his feet. [Transmitted by Hakim with a good chain of
authorities - Mazhari].
and it will throw up whatever it contains, and will) وَاَلْقَتُ مَافِيْهَا وَتَخَلَّتُ
become empty ... 84:4) The earth will, with one convulsion, throw up
whatever it contains in its belly, whether natural treasures or buried
treasures, or mines, or dead human bodies and their remains and
particles.
O man, you have to work hard) يَأَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِخٌ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَدُحًا فَمُلِقِيْهِ
constantly to reach your Lord, then you have to meet Him ... 84:6) The
word kadh means to 'exert one's efforts fully', and 'to your Lord' means 'to
meet your Lord'. In other words, every effort of man would end at his
Lord.
Return to Allah
Mankind is addressed in this verse and shown a road that if he were
to think about it carefully, and use his sense and intelligence, he could
exert his efforts in the right direction that will ensure for him welfare,
well-being and safety in this world, as well as in the Hereafter. First, it
has been pointed out that man, whether he is good or bad, believer or
non-believer, has the natural tendency to exert himself in order to
achieve his goal. A good-natured person will work hard and adopt lawful
means to acquire his livelihood and necessities of life. A bad person cannot
obtain his needs and objective without working hard. Thieves, robbers,
rouges, cheats and looters apply their minds and exert their physical
strength in order to achieve their objective. Secondly, it has been pointed

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out that if the intelligent man were to think carefully, all his movements
and pauses are stations of a long journey he is going through, though
unconsciously. This journey will end at his presence before Allah, that is,
at death. This is stated in the phrase ila rabbika 'to your Lord'. This is a
statement of reality which none can deny. All efforts, [good or bad], must
end with death. The third point is that after death, in the presence of his
Lord, he will have to give an account of his movements and deeds, and of
his efforts. This is rationally necessary and justified, so that the
consequences of good and bad may be separately known, because such
distinction is not known in this life. A good person may work hard for a
month or so in order to obtain his livelihood and necessities of life, but
thieves and looters may obtain them overnight. If there is no time of
reckoning or punishment, both of them [the good and the bad] will be
equal, which is contrary to reason and justice. At the end, the verse says:
L'al" (then you have to meet Him.) The translation given above is based
on the assumption that the attached pronoun (hi) refers to Allah. The
sense is that every person has to meet his Lord and to present himself
before him to give the account of his deeds. Another possible
interpretation is that the attached pronoun (hi) refers to 'kadh' (working
hard). Given this interpretation, the translation of the verse would be: "O
man, you have to work hard constantly to reach your Lord, then you
have to meet it." And the sense would be: 'you have to meet the good or
bad consequences of your working hard.'
The verses that follow depict separately the consequences of the good
and the bad people, of the believers and the non-believers. First, the
ledger of deeds must be received in the right or the left hand. Those who
receive the ledgers in their right hands will be the inmates of Paradise
with its eternal blessings. Those who receive the ledgers in their left
hands will be the inmates of Hell. The point for careful consideration is
that necessities of life, as well as unnecessary desires are fulfilled by both
righteous and wicked people in this world, and thus both spend their lives
in some way or the other, but the consequences of the two [for the
Hereafter] are diametrically opposite to each other. One results in eternal
and unending comfort, and the other results in eternal perdition, torture
and torment. Man still has the chance [while he is living] to redirect his
attention to working hard towards switching the situation in a direction

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that not only fulfils his legitimate needs and desires in this world, but also
attains the eternal pleasures of the Hereafter.
فَامَّا مَنْ أُوْتِىَ كِتْبَهُ بِيَمِيْنِهِ ﴿٢﴾ فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَّسِيْرًا ﴿٨﴾ وَيَنْقَلِبُ إِلَّى
اَهُلِهِ مَسْرُوَرٌ
(So, as for him whose book [of deeds] will be given to him in his
right hand, he will be called to account in an easy manner, and
he will go back to his people joyfully .... 7-9)
This verse describes the condition of the believers. Their books of
deeds will be given to them in their right hands. An easy reckoning will
be taken from them and the welcome news of Paradise will be given to
them. They will return to their families joyfully.
It is reported in the Sahip of Bukhari from Sayyidah 'A'shah Ul 2)
Que that the Holy Prophet
has said:
من حوسب يوم القيمة عذّب
"He who is required to account for [or questioned about] his
deeds will have to be punished."
At this Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que Ul , asked, "What is the meaning of
the [following] verse ?"يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا (he will be called to account in an
easy manner, .. 84:8). The Holy Prophet
explained that the verse
signifies 'the deeds will merely be presented before Allah without being
questioned. As for the person whose deeds are scrutinised, he will never
be able to escape torment'.
This explanation of the Holy Prophet
clarifies that the deeds of the
believers will also be presented before Allah, but by virtue of their faith,
not all of their actions will be scrutinised. This is referred to as 'account in
an easy manner'. The words 'he will go back to his people joyfully' may be
interpreted in one of two ways. This may refer to the Houris who will be
his family members in Paradise, or it may refer to his family members in
the world who will be present in the Plain of Gathering, and he, after
knowing about his success, will impart to them, according to the custom of
this life, the welcome news of his achievement. The commentators have
mentioned both possibilities in interpreting this sentence. [Qurțubi].
He had been joyful among his people ... 84:13). This) إِنَّهَ كَانَ فِى أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُوُرًا
verse tells us that those who will be given their Record in their left hands

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Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
from behind their backs, they will desire death and destruction under the
impression that this might end their misery. But it will not be possible for
them to die. One of the reasons given here for his misery is that he used
to live joyfully among his people in the world, and he was completely
oblivious of the Hereafter. The believers, on the other hand, never for a
moment were oblivious of the Hereafter in the life of this world. At every
moment of pleasure and comfort, they were anxious and worried about
the Hereafter. The Qur'an quotes the believers on another occasion as
saying:
إِنَّا كُنَّا قَبْلُ فِىِّ أَهْلِنَا مُشْفِقِيْنَ
'Indeed we were afraid (of Allah's punishment) when we were
amidst of our family, [At-Țur 26]
In other words, they lived among their families and yet were fearful
and conscious of the Hereafter. The consequences of the two groups will
be appropriate to their respective positions. Those who led a life of luxury
and pleasure in this world with their families oblivious of the Hereafter,
their portion will be punishment of Hell in the next world. Those who
were aware of reckoning and feared punishment in the next world will
live with their families in eternal luxury, pleasure and happiness. This
indicates that a believer should not be immersed in the comforts of this
life. At no time and in no circumstance should he be oblivious to the
reckoning of the Hereafter.
So, I swear by the twilight [after) فَلّ أُقْسِمُ بِالشَّفَقِ وَالَّيْلِ وَمَا وَسَقَ. وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا انْسَقَ
sunset], and by the night and what it envelops, and by the moon when it
develops at the full ... 84:16-18) In these verses Allah takes oath by four
phenomena and reinforces what was asserted in :
إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى رَبِّكَ
'you have to work hard constantly to reach your Lord'
If we consider the four phenomena by which oath is taken, it bears
evidence to the subject which is forthcoming in the complement of the
oath, that is, the condition of man never remains the same at all times. He
undergoes changes and unexpected phases all the time. The first
phenomenon that brings about a change in his life is the twilight after
the sunset, or the red glow that remains on the west side of the sky after

745
Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
the sunset in the evening. This is the beginning of the night. This is the
harbinger of a massive change in human conditions, that is, the light is
disappearing and a flood of darkness is setting in. The second
phenomenon by which oath is taken is night itself which completes the
change in his life. The third phenomenon by which oath is taken includes
all things that night envelops or shrouds. The primitive sense of the word
wasaqa means to 'pile, gather, heap up the thing'. If it is taken in general
sense, it embraces every member of the entire universe which the
darkness of night covers, such as animals, vegetation, minerals and
inorganic matter, mountains and oceans. By extension, the word would
comprehend all things that normally disperse in the light of day and
retreat to their own places at night. Human beings return to their homes,
animals to their habitats and birds to their nests. Business goods and
merchandise are or piled up in one place. This massive change is related
to man himself. The fourth phenomenon by which oath is taken is in the
following verse: ◌َوَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا اتسَق (and by the moon when it develops at the
full ... 84:18). The word ittisaq is also derived from wasaga and it means 'to
gather'. The 'gathering of moon' signifies that it gathered its light, and it
became complete and full [badr] the moon of the 14th night. The phrase 15)
SAJ idhat-tasaqa in relation to moon points to the phenomenon that it
goes through various phases. First, it appears as a very fine semicircle.
Then its light grows progressively night after night, until it becomes badr
kamil [full moon of the 14th night]. Having taken oath by the vicissitudes
of the four phenomena, the Surah asserts the subject: ◌ِلَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًّا عَنْ طَبَق (you
shall certainly ascend from stage to stage .... 84:19) The word tabaq or
tabqah refers to a 'stage'. Its plural is tabaqat. The verb 32
latarkabunna is derived from rukub which means 'to mount or mount up'.
The verse purports to say that mankind from the inception to the end of
his life will continue to mount up stage by stage, or will pass through all
the conditions, gradually and in stages referred to in the preceding verses,
that is, periods of light and darkness and other phenomena. He never
remains in one condition all the time. He gradually goes through the
vicissitudes of life.
Vicissitudes of Human Life, His Eternal Journey and His Final
Destination
In the first instance the male sperm is united with the female egg to

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Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
form a new human organism. This is turned into a blood-clot which
transforms into a lump of flesh, and the lump is formed into bones, and
the bones are clothed in flesh. The limbs of the human body thus were
completed. Then the soul was breathed into him, and he became a living
human being. His first food in the womb of his mother was the unclean
blood of the mother's womb. Nine months later, Allah made his way easy
to come into the world. Now instead of the unclean blood, he got the
[pure] milk of his mother's [breast]. When he saw the wide atmosphere
and air of the world, he began to grow and develop. Within the first two
years of his life, he started moving and walking about, and was able to
talk. He weaned and began to eat more delicious and different types of
food. As he grew a little older, he made play and amusement his daily
preoccupation. When his intelligence developed [sufficiently], he was tied
up in educational and training activities. When he grew into a youth, he
abandoned all previous activities and replaced them with youth activities
and ushered himself in a new era where marriage, children and
house-keeping became his day-to-day preoccupation. Eventually, this era
too neared its end. His physical and other prowess began to give up, and
every day he fell prey to new ailments. Old age set in. The final stage of
this life, that is, death, began to mount. All this happens in full view of
everyone. No one dare deny this. But the ignoramus assumes that death
or grave is his final stage, and there is nothing beyond. Allah, the Creator
of the universe, the Omniscient, made it known, through the various
Prophets [through the ages], to the heedless man that grave is not the
final stage of his life, but it is merely a waiting-room to enter an
enormously large and gigantic world that is yet to come, where the final
examination will be conducted and the final stage of his life will be
determined. In this world, he will celebrate the Divine remembrance and
enjoy eternal comfort and pleasure or he will suffer eternal perdition and
damnation [depending on the final assessment]. This is where the
vicissitudes of his life will end. Thus the Qur'an says:
إِنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الرُّجُغِى
'Surely, to your Lord is the return [96:8]'
إِلَى رَبِّكَ الْمُنْتَهى
'and that to your Lord is the end (of every one), [42]'

747
Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى رَبِّكَ کَدُحًا
'you have to work hard constantly to reach your Lord [84:6]'
The ignoramus and unmindful man is made aware of the fact that the
vicissitudes of life are stages in the journey to his final destination. Man
ought to realise that walking, moving about, sleeping, waking, and
standing and sitting are conditions, in the process of which he is covering
the stages of his journey. Eventually, he will reach his Lord and,
accounting for his life-long deeds, he will find his final abode that will be
a place of never-ending comfort, luxury and pleasure, or [God forbid!] a
place of never-ending retribution, torture and torment. A wise person
should treat himself in this world as a traveller and prepare himself for
the next world. His main goal in this life should be to cultivate for the
next life as the Prophet g said:
كُنْ فِىُ الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيْلٍ
"Be in this world as though you are a stranger or a wayfarer."
Under the phrase above tabaqan 'an tabaq 'from stage to stage', a
similar narration is cited by Abu Nu'aim from Sayyidna Jabir Ibn
‘Abdullah
that the Holy Prophet
HE stated that these verses remind
the unmindful of his creation, the vicissitudes of his life and instructs him
to reconsider his position and the consequences [of his attitude in this life
as there is still time] and to prepare for next life. However, despite these
clear guidelines, there are people who never desist from their
heedlessness. Therefore, the verse concludes:
فَمَالَهُمْ لَايُؤْمِنُونَ، وَإِذَاقُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُوْنَ
So, what has happened to them that they do not believe, and
when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not offer sajdah
[prostration]? (84:20-21)
It means that when the Qur'an, replete with clear guidelines, is
recited to them, they do not bow in submission.
The word sajdah / sujud literally denotes 'to bow' and it connotes
'obedience'. Obviously, the word here is not used in its technical sense. It
is used in the sense of bowing in submission with respect, humbleness and
humility. The reason [for this interpretation] is quite clear. This verse
does not command to prostrate at the time of recitation of a particular

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Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
verse. It is related to the entire Qur'an. If the word sajdah had referred to
the technical prostration, it would necessarily entail that prostration be
offered at every verse of the entire Qur'an, which by unanimous
agreement of the Ummah is not the case. Neither salaf nor khalaf
subscribe to this view. Now remains the question whether or not a sajdah
is obligatory when this verse is recited. (There is a disagreement among
the jurists on this point) By a long stretch of imagination, it is possible to
use this verse in evidence or support of arguing in favour of prostration
being obligatory on recitation of this verse, as some of the Hanafi jurists
have done. According to them, the definite article al- 'the' in the word
al-Qur'an stands for the article that is used to indicate previous
knowledge, and thus the word al-Qur'an here refers to this particular
verse under comment, not to the entire al-Qur'an or the Holy Book.
However, this interpretation is after all merely a possibility, but the clear
context of the verse indicates that it seems to be far-fetched to take the
verse in this sense. And Allah knows best! The true interpretation can be
determined by prophetic narratives, the practice of the Holy Prophet
and that of the noble Companions. The narratives pertaining to sajdah of
tilawah differ. Some indicate that it is an obligatory duty to make sajdah
on this verse, and others indicate that it is not. As a result, there is a
difference of opinion among jurists. Imam Abu Hanifah holds the view
that prostration at this verse is an obligatory duty as is obligatory at other
verses of mufassal. Imam A'zam adduces the following Ahadith in favour
of his opinion:
Bukhari recorded from Abu Rafi'
that he prayed the 'Isha' [Night]
prayer behind Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 4ge, and the latter recited: TSJI 151
Ela (When the sky will split apart) and at the relevant verse, he
prostrated. So, Sayyidna Abu Rafi'a
le asked him what type of prostration
it was. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 4,0 replied: "I prostrated at this verse
behind Abul Qasim in a salah, and I will never cease prostrating during
its recitation until I meet him on the Plain of Gathering." Muslim
transmitted a narrative from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 4% that they
prostrated with the Holy Prophet
at relevant verses of this Surah, and
◌ِقْرَأْ بِاسُمِ رَبِّكَ of
Qurtubi reports from Ibn-ul-'Arabi that the veritable view is that this
verse is one of the verses at which it is an obligatory duty to prostrate

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Surah Al-Inshiqaq : 84 : 1 - 25
when read or recited or heard being recited. However, the people among
whom Ibn-ul-'Arabi lived' it was not customary among them to prostrate
at this verse. They probably followed an Imam, according to whom the
prostration was not obligatory. As a result, Ibn-ul-'Arabi says that
whenever he led the congregational prayer, he would avoid reciting
Surah Al-Inshigaq, because in his view prostration at the relevant verse
is obligatory. If he does not perform the prostration, he would be sinning.
If he does perform the prostration, the entire congregation would regard it
an unnecessary act. Therefore, he felt he should not unnecessarily split
the community. And Allah knows best!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Inshiqaq
Ends here

750
Surah Al-Buruj : 85 : 1 - 22
Surah Al-Buruj
(Stellar Formations)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 22 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 22
وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُوُدِ ﴿٢﴾ وَشَاهِدٍ
لا
وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوُجِ
وَمَشْهُوُدٍ ﴿٣ٌ﴾ قُتِلَ أَصُحِبُ الْأُخْدُوُدِ ﴿٤﴾ النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُوُدِ ﴿هُ﴾
إِذْهُمُ عَلَيْهَا قُعُوُدٌ ﴿٤﴾ وَهُمُ عَلى مَا يَفْعَلُوْنَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ شُهُوُدٌ ﴿٢﴾
وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيْدِ ﴿﴿﴾ الَّذِىُ لَه"
مُلْكُ السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ، وَاللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىءٍ شَهِيدٌ ﴿٤ٌ﴾ إِنَّ
الَّذِيْنَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنْتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمُ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ
وَلَهُمُ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيُقِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحْتِ لَهُمُ
جَنْتٌ تَجْرِىُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْآَنْهُ+ ذلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيْرُ ﴿١١﴾ إِنَّ بَطُشَ
رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيُدٌ ﴿١٢﴾ إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيْدُ ﴿١٣﴾ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُوُدُ
﴿١٤) ذُو الْعَرُشِ الْمَجِيْدُ ﴿١٥﴾ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ ﴿١٦﴾ هَلُ اَتكَ
حَدِيْثُ الْجُنُوْدِ ﴿١٧﴾ فِرُعَوْنَ وَثَمُوُدَ ﴿١٨ٌ﴾ بَلِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا فِىُ
تَكْذِيُبٍ ﴿١٩﴾ وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَّرَآئِهِمُ مُّحِيْطٌ ﴿.٢)﴾ بَلْ هُوَ قُرَانٌ مَّجِيْدٌ
﴿٢﴾ فِىُ لَوْحِ مَّحْفُوُظٍ ﴿٢﴾

751
Surah Al-Buruj : 85 : 1 - 22
I swear by the sky, the one having stellar formations, [1]
and by the Promised Day, [2] and by that which attends,
and that which is attended, [3] cursed were the People
of the Trench, [4] the (people of the) fire that was rich
with fuel, [5] when they were sitting by it, [6] and were
watching what they were doing with the believers. [7]
And they had blamed them for nothing but that they
believed in Allah, the All-Mighty, the Worthy of All
Praise, [8] the One to whom belongs the kingdom of the
heavens and the earth. And Allah is witness over every
thing. [9] Surely, those who persecuted the believing
men and the believing women, then did not repent, for
them there is the torment of Jahannam (Hell), and for
them there is the torment of burning. [10] As for those
who believed and did righteous deeds, for them there
are gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the big
achievement. [11]
The seizure of your Lord is severe indeed! [12] Surely He
originates (creation) and repeats (it after death). [13]
And He is the Most-Forgiving, the Most-Loving, [14] the
Master of the Throne, the Glorious. [15] He is ever doer
of what He intends. [16]
Has the come to you the story of the forces, [17] of
Fir'aun (the Pharaoh) and Thamud? [18] But those who
disbelieve are (engaged) in denying (the truth). [19] And
Allah has encircled them from all sides. [20] The reality
is that it is the glorious Qur'an, [21] (recorded) in the
Preserved Tablet (Lauh Mahfuz). [22]
Commentary
I swear by the sky, the one having stellar) وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْبُرُوُجِ
formations .... 85:1) The word buruj is the plural of burj which means 'a
large mansion or fortress'. The Qur'an says:
وَلَوْ كُنْتُمُ فِىُ بُرُوُجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ
' ... even though you are in fortified castles [4:78]'
Here the word buruj means 'castles'. The primitive sense of the word
barj is to become manifest'. The word tabarruj means 'to display one's
beauty' as in the verse:
وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُوْلى
' ... and do not display your beauty as it was previously displayed

752
Surah Al-Buruj : 85 : 1 - 22
in the Time of Ignorance [33:33]'
According to the majority of commentators like Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas,
Mujahid, Dabhak, Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, Suddi
and others, the
word buruj, in this verse, refers to 'giant stars'. Other commentators take
the word buruj, in this place, to refer to mansions and castles that are
reserved in the sky for the guardian angels. Some of the later
commentators chose the astronomical view in which the sky is divided into
twelve parts, each one called a burj. The primitive philosophers believed
that the thawabit (stationary) stars are fixed in these buruj. The planets
move with the movement of their particular sky and the planets descend
in these buruj. But this is absolutely incorrect. According to the Qur'an,
Allah has not fixed the stars and planets in the skies. In fact, every star
and planet has its own orbit and revolves by itself as in Surah Ya Sin:
وَكُلٌّ فِىُ فَلَكٍ يَّسْبَحُونَ
' ... And each one is floating in an orbit. [36:40]'
The word falak in this verse does not refer to the sky, but rather to
the orbits of the stars and planets in which they move. [Mazhari]
and by the Promised Day, and by that which) وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُوُدِ. وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُوْدٍ
attends, and that which is attended ... 85:2,3) With reference to a prophetic
Hadith reported by Tirmidhi, the phrase 'the Promised Day' refers to the
Day of Judgement; the phrase 'that which attends' refers to 'Friday'; and
the phrase 'that which is attended' refers to the day of 'Arafah. Thus in
this verse, Allah has taken oath by four objects: [1] 'the sky, the one
having stellar formations'; [2] 'the Day of Judgement'; [3] 'Friday'; and
[4] 'the Day of 'Arafah'. The relationship between the objects of oath and
the subject of oath is as follows: They bear evidence to the Divine
omnipotence, and they are a proof of reckoning and reward and
punishment on the Day of Judgement. Friday and the day of 'Arafah (the
main day of Hajj that is 9th Zul-Hijjah of the Islami Calender) are blessed
days for the believers to accumulate treasures for the Hereafter. Further,
the subject of oath curses the infidels who burned the Muslims on account
of their faith, and gives cheerful news to the righteous believers of
securing elevated ranks in the Hereafter.
The Story of the People of Trench
Verse 4 refers to the People of the Trench. Their story is recounted in a

753
Surah Al-Buruj : 85 : 1 - 22
Hadith reported by Imam Muslim as follows: There was an infidel king
who lived in bygone times. He had a soothsayer , or, according to some
narrations, a magician. The infidel king is identified as the ruler of
Yemen. His name, according to Ibn 'Abbas 4%, was Yusuf Dhu Nuwas,
and he lived about seventy years before the birth of the Holy Prophet .
The soothsayer or magician [occult teacher] said to the king that he
should be given an intelligent boy, so that he could train him in the skill
of foretelling or the black magic. Accordingly, the king sent a boy,
'Abdullah Ibn Tamir by name, to be trained by the soothsayer or
magician [occult teacher]. Whenever the boy went to his teacher, he had
to pass by a Christian monk. He followed the true religion of 'Isa al and
worshipped Allah. Since the religion of 'Isa && was the true religion in
those days, the monk was, in fact, a Muslim. The boy sat with the monk
and was very much impressed by his teachings. As a result, he frequented
the monk's house and sat with him for long hours before proceeding to his
teacher, and ultimately embraced Islam. Allah had blessed him with such
a strong faith that he was prepared to bear any pain and persecution for
the sake of Allah. His teacher used to beat him for his coming late. On his
way back from the occult teacher, he would spend some time again with
the monk and used to go home late. The family would then beat him up
for being late. But he was so keen to have the company of the monk that
he managed to sit regularly with the monk without fear of persecution.
Through the blessings of this, Allah had gifted him with many miracles
[karamah]. Once it happened that the boy saw a lion has blocked the
path and prevented people from passing. They were perturbed. He picked
a stone and prayed: "O Allah! If the religion of the monk is true, then kill
this beast with this stone [so that people may pass]. And if the soothsayer
or magician is true, then the beast must not die with my stone." So
praying, he aimed at the lion and it died instantly. The news spread
among the people that the boy possesses wonderful knowledge. A blind
man heard about this and came up to him. He requested him to restore
his sight. The boy conceded on the condition that he embraces Islam. The
blind man agreed. The boy prayed and Allah restored his sight. The blind
man became Muslim. The king came to know about these incidents, and
he got the boy, the monk and the blind were apprehended. They were
brought before the king. He got the blind and the monk killed, and
ordered that the boy be taken to the summit of a mountain and be thrown

754
Surah Al-Buruj : 85 : 1 - 22
from there. But those who had taken him up there fell and died. The boy
went home safely. Then the king ordered to have him drowned in the sea.
The boy escaped safely, while the people who took him to the sea were
drowned. The boy then himself told the king how to kill him. He told him
to take an arrow from his quiver and place it in his bow, and reciting,
; u 'In the name of Allah, my Lord' they should shoot. They did that
and they boy finally died. In this way, the boy gave his life away but
seeing this, the entire nation of the king cried out spontaneously: "We
believe in Allah." At this, the king was greatly enraged and, after
consultation with his cabinet, ordered for deep trenches to be dug and
filled with fire. An announcement was then made that the people must
renounce their faith in Allah. If they refuse, they would be thrown into
the fiery furnace. Eventually, a woman carrying her infant child was
brought to a trench, but she hesitated. Allah granted speech to her child
who said: "O mother, be steadfast, because you are certainly on the
truth." In this way, many people were burned. According to some reports,
about twelve thousand people were burned to ashes and, according to
other reports, the number is put more than this. Consequently, Divine
wrath descended on the People of the Trench and fiery furnace. Reference
in verse 4 is made to this incident after taking an oath.
In a narration of Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, it is reported that the place
where the boy 'Abdullah Ibn Tamir was buried had to be dug up for some
important reason during the time of Sayyidna 'Umar 4ee. It was found
that the body of 'Abdullah Ibn Tamir was intact, and he was sitting up.
His hand was placed on his hip joint, where the arrow struck him.
Someone moved his hand out from that place, and his wound started
bleeding. When the hand was placed back in its position, the bleeding
stopped. There was a ring in his finger which had the inscription: , ar
"Allah is my Lord." The governor of Yemen informed Sayyidna 'Umar
about this, and he wrote back in reply: "Bury the body back as it was with
his finger-ring." [Ibn Kathir]
Special Note
Ibn Kathir, with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim, writes that the incidents
of 'trenches of fire' took place many times in history in different parts of
the world. Then Ibn Abi Hatim specifies three particular incidents: [1] a
trench in Yemen. [This incident took place during the period of fatrah

755
Surah Al-Buruj : 85 : 1 - 22
(the interval between 'Isa Seal and the Holy Prophet
, about seventy
years before the advent of the Prophet ]; [2] a trench in Syria; and [3] a
trench in Iran. He further states that the incident the Qur'an refers to
here in Surah Buruj is the first one that occurred in Najran, the trench of
the kingdom of Yemen, because that was in Arabia.
Surely, those who persecuted the) إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمُ يَتُوبُوا
believing men and the believing women, then did not repent, ... 85:10) This
verse describes the torment of the wrong-doers who burned the Muslims
in the fire pit only on account of their faith. The description points out two
things: [1] if this 6 (for them there is the torment of Jahannam) and
and for them there is the torment of burning). The) وَلَهُمُ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيُقِ [2]
second sentence may be treated as explicative of the first sentence, a
statement for emphasis. It signifies that they will be put into Hell and will
have to suffer eternal torment of the fire. Another possible interpretation
is that the second statement describes the wrong-doers' torment in this
world, as is narrated in some reports. The believers, who had been cast in
fire pits, were spared the torture of fire, in that the souls of the believers
were taken out before the fire could touch them. Only their dead bodies
were lying in the fiery furnace. After that the fire flared up so high that it
spread out wildly through the city and burned all those who were
watching the fun of burning the Muslims. Only Yusuf Dhu Nuwas
managed to run away, and threw himself into the sea in order to save
himself from the rage of the fire, but he got drowned and died. [Mazhari].
Attached to the torment of Hell and the torment of burning for the
wrong-doers is the restrictive phrase: (then did not repent). That
is, this torment is for those who did not repent of their deed and did not
offer taubah. Thus this part of the verse invites people to repent.
Sayyidna Hasan 4% states: "Look at Allah's compassion and benevolence.
They burned Allah's friends alive, yet He invites them towards
repentance and forgiveness." [Ibn Kathir].
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Buruj
Ends here

756
Surah At-Tariq 86 : 1 - 17
Surah At-Tariq
(The Night-Comer)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 17 verses
بسم الله الرحمن
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 17
وَالسَّمَآءِ وَالطَّارِقِ ﴿٢﴾ وَمَآ ◌َدْرِكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ ﴿٢﴾ النَّجُمُ الثَّاقِبُ
﴿٢﴾ إِنْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ ﴿٤ُ﴾ فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْإِنْسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ
خُلِقَ مِنْ مَّاءِ دَافِقٍ ﴿٢﴾ يَّخْرُجُ مِنْ بَيْنِ الصُّلُبِ وَالتَّرَآئِبِ
إِنَّهُ عَلَى رَجُعِهٍ لَقَادِرٌ ﴿٨ُ﴾ يَوْمَ تُبُلَى السَّرَآئِرُ ﴿4﴾ فَمَالَهُ مِنْ
ط
قُوَّةٍ وَّلَا نَاصِرٍ ﴿١ٌ﴾ وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجُعِ ﴿١﴾ وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتٍ
الصَّدُعِ ﴿١٣﴾ إِنَّهَ لَقَوْلٌ فَصُلٌ ﴿١٣) وَمَاهُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ ﴿١٤﴾ إِنَّهُمُ
يَكِيُدُونَ كَيْدًا ﴿﴿1﴾ وَّاكِيْدُ كَيْدًا ﴿١٩﴾ فَمَهّلِ الْكُفِرِيْنَ اَمُهِلُهُمُ
ع
رُوَيْدًا ﴿١٧)
I swear by the sky and the Night-Comer, [1] and what
may let you know what the Night-Comer is? [2] The star
of piercing brightness! [3] there is no human being, but
there is a watcher over him. [4] So, let man consider of
which stuff he is created. [5] He is created of a spouting
water [6] that comes out from between the loins and the
chest-bones. [7] Surely He is Powerful to bring him back
[8] on a day when all the secrets will be searched out, [9]
and he will have no strength (to defend), nor a
supporter. [10] I swear by the sky that rains, [11] and

757
Surah At-Țariq 86 : 1 - 17
the earth that cracks open (for plants), [12]
this is a decisive word, [13] and it is not a joke. [14] They
are devising plans, [15] and I Am devising plans. [16] So
leave the disbelievers at the moment; give them respite
for a while. [17]
Commentary
After swearing an oath by the sky and stars, in this Surah, Allah
asserts that He has assigned a guardian angel to every human being who
watches over his deeds and actions, and accurate and immediate record is
kept on the basis of which the reckoning will be made, and on the Day of
Reckoning, all secrets will be revealed. The rational conclusion is that
man must ponder over the consequences of the deeds he is doing in this
life. Therefore, he should not, at any moment of his life, lose sight of what
is to happen on the Day of Reckoning. Thereafter, the verse disposes of a
doubt that the Satan perennially casts into the people's hearts. When
they are dead and have become dust and decomposed particles, how will
they be recomposed and life be brought back? This seems to be an
imaginary thought, rather, in the view of the general public, it is
impossible. In answer to this doubt, man is invited to reflect on his origin.
At the inception, he was created from various elements collected from
throughout the world, and Allah's Power transformed them into a human
being who is able to listen and see. Allah Who has created him and looked
after him is well able to bring him back to life after death. Then some
events of the Day of Judgement are mentioned. Then, after swearing an
oath by the earth and the sky, the negligent man is told that the
Hereafter he is urged to care about is no joke or amusement, but it is a
reality that has to come to pass. Towards the end of theSurah, the
unbelievers pose the question: If Allah abhors disbelief, idolatry and sins,
why then does He not punish us in this life? The Surah ends with a
rebuttal to this question. Let us now explain some expressions used in the
Surah:
The first oath, in the beginning of the Surah, is by the sky and tariq.
The word tariq means the 'Night-Comer'. Stars normally disappear
during the day and only appear at night, therefore they are called tariq.
The Qur'an itself raises the question:
and what may let you know what the Night-Comer) وَمَآ أَدُرنَكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ
is ?... 86:2) and then answers the question thus: ◌ُالنَّجُمُ الثَّاقِب (The star of

758
Surah At-Țariq 86 : 1 - 17
piercing brightness !... 86:3). The word najm means
star'. The Qur'an does not specify any particular 'star'. Therefore, it may
be applied to any star. Some of the commentators say that najm refers to
the Pleiades or Saturn, and they quote specimens of Arabic speech to
confirm their argument. The word thaqib means 'piercing brightness'.
there is no human being, but there is a watcher) إِنَّ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ
over him .... 86:4). This is the subject of the oath. The particle in at the
beginning of the statement is used in the sense of 'no', that is, a negative
particle; and the particlelamma is used in the sense of 'but/except', that
is, it is an exceptive particle in the dialect of Ban Hudhail. The verse
purports to say that there is not a single person over whom there is not a
watcher [hafiz ]. The word hafiz may mean 'guardian' who may watch
over someone's actions and deeds, so that the reckoning is made on that
basis. The word hafiz may also be used in the sense of 'one who protects
from calamities'. In the first sense, the word hafiz refers to the angels who
record the deeds. Here the word hafiz , although appears in the singular
form, it is used in the generic sense, because there is not just a single
recording angel, but there is a host of them as another verse testifies to
this fact:
إِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحِفِظِيْنَ كِرَامًا كُتِبِيْنَ
While [appointed] over you there are watchers,who are noble,
the writers [of the deeds],[82: 10-11]'
According to the second sense of the word, hafiz refers to the angels
who have been appointed to protect man from all kinds of calamities that
befall him day and night, except the calamities that Allah has decreed for
him, as the following verse explicitly states:
لَهُ مُعَقِّبْتٌ مِّنُ ثَبَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُوْنَهُ مِنْ آَمْرِاللهِ
'For him there are angels replacing each other, before him and
behind him, who guard him under the command of Allah [13:11]
A tradition has reported the Messenger of Allahas saying that Allah
has appointed three hundred and sixty angels for every believer. They
protect every limb of his. Of the three hundred and sixty, seven angels
alone protect man's eye. These angels defend man from every calamity
that is not decreed, like a fan chases away the flies coming to a vessel
containing honey. If there are no security guards for man, the devils will

759
Surah At-Țariq 86 : 1 - 17
snatch them away. [Qurțubi].
He is created of a spouting water) خُلِقَ مِنْ مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ يَخُرُجُ مِنْ بَيْنِ الصُّلُبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ
that comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones ... 86:6,7). The
general body of commentators have explained that the spouting water
(sperm) comes out from the loins of men and the chest-bones of women.
However, the research of embryological science on the subject shows that
the seminal fluid comes out from every part of human body, and every
part of the foetus is made of the seminal fluid that has come out from that
part of the man's and woman's body. The brain, of course, plays the
greatest role in this matter. Thus experience shows that people who
indulge in excessive cohabitation mostly suffer from weakness of mental
weakness. The embryologists have at the same time discovered that the
seminal fluid separates from all parts of the body, and through the spinal
cord, collects in the testes and from there it spouts.
If these findings have any value, it is not far-fetched to reconcile them
with the explanation of some of the commentators. Embryologists agree
that the brain plays the most important role in the preparation of seminal
fluid. The representative of the brain is the spinal cord that has come into
the backbone from the brain, up to the loins and the testes. Some of its
branches have come into the chest-bones. It is likely that the seminal fluid
coming from the chest-bones into the woman's seminal fluid and the
seminal fluid coming from the loins into a man's seminal fluid have a
greater role to play . (Baidawi)
If we analyse the verse of the Qur'an carefully, we notice that it does
not specify 'man or woman'. It merely says 'He is created of a spouting
water that comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones.' This
may simply signify that the seminal fluid comes out from the entire body
of both men and women. The expression 'the entire body' is understood
from the mention of the principal organs of front and back. The front part
of the body is chest and the back part of the body is the loin. These are
the principal parts of the body. The expression, 'the spouting water that
comes out from between the loins and the chest-bones' may mean 'comes
out from the entire body'.
Surely He is Powerful to bring him back ... 86:8) The) إِنَّهُ عَلَى رَجُعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ
word raj means 'to bring back'. The verse signifies that Allah Who has

760
Surah At-Țariq 86 : 1 - 17
created him from a drop of seminal fluid is well able to bring him back to
life after death a fortiori.
.(86:9 .. on a day when all the secrets will be searched out) يَوْمَ تُبُلَى السَّرَائِرُ
The word tubla literally means 'to test/examine' andsara'ir means
'secrets'. On the Day of Reckoning, the secrets will be tested and
examined and laid bare. Man's beliefs, his thoughts, and his motives and
intentions that were hidden in this life, and no one knew about them, will
be revealed in the Hereafter.
Likewise, his deeds and actions that he had done secretly, and no one
was aware of them in this world, all of them will be tested and scrutinised
on the Plain of Gathering and will be laid bare. Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn
'Umar des has said that on the Day of Judgement Allah will disclose the
secrets of all human beings. The sign of every good or bad belief and
action will be displayed on man's face, in the form of beauty or darkness
or gloom [depending on each individual's situation]. [Qurțubi].
"I swear by the sky that rains ... 86:11) The word raj) وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجُعِ
refers to 'the rain that comes down repeatedly'. In other words, the rain
that comes down and stops and then returns.
this is a decisive word .. 86:13) In other words, the Qur'an is) إِنَّهُ لَقَوُلٌ فَصُلٌ
truly a Decisive Word that decides between truth and falsehood, and
there is no room for any doubt in it.
Sayyidna 'Ali 4
says that he heard the Holy Prophet
as saying
about the Holy Qur'an:
کتاب فيه خبرما قبلكم وحكم ما بعد كم وهو الفصل ليس بالهزل
'[It is] a book which describes the stories of past communities
and [it contains] injunctions for future generations. It is truly a
Decisive Word. It is no joke.'
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah At-Tariq
Ends here