Verses 8–31
فَإِذا نُقِرَ فِي النَّاقُورِ ٨ فَذلِكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ ٩ عَلَى الْكافِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍ ١٠ ذَرْنِي وَ مَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيداً ١١ وَ جَعَلْتُ لَهُ مالاً مَمْدُوداً ١٢ وَ بَنِينَ شُهُوداً ١٣ وَ مَهَّدْتُ لَهُ تَمْهِيداً ١٤ ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ ١٥ كَلاَّ إِنَّهُ كانَ لِآياتِنا عَنِيداً ١٦ سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُوداً ١٧ إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَ قَدَّرَ ١٨ فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ١٩ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ٢٠ ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ٢١ ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَ بَسَرَ ٢٢ ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَ اسْتَكْبَرَ ٢٣ فَقالَ إِنْ هذا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ٢٤ إِنْ هذا إِلاَّ قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ ٢٥ سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ ٢٦ وَ ما أَدْراكَ ما سَقَرُ ٢٧ لا تُبْقِي وَ لا تَذَرُ ٢٨ لَوَّاحَةٌ لِلْبَشَرِ ٢٩ عَلَيْها تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ ٣٠ وَ ما جَعَلْنا أَصْحابَ النَّارِ إِلاَّ مَلائِكَةً وَ ما جَعَلْنا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ وَ يَزْدادَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِيماناً وَ لا يَرْتابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَ لِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَ الْكافِرُونَ ما ذا أَرادَ اللَّهُ بِهذا مَثَلاً كَذلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشاءُ وَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشاءُ وَ ما يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَ ما هِيَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرى لِلْبَشَرِ ٣١
- When the Trumpet will be sounded,
- then that day of it will be a difficult day,
- not at all easy for the disbelievers.
- Leave Me [to deal] with him whom I created alone,
- and furnished him with abundant wealth,
- and sons abiding in his presence.
- And I prepared for him such preparation.
- Yet he desires that I should give more.
- Nay! For he has been hostile to Our signs.
- Soon I will overwhelm him with hardship.
- Indeed he reflected and appraised.
- Perish he, the way he appraised!
- Again, perish he! The way he appraised!
- Then he looked,
- Then he frowned and scowled.
- Then he walked away disdainfully.
- Thus he said: “This is nothing but magic handed down.
- This is only the speech of a mortal.”
- Him shall I soon fling into Saqar.
- Ah, and what do you know of Saqar?
- It neither spares, nor leaves [anything].
- It discolors the skins.
- There are nineteen [keepers] over it.
- We have assigned only angels as keepers of the fire, and We have made their number merely a stumbling block for the faithless, and that those who were given the Book may be reassured, and the faithful may increase in [their] faith, and that those who were given the Book and the faithful may not doubt, and that those in whose hearts is a disease may say, and the faithless [along with them], “What did Allah mean by this description?” Thus does Allah lead astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills. No one knows the hosts of your Lord except Him, and it is just an admonition for all humans.
Introduction & Commentary
These verses severely warn those who ridicule the Qur’an, allege it to be sorcery, and ridicule its truths.
فَإِذا نُقِرَ فِي النَّاقُورِ ٨
(74:8) When the Trumpet (al-nāqūr) will be sounded (nuqira, from naqr),
Naqr is synonymous with qarʿ (striking, hitting, beating). Nāqūr means “an instrument that is struck to make a sound.” Striking the nāqūr is the like blowing into the ṣūr (trumpet). Both are expressions for raising the dead back to life, and summoning them for judgment on the Day of Resurrection. The verse introduces a conditional statement, where the initial clause (called the protasis) is mentioned here, and the concluding clause (called the apodosis) comes in the next verse: then that day of it… ().
فَذلِكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ ٩ عَلَى الْكافِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍ ١٠
(74:9-10) then that day of it (yawmaʾidh) will be a difficult day, not at all easy for the disbelievers.
The demonstrative pronoun “that” refers to the time when the trumpet will be sounded. That day of it apparently means the day all beings return to God, or the day when the disbelievers will be taken to God for reckoning and retribution. The word yawmaʾidh (day of, thereof) serves as a temporal container (ẓarf) for the sounding of the trumpet. That is, it identifies the time when the trumpet will be blown.
The meaning is: “Then the time of sounding the Trumpet—which occurs when the people return to God—will be a hard day on the disbelievers.” Or alternatively: “The time of sounding the Trumpet will be a difficult time for the disbelievers, on the day when the people return to God.” The first meaning is based on yawmaʾidh being a container for “that” at the beginning of the verse. The second meaning is based on yawmaʾidh being a container for a difficult day.
not at all easy…: This is a second adjective for the word day (). This verse serves to emphasize the hardship of that day: it will be a difficult day in all aspects, not just one.
ذَرْنِي وَ مَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيداً ١١
(74:11) Leave Me [to deal] with him whom I created alone (waḥīdan).
This is an expression of threat. These verses—up to verse —were revealed with reference to Walīd b. al-Mughīrah, according to mustafīḍah (multiple, diffused, numerous) narrations. We shall discuss his story in our subsequent examination of the narrations, by God’s will.
The word waḥīdan serves as a ḥāl (circumstantial qualifier, participial phrase, adverb) for the subject of the verb khalaqtu (I created). The effective meaning is: “Leave me to deal with someone that I created while I was alone, unassisted by anyone else when creating him. I planned and directed his affairs in the best possible manner. So do not intervene between Me and him, for indeed I shall suffice him.”
Other suggested possibilities are:
- Waḥīdan serves as a ḥāl for the object of the verb dharnī (leave Me.)
- It serves as a ḥāl for the object of the verb khalaqtu (I created), which means that it describes the word whom. The meaning would be: “Leave Me with him whom I created while he was alone, without any wealth or children.”
- Waḥīdan is an object of an omitted verb “criticize.”
Comment: Our interpretation above is the most plausible.
وَ جَعَلْتُ لَهُ مالاً مَمْدُوداً ١٢
(74:12) and furnished him with abundant (mamdūdan) wealth,
There are two possible interpretations for mamdūd: (1) abundant and profuse; (2) extended through proliferation [over time].
وَ بَنِينَ شُهُوداً ١٣
(74:13) and sons abiding in his presence.
His children were present with him. He could see them and seek their help. The conjunction “and” connects to the word wealth in the last verse.
وَ مَهَّدْتُ لَهُ تَمْهِيداً ١٤
(74:14) And I prepared for him such preparation (tamhīdan).
Tamhīd is synonymous with tahyiʾah (preparing, providing, smoothening, organizing). It is also used metaphorically for providing one with wealth and power, and taking care of their affairs.
ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ ١٥
(74:15) Yet he desires that I should give more.
He still expects that I should give him more wealth, children and facilities than what I have already given him.
كَلاَّ إِنَّهُ كانَ لِآياتِنا عَنِيداً ١٦
(74:16) Nay (kallā)! For he has been hostile (ʿanīdan) to Our signs.
The exclamation kallā (nay, never, no way) serves to reject the person’s expectation. Then the subsequent part of the verse explains and justifies this rejection. ʿAnīd is “an opponent who takes pride in their opposition.” It is said that following the revelation of these verses, Walīd started to gradually lose his wealth and children, until he finally died.
سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُوداً ١٧
(74:17) Soon I will overwhelm him (sa-urhiquhū, from irhāq) with hardship (ṣaʿūdan).
Irhāq means “covering something with force.” Ṣaʿūd means “an arduous mountain pass.” The verse compares his painful punishment to being forced over a toilsome hurdle and a difficult climb.”
إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَ قَدَّرَ ١٨
(74:18) Indeed he reflected (fakkara, from tafkīr) and appraised (qaddara, from taqdīr).
The meaning of tafkīr is well known (to think, to contemplate, to meditate). Taqdīr (to measure, to assess, to determine) when used with tafkīr, means organizing the concepts and arguments in one’s mind, and rearranging them in order to draw a desired conclusion. The subject of discussion in these verses [Walīd] wanted to say something about the Qur’an which would refute its mission, in order to satisfy his fellow opponents of the Prophet. Thus he started contemplating whether he should call it a poetry, a soothsaying, a delirium arising from lunacy, or a myth. Finally he determined to call it a sorcery that is spoken by a mortal, because it creates discord between a person and their spouse, children and friends.
فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ١٩
(74:19) Perish he, the way he appraised!
This is a curse on him, given the verse’s context.
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ٢٠
(74:20) Again, perish he! The way he appraised!
This verse repeats and emphasizes the curse in the last verse.
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ٢١
(74:21) Then he looked.
This verse and the next four [up to verse ] present a very elegant and eloquent image of Walīd’s attitude after his reflection and appraisal. He looked into the matter about which he was asked to offer his view. This is what is understood from the context of the imagery in these verses.
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَ بَسَرَ ٢٢
(74:22) Then he frowned (ʿabasa, from ʿubūs) and scowled (basara, from busūr).
ʿUbūs means “frowning, scrunching up one’s face.” Majmaʿ al-bayān says:
The verb is used as ʿabasa yaʿbisu ʿubūsan, and it means “frowning and scowling.” It is synonymous with taklīḥ and taqṭīb (to be gloomy, to pout). They are antonymous to ṭalāqah and bashāshah (cheerfulness, affability, agreeableness). Busūr is used when signs of displeasure appear in one’s face.
The meaning is: “After looking, he contracted his face and signs of dissatisfaction appeared in his expression.”
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَ اسْتَكْبَرَ ٢٣
(74:23) Then he walked away (adbara, from idbār) disdainfully (istakbara, from istikbār).
Idbār means “turning away from something.” Istikbār means “refraining from something out of arrogance and defiance.” These two are inner psychological states. Yet, they are mentioned in the imagery of the verses in a sequence after looking, frowning and scowling [], which are visible physical states. The two qualities of Walīd described in this verse were also observable through his speech, mentioned in the next verse: This is nothing but magic… () That is why the next verse starts with the letter fāʾ (so, thus, therefore) instead of the word thumma (then, thereafter, also).
فَقالَ إِنْ هذا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ٢٤
(74:24) Thus he said: “This is nothing but magic handed down.
Consequently, he manifested his aversion and disdain [] by making this statement. The demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to the Qur’an. Handed down means narrated and learnt from the magicians.
إِنْ هذا إِلاَّ قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ ٢٥
(74:25) This is only the speech of a mortal.”
That is, contrary to Muḥammad’s claim, the Qur’an is not the word of God. Some exegetes have said that the verse does not begin with “and” because it effectively reiterates the last verse. Both verses convey the same idea that the Qur’an is not the speech of God, although they are expressed differently.
سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ ٢٦
(74:26) Him shall I soon fling into (sa-uṣlīhi) Saqar.
Uṣlīhi means “I will take him there; I will make him enter therein.” Saqar is one of the names of hell in the Qur’an, or one of its levels. This verse is either a bayān (description, interpretation) or a badal (alternative expression, substitute, apposition) for the verse: Soon I will overwhelm him with hardship ().
وَ ما أَدْراكَ ما سَقَرُ ٢٧
(74:27) Ah, and what do you know of Saqar?
This verse emphasizes the greatness and gravity of Saqar.
لا تُبْقِي وَ لا تَذَرُ ٢٨
(74:28) It neither spares, nor leaves [anything].
This is an absolute negation, which conveys two points: (1) Saqar burns anything that it reaches. (2) Saqar reaches everyone that is cast into it. This is contrary to the fire of this world, which does not burn some of the things that are cast into it; and also does not affect every part and aspect of the things that it consumes. For instance, if it burns a person, it burns their body, but leaves out their soul and their spiritual qualities. Saqar, on the other hand, does not spare anyone who is flung into it, as God says: It calls him who turned back [from the truth] and forsook [it] (). Furthermore, when it burns a person, it does not leave out any part of their soul or spirit, as God says: [It is] the fire of Allah, kindled, which will overspread the hearts ().
Another possible meaning is that Saqar will neither spare them to be alive, nor will it leave them to die. Then the verse would be comparable to the verse: he who will enter the great fire, then he will neither live in it, nor die ().
Exegetes have suggested other interpretations for the verse, including: (1) Saqar will destroy anything that is cast into it. Then it does not leave them annihilated, but brings them back to be punished again. (2) It neither spares them any flesh, nor leaves them any bones.
لَوَّاحَةٌ لِلْبَشَرِ ٢٩
(74:29) It discolors (lawwāḥah) the skins (lil-bashar).
Lawwāḥah is derived from talwīḥ, which means “blackening.” Some have defined it as “reddening.” Bashar is the plural of basharah, which means “outer skin.”
عَلَيْها تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ ٣٠
(74:30) There are nineteen [keepers] over it.
There will be nineteen guards in charge of the punishment of the sinners. This verse does not specify whether they are angels or other beings, but we can deduce from the next verse and the other verses about the hereafter that they will indeed be angels.
Some exegetes have asserted that the word “angel” is implied in this verse, as a tamyīz (specification, discrimination, clarification) for nineteen. Then they have added:
This is how the native Arabs understood the verse. It is narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās that when this verse— There are nineteen over it ()—was revealed, Abū Jahl said to the Quraysh, “May your mothers mourn for your death! I hear the son of Abī Kabshah telling you that the keepers of fire will be nineteen. But you are a large crowd. Can’t each ten of you take on one man of them?” A very brave man among them, Abū al-Ashadd [or Abū al-Asad] b. Asīd b. Kaladah al-Jumaḥī, said, “I will cover seventeen of them for you! You take care of the other two.”
As the reader can see, there is no evidence in the above account to support the suggested view [that the word “angel” is understood from the verse]. Rather, the account refers each keeper as a “man” (rajul), which is not applicable to angels, particularly in the worldview of the polytheists, as described in the Qur’an: And they have made the angels—who are servants of the All-Merciful—females ().
وَ ما جَعَلْنا أَصْحابَ النَّارِ إِلاَّ مَلائِكَةً وَ ما جَعَلْنا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ وَ يَزْدادَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِيماناً وَ لا يَرْتابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَ لِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَ الْكافِرُونَ ما ذا أَرادَ اللَّهُ بِهذا مَثَلاً كَذلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشاءُ وَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشاءُ وَ ما يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَ ما هِيَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرى لِلْبَشَرِ ٣١
(74:31) We have assigned only angels as keepers of the fire, and We have made their number merely a stumbling block for the faithless, and that those who were given the Book may be reassured, and the faithful may increase in [their] faith, and that those who were given the Book and the faithful may not doubt, and that those in whose hearts is a disease may say, and the faithless [along with them], “What did Allah mean by this description?” Thus does Allah lead astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills. No one knows the hosts of your Lord except Him, and it is just an admonition for all humans.
The theme and context of the verse shows that there was some conversation among the audience following the last verse about the number of the guards of hell. That is why this verse was revealed [to answer their claims and clarify their misconceptions]. This is also supported by the cause of revelation (sabab al-nuzul) of the verse, as we shall see in our upcoming examination of the narrations.
We have assigned only angels as keepers of the fire…: The word used here is aṣḥāb (companions, masters, mates, owner). What is meant here is the guards who are authorized over hell and are in charge of punishing the sinners there. This can be deduced from the last verse: There are nineteen [keepers] over it (), as well as what comes next: and We have made their number merely a stumbling block…
The effective meaning is: “We have made the keepers to be angels who are capable of executing whatever they are commanded.” The Qur’an says: over which are [assigned] angels, severe and mighty, who do not disobey whatever Allah has commanded them, and carry out what they are commanded (). Therefore, the keepers of hell are not humans so that the sinners may possibly be able to defeat or resist.
… and We have made (jaʿalnā, from jaʿl) their number merely a stumbling block (fitnah) for the faithless…: Fitnah means “test, trial.” It is said that the word jaʿl (making) in this verse means “making an announcement about something,” not “bringing something to existence.” The meaning is: “We stated that they are nineteen in number only to test the disbelievers.” This [interpretation of jaʿl] is confirmed by the next part of the verse: and that those who were given the Book may be reassured…
… and that those who were given the Book may be reassured (li-yastayqina, from istīqān)…: Istīqān means “finding certainty in one’s heart.” The meaning is: “This is so that the People of the Book would ascertain that the Qur’an which is revealed to you is a true message, since the number of the keepers of the fire mentioned here is in accord with their scriptures.”
… and the faithful may increase in [their] faith…: That would occr when they observe the confirmation of the People of the Book.
… and that those in whose hearts is a disease may say (li-yaqūla), and the faithless [along with them], “What did Allah mean by this description?”…: Their statement—“What did Allah mean by this description?”—is pejorative and derisive, which makes it an expression of disbelief (kufr). This part of the verse certainly does not describe a direct and primary objective of God. In other words, the letter lām (that, so that, in order to) in li-yaqūla indicates the final outcome and consequence (ʿāqibah) of the act, as opposed to the letter lām in li-yastayqina (that they may be reassured), which indicates the objective and purpose (ghāyah) of the act or its agent as a justification for it. The People of the Book’s reassurance and certainty amounts to faith (īmān), which can be a goal of a divine act. Perhaps the reason why the letter lām is repeated here is to indicate that it is used in two different senses.
… those in whose hearts is a disease …: Disease has been interpreted as doubt and denial. The group mentioned here has been matched with the hypocrites. The faithless, on the other hand, have been interpreted as those who openly express their disbelief, including the polytheists and others.
… “What did Allah mean by this description (mathalan)?”…: They made this statement out of contempt and derision. The demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to the verse: There are nineteen [keepers] over it (). Mathal means “description, property.” The meaning is: “What does God mean by describing the guardians of hell as being nineteen? How can such a small number punish the majority of the jinn and humans?”
… Thus (kadhālika) does Allah lead astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills…: The word kadhālika (thus) refers to: and We have made their number merely a stumbling block.
… No one knows the hosts of your Lord except Him…: The hosts of your Lord are the fierce beings [that is, angels] which serve as God’s intermediaries in executing His commands. Since this statement is made in an unconditional sense, what is restricted to God is not only the knowledge of their number. Rather, it includes any knowledge of them whatsoever, including their reality, their properties, their number, their actions, and the subtle wisdoms surrounding their creation. All that knowledge exclusively belongs to God, and is not shared by anyone else. Therefore, no one is in a position to state that their number is small or large, or to disparage their characteristics, because everyone is ignorant about them.
… and it (hiya) is just an admonition (dhikrá) for all humans: We can deduce from this statement that the Qur’an’s teachings are addressed to, and intended for, all humankind. The pronoun “it” refers to the statement: There are nineteen [keepers] over it (). The feminine form of this pronoun is in accordance with the predicate of the statement. The meaning is: “Human knowledge falls short of knowing anything about the hosts of your Lord. And if We informed you that the keepers of hell are nineteen in number, it is only meant as an admonition for them so that they may be awakened.”
Other suggestions for the antecedent of the pronoun “it” are:
- The hosts of your Lord.
- Saqar.
- The entire sūrah.
- Worldly fire.
Comment: The last view is the least plausible.
Discourse
The discussion “A Discussion on Hypocrisy” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
Examining Narrations
- Concerning When the Trumpet will be sounded… alone () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: These verses were revealed about Walīd b. Mughīrah, who was an experienced and wise old man among the Arabs. He was among those who ridiculed the Messenger of God.
The Messenger of God used to sit in the Ḥijr [of Ismāʿīl] and recite the Qur’an [for the people]. Once the Quraysh circled Walīd b. Mughīrah and asked him, “Abū ʿAbd Shams! What is this that Muḥammad is saying? Is it poetry, soothsaying, or sermon?”
“I shall first hear what he says,” he replied.
He approached the Messenger of God and said, “Muḥammad! Recite some of your poetry for me!”
“This isn’t poetry,” the Prophet calmly said, “but it is God’s speech, which He has chosen for His angels, prophets and messengers.”
Walīd demanded, “Recite some of it for me.”
The Prophet started reciting Sūrah Fuṣṣilat for him. When he reached the verse, But if they turn away, say: I warn you of a thunderbolt, like the thunderbolt of ʿĀd and Thamūd (), Walīd started trembling, and every hair on his head and face stood on end. He retreated to his house from there, instead of reconvening with the Quraysh.
The Quraysh resorted to Abū Jahl and said, “O Abā al-Ḥakam! Apparently Abū ʿAbd Shams has converted to Muḥammad’s religion. Don’t you see that he did not return to us?”
The next morning Abū Jahl went to Walīd and complained: “My uncle! You have embarrassed us and let us down by converting to Muḥammad’s religion. You have given justification to our foes to reproach us.”
“I haven’t converted to his religion, “Walīd explained. “But I heard a very moving speech from him that sends shivers up one’s spine.”
“Would you say it is a sermon?” Abū Jahl inquired.
“No, because a sermon is a continuous thread of speech, while his words are scattered. Not all parts of it are comparable to one another.”
“So is it poetry?”
“No. I have indeed heard all genre of Arabic poetry in every meter, including basīṭ, madīd, raml and rajaz. His speech is not poetry.”
“What is it, then?”
Walīd replied, “Give me some time to think about it.”
The next day the Quraysh asked him, “Abū ʿAbd Shams! What do you have to say concerning our inquiry?”
“Say that his speech is siḥr (magic, sorcery, bewitchment),” he replied, “since it enchants the hearts of people.”
Thus God revealed to His Messenger, with reference to this story: Leave Me [to deal] with him whom I created alone (waḥīdan) (). The verse calls Walīd waḥīd (alone) because he told the Quraysh, “I will alone pay for the cover of the Kaʿba one year, and you pay for it the next year all together.” He had abundant wealth, many gardens, and ten sons in Mecca. He also had ten servants, each of whom was endowed a thousand dinars to trade for him. That was the definition of qinṭār at the time. It is also said that qinṭār meant the hide of an ox filled with gold.”
- Once Walīd b. Mughīrah went to the Prophet, who recited the Qur’an to him. That apparently softened his heart. When Abū Jahl heard about this, he went to Walīd and said, “My uncle! Your people [that is, the Quraysh tribe] want to raise some funds for you since you went to Muḥammad seeking some gain from him.”
“Quraysh knows very well,” Walīd replied, “that I am one of the most affluent of their members.”
Abū Jahl said: “Make an announcement to your people which indicates that you are averse or [at least] disinclined to him [Muḥammad].”
“What should I say?” Walīd inquired. “By God! There is no one among you who is more knowledgeable than me about [Arabic] poetry, including all its genres and meters like rajaz, qaṣīdah and jinn poetry. But by God, his speech is not like any of these. By God! There is a sweetness and elegance to his speech. It is fruitful on the top, and abundant underneath. It surpasses [other speeches] but is not surpassed [by any speech]. It crushes everything under it.
Abū Jahl said, “Your people will not be satisfied with you unless you criticize it.”
“Let me think about it,” Walid replied.
After reflecting on it, he said: “This can only be some magic handed down (). He has garnered it from others.” Thus it was revealed: Leave Me [to deal] with him whom I created alone ().
- Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq said: Waḥīd (alone; in verse ) means an illegitimate child.
- Once a man from Banū Hishām [the descendants of Mughīrah] boasted in a sermon, “I am the son of al-waḥīd.” When Imam al-Bāqir heard about this he said, “What a shame! He wouldn’t take pride in it if he knew what it means.” When he was asked about its meaning, the Imam explained: “It means someone whose father is unknown.”
- The Prophet said: Ṣaʿūd (hardship; in verse ) is the name of a mountain in hell. It takes the disbelievers seventy years to climb it, then they fall off to its base. They abide in that condition forever.
- Tafsīr al-Qummī says concerning Then he frowned (ʿabasa) (): He scrunched up his face. And scowled (basara) (): He distorted his mouth [or turned his face aside].
This means that a segment of time is used as a container for some parts of it, which is permissible, like using the year as a container for the month, and the month as a container for the day. Such usage is done when the two segments are viewed in different lights, or the same segment is differentiated based on its different qualities and the different events that occur in it. Therefore, one aspect of a time period can be taken as a container for another aspect of the same time period, based on what properties are highlighted in each. (Auth.) ↩︎
Put more simply, the first meaning is: “That day of return will be a difficult day.” The second meaning is: “That will be a difficult day thereof.” Both are effectively the same. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Kashshāf says: The implicit idhā (when) in yawmaʾidh is manṣūb in terms of inflection, indicating the accusative case. One may raise two questions here: (1) How is the accusative case justifiable here? (2) How can yawmaʾidh be a container for a difficult day? The answers are:
(1) The word yawmaʾidh (day of) introduces the complement or apodosis to the conditional statement. The effective meaning is: “When the Trumpet shall be sounded, things will get hard on the disbelievers.”
(2) The word yawmaʾidh implies: “That will be a time of sounding the Trumpet and the unfolding of the difficult day.” This is because the Day of Resurrection will occur when the Trumpet will be sounded.
The word yawmaʾidh can also be considered marfūʿ in terms of its role, assuming that it is a badal (apposition, replacement, interpretation) for the demonstrative pronoun “that.” Then its predicate would be the second half of the verse: will be a difficult day. The effective meaning would be: “The day of sounding of the Trumpet will be a difficult day.” (Auth.) ↩︎
Ḥāl implies the meaning of “while,” describing the condition of either the subject or object of a verb. It means “while the subject was…” or “while the object was…” (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “Leave Me alone with him.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “Leave me with him whom I created, so that I may criticize him alone.” (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, someone who openly and defianty opposes someone or something. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, “looking” here means viewing the different dimensions of something before offering one’s opinion about it. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is evocative of the Biblical expression, “his countenance fell,” which is used to reflect a sense of dejection and/or anger in Cain (Genesis 4:5) and in the wealthy man (Mark 10:22). (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the letter fāʾ at the beginning of the next verse serves to interpret and depict the two qualities mentioned in this verse. (Trans.) ↩︎
Either way the meaning is the same: the current verse interprets and clarifies verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
Another similar verse is: Whoever comes to his Lord laden with guilt, indeed for him shall be hell where he will neither live nor die (). (Trans.) ↩︎
A tamyīz is a noun that clarifies the “units” of a quantity. It is commonly added or implied after a number. The meaning here would be: “There are nineteen angels over it,” where the word “angels” is an omitted tamyīz. (Trans.) ↩︎
Abū Kabshah was a man from Khuzāʿah tribe who contravened from the Quraysh’s custom of idolatry, and instead worshiped Sirius. The polytheists pejoratively compared the Prophet with him since he also opposed their idolatry. See al-Zabīdī, Tāj al-ʿarūs, under k-b-sh. (Trans.) ↩︎
In verse , the word ʿalá (over, upon) indicates superiority and supervision. And the subsequent statement in the verse shows that the aṣḥāb of the fire are the same nineteen keepers mentioned in the last verse. (Trans.) ↩︎
The word dhikrá (reminder, remembrance, admonition) is feminine. (Trans.) ↩︎
Two alternative versions are: (1) “It is God’s speech, with which He has sent His angels…” (2) “It is God’s speech, with which His angels, prophets and messengers are pleased.” (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, a thousand gold coins. The word qinṭār is used in verses , , . (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ḥākim (who has authenticated it) and al-Bayhaqī’s al-Dalāʾil, on the authority of ʿIkrimah, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of al-ʿAyyāshī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Zurārah, Ḥumrān and Muḥammad b. Muslim. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Zurārah. ↩︎
Thus was the fate of Sisyphus. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Aḥmad, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Abī al-Dunyā’s Ṣifat al-nār, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Ḥabbān, al-Ḥākim (who has authenticated it) and al-Bayhaqī’s al-Baʿth, on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī. ↩︎
In other words, ʿabasa means contracting one’s facial muscles as one frowns. Basara could mean either (1) pouting or extending one side of the mouth, as an expression of derision, frustration or contemplation; or (2) turning one’s face aside as a sign of disdain and disregard. (Trans.) ↩︎