Verses 16–40
لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ١٦ إِنَّ عَلَيْنا جَمْعَهُ وَ قُرْآنَهُ ١٧ فَإِذا قَرَأْناهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ ١٨ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنا بَيانَهُ ١٩ كَلاَّ بَلْ تُحِبُّونَ الْعاجِلَةَ ٢٠ وَ تَذَرُونَ الْآخِرَةَ ٢١ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ ناضِرَةٌ ٢٢ إِلى رَبِّها ناظِرَةٌ ٢٣ وَ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ باسِرَةٌ ٢٤ تَظُنُّ أَنْ يُفْعَلَ بِها فاقِرَةٌ ٢٥ كَلاَّ إِذا بَلَغَتِ التَّراقِيَ ٢٦ وَ قِيلَ مَنْ راقٍ ٢٧ وَ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِراقُ ٢٨ وَ الْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ ٢٩ إِلى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَساقُ ٣٠ فَلا صَدَّقَ وَ لا صَلَّى ٣١ وَ لكِنْ كَذَّبَ وَ تَوَلَّى ٣٢ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلى أَهْلِهِ يَتَمَطَّى ٣٣ أَوْلى لَكَ فَأَوْلى ٣٤ ثُمَّ أَوْلى لَكَ فَأَوْلى ٣٥أَ يَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسانُ أَنْ يُتْرَكَ سُدىً ٣٦ أَ لَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِنْ مَنِيٍّ يُمْنى ٣٧ ثُمَّ كانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّى ٣٨ فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَ الْأُنْثى ٣٩ أَ لَيْسَ ذلِكَ بِقادِرٍ عَلى أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتى ٤٠
- Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it.
- Indeed its collection and its recitation are upon Us.
- And when We have recited it, follow its recitation.
- Then, its exposition is [also] upon Us.
- Nay! Rather, you love the immediate,
- and you neglect the hereafter.
- Some faces will be radiant on that day,
- looking toward their Lord;
- and some faces will be scowling on that day,
- knowing that they will be dealt out a punishment breaking the spine.
- Nay! When it reaches the collar bones,
- and it is said, “Where is the wizard?”
- and he realizes that it is the [time of] parting,
- and one shank is intertwined with another shank,
- unto your Lord will be the driving that day.
- But he neither confirmed [the truth], nor prayed,
- but denied [it] and turned away,
- and went swaggering to his family.
- You well deserve! Yes, you well deserve!
- Again, you well deserve! Yes, you well deserve!
- Does man suppose that he will be left forlorn?
- Was he not a drop of emitted semen?
- Then he became a clinging mass; then He created [him] and fashioned [him],
- and made of him the two sexes, the male and the female.
- Is He not able to revive the dead?
Introduction & Commentary
These verses continue to paint the picture of the resurrection by describing the condition of the people on that day. They will be classified into two groups: the face of some will be radiating with joy, while others will bear expressions of despondency and despair. The onset of this process will be at the time of death. The verses clarify that the human being is not left futile and aimless. The One Who created them the first time is capable of giving them life once again. And with that the chapter closes.
لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ١٦
(75:16) Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it.
This verse and the next three [up to verse ] are parenthetical remarks that are unrelated to the previous and subsequent discussion about the Day of Resurrection. They digress from the theme and context of the verses before and after. In these verses, God teaches the Prophet the proper manners that he must follow when the Noble Qur’an is being revealed to him. He should not hasten to recite what has not been revealed yet. Nor should he utter anything, but he must remain quiet until the revelation is over. These four verses [] are similar in meaning to the verse: Do not hasten with the Qur’an before its revelation is completed for you ().
This can be compared to our ordinary conversations, where sometimes the listener suggests a word or two to complement the speaker’s sentence before the speaker is done. This act of cutting off the speaker prevents the listener from fully giving ear to what is being said. The current verses are like the speaker stopping their discussion, and advising the listener: “Don’t jump ahead of my speech! Just remain silent and listen to what I’m telling you.” Then the speaker continues with the rest of their message.
Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it: This verse is addressed to the Prophet. The two pronouns “it” refer to revelation, or to the Qur’an that is being revealed to him. The meaning is: “Do not move your tongue to receive the revelation faster, such that you would hasten to recite what We have not recited to you yet.” As we said above, the verse’s message is the same as: Do not hasten with the Qur’an before its revelation is completed for you (). The prohibition against hastening with the Qur’an confirms an idea that is found in some narrations, stating that the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet all at once, and was then revealed again gradually over the years. We discussed this under verse .
إِنَّ عَلَيْنا جَمْعَهُ وَ قُرْآنَهُ ١٧
(75:17) Indeed its collection and its recitation (qurʾānahu) are upon Us.
The word qurʾān (recitation, reading) is a maṣdar (infinitive noun, gerund) here, similar to furqān (distinction, discrimination) and rujḥān (preference, outweighing). The two pronouns “its” refer to revelation. The meaning is: “Do not hasten the revelation, because it is up to Us to compile what We are revealing to you by putting its parts together. It is also up to Us to recite it to you. There is no need for you to go ahead of Us in reciting what has not been revealed yet, because We will not neglect any part of it.”
Another suggested meaning is: “It is upon Us to collect and contain the message in your heart, such that you do not miss any part of its meanings. And it is upon Us to affirm its recitation on your tongue, such that you may recite it whenever you wish.” This interpretation, however, is not quite apparent.
فَإِذا قَرَأْناهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ ١٨
(75:18) And when We have recited it, follow its recitation.
The meaning is: “Once We have finished reciting the Qur’an to you through revelation, follow Our recitation.” In other words: “Start reciting it after the revelation is complete.”
According to some exegetes, follow its recitation means following the message by remaining silent and paying close attention to what is being said. This is a plausible interpretation. Two other suggested meanings are:
- “Follow the commands and prohibitions that are recited.”
- “Following the recitation” means repeating it for oneself until it registers in the mind.
Comment: These two interpretations are not apparent.
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنا بَيانَهُ ١٩
(75:19) Then (thumma), its exposition (bayānahu) is [also] upon Us.
The meaning is: “After completing and reciting the recitation to you, it is also up to Us to elucidate it for you.” The word thumma indicates sequence, because the exposition of a message is a subsequent stage to its collection and recitation.
Another suggested meaning is: “Then it is upon Us to convey it to the people through your tongue. Hence, We will preserve the message in your mind against any alteration or loss, until you recite it to the people.”
The Views of Exegetes
Here are some other interpretations suggested by the exegetes concerning the last four verses []:
- While revelation was still in progress, the Prophet would move his tongue and start reciting the message because he feared that he may forget. Thus these verses forbid him from doing so, and order him to remain silent until the revelation is completed. Therefore, the pronoun “it” in Do not move your tongue with it () refers to the part of the Qur’an or revelation that was already recited, not the part that was not recited yet.
Comment: This view is not quite compatible with the context of the verses, because the verses command the Prophet not to hasten [], but to follow the recitation after it is completed []. The above view is also incompatible with the verse: Indeed its collection and its recitation are upon Us (). Our interpretation of the verse matches the context in a more apparent way.
- The subject of discussion here is not the Qur’an. Rather, the verses are about the people reading their record of deeds on the Day of Resurrection, as reflected in the preceding and the following verses. There is no indication in these verses to substantiate that they pertain to the Qur’an, or to any worldly event.
The verses rebuke and censure the person for hastening because there is no point in doing so. The meaning is: “Do not move your tongue rapidly when you read your book of deeds.” In other words: “Read your record, but do not rush.” This is said because when the abovementioned individual—who is very insightful over himself ()—sees his sins, he would tend to hasten due to frustration. Thus he is censured: “Don’t rush! Stay calm so that you may learn about your account. We shall indeed put together all the evidence against you. Once We do so, follow what is collected against you through submitting to its implications and accepting its consequences, because you are in no position to deny it. And in case you deny the account, it will be upon Us to elucidate it.”
Comment: A parenthetical statement does not require to be linked to the verses before and after it in order for it to be complete. Moreover, much like the current set of verses, the verse, Do not hasten with the Qur’an before its revelation is completed for you () also appears in the middle of a discussion about the Day of Resurrection.
- These four verses [] pertain to the previous discussion concerning the Day of Resurrection.
Do not move () is addressed to the Prophet, and the pronoun “it”—in with it—refers to the Day of Resurrection. The meaning is: “Do not inquire about the time of the resurrection whatsoever, even if your question is not out of denial or derision.”
To hasten it () means “wishing to know it beforehand.”
Indeed its collection and its recitation are upon Us () means: “Our wisdom necessitates that We shall gather everyone on that day, and shall inform you about the properties of that day through Our revelation of the Qur’an.”
And when We have recited it, follow its recitation (). That is, “Once We have recited what pertains to that day, follow it in practice by preparing for it.”
Then, its exposition is [also] upon Us () means: “We will bring that day to light through the blowing of the Trumpet.”
Comment: The implausibility of this interpretation should be evident.
كَلاَّ بَلْ تُحِبُّونَ الْعاجِلَةَ ٢٠
(75:20) Nay! Rather, you love the immediate,
This verse is addressed to all people. It is unrelated to the last four verses—Do not move… ()—which were a parenthetical address [to the Prophet] and independent of the verses before and after them.
Nay (kallā)…: The exclamation kallā (nay, never, no way) rejects the misconception mentioned in the verse: Does man suppose that We shall not assemble his bones? ().
… Rather (bal), you love the immediate: The word “life” is implied here. It means: “You love the immediate life,” which is worldly life. The word bal (rather, nay) here shows the real reason behind their assumption that there is no afterlife. Hence, the use of bal here is comparable to its use in the verse: Rather (bal), man wishes to sin ahead of him ().
وَ تَذَرُونَ الْآخِرَةَ ٢١
(75:21) and you neglect (tadharūna, from wadhr) the hereafter.
The word wadhr is synonymous with tark (forsaking, disregarding, leaving).
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ ناضِرَةٌ ٢٢
(75:22) Some faces will be radiant (nāḍirah, from naḍrah) on that day,
This verse and the next three [up to verse ] continue describing the Day of Resurrection by classifying the faces on that day into two groups: the resplendent and the scowling. Naḍrah and naḍārah, when used for faces, colors and plants, mean “freshness, beauty, verdure.” The verse should be interpreted in contrast to the other group: and some faces will be scowling on that day… (). The meaning is: “On the Day of Resurrection, some faces will be bright, happy and beaming. They will bear an evident expression of satisfaction.” The Qur’an says: You will perceive in their faces the resplendence of bliss (); and He has met them with resplendence and joy ().
إِلى رَبِّها ناظِرَةٌ ٢٣
(75:23) looking toward their Lord;
This verse is a second predicate for Some faces (). What is meant here is not seeing God through physical vision, as one would observe material objects. There are solid proofs against the possibility of such vision of the divine. Rather, what is meant is seeing God with the eye of the heart through the reality of faith. This kind of vision is supported by both rational arguments and transmitted narrations from the Infallibles. We presented some of these narrations under the following verses: he [Moses] said, “My Lord, show [Yourself] to me, that I may look at You!” (); The heart did not deny what it saw ().
These are individuals whose hearts are oriented toward their Lord. They are not diverted or distracted from Him due to engagement with any of the apparent means and causes, because that day will terminate and sever all the apparent instruments and links. As they stand in any station on that day, or pass any stage on their way, they are embraced by God’s mercy: and they shall be secure from terror on that day (). Even as they sail in the gardens of paradise and indulge in its pleasures, they will be constantly witnessing their Lord, because whatever they see or observe, they see it as a sign of God. And looking at a sign with the awareness that it is a sign, is the same as observing the reality that it signifies and reflects.
Question: Since the verse mentions toward their Lord before looking [in the original Arabic], it means that they will only be seeing God. But we know that they will certainly observe other things as well, such as heavenly pleasures. How is that possible?
Response: Our explanation above should clarify the answer. Since they are not veiled from their Lord, whatever they see, they will see it as a sign. A sign, inasmuch as it is a sign, does not veil what it signifies, and does not obstruct the observer from it. This means that looking at a sign is tantamount to looking at what it signifies. Hence, the look of these individuals will be really directed at their Lord.
Some have answered the above question as follows: toward their Lord is mentioned before looking not as an indication of exclusivity, but to respect the rhyme of the verses. Even if it indicates exclusivity, if one looks at something next to God and along with Him [not separately], that does not count as a second object of observation [to contradict exclusivity of vision]. Granted that it does, the verse implies exclusivity only at certain times, not all times.
Comment: This answer imposes an extra qualification on the verse without any basis for it. Moreover, the verse ascribes looking to faces, not to eyes. This means that the people of paradise will be constantly facing their Lord and oriented toward Him. This is not compatible with facing anything else and having any other object of orientation.
وَ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ باسِرَةٌ ٢٤ تَظُنُّ أَنْ يُفْعَلَ بِها فاقِرَةٌ ٢٥
(75:24-25) and some faces will be scowling (bāsirah, from busūr) on that day, knowing (taẓunnu, from ẓann) that they will be dealt out a punishment breaking the spine (fāqirah).
Busūr has been interpreted as an intense form of frowning, and ẓann as knowledge. Fāqirah (breaking) is an adjective for an omitted noun. What is implied is “a breaking act or event.” The verb faqara is used when the backbone is struck. Some have said that it is used when one brands a camel’s muzzle.
The meaning is: “Some faces on that day will be severely grieved because they know that they will be met with a treatment that will break their backbone—or will brand their nose.” It is also possible that the verb taẓunnu is in the second person, addressed to the Prophet as the receiver of these verses. Then ẓann (thinking, speculation, expectation) would convey its usual sense.
كَلاَّ إِذا بَلَغَتِ التَّراقِيَ ٢٦
(75:26) Nay (kallā)! When it reaches the collar bones (al-tarāqī),
The exclamation kallā (nay, never, no way) is a deterrence and prohibition against their quality of loving this world and giving it priority over the hereafter. It is as though the verse is saying: “Refrain from this attitude, because these things are not permanent. Soon death will befall you, whereby you will be driven toward your Lord.” Tarāqī denotes “the bones that surround the neck on the two sides.” It is the plural of tarquwah. The implied meaning is: “When the soul reaches the collar bones.” This is comparable to the verse: So when it reaches the throat (). The meaning should be clear.
وَ قِيلَ مَنْ راقٍ ٢٧
(75:27) and it is said, “Where is the wizard (rāq)?”
The meaning is: “His family and friends around him will ask [one another]: Who can cure him? Can anyone make a charm for him?” This is an expression of despair.
Another suggested interpretation is that this is what some angels will tell others: “Who is going to raise (yarqá) his soul? Will it be the angels of punishment or the angels of mercy?”
وَ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِراقُ ٢٨
(75:28) and he realizes that it is the [time of] parting,
Seeing these events, the person on their deathbed will know that they are about to leave behind the present world which they loved so much, and which they had chosen over the hereafter.
وَ الْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ ٢٩
(75:29) and one shank is intertwined with another shank,
The apparent meaning of this verse is that one shank of the dying person is wrapped with the other as their soul reaches their collar bones and life departs from their body.
Other suggested meanings are:
- The intensity of afterlife will be intertwined with the affairs of this world.
- The state of death will be intertwined with the state of life.
- The shank of this life—that is, severe death throes—will be intertwined with the shank of afterlife—that is, the intense terror of encountering what awaits one in that realm (hawl al-muṭṭalaʿ).
Comment: There is no evidence in the text of the verse to substantiate any of these meanings. However, there is another plausible interpretation: The “intertwining of the shanks” is an expression for being overwhelmed by a series of calamities one after another, starting from the time of death until the Day of Resurrection. This interpretation incorporates all the above suggestions.
إِلى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَساقُ ٣٠
(75:30) unto your Lord will be the driving (al-masāq) that day.
The meaning is: “The return on that day will be toward God.” The use of driving here indicates that one has no choice or alternative but to make this journey. One has to proceed on a certain path from the day of their death—as reflected in this verse: unto your Lord will be the driving that day—until they reach the presence of their Lord on the Day of resurrection—as reflected in the verse: Unto your Lord is the recourse that day (). Since the complement (unto your Lord) is mentioned before the subject (the driving), one could infer a sense of exclusivity from the verse. In that case, it means that the final end will be only toward God.
Other suggested interpretations are:
- What is meant by “God” is “God’s judgment,” which means that there is an implied omitted muḍāf (annexed noun, construct noun) in the verse. Further, beginning the verse with unto your Lord indicates exclusivity. The implied meaning is: “The driving on that day will be only toward the judgment of your Lord.” In other words: “People will be summoned and presented so that God may apply and execute His judgment among them.”
- What is meant by “God” is “God’s promised abode.” The implied meaning is: “The driving will be only toward the promise of your Lord,” which would be either paradise or hell.
- What is meant by God being the end point of the driving is that He alone is the One Who will drive the individuals [in their journey from death to their eternal abode].
Comment: The interpretation we offered above is more plausible.
فَلا صَدَّقَ وَ لا صَلَّى ٣١ وَ لكِنْ كَذَّبَ وَ تَوَلَّى ٣٢ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلى أَهْلِهِ يَتَمَطَّى٣٣
(75:31-33) But he neither confirmed [the truth], nor prayed, but denied [it] and turned away (yatamaṭṭá, from tamaṭṭī), and went swaggering to his family.
The antecedent of the pronouns in these verses is man, which was mentioned in the verse: Does man suppose… (). What is meant by “confirmation” in verse is accepting the call of the truth, which is conveyed in the Qur’an. What is meant by “prayer” is turning one’s attention to God in worship through the ritual of prayer, which is the “pillar of religion” [as per hadith]. According to Majmaʿ al-bayān, tamaṭṭī () means stretching the body due to exhaustion. It is originally used for twisting one’s back. The word is used metaphorically here to imply “swaggering and strutting.”
The meaning is: “The person did not confirm the root beliefs that are found in the religious call. Nor did they pray to their Lord, where prayer represents the practical branches of religion which are entailed by the root beliefs. Instead, they denied the message, turned away from it in despise, and swaggered toward their family, filled with haughtiness.”
أَوْلى لَكَ فَأَوْلى ٣٤ ثُمَّ أَوْلى لَكَ فَأَوْلى ٣٥
(75:34-35) You well deserve (awlá laka)! Yes, you well deserve! Again, you well deserve! Yes, you well deserve!
The expression found in these verses implies threat and warning, which is repeated for emphasis. Here is a possible interpretation, while God knows best: Apparently these verses are a predicate for an omitted subject, which is a pronoun referring to the abovementioned qualities of the person in question. It was said that he neither confirmed [the truth], nor prayed, but denied [it] and turned away, and went swaggering to his family (). Then these verses affirm these qualities for the person, which implies that the person will be facing their consequences and punishments.
Accordingly, these verses are a curse from God, addressed to the abovementioned individual. This curse indicates God’s sealing of the person’s heart, which prevents the entrance of faith and Godwariness. It is a divine decree that the person is doomed to hell. The two verses are, in a way, comparable to the verse: But when a definitive sūrah is sent down and war is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is a disease looking upon you with the look of someone fainting at death. And they well deserve it! ().
The meaning is: “You have first-class priority (awlá laka) to your current condition. It fits you very well! And you shall have first-class priority to the consequences of your deeds. It is befitting of the punishments in store for you to overtake you!”
Other suggested interpretations are:
- Awlá laka is a noun that implies a verb. It means: “There shall be evil upon evil for you.”
- Awlá is an optative or invocatory verb in the past tense. It is derived from waly, which means “nearness, proximity, imminence.” Its subject is an omitted pronoun whose antecedent is “destruction, doom.” The letter lām in laka is zāʾidah (extra, redundant, semantically empty). The meaning is: “May your doom and destruction be soon and imminent.”
- The subject of awlá is an omitted pronoun whose antecedent is “God.” The letter lām in laka could be either zāʾidah or not. In the first case, the meaning would be: “May God bring close to you what you dislike.” In the second case, the meaning would be: “May God take you close to what you dislike.”
- The meaning is: “It is more befitting and appropriate to blame you than not to.” Parts of the original usage were omitted, and because of frequent usage, the abbreviated expression [awlá laka] has become synonymous with al-wayl laka (woe to you, shame on you). Given this transformation, it is no longer permissible to add and include the omitted parts.
- The meaning is: “May God destroy you by such destruction that is nearer to you than any other evil or destruction.”
- Awlá is a comparative adjective that means “more deserving or most befitting.” It is a predicate for an omitted subject that should be understood from the context. The implied meaning is: “The fire is most appropriate for you.” In other words: “You are most befitting of the fire and belong to it. That is why it is more befitting of you as well.”
Comment: These are implausible interpretations that suffer from contrivance. The last view comes close to our interpretation, but they are not the same.
أَ يَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسانُ أَنْ يُتْرَكَ سُدىً ٣٦
(75:36) Does man suppose that he will be left forlorn (sudá)?
This verse begins to wrap up the sūrah by reiterating a verse at the beginning: Does man suppose that We shall not assemble his bones? (). The rhetorical question in this verse indicates reproach. Sudá means muhmal (neglected, abandoned, left aimless). The meaning is: “Does the human being think that they are neglected and left on their own?” That would be the case if they were not to be resurrected after death, which would entail that they have no obligations to account for, and will face no retribution.
أَ لَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِنْ مَنِيٍّ يُمْنى ٣٧
(75:37) Was he not a drop of emitted (yumná, from imnāʾ) semen?
The antecedent of the pronoun “he” is man in the last verse. Imnāʾ of semen means its ejaculation into the womb.
ثُمَّ كانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّى ٣٨
(75:38) Then he became a clinging mass; then He created [him] and fashioned [him],
The meaning is: “The abovementioned person—or semen—then became a clot of blood. Then God apportioned and fashioned it by giving it a balanced and complete form.”
فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَ الْأُنْثى ٣٩
(75:39) and made of him the two sexes, the male and the female.
God made al-insān (the human) of two sexes: male and female.
أَ لَيْسَ ذلِكَ بِقادِرٍ عَلى أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتى ٤٠
(75:40) Is He not able to revive the dead?
The disbelievers rejected the resurrection on the account of mere unlikelihood. This verse argues against that by asserting God’s omnipotence and pointing to the initial creation of the individual. It is certainly easier—not harder—to bring back something to life than to create it ex nihilo. We have repeatedly analyzed and discussed this argument under other similar verses.
Examining Narrations
- Ibn ʿAbbās said: The Messenger of God faced a great intensity when he received revelation. He would start moving his lips and tongue in order to retain it, fearing that it may escape him. Thus God revealed: Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it. Indeed its collection and its recitation are upon Us (). That is, it is upon us to gather it in your heart, and then to recite it. And when We have recited it (): when We have revealed it to you; follow its recitation (): listen and remain silent. Then, its exposition is [also] upon Us (): We shall elucidate it through your tongue (another version: “We shall recite it”). From then on, when Gabriel descended upon the Messenger of God, he [the Prophet] would look down (another version: “he would give ear”). Once Gabriel left, he would recite [the message in whole], as promised by God.
- Ibn ʿAbbās said: Whenever there was a revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet, he would hasten to recite it in order to retain it. Then this verse was revealed: Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it (). Moreover, the Messenger of God did not know the end of a chapter (sūrah) until he received bism Allāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm (In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful) [marking the beginning of the next chapter].
Author’s comment: There are further narrations which convey the same idea. However, as we stated in our exposition of the verse, this meaning does not clearly correspond to the verses.
- Tafsīr al-Qummī says concerning Rather, you love the immediate (): That is the present world. And you neglect (tadharūna) the hereafter (): Tadharūna means tadaʿūna (you abandon, you forsake, you leave aside). Some faces will be radiant (nāḍirah) on that day (): Nāḍirah means mushriqah (bright, shining). Looking toward their Lord (): They will be looking at God’s face, which means His mercy and blessings.
- Concerning Some faces will be radiant on that day, looking (nāẓirah) toward (ilá) their Lord () Imam al-Riḍā said: It means they will be bright, anticipating (tantaẓiru, from intiẓār) the reward of their Lord.
Author’s comment: Some have argued that nāẓirah (looking, seeing) cannot be interpreted as muntaẓirah (anticipating, awaiting, hoping) because the verse uses the preposition ilá (toward, to, upon), in order to make the meaning transitive, while intiẓār is transitive by itself and is used without such a preposition. Majmaʿ al-bayān has responded to this objection by quoting two poems [which use naẓar with ilá, while intending intiẓār]. The first one is by Jamīl b. Maʿmar:
وَ إِذَا نَظ َرْتُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ مَلِكٍ وَ الْبَحْرُ دُونَكَ زِدْتَنِي نِعَمَا
Whenever I have looked toward thee (naẓartu ilayka),
O my king, who is unsurpassed by the sea,
Thou hast always renewed thy favor upon me.
And another poet has said:
إِنّي إِلَيْكَ لِمَا وَعَدْتَ لَنَاظِر ٌ نَظَرَ الْفَقِيرِ إِلَى الْغَنِيِّ الْمُوسِرِ
Indeed I’m looking (nāẓir) to (ilá) what you have promised,
As a poor man looks up to a rich one to assist.
Likewise, al-Kashshāf has said that in this verse, the usage of naẓar instead of intiẓār is a figurative usage. This is a plausible interpretation.
- The Messenger of God said: “If the person at the lowest level of paradise were to look at their gardens, spouses, servants and couches, they would extend to a journey of a thousand years. And the one most honored by God will look at His face every morning and evening.” Then he added: “Some faces will be radiant (nāḍirah) on that day (): white and clear. Looking toward their Lord (): They will look at His face every day.”
Author’s comment: There are two possible ways to construe this narration: (1) It corresponds to what we said about “seeing” God in our exposition of the verse. (2) It means seeing God’s attributes of action (al-ṣifāt al-fiʿliyyah) such as mercy, grace and beneficence. This is based on a precise sense of “face” (wajh): the “face” of something is an aspect of it by which it faces and meets other things. In the case of God, He faces His creation through His attributes [of action]. Accordingly, looking at God’s mercy, grace, beneficence—and His other attributes—is tantamount to looking at His face.
- The Messenger of God said: They will look at their Lord in a way which cannot be described, which has no defining limit, and which has no known quality.
Author’s comment: This narration confirms our interpretation of “looking” as a spiritual vision with the heart, not physical sight with the eye. This narration should be used as a basis to interpret a number of narrations—reported through Sunni chains of transmission—which apparently suggest anthropomorphism. According to the above hadith, what is implied in the verse is not physical vision, because that is always limited.
- Tafsīr al-Qummī says concerning Nay! When it reaches the collar bones (): That is when the soul reaches up to the collar bone (tarquwah). And it is said, “Where is the wizard?” (): The person [who is dying] will be told [with rebuke, by the angels], “Who has a charm to cure you [now]?” And he realizes that it is the [time of] parting (): The person would know that this is the end.
- Once Imam al-Bāqir was asked about the verses: and it is said, “Where is the wizard?” and he realizes that it is the [time of] parting (). He explained: This is the description of the human being. When death comes to them, they will inquire, “Is there a physician [to cure me]?” And he realizes that it is the [time of] parting (): They know for sure that they are parting with their loved ones. And one shank is intertwined with another shank (): This world will be intertwined with the hereafter. Unto your Lord will be the driving that day (): The path leads to the Lord of the worlds.
- Tafsīr al-Qummī says concerning: and one shank is intertwined with another shank (): This world will be intertwined with the hereafter. Unto your Lord will be the driving that day (): They will be driven toward God.
- ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm al-Ḥasanī says: I asked Imam al-Jawād concerning the verses: You well deserve! Yes, you well deserve! Again, you well deserve! Yes, you well deserve! (). He explained: “God’s is saying: May you be far from the good of this world, and may you be far from the good of the hereafter.”
Author’s comment: This hadith can be matched with our interpretation of the verses, as well as some of the suggested views of the exegetes.
- Once the Messenger of God took Abū Jahl’s hand and said to him, “You well deserve! Yes, you well deserve! Again, you well deserve! Yes, you well deserve!”
Abū Jahl retorted, “What are you threatening me with? Neither you nor your Lord can do anything to me. Indeed I’m the most respected person in this land.”
Then the Almighty God revealed these verses [] just as the Messenger of God had said.
- Concerning Does man suppose that he will be left forlorn? () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: It means not facing any reckoning, any punishment, or any questioning [of one’s beliefs and deeds].
- Once A man told Imam al-Ṣādiq, “O Abā ʿAbd-Allāh! Our whole creation is rather bizarre.”
The Imam inquired, “And why is that, for the love of God?”
“Because we are created to perish.”
“My dear nephew,” the Imam explained, “we are rather created to live forever. How could there be an end to a garden that never withers, and a fire that is never extinguished? Instead, you should say that we move from one abode to another.”
- When God revealed the verse, Is He not able to revive the dead? (), the Messenger of God said: Yes indeed, O God, and glory belongs to Thee (subḥānaka Allāhumma balá).
- It is narrated that whenever the Prophet recited verse , he would say: Yes indeed! And glory belongs to Thee O God.
- When Imam al-Riḍā recited this sūrah, he would say at the end: Yes indeed, O God! Glory belongs to Thee (subḥānaka Allāhumma balá).
See volume 27, p. 302 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
This meaning is based on interpreting bayān as “expression and communication,” not as “interpretation and elucidation.” (Trans.) ↩︎
This supports the author’s interpretation because verse explicitly mentions the Qur’an and its revelation. (Trans.) ↩︎
The interpretation is a contrived attempt at external consistency with the verses before and after, and also suffers from internal coherence. (Trans.) ↩︎
In the Arabic text of the verse, toward their Lord—which is the complement of the sentence—appears before looking. Such usage (where the khabar precedes the mubtadaʾ) indicates either exclusivity or emphasis. (Auth.)
In the case of exclusivity the meaning would be: “They will be looking only toward their Lord.” In the case of emphasis the meaning would be: “Their most salient quality is that they will be looking toward their Lord.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The author’s interpretation of the verse is subtle, insightful and mystical. Some faces will be directed toward the Absolute. Those are the ones who were not caught up with the particulars, but remained mindful of the colorless emptiness that takes on all forms. For them this prayer is realized: “Lord, give us weak eyes for things of little worth, and eyes clear-sighted in all of your truth.” Sren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, ed. and trans. H.V. Hong and E.H. Hong (1980), p. 3 (epigraph).
Meanwhile, on a more apparent level, naẓar (looking) in this verse means intiẓār (expectation, anticipation). This is confirmed by hadith number 4 below, and subsequently accepted by the author. The meaning is: “Some individuals will be expecting good from their Lord; they will have an eye on Him.” The verse is not about vision whatsoever, whether the vision of the heart or the vision of the eye. The same sense of “looking” is used in verses , , . For more on this, see the footnotes on volume 16, pp. 75-76 and 82 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “Seeing their condition, you, O Muḥammad, would imagine and guess that something excruciating is about to befall them.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The subject in this expression—it reaches [that is, the antecedent of the pronoun “it”]—is omitted, as it is understood from the context. (Auth.) ↩︎
Rāq (enchanter, healer) is an ism al-fāʿil (nominative substantive, active participial noun) derived from raqy. (Auth.) ↩︎
The verse depicts man’s helplessness in the face of death. For more Qur’anic insight on this theme, see verses , , , , , , , , . (Trans.) ↩︎
In this interpretation, rāqī means “elevator, lifter.” Ruqyah (healing spell) is from the same root since it lifts the disease and elevates one’s condition. Note that rāq in the verse is an apocopated form (majzūm) of rāqī. See Muṣṭafawī, al-Taḥqīq, under r-q-y. (Trans.) ↩︎
Masāq is a maṣdar (infinitive noun, gerund), synonymous with sawq (driving, procession). (Auth.) ↩︎
The first two interpretations are less preferred because they imply an omission in the verse. The last interpretation is less preferred because it diverts the preposition ilá (unto, toward) from its apparent meaning. (Trans.) ↩︎
If it is not zāʾidah, the letter lām (for, to, upon) is used to add the object of a transitive verb. As one can see, these subtle distinctions do not make any difference in the overall meaning of the verse, especially when translated into English. (Trans.) ↩︎
On a secondary level of application, the verse can provide insight into humankind’s existential forlornness, despair and angst. (Trans.) ↩︎
See the author’s exposition of verses , , , , , , , . (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ṭayālisī, Aḥmad, ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd, al-Bukhārī, Muslim, al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasāʿī, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn al-Anbārī’s al-Maṣāḥif, al-Ṭabarānī, Ibn Mardawayh, Abū Nuʿaym’s al-Dalāʾil, and al-Bayhaqī’s al-Dalāʾil. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Mardawayh. The first part of this narration is also reported in Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Ibn Jubayr. ↩︎
Al-ʿUyūn, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Ibrāhīm b. Abī Maḥmūd. This is also narrated from Imam ʿAlī in al-Tawḥīd, al-Iḥtijāj and Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
The first poem is by urayḥ b. Ismāʿīl al-Thaqafī (d. 165 AH, 782 CE). The second one is by Jamīl b. Maʿmar (d. 83 AH, 702 CE). (Trans.) ↩︎
In these verses, “looking to” means looking forward to something with hope and anticipation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah, ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Ājurrī’s al-Sharīʿah, al-Dāraquṭnī’s al-Ruʾyah, al-Ḥākim, Ibn Mardawayh, al-Lālakāʾī’s al-Sunnah, and al-Bayhaqī, on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Anas b. Mālik. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Jābir. ↩︎
Al-ʿUyūn, via its chain of narration. ↩︎
In this context what is meant is: “Indeed it shall come to you! You are surely up for it! It is certainly imminent!” (Trans.) ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. A similar account is quoted from a number of sources in al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Qatādah. ↩︎
ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Masʿadat b. Ziyād. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of from al-Barrāʾ b. ʿĀzib. The same has been narrated from Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah and others. ↩︎
This version of the expression is more accurate than the one with the conjunction “and” (letter wāw). (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-ʿUyūn. ↩︎