Surah 78. An-Naba

1.

Concerning what are they disputing?

2.

Concerning the Great News ⁵⁸⁸⁹

Great News: usually understood to mean the News or Message of the Resurrection or the Hereafter, about which there are various schools of thought among the Jews and Christians and other nations. There is practically nothing about the Resurrection in the Old Testament, and the Jewish sect of Sadducees even in the time of Christ denied the Resurrection altogether. The Pagan ideas of a future life-if any-varied from place to place and from time to time. Even in the early Christian Church, as we learn from Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, there were contentions in that little community (1, Corinthians, i. 11), and some definitely denied the resurrection of the dead (ib., xv. 12). Great News may also be translated Great Message or a Message Supreme as I have translated at xxxviii. 67. In that case it would refer to the Qur-an, or the Message of Revelation, or the Message of the Holy Prophet, about which there was great contention in those days. As this Message also lays great stress on the Day of Judgment and the Resurrection, the practical result by either mode of interpretation amounts to the same.

3.

About which they cannot agree.

4.

Verily they shall soon (come to) know!

5.

Verily verily they shall soon (come to) know!

6.

Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse ⁵⁸⁹⁰

See n. 2038 to xvi. 15. Cf. also xiii. 3 and xv. 19. The spacious expanse of the earth may be compared to a carpet, to which the mountains act as pegs. The Signs of Allah are thus enumerated: the great panorama of outer nature (verses 6-7); the creation of Man in pairs, with the succession of rest and work fitting in with the succession of night and day (verses 8-11); the firmaments above, with their splendid lights (verses 12-13); and the clouds and rain and abundant harvests, which knit sky and earth and man together (verses 14-16). These point to Allah, and Allah's Message points to the Future Life.

7.

And the mountains as pegs?

8.

And (have We not) created you in pairs

9.

And made your sleep for rest

10.

And made the night as a covering ⁵⁸⁹¹

The darkness of the night is as a covering. Just as a covering protects us from exposure to cold or heat, so this covering gives us spiritual respite from the buffets of the material world, and from the tiring activities of our own inner exertions. The rest in sleep (in verse 9) is supplemented by the covering of the night with which we are provided by Allah.

11.

And made the day as means of subsistence? ⁵⁸⁹²

"Subsistence" in English only partly covers the idea of ma'ash, which includes every kind of life activity. The Day is specially illuminated, so runs the figure of speech, in order that these life-activities of all kinds may be fully exercised.

12.

And (have We not) built over you the seven firmaments ⁵⁸⁹³

See n. 5526 to lxv. 12 and n. 2876 to xxiii. 17, also xxxvii. 6 and notes there.

13.

And placed (therein) a Light of Splendor? ⁵⁸⁹⁴

That is, the sun. Cf. xxv. 61; xxxiii. 46 (where it is used metaphorically for the holy Prophet); and lxxi. 16.

14.

And do We not send down from the clouds water in abundance ⁵⁸⁹⁵

Note how the evidences of Allah and His beneficence arc set out in four groups. (1) Look to external nature on the earth around you (verses 6-7); (2) your own nature, physical, mental and spiritual (verses 8-11); (3) the starry heavens, and the glory of the sun (verses 12-13); and (4) the interdependence of earth, air, and sky in the cycle of water, clouds, rain, corn and gardens, all serving in their several ways to further the whole plan of the World as it affects us. Can you not then believe that a Creator who does this will sort out Good and Evil on an appointed Day with real justice and power?

15.

That We may produce therewith corn and vegetables

16.

And gardens of luxurious growth?

17.

Verily the Day of Sorting Out is a thing appointed ⁵⁸⁹⁶

Cf. xxxvii. 21, n. 4047, and xxxvi. 59, n. 4005 (end), The Day of Judgment is the Day of Sorting Out, as between Good and Evil.

18.

The Day that the Trumpet shall be sounded and ye shall come forth in crowds; ⁵⁸⁹⁷

The angel charged with the sounding of the Trumpet is Israfil. It will herald Judgment. Cf. 1. 20; also xxxix. 68, and n. 4343; and lxix. 13, n. 5648.

19.

And the heavens shall be opened as if there were doors ⁵⁸⁹⁸

A sign that the present order of things will have ceased to exist, and a new world will have come into being. Such a figure applies to the heavens in this verse and to the earth in the next verse. The mystery of what is beyond the heavens will have vanished through the doors which will then be opened. The solid mountains, as we suppose them to be, will have vanished like an unsubstantial mirage.

20.

And the mountains shall vanish as if they were a mirage.

21.

Truly Hell is as a place of ambush ⁵⁸⁹⁹

Hell, the embodiment of evil, is lying in wait like an ambush for every one. We should be on our guard. For the transgressors, those who have wilfully rebelled against Allah, it will be a definite destination, from which there is no return, except, it may be, after ages, i.e., unless Allah so wills: Cf. vi. 128, and n. 951.

22.

For the transgressors a place of destination:

23.

They will dwell therein for ages.

24.

Nothing cool shall they tastes therein nor any drink

25.

Save a boiling fluid and a fluid dark murky intensely cold ⁵⁹⁰⁰

Cf. x. 4, and n. 1390; also xxxviii. 57, and n. 4213.

26.

A fitting recompense (for them). ⁵⁹⁰¹

Their transgressions go on progressively as they refuse to repent and turn to Allah. The fire of misery begins to blaze forth more and more fiercely, an there is nothing to cool that blaze; their food and drink themselves are tainted with the disorder of contradictory elements,-boiling hot drink, with intensely cold, murky, and disgusting fluids. These are fitting punishments for their crimes, which are inconsistent with the pure and gentle mould in which Allah had originally cast their nature.

27.

For that they used not to fear any account (for their deeds) ⁵⁹⁰²

It was not isolated acts, but a continued course of evil conduct; they repudiated the moral and spiritual responsibility for their lives; and they impudently called Truth itself by false names and disdained Allah's Signs, which were vouchsafed for their instruction. These are not mere impressions; these are hard facts "preserved on record", so that every deed can have its due weight in making up the account.

28.

But they (impudently) treated Our Signs as false.

29.

And all things have We preserved on record.

30.

"So taste ye (the fruits of your deeds); for no increase shall We grant you except in Punishment." ⁵⁹⁰³

Just as there is a progressive deterioration in the sinner's soul when he surrenders himself to evil, so there is a progressive increase in the Penalty which he suffers.

31.

Verily for the righteous there will be a fulfillment of (the Heart's) desires; ⁵⁹⁰⁴

This is true Salvation. It is not only safety and felicity, but the attainment of the final Goal, the supreme Achievement, the Fulfilment of the highest in human nature, the satisfaction of the true and pure desires of the heart,-seeing the "Face of Allah". See n. 4733 to xliv. 57.

32.

Gardens enclosed and Grape-vines; ⁵⁹⁰⁵

The supreme Achievement, or the Fulfilment of the Heart's Desires, spoken of in the last verse, is now described in three illustrations (verses 32-34), as further explained by two negatives (verse 35). The first is the enclosed Fruit-Garden, represented by the Grape. The Garden in its many aspects is the most frequent expression adopted for Bliss. The most carefully-tended Garden is a Fruit-Garden, with walls all round to protect it, and the most characteristic fruit mentioned here is the luscious Grape.

33.

Companions of Equal Age; ⁵⁹⁰⁶

The second is maidens of Equal Age.

34.

And a Cup full (to the Brim). ⁵⁹⁰⁷

The third, the Cup, takes us partly to the Grapes mentioned in verse 32 and partly to the Springs or Rivers mentioned with the Garden in so many places.

35.

No Vanity shall they hear therein nor Untruth ⁵⁹⁰⁸

The explanation of the three illustrations is made further clear by the two negatives. (1) There will be no talk of vanities, such as are usually associated on this earth with pleasant Gardens, Companions of equal age, or generous Cups nowing in Assemblies. (2) There will be no Untruth or Falsehood. Insincerity or Hollowness there. Everything will be on a plane of absolute Truth and Reality.

36.

Recompense from thy Lord a Gift (amply) sufficient ⁵⁹⁰⁹

The Recompense is not exactly a Reward in proportion to merit, but is rather a Gift or a Bounty from the Merciful-a Gift most amply sufficient to satisfy all desire on that plane of purity. "A Gift (amply) sufficient" might almost be translated: a liberal and bountiful gift. Cf. the phrase, A 'ta fa ahsaba= he gave generously, or bountifully.

37.

(From) the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all between (Allah) Most Gracious: none shall have power to argue with Him. ⁵⁹¹⁰

No one has the right or the power to argue with Allah about the Gifts which He may bestow on His devotees beyond their deserts, (verse 36 above) or about the Penalty which His justice may inflict for sin or wrong-doing. He is high above all Creation. But He is also Most Gracious. Therefore He may permit special Dignitaries, of honour in His eyes, to plead for sinners, but they will only plead in truth and righteousness: see verse 38 below.

38.

The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand forth in ranks none shall speak except any who is permitted by (Allah) Most Gracious and he will say what is right. ^{5911 5912}

The Spirit: see n. 5677 to lxx. 4. Some Commentators understand by "the Spirit" the angel Gabriel as he is charged specially with bringing Messages to human prophets: see xxi. 193, n. 3224.

See n. 5910 above. No one has the right to speak before the Judgment-Seat; but certain great Dignitaries may be given permission to plead for mercy for sinners, and they will only so plead if the mercy is not negatory of Allah's universal justice.

39.

That Day will be the sure Reality: therefore whoso will let him take a (straight) Return to his Lord! ⁵⁹¹³

Cf. lxix. 1 and n. 5635. Judgment is sure to come, and Truth will then be free from all veils. Why should not man, therefore, now in this life of probation, turn back to Allah, and understand and do His Will?

40.

Verily We have warned you of a Penalty near the Day when man will see (the Deeds) which his hands have sent forth and the Unbeliever will say "Woe unto me! Would that I were (mere) dust!" ^{5914 5915}

Is Judgment very near? Yes. There are three stages of Judgment. (1) Many of our sins and wrong-doings find their penalty in this very life. It may not be an open or striking event, but it corrodes the soul and conscience all the time. Let us therefore tum back to Allah in repentance and ask for forgiveness. (2) Where the Penalty is not actually perceived or is not visible in this life, Death is considered the Lesser Judgment for each individual soul: see n. 5822 to lxxv. 22. Death may come to anyone at any time, and we must all be ready for it. (3) Then there is the final Judgment, when the whole of the present order passes away, and there is a New World. Time as we know it will not exist. Fifty thousand years as we reckon now will be but as a Day: lxx. 4. According to those standards even this Final Judgment is quite near, and we must prepare for it. For it will be too late then for repentance.

The Unbeliever, the Rejecter of Allah, will then find himself in a world of absolute Reality, in which there will be no place for him. He will neither live nor die: xx. 74. He will wish that he could be reduced to nothingness, but even that would not be possible.