Verses 82–93
These verses conclude the previous set of verses by talking about the Resurrection, the events after it, and some of its signs. Then the chapter ends as it started: by warning and giving glad tidings.
Commentary
وَ إِذا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كانُوا بِآياتِنا لا يُوقِنُونَ ٨٢
(27:82) And when the word (al-qawl) shall fall upon them, We shall bring forth for them a creature from the earth that shall speak unto them that indeed (anna) people would (kānū) have no faith in Our signs.
The previous verses were about the polytheists at the time of the Prophet—or specifically those in Mecca from the Quraysh tribe—who had the utmost degree of hostility toward the Prophet and his message. Thus, the flow of the context entails that the plural pronouns in this verse—“them” in “against them,” “for them” and “unto them”—refer to the abovementioned polytheists. However, the verse is not limited to them; they are just the specific audience who were addressed at the time of revelation. Otherwise, the verse’s address applies to all people from the Prophet’s nation, for they are a single unit—in the sense of being subject to the same call. Therefore the later generations are subject to the same rule as the former ones. Such inclusion of audience [from the future generations] is very common in the Qur’an.
And when the word (al-qawl) shall fall (waqaʿa) upon them…: What is meant here is that “the word applies to them; it is determined that the word should befall them.” The same expression is seen further down: “and the word shall fall upon them” (), which means “God’s punishment shall befall them.” Therefore, waqaʿa in this verse is synonymous with ḥaqqa (come true, become due, come to pass) in many other verses in the Qur’an, such as: those against whom the word will come true (ḥaqqa) (). The difference between the two expressions is that in the current verse—waqaʿa al-qawl ʿalayhim—the emphasis is on the word ʿalayhim (against them), while in the other expression—ḥaqqa ʿalayhim al-qawl [as used in ]—the emphasis is on the word ḥaqqa. In other words, the focus of the current verse is to identify the audience as those who will face the word. The focus of the other verses is to emphasize the settlement and establishment of the word—in a way that it does not change.
Now, what is this “word” (al-qawl) that shall befall them? Using God’s Book, it is best to interpret it in light of the following verse: We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own souls, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth (). Surely what is meant by “Our signs” in this verse is not the ordinary signs of God in the heaven and the earth which are always within the sight and hearing of the people. Instead, “Our signs” means extraordinary events which would leave them no choice but to submit to God and believe [in Him and His religion]. These signs and events will befall them while they had failed to embrace faith through observing the apparent signs of God which are found all around them in the heaven and earth.
This explanation should clarify that the last part of the verse—“that indeed people would have no faith in Our signs”—justifies the passing of the word against them. In other words: “The word shall befall them because the people would not believe.” The auxiliary verb kānū (would, used to) indicates that uncertainty and disbelief were established in them. “Our signs” mean the signs of God that are ordinarily visible in the heavens and the earth, not His extraordinary signs and miracles. The verse has also been recited with inna (indeed) instead of anna (that indeed, or indeed). The recitation of inna is preferred to anna [in terms of meaning] and it would confirm what we said above: that the last part of the verse serves as a justification for the first part. With inna there would be no need to assume an omitted letter lām [which would mean “because”].
… We shall bring forth for them a creature (dābbah) from the earth that shall speak unto them…: This sentence describes one of the extraordinary signs promised in the verse: We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own souls, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth (). Since it describes an extraordinary event, its “bringing forth from the earth” must mean bringing it to life after death or something similar to that [in terms of being supernatural]. The word dābbah (creature) is used for living beings that move on the earth, including human beings and other animals. If the creature meant here is a human being, then its speaking with the people will be an ordinary event. If the creature is an animal, then its speaking will be extraordinary just like its coming forth from the earth.
No other verse in the Qur’an explains what is meant by this creature that God shall bring forth from the earth and that will speak to the people. We have no idea what it is, what its qualities are, how it will come forth, and what it will speak about. Instead, the context of the verse is the best evidence that a sense of uncertainty and vagueness is intended here. It is meant to be a mysterious expression.
The overall meaning is: Soon, the people will not believe in Our clear signs and will lose their capacity and opportunity to believe in Us through applying reason and learning lessons [from the previous generations]. When that happens, We will show them the extraordinary signs that We have promised them, which will make the truth evident to them such that they will be compelled to admit it. At that point We shall bring forth a creature for them from the earth that will speak to them.
The above is what we can infer from the context of the verse after pondering upon it. The exegetes have differed significantly with one another regarding the meanings of the terms and sentences in the verse, the overall message of the verse, the reality of this creature, its qualities, the meaning of what it says, as well as the process, the time, the location and the frequency of its emergence. They have proposed many views that cannot be supported by any solid foundation other than contrivance and forced interpretation. That is why we skipped mentioning and discussing them. Those who are interested in them should refer to the lengthy books of tafsīr.
وَ يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجاً مِمَّنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِآياتِنا فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ ٨٣
(27:83) And on the day (yawma) when We will gather (naḥshuru, from ḥashr) of (min) every nation a party (fawjan) of (min) those who rejected Our signs (bi-āyātinā), then they shall be formed into groups (yūzaʿūna, from īzāʿ).
According to al-Rāghib, fawj is “a group that is moving rapidly.” Īzāʿ means “to stop a group so that those in the front and those in the back may gather together.”
The inflection of the word yawma (the day) is manṣūb (in the accusative case) because it is the object of an implied omitted verb. In full, it would mean And remember (udhkur) the day when…
What is meant by ḥashr here is “gathering the people after death,” because those who are gathered are parties from every nation, and such a gathering at the same time does not occur during the people’s lives [in this world]. The particle min (lit. “of” or “from”) in “of (min) every nation” is a partitive one (tabʿīḍiyyah). The same particle in “of (min) those who rejected” is either partitive or descriptive (bayāniyyah).
… those who rejected Our signs…: Here, “signs” (āyāt) are meant in an unconditional sense, including any sign of the origin [that is, God] and the end [that is, the Resurrection]. That would include the prophets, the Imams, and the divine scriptures, not the Resurrection itself or the events that will occur at the end of the world. These “signs” should not be limited to the verses (āyāt) of the Qur’an, because the gathering (ḥashr) does not apply to the Muslims alone, but will include parties from various nations. It is strange how one exegete has insisted that what is said here is explicit evidence that āyāt in this verse and the next means the verses of the Qur’an. He has justified this view by saying:
The next verse talks about āyāt that they “had no comprehensive knowledge of” (), meaning things that they had to ponder upon in order to grasp. This only applies to the verses of the Qur’an which include proofs of the truth, not to things like the Hour and what shall happen then.
The problem with this argument is obvious. The fact that āyāt cannot be referring to the Hour and its events does not prove that it refers to the verses of the Qur’an alone, because the verse is more than clear that those who will be gathered are parties from all nations, while the Qur’an is a book for only one party among them.
The verse is clearly not about the ultimate gathering on the Day of Resurrection, because it talks about the gathering of a part of every nation, not all of them. This is contrary to how God describes the gathering on the Day of Resurrection: And We will gather them and leave not any one of them behind ().
Some have suggested that the verse is about gathering a group for punishment after the universal gathering of all people. That is, it refers to a specific gathering after the initial gathering [of everyone upon the Resurrection].
However, had this been the case, the verse should have said so to clarify any ambiguity, as He says elsewhere: And on the day that the enemies of Allah shall be gathered (yuḥsharu, from ḥashr) to the Fire, then they shall be formed into groups. Until they come to it (). Meanwhile, what follows below [in verse ] mentions rebuke and decisive judgment, but not punishment. The current verse mentions “gathering” (ḥashr) in an absolute sense, without any sign that it refers to a specific gathering [of a particular group]. This is confirmed by the next verse which says “until they come,” () without specifying what they come to. It does not say “until they come to the punishment,” or “to the Fire,” or anything like that.
The above view is further confirmed by the following two pieces of evidence: (1) These two verses [] appear after the verse about the emergence of a creature from the earth [], which is one of the signs of the Resurrection [and thus will occur before the Resurrection]. (2) These verses are mentioned before the verses that talk about the events that will occur on the Day of Resurrection: And on the day when the Trumpet shall be blown… (). It does not make sense to mention one of the events of the Day of Resurrection before introducing the Resurrection itself and setting up the stage. If the gathering of a party from every nation were something that would happen on the Day of Resurrection, then it should have been mentioned after talking about the blow of the Trumpet and the coming of people in abasement []. That would have been the natural sequence of events.
One exegete—who has interpreted this verse as referring to the gathering on the Day of Resurrection—has realized the above objection, and has answered it as follows:
Perhaps the reason why this event is mentioned before the blowing of the Trumpet and the rise of the Hour is to indicate that each of these events is a great catastrophe and a shocking calamity that is worth mentioning separately on its own. If they were to be mentioned in order, the audience might have had the misconception that these events together comprise a single great disaster.
Our readers would agree that the above explanation is contrived and unsatisfactory. If it were as this exegete has said, then the verses should have first prevented the impression that this gathering is different from the gathering on the Day of Resurrection by placing the verse after the verse on the blowing of the Trumpet, and then adding a point to clarify the possible misconception that the exegete has suggested.
Thus it is clear that the verse—according to its apparent meaning—talks about a gathering before the gathering on the Day of Resurrection. Nevertheless, this idea is not entirely explicit in the text of the verse such that it cannot be interpreted otherwise.
حَتَّى إِذا جاؤُ قالَ أَ كَذَّبْتُمْ بِآياتِي وَ لَمْ تُحِيطُوا بِها عِلْماً أَمَّا ذا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ٨٤
(27:84) Until they come, He will say: Did you reject My signs (bi-āyātī) while you had no comprehensive knowledge of them? Or what was it that you did?
Based on the context, “when they come” means when they appear in the position where they are addressed by God: Did you reject…? As in the previous verse, “signs” (āyāt) include anything that points to the truth.
… while you had no comprehensive knowledge of them…: This phrase describes their state of rejection (called ḥāliyyah). It means, “You rejected My signs while you were in a condition in which you had no knowledge of them to turn away from them. So why did you reject (takdhīb) something that you had no knowledge of?” That is, “You accused My signs of being a lie (kidhb, kadhib) and not being binding proofs while what you said was not based on knowledge.”
… or what was it that you did?: That is, “did you do anything other than rejection?”
The meaning of the verse is: They shall come until they appear in the position of being addressed. Then God will tell them, “Did you reject My signs while you had no comprehensive knowledge of them, or did you do anything other than rejecting My signs?”
This is a way of rebuking them which shows that they did not engage in anything other than rejecting God’s signs; they had no better occupation that could have kept them busy from that.
وَ وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِما ظَلَمُوا فَهُمْ لا يَنْطِقُونَ ٨٥
(27:85) And the word shall fall upon them because they were unjust (bi-mā ẓalamū), so they shall not speak.
The letter bāʾ (lit. “by, for, because”) in bi-mā ẓalamū shows causality, and the particle mā turns the verb into a verbal noun (called maṣdariyyah). It means: “The word shall befall them because of their injustice” or “because they were unjust.”
… so they shall not speak: The letter fāʾ (so, then, therefore) shows that this sentence is a consequence of the word coming to pass against them. This explanation confirms that “the word” which shall befall them is being guided by God, as He says elsewhere: Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people (). The meaning is: Because they were unjust in their rejection of Our signs, they were not guided to anything that would exempt them [from Our punishment]. Thus they will be cut from speech; so they shall not speak.
Some exegetes have interpreted “the falling of the word upon them” as God’s punishment becoming incumbent on them. However, it is better to say that the word that shall befall them is His decree of punishment against the unjust. This divine decree is stated in other verses, such as: Lo! The iniquitous shall remain in lasting chastisement (). The meaning would then be: “Because they were unjust, punishment was decreed for them, and thus they have nothing to say.” However, the previous meaning is more plausible [given the theme and flow of the verses].
“The falling of the word” has also been interpreted as “God’s punishment and their entrance into the Fire,” but this view is unlikely in this context because it does not match what is mentioned as its consequence: so they shall not speak.
أَ لَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِيَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَ النَّهارَ مُبْصِراً إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لَآياتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ٨٦
(27:86) Have they not seen that We have made the night that they may rest therein, and the day to give light? Most surely there are signs in this for a people who believe.
The previous verses said that many people are deaf and blind as they do not give ear to the word of truth, do not reflect on the signs of God, and do not take lessons from them []. Then they mentioned the creature of the earth, which God shall bring forth as an extraordinary sign that will talk to them []. Then it was said that He will gather a party from the deniers of every nation and they will have no excuse to offer Him because they turned away from His signs without having knowledge about them []. Now this verse continues to rebuke the disbelievers by saying that not only are they blameworthy for denying the signs of God out of ignorance, they are also blameworthy because they could naturally see the night in which they could rest, and could see the bright days in which they could observe the signs of the heaven and earth. So why did they not open their eyes?!
… Most surely there are signs in this (dhālika) for a people who believe: The demonstrative pronoun “this” (dhālika) refers to how the night is made for rest, and how the day is made bright so that people can see the signs of the heavens and the earth. In these there are signs for a people who are submissive to and receptive of the truth that is so evident.
“Signs” (āyāt) here mean any aspect of the night and day which indicates God’s unity and the religious teachings that stem from that. Among these signs is humankind’s need to rest in a condition that is fit for resting, and that is the night which covers the eyes by its darkness. Likewise, they indicate humankind’s need to move about in a situation that is suitable for moving, and that is the bright day which enables the eyes to see what is beneficial for life.
The lesson in these two signs is that one must keep silent about what is covered from him by the darkness of ignorance, should not speak without knowledge, and should not reject what he has no comprehensive knowledge of. Instead, one should announce and believe in the clear signs that are evident like the bright day.
وَ يَوْمَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَنْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلاَّ مَنْ شاءَ اللَّهُ وَ كُلٌّ أَتَوْهُ داخِرِينَ ٨٧
(27:87) And on the day when the Trumpet shall be blown, then those who are in the heavens and those who are in the earth shall be terrified (fa-faziʿa, from fazaʿ) except those whom Allah wills, and all shall come to Him abased (dākhirīn, from dukhūr).
“Blowing the Trumpet” is a metaphorical expression for informing a multitude, like an army, to do what they are supposed to do collectively, such as gathering in one place or marching. According to al-Rāghib, fazaʿ is “a feeling of psychological contraction and aversion due to a scary event.” It is of the same nature as jazaʿ (anxiety, impatience). Dukhūr means “dishonor, abasement.”
Some exegetes have said: This verse refers to the second blow of the Trumpet, through which life is blown back into the dead bodies, and they rise for the final judgment. This is confirmed by the following points: (1) the subsequent part of the verse, which refers to the appearance of everyone before God: and all shall come to Him abased; (2) the exception of: whom Allah wills from the terror; and (3) stating that “whoever brings good… shall be secure from terror on the day” (). All of these expressions suggest that the fazaʿ (terror, fear) mentioned in this verse is the second blow of the Trumpet.
Others have said: The verse refers to the first blow of the Trumpet, at which all living beings die, as seen in the verse: And the Trumpet shall be blown, so all those that are in the heavens and all those that are in the earth shall swoon (fa-ṣaʿiqa, from ṣaʿqa), except such as Allah please; then it shall be blown again, then lo! They shall stand up, awaiting (). They swoon as a result of terror (that is, their ṣaʿqah is because of their fazaʿ), and that occurs after the first blow of the Trumpet. Based on this interpretation, the subsequent part of the verse—“and all shall come to Him abased”—refers to the return of everyone to God through death.
Perhaps we can say that the verse means the blow of the Trumpet in an absolute sense, including both the first blow, which causes death, and the second blow, which gives life. Both blows are among the specific events pertaining to the Hour [which is the subject of discussion in these verses]. What is said about the terror of some beings and the motion of the mountains [27-87-88] could specifically pertain to the first blow, and what is said about the coming of all in abasement [] could be among the specific features of the second blow. This explanation would answer the objections that may be raised against both of the above suggested interpretations.
In this verse, God excludes some of His servants from the universal rule of terror that will include everyone in the heavens and the earth. This exception is interpreted further below, where He says: and they shall be secure from terror on the day ().
… and all shall come to Him abased: Apparently this statement includes everyone, even those who are secure from the terror. Everyone in the heavens and the earth will return to God, meaning that they will rise and appear before Him. He says elsewhere: They shall most surely be brought up. But not the servants of Allah, the purified ones (). The exception of God’s “purified servants” (al-mukhlaṣūn) means that they will not be summoned for reckoning and questioning [on the Day of Judgment], not that they will not return to God and will not appear before Him at all. The verses about the Resurrection explicitly show the universality of the Resurrection, such that it includes every single soul.
Ascribing abasement to God’s friends (awliyāʾ) does not contradict their honor in the sight of God, because what gives a servant honor before God is his abasement before Him, and one’s sufficiency by God is his poverty to Him. Meanwhile, the abasement of His enemies who used to assume a false sense of honor for themselves will be a humiliating abasement.
وَ تَرَى الْجِبالَ تَحْسَبُها جامِدَةً وَ هِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحابِ صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِما تَفْعَلُونَ ٨٨
(27:88) And you see the mountains, you think them to be solid, passing by as the passing of the clouds—the handiwork of Allah Who has made everything in perfection; surely He is Aware of what you do.
This verse is in a thread of verses about the Resurrection, and is enveloped in this context. Therefore, it should be interpreted as describing one of the signs and events that will occur at that time: the movement of the mountains. God has referred to the same idea in other verses, such as: and the mountains shall be moved off so that they shall remain a mere semblance ().
And you see the mountains…: This is addressed to the Prophet, and is meant to depict the scene for him, much like the verse: and you shall see men intoxicated (). That is: The mountains will be in a moving condition on that day, and this condition will be visible; you would see it if you were present and witness there.
… you think them to be solid…: That is: “Since the Resurrection has not yet occurred, you think that the mountains are solid and unmoving.” This is a separate sentence mentioned as an aside or parenthetical remark (muʿtariḍah). It could also be ḥāliyyah [that is, describing the Prophet’s state of seeing].
… passing by as the passing of the clouds…: This describes the state of the mountains while the Prophet sees them. The meaning is: When the Trumpet is blown, you will see the mountains drifting away like clouds passing in the sky.
… the handiwork of Allah (ṣunʿ Allāh) Who has made everything in perfection…: “The handiwork of Allah” is an object of an implied omitted verb, to the effect of: “Allah has made this handiwork of His” (ṣanaʿahu ṣunʿan). Overall, this sentence alludes to the idea that such acts by God appear to be a way of destroying this world and obliterating the universe, but in reality they are a way of perfecting and ordering it, for they bring everything to its goal, and make everyone reach their end in the direction that they are pursuing, toward either happiness or wretchedness. This [creation] is the handiwork of God Who has made everything in perfection, and He would never deprive any being from the perfection that He has given it, and would not let corruption or disorder dominate what He has properly set in place. In other words, in the destruction of this world, there is the construction of the hereafter.
… surely He is Aware of what you do: Some exegetes have interpreted this sentence as follows: It is a justification for what was mentioned above—that the blow of the Trumpet and its subsequent events are the perfect works of God. His awareness of people’s apparent and hidden deeds calls for exposing them, revealing their good and evil qualities as they really are, and giving them due reward or punishment after the Resurrection and the gathering of the people, and the movement of the mountains.
However, the reader should realize that the above interpretation is contrived because it is contrary to the context of the verses.
Others have said: This sentence is an answer to an assumed question, as if it were asked: “So what shall happen after these striking events?” So the verse answers: “Surely God is Aware of the acts of all actors, and He shall requite them for what they did.” Then this is explained further in the next two verses: Whoever brings good, he shall have better than it… ().
But perhaps we can propose another interpretation which is deduced from deep reflection on the flow of the previous verses. We saw that God commands His prophet to rely on Him and leave the polytheists and the Children of Israel to Him [], because he can only guide those who believe in the signs of God and who submit to the truth []. As for the polytheists who are engrossed in defiance, and the Children of Israel who disagree [with one another], they have dead, deaf and blind souls. They do not hear the truth and fail to find their way to it through observing God’s signs in the heaven and the earth and taking lessons from them []. All of this, of course, is a result of their own volition.
Then the verses talked about what they shall encounter while they are in this state where God’s signs have no impact on them: a creature from the earth shall come forth and speak to them, and that is an extraordinary sign that will force them to accept the truth []. Further, there will be a group of deniers who will be gathered from every nation, and God’s argument will be completed against them []. Finally, in the hereafter, God is Aware of their deeds; He will repay whoever brings good or evil according to his action, and that will be on the day when the Trumpet will be blown, when everyone will come to Him, being terrified and abased [].
Contemplating the above context clarifies that it is best to take “the day when the Trumpet shall be blown” () as the time for “surely He is Aware of what you do” (). Also, the recitation of the verse as yafʿalūna in the third person (what they do) is preferred to the common recitation [of tafʿalūna] in the second person (what you do).
The implied meaning is: On the day when the Trumpet will be blown and everyone in the heavens and earth come to Him abased, surely He will be Aware of their actions. He will reward those who bring good by better than their deeds [], and those who bring evil by throwing them in the Fire on their faces []. Everyone will be requited according to his action.
Based on this interpretation, the verse would be equivalent in meaning to the following verses: Does he not then know when what is in the graves is raised, and what is in the breasts is brought out? Most surely their Lord that day shall be fully aware of them (), and: the day when they shall come forth, nothing concerning them will remain hidden to Allah ().
This way, the next two verses—“whoever brings good…” ()—would elaborate on “surely He is Aware of what you do” in the sense that they discuss the implications of God’s knowledge about their deeds. He rewards them for their deeds according to His knowledge of them. We can also see this connection at the end of the two verses, where He says: Shall you be rewarded (for) aught except what you did? (). The transition from the third person to the second person—in “Shall you be rewarded…?” ()—is to emphasize the rebuke that is implied by this rhetorical question.
There are two more views about: and you see the mountains, you think them to be solid, passing by as the passing of the clouds… ():
(1) It refers to trans-substantial motion (al-ḥarakat al-jawhariyyah), that the very substance (jawhar) of things, like mountains, is moving toward the goal of that thing, which is to be resurrected and returned to God.
This view is very pertinent especially because the verse says, “you think them to be solid,” which suggests that the mountains are moving right now, before the Resurrection. Otherwise, one cannot say that both parts of the verse—about the mountains moving, and their motion being unnoticeable—take place in the hereafter.
(2) It refers to the translational movement of the earth. This is a good meaning with respect to the verse itself, but it suffers from two problems: (a) It would cut off the verse from the verses before and after it, which pertain to the Resurrection. (b) It would leave no connection between “surely He is Aware of what you do” and the first part of the verse.
مَنْ جاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْها وَ هُمْ مِنْ فَزَعٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ آمِنُونَ ٨٩
(27:89) Whoever brings good, he shall have better than it; and they shall be secure from terror on the day.
As we said above, this verse and the next one are an elaboration of the statement, “Surely He is Aware of what you [or they] do” (), in the sense that they discuss reward and punishment, which are the consequences of God’s awareness of what they do.
Whoever brings good, he shall have better than it…: It means that his reward will be better than the good that he brings. This is because a good deed to its reward is like the means to the end, regardless of what the good deed is. Whereas the reward is the purpose, the deed is a preliminary that is intended for that objective. The end goal is always superior to its preliminary.
… and they shall be secure from terror on the day: Given the context, “terror” (fazaʿ) here refers to the terror after the second blow of the Trumpet, not the first. Thus the verse means the same thing as: The great terror shall not grieve them, and the angels shall meet them: This is your day which you were promised ().
وَ مَنْ جاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَكُبَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ ما كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ٩٠
(27:90) And whoever brings evil, these shall be thrown down on their faces (fa-kubbat wujūhuhum, from kabba) into the Fire; shall you be rewarded (for) aught except what you did?
When someone is thrown down on his face and falls on it, it is said: kabbahu ʿalā wajihi. The verse literally says, “Their faces will be thrown down,” which is a metaphorical expression. What is meant is: “They will be thrown down on their faces.”
… shall you be rewarded (for) aught except what you did?: This is a rhetorical question that implies a negation. It means: This reward of yours is nothing but the very action that you did, which now becomes evident to you and is inseparable from you. Hence there is no injustice in [your] reward, nor any wrong in [God’s] judgment.
These two verses [] are meant to describe the nature of good and evil deeds in terms of the rewards that they entail. The verses state the case of one who brings only good deeds, and one who is surrounded by his sin and is plunged in evil. As with one who carries both good and evil deeds, one can know his overall position given these two verses, but an elaborate account of such individuals is discussed in other verses, not here.
إِنَّما أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِي حَرَّمَها وَ لَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ وَ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ٩١
(27:91) I am commanded only that I should serve the Lord of this city, Who has made it sacred, and His are all things; and I am commanded that I should be of these who submit.
These three verses—from here to the end of the chapter—conclude the chapter. They clarify that the Prophet’s call is only a message of glad tidings and warning. This call completes the proof [against the people] without leaving anything of their affair to the Prophet. Their case is only up to God to decide, and He will certainly show them His signs so that they will realize them. He is not heedless of what they do.
I am commanded only that…: It is implied that the speaker here is the Prophet. It is equivalent to: “Say: I have only been commanded to serve the Lord of this city.” The city that is referred to in this verse is the holy city of Mecca. The expression here glorifies this city two ways: (1) It says, “the Lord of this city,” where the Lord is ascribed to the city. (2) The city is described as “sacred,” as the verse says: the Lord of this city Who has made it sacred. This is a subtle criticism of them: God rebukes them for being ungrateful for the blessing of being in a sacred city. Instead of thanking God by worshiping Him alone, they deviated from Him and worshiped the idols.
… and His are all things…: This sentence refers to the vastness of God’s dominion. It refutes the potential misconception that He is the Lord and Owner of Mecca alone. If so, then He would have been like the other idols, because the polytheists believed that each of their gods owned only one part of the universe, such as the heaven, the earth, this land, that tribe, so-and-so’s family, and so on. That would make God at the same level as their other gods and one of them.
… and I am commanded that I should be of these who submit: That is: I am commanded to be of those who submit to Him in what He has willed and decreed, which is nothing but what humankind’s creation guides to and what their innate nature calls for. That is Abraham’s religion, which is the pure faith that is according to our innate nature and disposition (fiṭrah).
وَ أَنْ أَتْلُوَا الْقُرْآنَ فَمَنِ اهْتَدى فَإِنَّما يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مَنْ ضَلَّ فَقُلْ إِنَّما أَنَا مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ ٩٢
(27:92) And that I should recite the Qur’an. Therefore whoever goes aright, he goes aright for his own soul, and whoever goes astray, then say: I am only one of the warners.
The conjunction “and” joins this verse to: I am commanded only that I should serve (). It means: “I am commanded that I should recite the Qur’an.” What is meant here reciting the Qur’an to the people, because it then concludes: Therefore whoever goes aright…
… Therefore whoever goes aright, he goes aright for his own soul…: That is: Whoever finds guidance through this Qur’an only benefits himself. I do not reap any benefit from others being guided.
… and whoever goes astray, then say: I am only one of the warners: That is: Whoever is not guided by it due to turning away from the remembrance of his Lord—which is tantamount to going astray (ḍalāl)—then his straying and the burden of his disbelief will be upon himself, not upon me. I am only a warner; I am charged with warning him, but I am not a guardian over him. God is the guardian over him.
Given the apparent flow of the verse, it should have said: “And whoever goes astray, then I am only one of the warners” [without “say”], but instead it says: And whoever goes astray, then say: I am only one of the warners. This is to remind the Prophet of what he was told above—that he is naught but a warner; that none of their affairs are up to him; and that he must rely on his Lord and defer their affairs to Him. God said above: Therefore rely on Allah; surely you are on the clear truth. Surely you do not make the dead hear… (). It is as if the verse is saying: “And whoever goes astray, then tell him: I have been told that my Lord has not charged me with anything except warning; thus I am not accountable for the misguidance of one who goes astray.”
وَ قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَيُرِيكُمْ آياتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَها وَ ما رَبُّكَ بِغافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ٩٣
(27:93) And say: Praise be to Allah, He will show you His signs so that you shall recognize them; nor is your Lord heedless of what you do.
This verse adds to: then say: I am only one of the warners (). It refers to the same message that God told His prophet above, after commanding the Prophet to rely on Him with regard to the affairs of the people [ and ]. He said that He will soon bring about an evil end for the polytheists [], will judge between the Children of Israel about what they differed in [], will show them His signs which will force them to accept it [], and will reward them for their actions [].
It effectively means that glorious praise is due to God for how He runs His kingdom. He has called the people to what ensures their good and felicity. Then He follows that up based on how they respond to Him: (1) He guides those who believe in His signs and submit to Him. (2) As with the deniers, He makes their hearts die, deafens their ears, and blinds their eyes; thus they go astray and reject His communications.
… He will show you His signs (āyātihi) so that you shall recognize them…: This statement alludes to what was mentioned before: And when the word shall fall upon them, We shall bring forth for them a creature from the earth… (ff). The word “signs” (āyāt) is used here in a general sense, which shows that it includes all signs that would compel them to accept the truth, including what will appear to them before and after the rise of the Hour.
… nor is your Lord heedless of what you do (taʿmalūna): The second person pronoun in “your Lord” refers to the Prophet, while “what you do” [in plural] refers to all servants. This sentence serves to explain and justify what was said before. It means that what was said above is because your actions [O community of servants] are before the sight of your Lord [O Muḥammad]. Since He is not heedless of what you do, He does not miss anything that His wisdom dictates with regards to your actions—such as calling everyone to the truth, guiding the believers on the path, leading the disbelievers astray, showing signs upon the Resurrection, and then rewarding the good-doers and evil-doers according to their deeds.
The last word has also been recited in the third person, yaʿmalūna (what they do), which is perhaps preferred [to taʿmalūna, in the second person]. That would imply a warning to the deniers. Also, by saying “your Lord” (rabbuka)—where the word “Lord” is ascribed to “you”—God gives solace and inspiration to His Prophet’s.
Examining Narrations
- Concerning “And when the word shall fall upon them” () Imam al-Ṣādiq said: Once the Messenger of God came across the Commander of the Faithful [that is, Imam ʿAlī] while he was sleeping in the mosque. He had piled up some pebbles and placed his head on them. The Prophet nudged him with his foot and said, “Get up, O creature of the earth (dābbat al-arḍ)!”
One of the Companion said, “O Messenger of God, can we also call one another by this name?” He replied, “No! By God, this [title] belongs exclusively to him. He is the creature that God has mentioned in His Book, where He says: And when the word shall fall upon them, We shall bring forth for them a creature from the earth that shall speak unto them that indeed people would have no faith in Our signs ().”
Then he said, “O ʿAlī! When the end of time comes, God will bring you forth in the best form, and you will have a branding iron with which you will brand your enemies.”
At that point someone told Imam al-Ṣādiq, “The Sunnis say that the verse says taklimuhum (it shall bruise them).” Imam al-Ṣādiq replied, “May God bruise them (kalamahum Allāh) in the fire of Hell! It is tukallimuhum (it shall speak unto them), from kalām (speech).”
Author’s comment: There are abundant narrations along these lines in Shia sources.
- Once ʿAlī was asked about the creature (al-dābbah) [in this verse]. He said: By God it does not have a tail, but it has a beard.
Author’s comment: There are many narrations that describe the makeup of the creature, some of which are very strange, not to mention that they contradict one another. Those who are interested should refer to hadith collections such as al-Durr al-manthūr or extensive books of tafsīr like Rūḥ al-maʿānī.
- Ḥammād says: Once Imam al-Ṣādiq asked me, “What do the people say about this verse: And on the day when We will gather of every nation a party ()?” “They say,” I replied, “that it is about the Day of Resurrection.”
He said, “That is not so, but it is about the Return (rajʿah). Shall God gather only a party from every nation in Resurrection and leave out the rest? Rather, the verse about the Resurrection is: And We will gather them and leave not any one of them behind ().”
Author’s comment: There are abundant narrations about “the Return” in Shia sources.
Concerning And the Trumpet will be blown () Majmaʿ al-bayān says: There is a difference of opinion about what is meant by “the Trumpet” (al-ṣūr)… It is said in hadith that it is a horn that will be blown into, like the horns that emit sound.
Concerning Except those whom Allah wills () Majmaʿ al-bayān says: There is a hadith with an unconnected chain of narration (marfūʿ) which says: “They will be the martyrs [or witnesses]; they will not be terrified on that day.”
Concerning “The handiwork of Allah Who has made everything in perfection” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: It means the act of God Who has made everything firm and robust.
Concerning “Whoever brings good, he shall have better than it; and they shall be secure from terror on the day. And whoever brings evil, these shall be thrown down on their faces into the Fire” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: By God, “good” is Imam ʿAlī’s wilāyah (guardianship, authority), and “evil” (al-sayyiʾah) is enmity toward him.
Author’s comment: This is an example of providing one of the applications of the verse (called jary), not explaining its meaning [which is general and unrestricted]. There are many other narrations along these lines. We shall discuss another possible interpretation for them below.
- Imam Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq said: People serve and worship God in three ways. (1) One group serves Him desiring His reward. This is the servitude of the greedy, and it is tantamount to desire. (2) Others serve Him fearing the Fire. This is the servitude of the slaves, and is tantamount to fear. (3) But I serve Him out of love for Him. This is the servitude of the noble, and it is tantamount to security, as He says: And they shall be secure from terror on the day (), and: Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your faults (). Whoever loves God, God loves him, and whomever God loves is secure.
Author’s comment: This hadith makes a connection between verse —“Whoever brings good (ḥasana), he shall have better than it; and they shall be secure from terror on the day”—and worshiping God out of love for Him. This connection implies that “good” (ḥasanah) is interpreted as wilāyah (divine friendship), which means to serve God through love. This love necessitates the annihilation of the servant’s will in God’s will, whereby God becomes the guardian of His servant and conducts his affairs. This is one of the meanings of ʿAlī’s wilāyah (guardianship, authority), because he is the possessor of wilāyah and the first person in this nation who entered through this door. This explanation can serve to interpret most of the narrations that match “good” (ḥasanah) in this verse with ʿAlī’s wilāyah.
- Concerning “Whoever brings good, he shall have better than it” () the Prophet said: “This refers to testifying that there is no god but God.” Concerning “and whoever brings evil” () he said, “This refers to shirk (polytheism, associating partners with God).” Then he said: “The former saves while the latter dooms.”
Author’s comment: This idea is narrated from him in different words through various chains of narration. We must qualify the interpretation of “good” as “there is no god but God” by the other rulings of the sharia which are implications of this formula [that is, the testimony of faith]. This qualification should be obvious, because otherwise, the legislation of those laws would be in vain.
Concerning “I am commanded only that I should serve the Lord of this city” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: “This city” refers to Mecca.
Imam al-Ṣādiq said: When the Messenger of God conquered Mecca, he opened the door of the Kaʿbah and ordered the drawings and images there to be wiped off. He then took the two sides of the doorframe and said, “Lo! God made Mecca sacred when He created the heavens and the earth. Thus it shall be sacred by God’s sanctification until the Day of Resurrection. No one shall rouse and frighten its animals, cut its plants, pull out its herbs, or pick up what is lost there except to give it to its owner.”
Then ʿAbbās said, “Except for idhkhar (a type of grass), O Messenger of God? Because that is needed for [building] graves and homes.” The Messenger of God confirmed, “Except for idhkhar.”
Author’s comment: This is also reported through Sunni chains of narration.
- The Prophet said: Wherever the Qur’an says “And Allah is not at all heedless of…” [as in ], the subsequent part is taʿmalūna with tāʾ [that is, second person, “…of what you do”], and wherever it says, “Nor is your Lord heedless of…” [as in ] it is yaʿmalūna with yāʾ [that is, third person, “what they do”].
The End
All praise belongs to God.
Given other Qur’anic verses, what is meant by “the word” (al-qawl) is God’s decree, especially in the sense that it is immediate, unexpected, and non-gradual. In the context of this verse, it means God’s decree for the rise of the Hour, meaning the Resurrection. This matches the author’s explanation below, where he says that “the word” refers to the extraordinary and unexpected signs of the Hour which will force the people to believe. (Trans.) ↩︎
The connection is that the current verse () also talks about “Our signs.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The common recitation of anna suggests that the last part of the verse is the speech of the creature. If the sentence is to be interpreted as a justification for the first part, it would imply: li-anna, where the letter lām is omitted. If the word is recited as inna, it means that the last part of the verse is an independent statement from the previous part of the verse, mentioned as an explanation and clarification for why the word shall befall the people. (Trans.) ↩︎
If both are partitive, the meaning would be: “We will gather a subset from every nation who will be a subset of their disbelievers.” If the first one is partitive and the second one is descriptive, the meaning would be: “We will gather a subset from every nation and they will be those who rejected Our communications.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Given the author’s interpretation below, this is meant as a rhetorical question that implies a negation. It means: “All you did with My signs was to reject them as lies.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The two blows of the Trumpet are discussed in verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, “abasement” in this verse refers to everyone being submissive before the insurmountable rule and kingdom of God on that day. Abasement in the sense of disgrace and humiliation is a different issue which is not the primary import of the verse. (Trans.) ↩︎
If the sentence is muʿtariḍah, the meaning would be: “On that day you will see the mountains—which now you find to be solid—passing by…” If it is ḥāliyyah, the meaning would be: “While now you think the mountains to be solid, on that day you will see them passing by...” (Trans.) ↩︎
The root meaning of k-l-m is “to bruise, to wound, to injure.” Kalām (speech) is from the same root, perhaps because of its ability to bruise one’s heart and hurt one’s feelings. The meaning of the verse based on taklimuhum would be: “The earth’s creature will wound the people because they would not believe in Our signs.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Kaʿb al-Quraṭī. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of Ḥammād. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Abū al-Shaykh, Ibn Mardawayh and al-Daylamī, on the authority of Kaʿb b. ʿUjzah. ↩︎
This is a grass of the genus Cymbopogon, which was used to fill the gaps and cracks in ceilings and the graves. Nawaʾī, Sharḥ al-Muslim (Beirtu: Dār al-Kitāb al-ʿArabī, 1987), . (Trans.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ḥammād b. ʿĪsā, on the authority of Ḥarīz. ↩︎
The difference is that in the first phrase it says “God” (Allāh), while in the second phrase it says “your Lord” (rabbuka). This confirms the author’s preference above, in exposition of verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd. ↩︎