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Verses 1–41 ​

Chapter 79: Al-Nāziʿāt (Those Who Pull Out) · Printed edition: Volume 40, pp. 32–60

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ‏

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

This sūrah was revealed in Mecca and consists of 46 verses. It emphasizes the truth of afterlife and the reality of resurrection. It provides arguments for it based on God’s direction of affairs, concluding that the people will be classified into the inhabitants of paradise and the dwellers of hell. The chapter closes by addressing their question about the time of the Hour, and the reply to that. The theme of the verses shows that the sūrah was revealed in Mecca.

Commentary ​

وَ النَّازِعاتِ غَرْقاً ١

(79:1) By those who pull out fully!

There is a wide disagreement among the exegetes concerning the meaning of the first five verses of this chapter. However, they are unanimous that these are vows with an omitted complement. The implied meaning is: “I swear by these things that you shall be resurrected.”

By those who pull out (al-nāziʿāt) fully (gharqan): Here are some suggested interpretations for what is being sworn by in this verse:

  1. The angels of death, who drag out (tanziʿu) the souls from the bodies. Gharq (immersion, inundation, drowning) is a maṣdar (infinitive noun, gerund) which implies emphasis here, since it is mentioned without any qualification. The implied meaning is “seizing with severity” or “pulling out in fullness” [where “seizing” and “pulling out” are omitted].
  2. The angels who specifically pull out (yanziʿūna) the souls of disbelievers from their bodies vehemently.
  3. Death, which fully wrests (yanziʿu) the souls out of the bodies.
  4. The stars, which are drawn (tanziʿu) from one horizon to hide in another. That is, they rise from their rising points, and set in their setting points.
  5. The bows, which are pulled (tanziʿu) with the arrow. They are fully stretched when the bowstring is pulled. Hence, the verse swears by the bows of the soldiers in the way of God, or by the soldiers themselves.
  6. The beasts, which are drawn (tanziʿu) toward the pastures.

وَ النَّاشِطاتِ نَشْطاً ٢

(79:2) By those who discharge gently (nashṭan)!

There are a few meanings for nashṭ: (i) to pull and absorb with ease; (ii) to come out gently [intransitive]; (iii) to bring out gently [transitive]; (iv) to untie a knot. Here are some suggested interpretations for what is being sworn by in this verse:

  1. The angels who draw the souls out of the bodies.
  2. The angels who specifically draw the souls of the believers out of their bodies, just as the last verse—By those who pull out fully ()—was about the angels who pull out the souls of the disbelievers from their bodies.
  3. The angels who pull out (yanshiṭūna) the souls of the disbelievers from their bodies [by force].
  4. The very souls of the believers.
  5. The stars, which exit (tanshiṭu) and move from one horizon to another.
  6. The arrows, which leave (tanshiṭu) the bows in battles.
  7. Death, which brings out (yanshiṭu) the souls from the bodies.
  8. The beasts, which move out (tanshiṭu) from one region to another.

وَ السَّابِحاتِ سَبْحاً ٣

(79:3) By those who sweep swiftly (sabḥan)!

Here are some suggested interpretations for what is being sworn by in this verse:

  1. The angels who seize the souls, whereby they hasten with a believer’s soul to paradise, and with a disbeliever’s soul to hell. Sabḥ means “moving quickly.” A fast horse is called sābiḥ.
  2. The angels who gently draw out the souls of the believers from their bodies, and then leave them to rest, much like someone or something that is [smoothly] set afloat and buoyant (sābiḥ) on water.
  3. The angels who descend from the sky quickly.
  4. The stars, which float (tasbaḥu) in their orbits, as the Qur’an says: each swimming in an orbit (, ).
  5. The horses of the soldiers, which move swiftly (tasbaḥu) as they gallop [in God’s way].
  6. Deaths, which flow swiftly (tasbaḥu) in the fluid souls of all animals.
  7. The ships, which float (tasbaḥu) in the seas.
  8. The clouds [which float in the sky].
  9. Sea animals.

فَالسَّابِقاتِ سَبْقاً ٤

(79:4) By those who hasten with haste (sabqan)!

Here are some suggested interpretations for what is being sworn by in this verse:

  1. The angels in general, since they surpass (sabaqat) humans in virtue, faith, and righteous deeds.
  2. The angels of death, who quickly lead (tasbiqu) the souls of the believers to paradise, and the souls of the disbelievers to hell.
  3. The angels who specifically seize the souls of the believers and quickly lead (tasbiqu) them to paradise.
  4. The angels of revelation, who outstrip (tasbiqu) the devils as they convey God’s revelation to the prophets.
  5. The souls of the believers. Since their souls are longing to meet God, they hasten (tasbiqu) toward the angels that seize them [upon death].
  6. The stars, which surpass (tasbiqu) one another.
  7. The horses of soldiers, which outstrip (tasbiqu) one another in a battle [in God’s way].
  8. The deaths, which surpass (tasbiqu) the hopes and ambitions of people.

فَالْمُدَبِّراتِ أَمْراً ٥

(79:5) By those who direct the affairs!

Here are some suggested interpretations for what is being sworn by in this verse:

  1. The angels in general, since they direct the affairs [of the universe]. This is how most exegetes have interpreted the verse. Some have claimed that there is a consensus among the exegetes about this.
  2. The four archangels who are in charge of directing the affairs of this world, including Gabriel, Michael, ʿIzrāʾīl, and Isrāfīl. Gabriel is in charge of the winds, the hosts [in battles], and divine revelation. Michael is in charge of rain and plants. ʿIzrāʾīl [the Angel of Death] is charged with seizing the souls [upon death]. Isrāfīl [Seraphiel] brings down the divine command to them [the other three archangels], and is the blower of the Trumpet [upon the resurrection].
  3. The firmament, upon which God’s command descends. The divine decree governs the world through their channel.

Some exegetes have said that there is an omitted muḍāf (annexed noun, construct noun) in the above vows, where the implied meaning is: “By the Lord of those who pull out… By the Lord of…”

It should be noted that these five verses [] follow the same context and have a uniform flow. This refutes many of the above mentioned interpretations, which imply varying objects of vow by which the verses swear. Some examples of such discordant views are:

  1. Interpreting al-nāziʿāt () as angels that pull out the souls of the disbelievers.
  2. Interpreting al-nāshiṭāṭ () as the beasts.
  3. Interpreting al-sābiḥāt () as the ships.
  4. Interpreting al-sābiqāt () as deaths which surpass the hopes and ambitions of people.
  5. Interpreting al-mudabbirāt () as the firmaments.

Besides, there is no evidence from the context of the verses to support many of the above interpretations. They are merely based on dictionary usages of the terms, whether literal or metaphorical. Furthermore, many of these suggestions are incompatible with the theme of the chapter, which revolves around the Day of Resurrection, and provides arguments for its occurrence. As we discussed in Sūrah al-Mursalāt, there is always a connection between the Qur’anic oaths and their intended message.

What one could say—and God knows best—is that the descriptions mentioned in these verses can be matched with the attributes of the angels. They obey the commands of the Almighty God with respect to managing the affairs of the visible world, and they execute this with His leave. These verses bear a striking resemblance to the opening verses of Sūrah al-Ṣāffāt and Sūrah al-Mursalāt: By those ranged in ranks! By the ones who drive vigorously! By those who recite the reminder (); By those released successively! By the tempestuous tempests! By the spreaders spreading! By the separators separating! By the inspirers of remembrance (). All these chapters describe the angels that obey God’s command. The difference is that the other two chapters pertain to the angels of revelation, while this chapter is concerned with angels in general, as agents who direct the affairs of the world, under God’s authority.

By those who direct (fal-mudabbirāt, from tadbīr) the affairs (amran): Among these five verses [], this verse most evidently corresponds to the angels. Since tadbīr (direction, management, government) is mentioned in an unqualified way, it indicates the management of the world in an absolute sense. Such absolute direction only befits the angels. Hence, what is meant by the clause, those who direct is angels in general. There are two possible interpretations for the word amran (affair, command): (1) It is a tamyīz (specification, discrimination, clarification). (2) It is the object of direction.

The letter fāʾ (so, then, therefore) at the beginning of this verse indicates that their direction of affairs is a result and consequence of their quality of hastening and taking the lead, mentioned in the previous verse. Similarly, the letter fāʾ at the beginning of the verse, By those who hasten (fal-sābiqāt) with haste () indicates that this quality is a result and consequence of their swift floating []. Therefore, there is a harmony and congruity in the meaning of these three verses: By those who sweep swiftly! By those who hasten with haste! By those who direct the affairs (). It means that the angels first descend [with the divine command] through a swift float [], then they race toward their mission [], and then they direct the affairs with which they are charged []. Based on this analysis, we can conclude that those who sweep () and those who hasten () are the same as those who direct (). All these verses refer to the angels in the sense that they descend to direct an affair that they are commanded to.

These three verses [] correspond to the verse: He has guardian angels, to his front and his rear, who guard him by Allah’s command (), based on our interpretation of the verse. Anything in the world is subject to a number of opposing causes and factors which contribute to its existence, nonexistence, persistence or annihilation. But the angels descend upon it to settle its fate. When God ordains some matter, and finalizes His decree about some event, the angel who is charged with it hastens toward it with its specified mandate in those circumstances. That angel surpasses the other angels and completes the cause that has been ordained. This is how God’s will is executed. The reader should reflect on his.

Therefore, we can safely say that these three verses [] pertain to the swift descent of the angels to fulfil their mission, whereby they hasten toward God’s command to direct the affairs of the world. Having clarified these verses, the meaning of the first two verses becomes apparent: By those who pull out fully! who discharge gently (). These two verses describe the onset of the angels’ dispatch and exit from the station of receiving God’s command toward its execution. What is meant by “pulling out fully” [] is taking the first steps with force and diligence to descend toward their goal. What is meant by their “discharge” [] is to leave their position toward that goal. Similarly, their “sweeping” [] means moving quickly toward it, which is followed by surpassing [others] in their mission [] and directing the affairs with God’s leave [].

The five opening verses swear by the different stages that the angels pass through when they direct any affair of the visible world, from when they commence their descent until they complete their management of the matter. These verses describe the angelic aspect of how the world is governed, which is applicable to the occurrence of any event. Likewise, we will read below about the Lord’s governance of the visible world: Has the story… (). The angelic aspect provides a proof for resurrection and retribution, and the worldly aspect provides another proof. We shall discuss these below, by God’s will.

The above is what we can say by contemplating on the theme and context of the verses. This interpretation is confirmed in some traditions, which we shall present in our examination of narrations below, if God wills.

Discourse

The discussion “Discussion on the Angels’ Intermediation in the Direction of Affairs” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.

يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الرَّاجِفَةُ ٦ تَتْبَعُهَا الرَّادِفَةُ ٧

(79:6-7) The day when the Quaker (al-rājifah) quakes, and is followed by the Successor (al-rādifah).

Here are a few suggested interpretations for the terms in these verses:

  1. Rājifah means “a shaking, a tremulous and booming shriek.” Rādifah means “something that follows and comes later.”

Comment: Based on these meanings, the two verses would correspond to the two blows of the Trumpet, as stated in this verse: And the Trumpet will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens will swoon and whoever is on the earth, except whomever Allah wills. Then it will be blown a second time, behold, they will rise up, waiting ().

  1. Rājifah means “something that moves another thing violently.” The intransitive meaning of rajf is “shaking violently.” Its transitive meaning is “shaking something violently.”

Comment: According to this meaning, al-rājifah would again correspond to the first blow of the Trumpet, which will shake the earth and the mountains. Then al-rādifah would be the second blow, which is subsequent to the first one.

  1. What is meant by al-rājifah is the earth, which will quake. What is meant by al-rādifah is the heavens and the stars, which will be shaken, split and demolished.

Comment: The last two interpretations are not quite apparent, especially the last one.

Either way, the complement of the vow in the previous verses is an event which is not mentioned, which itself indicates the intensity and grandeur of the event. The implied meaning is: “You shall certainly be resurrected.” Given this context, The day () identifies the time of that event. Another suggested interpretation is that The day () present the container for what comes next [in verse ]. The meaning would be: “Hearts will be trembling on that day—the day when the Quaker quakes.” This, however, is not apparent.

قُلُوبٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاجِفَةٌ ٨

(79:8) Hearts will be trembling (wājifah, from wajīf) on that day,

The indefinite form of the word “hearts” (qulūbun) indicates diversification. In this verse, Hearts is the subject and its predicate is: will be trembling. Wajīf is synonymous with iḍṭirāb (agitation, disturbance, upset). On that day identifies the time of trembling. This verse is a new and independent statement which elucidates the state of affairs on that day.

أَبْصَارُهَا خَاشِعَةٌ ٩}

(79:9) their looks humbled.

The antecedent of the pronoun “their” is hearts (). When psychological and cognitive qualities—such as knowledge, fear and hope—are ascribed to the heart, what is meant by the heart is the human soul, as we have explained before. That is why the verse ascribes abṣār (looks, visions, eyes) to the hearts. Humbleness is a trait of the hearts. It is mentioned as a quality of the eyes since the signs of the heart’s humbleness appear in one’s eyes more than they appear in other organs.

يَقُولُونَ أَإِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِي الْحَافِرَةِ ١٠}

(79:10) They say, “Will we be returned to our earlier state (al-ḥāfirah)?

This verse narrates the disbelievers’ claim in this world, as they considered afterlife to be an unlikely prospect. The verse implies that those whose hearts will be trembling and whose looks will be humbled on the Day of Resurrection, are the same individuals who deny the resurrection today in this world. They are those who say, “Will we be…?” Ḥāfirah has been defined as “the beginning and origin of something.” The question in this verse is a rhetorical one, indicating unlikelihood and skepticism. The meaning is: “They say: Shall we be restored after death to our original state of life?”

Two other suggested views are:

  1. Ḥāfirah [a nominative substantive] means maḥfūrah [an accusative substantive] here, which corresponds to the grave in the ground. The meaning is: “Shall we be brought back to life from our graves after we die?”

Comment: The problem with this view should be clear.

  1. The verse narrates what they will confess on the Day of Resurrection. This is what they will say after they are resurrected, and the question in the verse indicates astonishment and perplexity. When they are resurrected and witness the scene there, they will be shocked by what they will see, and will thus question if they have indeed been resurrected.

Comment: This can be a plausible meaning, but it contravenes the apparent context of the verses.

أَإِذَا كُنَّا عِظَامًا نَخِرَةً ١١}

(79:11) What, when we are crumbled (nakhirah) bones?!”

This verse reiterates the preceding rhetorical question, emphasizing the implied unlikelihood. If life after death is unlikely, then it is much more unlikely once the bones decompose and the organs disintegrate. Nakhar means “decay, decomposition.”

قَالُوا تِلْكَ إِذًا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌ ١٢}

(79:12) They said, “That, then, is a detrimental return (karrah)!”

The demonstrative pronoun “that” refers to the idea of “return” which is implied by: Will we be returned to our earlier state? (). Karrah means “return, recurrence.” There are two possible interpretations for the usage of the adjective khāsirah (detrimental, unprofitable, losing) for return: (1) It is used figuratively, since the real loser is the person who is returned [not the return itself]. (2) Khāsirah means dhāt khusrān (characterized by loss, involving loss) [where the word dhāt (possessing, having) is omitted]. The meaning is: “They said, ‘Such a return—that is, returning to life after death—would be a return that is covered with loss and ruin.”

This statement can be construed in two ways: (1) Assuming that the previous verses—Will we be returned… ()—reflect their beliefs in this world, this verse would be a pejorative statement by the disbelievers. Using a verb in the past tense—They said—in this verse clarifies that the present tense verb above—They say ()—is about their current state of affairs [not what they will say on the Day of Resurrection]. (2) Assuming that the previous verses describe what they will say upon the resurrection, this verse would reflect their regret and disappointment [on that day].

فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ ١٣}

(79:13) Yet it will be only a single shout (zajrah),

The antecedent of the pronoun “it” is return (). Some have suggested that the antecedent is the Successor (), which indicates the second blow of the Trumpet. Zajr means “driving away by a cry or a sound.” This term is used for the second blow of the Trumpet in the sense that the blow will cause them to move from the state of death to the state of life; from below the earth to above it.

فَإِذَا هُمْ بِالسَّاهِرَةِ ١٤}

(79:14) and behold (fa-idhā), they will be on the plain (bil-sāhirah).

The word idhā indicates suddenness and abruptness. Sāhirah means “a level ground” or “a field that is not vegetated.”

These two verses [] serve as a response to audience’s implied unlikelihood of the resurrection on the account of its difficulty, as reflected above: Will we be returned… (). The meaning is: “It is no hard task for Us to revive them after death and bring them back, because their return—or the Successor, meaning the second blow of the Trumpet—will be a matter of a single cry. Then they will be alive on the face of the ground right away, after having been dead inside it.” These two verses are thematically comparable to the verse: The matter of the Hour is just like the twinkling of an eye, or [even] swifter ().

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰ ١٥}

(79:15) Has the story of Moses reached you?

This verse and its following eleven verses [up to verse ] present the story of Moses, when he was sent to Pharaoh, who declined his call, So Allah seized him with the exemplary punishment of the last and the first (). The story is an admonition and warning to the polytheists. Their argument was: (1) there is no afterlife. (2) Religion does not make sense without the hereafter. (3) Thus we reject the religious call. Just as it threatens the deniers, the story also comforts the Prophet against them. This can be inferred from using the second person in the current verse: Has the story of Moses reached you? ().

In addition, this story proves the truth of resurrection and retribution. The horrendous destruction of Pharaoh and his hosts clearly show that Moses was truly God’s messenger toward the people. His mission from God shows that God is the Lord of humankind. This refutes the view of the polytheists, holding that people are not under the lordship of God, but they are subject to the reign of lower lords, and that God is the Lord of the lords only.

Has the story of Moses reached you? This is a persuasive question, meant to raise the interest of the audience [that is, the Prophet] to listen to the story so that it may console him. As we said above, it also warns the disbelievers since it talks about God’s punishment. Hence, it leaves them with no excuse or argument [against God].

There is no problem in asking such a rhetorical question to an audience who already knows the story. This is because the purpose of the question is to turn the audience’s attention to the story, without expecting an answer from them. Therefore, it is possible that this was the first Qur’anic mention of the story of Moses, as it is also possible that the story was mentioned before. In fact, there is a brief reference to the story in Sūrah al-Muzzammil [], which was revealed before the current sūrah. There is also a more elaborate account of the story in Sūrah al-Aʿrāf and Sūrah Ṭā-Hā [ and , which were also revealed prior to the current sūrah].

إِذْ نَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى ١٦}

(79:16) When his Lord called out to him in the holy valley of Ṭuwá,

This verse presents the time of the occurrence of the story (). It refers to the first revelation from God to Moses, whereby he was appointed to be a divine messenger. Ṭuwá is the name of the holy valley [where Moses first received revelation].

اذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ ١٧}

(79:17) [and said,] “Go to Pharaoh, [for] indeed he has transgressed,

This verse interprets and explains the clause, his Lord called out to him (). Two other suggested views are:

  1. There is an omitted verb “say” in the verse. The implied meaning is: “He said, ‘Go to…’”
  2. There is an omitted particle an (that) which indicates that the verse is interpretative of what was mentioned before. The implied meaning is: “That ‘Go to…’”

Comment: The problem with both views is that there is no need for assuming an omission in the verse.

… indeed he has transgressed: This sentence is a justification for the previous command.

فَقُلْ هَلْ لَكَ إِلَىٰ أَنْ تَزَكَّىٰ ١٨}

(79:18) and say, ‘Are you willing to purify yourself (tazakká, from tazakkī)?

The literal text of the verse is incomplete, as it says: “Do you have any to purify yourself?” The preposition “to” (ilá) clarifies what the omitted word is: “Do you have any willingness or inclination to purify yourself?” Tazakkī here means “purifying oneself” from the defilements of transgression.

وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ ١٩}

(79:19) And I will guide you to your Lord, that you may fear [Him]?’”

The conjunction “and” connects this verse to the clause, purify yourself (). It is said that “guiding him to his Lord” means teaching him about his Lord and leading him to know God. The result of that would be developing an awe of the divine, which would prevent one from violating and transgressing the boundaries of servitude. The Qur’an says: Only those of Allah’s servants having knowledge fear Him ().

There are two possible interpretations here: (1) Tazakkī (self-purification) in the last verse means cleansing oneself of transgression by means of repentance and returning to God. Then fear in this verse is a result of that, meaning a kind of fear which comes with īmān (belief, faith), and which stops one from disobedience. (2) Tazakkī means cleansing oneself through obedience and abstinence from sin. Then this verse—And I will guide you to your Lord, that you may fear [Him]?—is an interpretation of the last verse. Therefore, the conjunction “and” at the beginning of the verse would be interpretive.

فَأَرَاهُ الْآيَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ ٢٠}

(79:20) Then he showed him (fa-arāhu) the greatest sign.

The letter fāʾ (lit. so, then, therefore) at the beginning of the verse is called fāʾ al-faṣīḥah (indicative, revelatory, clarifying), indicating an omission in the verse. The implied meaning is: “So Moses went to him, called him [to his message], and then showed him…”

Based on the elaborate accounts of this story [in other Qur’anic chapters], the greatest sign refers to the miracle of the staff. Some have said that all miracles that were shown to Pharaoh and his elites are intended here, but that is unlikely.

فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ ٢١}

(79:21) But he denied and disobeyed,

Pharaoh rejected Moses, denied his mission, accused him of sorcery, and disobeyed his commands—or disobeyed God.

ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَىٰ ٢٢}

(79:22) Then he turned back (adbara, from idbār), striving (yasʿū, from saʿy).

Idbār means “turning away.” Saʿy means “striving, effort.” Pharaoh turned back, doing his best to oppose Moses, and striving hard to refute his message.

فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ ٢٣}

(79:23) Then he mustered (fa-ḥashara, from ḥashr) [the people], then he proclaimed:

Ḥashr means “gathering the people by force.” What is meant here is that he mustered the people from across his kingdom. This can be inferred from the use of the letter fāʾ (so, then, therefore) in the next part of the verse: then he proclaimed (fa-nādá): saying, “I am your highest lord!” (). This shows that he claimed lordship over the entire Egypt, not only over a particular group of them.

Some have said that “mustering” in this verse refers to summoning the magicians, as per these verses: Then Pharaoh sent heralds (ḥāshirīn, from ḥashr) to the cities (); Then Pharaoh withdrew [to consult privately], summoned up (fa-jamaʿa, from jamʿ) his guile, and then arrived [at the scene of the contest] (). However, there is no evidence to show that ḥashr (mustering, summoning) in the current verse is the same as ḥashr and jamʿ (gathering) in the two quoted verses.

فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَىٰ ٢٤}

(79:24) saying, “I am your highest lord!”

This verse reflects Pharaoh’s claim to lordship. Its apparent meaning is that he claimed to be superior to the other lords which his idolatrous people believed in. He held himself to be above their gods.

Pharaoh was himself a polytheist who worshiped the idols. This can be inferred from a verse in the Qur’an where his elite ask him: Will you leave Moses and his people to cause corruption in the land, and to abandon you and your gods? (). Perhaps what he meant by his superiority over the other gods was that he was the closest of them to his people—in the sense that he controlled their livelihood, maintained order among them through his rule, and preserved their glory and honor [among other nations] through his command. The other gods lacked these qualities.

Some have said that he meant setting himself above the other officials and authorities in the nation. This effectively means that he claimed to be the top monarch in Egypt, saying that he wields lordship over all other rulers and agents in the land. This would make the verse comparable to what is narrated from him elsewhere: And Pharaoh proclaimed amongst his people. He said, “O my people! Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me…?” (). However, there are two problems with this view: (1) It is against the apparent meaning of the verse. (2) It is against other verses, where he says to his elite: O [members of the] elite! I do not know of any god that you may have other than me (); and says to Moses: If you take up any god other than me, I will surely make you a prisoner! ().

فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الْآخِرَةِ وَالْأُولَىٰ ٢٥}

(79:25) So Allah seized him with the exemplary punishment (nakāl) of the last and the first.

“Seizing” is an indirect expression for punishment. Nakāl is a type of punishment that deters one who sees it or hears about it from qualifying for its like. God’s punishment in the hereafter serves this purpose in the sense that those who hear about it should avoid sinful acts that would lead one to it. The same can be said about God’s exterminating punishments in this world. The meaning is: “God seized Pharaoh—that is, He punished him—by an exemplary punishment in the hereafter and in this world.” The punishment of Pharaoh in this world was for God to drown him and his hosts. His punishment of the hereafter is punishment after death. Accordingly, the first and the last mean the life of this world and the hereafter, respectively.

Other suggested meanings are:

  1. The last refers to Pharaoh’s final claim: I am your highest lord! (), while the first refers to what he claimed before that: I do not know of any god that you may have other than me (). Because of making these claims, God seized him and punished him with an exemplary punishment.
  2. The first means Pharaoh’s initial rejection and disobedience at the outset of Moses’ mission, and the last means the claim he made at the end of the story: I am your highest lord! ().
  3. The first refers to his earlier sins, while the last refers to his later sins. The meaning is: “God seized him with punishment for all of his sins.”

Comment: None of these three views is quite apparent.

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَىٰ ٢٦}

(79:26) There is indeed a lesson in that for one who fears (yakhshá, from khashyah)!

The demonstrative pronoun “that” refers to the story of Moses. Apparently the object of “fear”—which is commonly used with the word khashyah (fear, awe, concern)—is deliberately omitted here as no particular object is intended. The meaning is: “Indeed in this narrative—the story of Moses—is a lesson for anyone who has a sense of caution.” It is part of human nature to fear punishment and misery instinctively. Thus, there is a lesson in this story for anyone whose innate human nature is intact.

Another suggested interpretation is: The object of fear is God, which is omitted. The implied meaning is: “for one who fears God.” However, the first interpretation is more expressive.

أَأَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ السَّمَاءُ ۚ بَنَاهَا ٢٧}

(79:27) Are you more prodigious in creation or the sky? He built it.

From this verse to verse , there is a message of rebuke and criticism directed at the polytheists who denied and derided the afterlife. They deemed the resurrection to be an unlikely prospect by saying: Will we be returned to our earlier state? What, when we are crumbled bones?! (). These verses respond to that notion by saying that God has indeed created things that are far more substantial and sturdier than them. Therefore, He is certainly capable of recreating them in another realm.

In addition to proving the possibility of resurrection, the verses also prove its inevitable occurrence. The verses discuss God’s direction of the entire universe and how humankind is a part of that. This proves God’s Lordship [over all beings, including humans]. His Lordship in turn necessitates prophethood and religious obligation. That in turn requires retribution, which would occur upon the resurrection in the afterlife. That is why after these verses God concludes: So when the Greatest Catastrophe befalls… ().

Are you more prodigious in creation or the sky…: This is a rhetorical question which implies censure. It is meant to remove their skepticism about resurrection after death.

… He built it: This is a separate sentence, which marks an elaborate description of how God created the sky. This elaboration serves to confirm that the sky is indeed more prodigious in creation.

رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا ٢٨}

(79:28) He raised its vault (samkahā), and fashioned it (fa-sawwāhā, from taswiyah).

Samk means “the roof or the upper part of something.” Taswiyah means “arranging and placing the constituents of something together in their proper place, according to a wise plan.” This is what the term means in the verse: So when I have proportioned him (sawwaytuhu) and breathed into him of My spirit (, ).

وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَاهَا ٢٩}

(79:29) And He darkened its night, and He brought forth its day (ḍuḥāhā).

God made the night dark, and manifested the day. The original meaning of ḍuḥá is “the expansion of sunlight and the extension of the day.” What is meant here is the entire day in general, since it is used in contradistinction with night. Night and day are attributed to the sky since they have a heavenly cause, which is the appearance or disappearance of luminous bodies like the sun. Night and day are not only applicable to our planet earth, but also to any heavenly body that draws light from other bodies while it is dark itself.

وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا ٣٠}

(79:30) And after that He spread (daḥāhā) the earth,

God expanded and stretched the earth after the previous stages—of building the sky, raising its vault, proportioning it, darkening its night, and brightening its day. Daḥw has also been defined as “rolling out.” Some have interpreted the verse as: “And with that He spread the earth.” That is, “after” (baʿd) here means “with” (maʿa), just as in the verse: callous and, on top of that (baʿd dhālika), baseborn (). We discussed the apparent Qur’anic view of the creation of the heavens and the earth in Sūrah Fuṣṣilat.

أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا ٣١}

(79:31) and He brought forth from it its water and pastures (marʿāhā),

“Bringing forth its water” refers to springs gushing forth, and rivers flowing on the earth. “Bring forth its pastures” refers to the growth of plants which both animals and humans feed on. While marʿá is often used exclusively for what animals eat, apparently what is meant here is plants and vegetables in general, including the nourishment of both animals and humans. This can be deduced from a verse below: an enjoyment for you and your livestock (). Here are some suggested interpretations for marʿá (pasture):

  1. It is used synonymously with riʿy (plant).
  2. It is a gerund (grazing, pasturing).
  3. It is a temporal noun (grazing time).
  4. It is a locative noun (pasture, grazing place).

وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا ٣٢}

(79:32) and He made firm the mountains,

God established the mountains firmly on the earth to keep it from agitation, and to store water and minerals in it. This is reflected in other verses in the Qur’an.

مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ ٣٣}

(79:33) an enjoyment for you and your livestock.

God has created and directed the above constituents of the heavens and the earth so that they may be an enjoyment for you and your livestock. He has also made your livestock subservient to you so that you may benefit from them in your life. Such beneficial creation and direction makes it incumbent on you to know your Lord, to be wary of Him, and to be grateful to Him. For the same reason, there must be a day when you will be recompensed for how you act in this regard. If you do good, then you will have a good reward; and if you do evil, then evil. Moreover, since this creation and direction is mightier than yours, you are not justified in deeming your second creation an unlikely occurrence, or difficult for God.

فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الطَّامَّةُ الْكُبْرَىٰ ٣٤}

(79:34) So when (fa-idhā) the Greatest Catastrophe (al-ṭāmmah) befalls,

Majmaʿ al-bayān says:

Ṭāmmah means “high, dominant, overwhelming.” Aṭamm is synonymous with aʿlá (higher, superior). When a bird surmounts a tree, it is said that “the bird ṭamma (mounted, rose, ascended).” Any overwhelming calamity that cannot be deflected is called ṭāmmah.

Ṭāmmah in this verse means the resurrection, in the sense that it is a calamity which surmounts and defeats every dreadful disaster. That is why it is described as the Greatest, and is used in an unqualified way. The letter fāʾ (lit. so, then, therefore) at the beginning of the verse indicates that the message of this verse—that is, the occurrence of the resurrection—is a necessary consequence of the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the order by which they are directed. We explained this [connection] above.

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٥}

(79:35) the day when man will remember what he has striven (saʿá, from saʿy),

This verse identifies the time when the Greatest Catastrophe befalls (). Saʿy means “hard work.”

وَبُرِّزَتِ الْجَحِيمُ لِمَنْ يَرَىٰ ٣٦}

(79:36) and hell is brought into view (burrizat, from tabrīz) for one who sees.

Tabrīz means “to manifest, to expose, to show.” What is meant by the clause, one who sees is anyone who has eyes and can see. The meaning is: “Hell will be exposed to anyone who has sight. The veil will be lifted from it, so they will witness it directly.” This verse is comparable to the verse: You were certainly oblivious of this. We have removed your veil from you, and so your sight is sharp today (), although verse has a more comprehensive meaning [than seeing hell in particular]. This verse clearly shows that hell is already created before the Day of Resurrection; what happens on that day is that it will become manifest as the veils will be removed.

فَأَمَّا مَنْ طَغَىٰ ٣٧ وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا ٣٨ فَإِنَّ الْجَحِيمَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ ٣٩ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ٤٠ فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ ٤١

(79:37-41) Then, as for him who transgressed (ṭaghá, from tughyān), and preferred the life of this world, his abode will indeed be hell. But as for him who feared (khāfa, from khawf) his Lord’s station and forbade his soul from desire, his abode will indeed be paradise.

These verses elaborately discuss how people will be classified into two categories on that day. We can infer an omitted concise statement—as a complement of the clause, So when… ()—from this elaborate account. The implied meaning is: “So when the Greatest Catastrophe befalls, people will be divided into two groups. Then, as for him who transgressed…”

There are two triads here, where God classifies the people into the dwellers of hell, and the inhabitants of paradise. The dwellers of hell are discussed first because the verses are primarily addressed to the polytheists. Those who are doomed to hell are defined by these qualities: him who transgressed, and preferred the life of this world (). This is contrasted with defining the inhabitants of paradise as follows: him who feared his Lord’s station and forbade his soul from desire (). The traits of each group are mentioned as a general standard that can be applied to assess anyone. Since the two groups are contrasted with one another in this classification, the attributes of each group are the opposite of the other group. This should clarify the two qualities mentioned for each group:

(1) The inhabitants of paradise are characterized by fearing (khawf) the station of their Lord. Khawf is the impression of someone who is weak and dominated by someone who is strong and overpowering. It involves the humility and awe of the former before the latter. It follows from this that the dwellers of hell are characterized by transgression (tughyān), which means violating and exceeding the limits. That is, they have no regard for the station of their Lord due to their arrogance [and pride]. They are not humble and obedient toward their Lord but transgress the limits of servitude. They follow a course other than what He has prescribed for them, and they opt out of the eternal bliss that He has preferred for them. Instead, they follow their desires in pursuing the adornments of worldly life.

(2) An implication of their transgression is preferring the worldly life [over eternal bliss], as the verse says: and preferred the life of this world (). This is the same as following one’s ego and obeying personal desires in opposition to God. It follows that the opposite of “transgression”—which is “fearing God”—would have an equally opposite implication, which is a tendency not to incline to the worldly life, and to forbid the ego from pursuing its desires. This is the second attribute of the inhabitants of paradise in these verses, after their trait of fear: and forbade his soul from desire ().

Verse stipulates “forbidding” from evil and not “avoiding” evil altogether. This is in consideration of the inherent weakness of humankind, which may lead them to slip into sin—not out of arrogance and defiance. For such slips, God is expansive in forgiveness, as He says: To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil for what they have done, and reward those who do good with the best [of rewards]. Those who avoid major sins and indecencies, excepting [minor and occasional] lapses. Indeed, your Lord is expansive in [His] forgiveness (); If you avoid the major sins that you are forbidden, We will absolve you of your misdeeds, and admit you to a noble abode ().

In short, we can deduce the following standards concerning the characteristics of the dwellers of hell and the inhabitants of paradise from the three verses that describe each group: The dwellers of hell are characterized by disbelief and sin, while the inhabitants of paradise are characterized by belief and taqwá (Godwariness, self-restraint, piety). There remain other groups in between them, such as al-mustaḍʿafūn (the disadvantaged, the oppressed, the abased) [] and others who have confessed to their sins, having mixed up righteous conduct with other that was evil (). Their case will be up to God to decide []. He may embrace them in His forgiveness through intercession or other means.

his abode will indeed be hell: The verse literally says, “Hell will be the abode (al-maʾwá).” This can be interpreted in two ways: (1) “Hell will be his abode,” where the definite article al- has substituted the pronoun. (2) “Hell will be the abode for him,” where the pronoun is omitted.

But as for him who feared his Lord’s station (maqām)…: There are three primary meanings for maqām:

  1. It is a locative noun (place, position, station), meaning the place where an object is located.
  2. It is a temporal noun (time of standing and rising).
  3. It is a gerund (standing).

Besides its primary meanings, sometimes a certain attribute or condition of something is treated as a “place” where it is grounded and situated. Thus that quality is called the maqām (position, station) of the thing. This meaning is found in a verse about testimony: then two others shall stand up in their place (maqāmahumā) (). Similarly, God narrates Prophet Noah telling his people: If my standing (maqāmī) [among you] be hard on you and [also] my reminding you of Allah’s signs (). Likewise, He narrates from the angels: There is none among us but has a known place (maqām) ().

Accordingly, since the verse [] ascribes maqām to the Lord, it means God’s quality of Lordship, which entails many noble attributes such as omniscience, omnipotence, dominion, invincibility, mercy and wrath. God has announced and outlined His maqām in these verses: do not overstep the bounds therein, lest My wrath should descend on you. And he on whom My wrath descends certainly perishes. And indeed I am All-Forgiver toward him who repents, becomes faithful and acts righteously, and then follows guidance (); Inform My servants that I am indeed the All-Forgiving, the Ever-Merciful, and that My punishment is the painful punishment (). In short, God’s maqām (station, position)—which these servants hold in awe—is His status of Lordship, which is a source of divine mercy and forgiveness for those who believe and restrain themselves, and a source of excruciating punishment and chastisement for those who deny and disobey.

Two other suggested interpretations are:

  1. The maqām of one’s Lord means one’s position of standing before Him on the Day of Resurrection, where He would ask them about their deeds.

Comment: The problem with this view should be clear.

  1. The effective meaning is “one who fears His Lord,” and the word maqām is zāʾidah (extra, supplementary, semantically empty), much like the word mathwá (place, position) in the verse: Honor his position (mathwāhu) ().

Examining Narrations ​

  1. Once Imam al-Jawād was inquired about the verses, By the night when it envelops! By the day when it brightens (), By the star when it sets () and other similar vows. He said: The Almighty God is entitled to swear by anything that He has created as He wills, but His creatures may not swear by anything other than Him.
  2. [Imam] ʿAlī said: By those who pull out fully (): These are the angels which wrest the souls of the disbelievers forcibly. By those who discharge gently (): These are the angels which draw out the souls of the disbelievers through their nails and skins until they bring them out. By those who sweep swiftly (): These are the angels which dart with the souls of the believers between the heaven and the earth. By those who hasten with haste (): These are the angels which surpass one another as they take the souls of the disbelievers to God. By those who direct the affairs (): These are the angels which direct the affairs of the servants from one year to another.

Author’s comment: Assuming the authenticity of this narration, it should be viewed as presenting some instances and applications of the verses [not their exclusive meaning]. The idea that they “draw out the souls of the disbelievers through their nails and skins” is a way of describing their severe punishment.

  1. Once Ibn al-Kawwāʾ inquired Imam ʿAlī about By those who direct the affairs (). He explained: These are the angels which direct the remembrance (dhikr) of the All-Merciful and His command (amr).
  2. Concerning The day when the Quaker quakes, and is followed by the Successor (al-rādifah) () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: The earth will split under the feet of its dwellers. Rādifah means ṣayḥah (cry, shout).
  3. Concerning “Will we be returned to our earlier state?” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: The people of Quraysh said, “Shall we return [to life] after death?”
  4. Concerning “That, then, is a detrimental return!” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: They uttered this pejoratively.
  5. Concerning “Will we be returned to our earlier state (fī al-ḥāfirah)?” () Imam al-Bāqir said: It [fī al-ḥāfirah] means “for a new creation.”
  6. Concerning and behold, they will be on the plain (bil-sāhirah) () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: Sāhirah means the earth. They are initially in the graves. Then, when they hear the cry, they will come out of the graves and settle on the earth.
  7. Concerning And for him who fears his Lord’s station will be two gardens () Imam al-Ṣādiq said: One who knows that God sees them, hears what they say, and knows any good or evil that they do, and thus refrains from evil deeds because of that—that is one who feared his Lord’s station and forbade his soul from desire ().

Author’s comment: This hadith confirms our interpretation of “fearing God’s station.”

  1. Imam ʿAlī said: There are but two things that I fear about you: pursuing your desires, and having prolonged hopes. Pursuing one’s desires impede one from the truth. And having prolonged hopes make one forget the hereafter.

  1. The author will later reject all of these because of being discordant with verse . Given the uniformity of context, he interprets the first five verses as stages involved in the angels’ mission to direct the affairs of the world. (Ed.) ↩︎

  2. The bows are pulled; the soldiers pull. The former is the object of pulling; the latter is the subject. (Ed.) ↩︎

  3. This is based on the intransitive usage of nashṭ. The souls of the believers come out with ease. (Ed.) ↩︎

  4. This is in the plural in accordance with the verse. What is meant is different ways of dying, or the many factors that can lead to death. The same applies to the last interpretation under the next verse. (Ed.) ↩︎

  5. This clearly shows the author’s method in tafsīr. A verse is to be understood in its context, based on the assumption that its surrounding verses pursue the same theme. (Ed.) ↩︎

  6. See the section titled “Discussion on God’s Vows in the Qur’an” above, after verse . (Ed.) ↩︎

  7. The meaning would be: “By those who direct—that is, they direct the affairs.” (Ed.) ↩︎

  8. The meaning would be: “By those who direct the affairs.” This is how the verse is currently translated. As one can see, the two meanings are very similar. (Ed.) ↩︎

  9. The author has inferred this entire paragraph from the usage of the letter fāʾ at the beginning of verses . (Ed.) ↩︎

  10. In other words, all forces and factors at play are incomplete causes that are insufficient in effecting anything, until they are approved and supported by God’s will. This is an intermediate and dualistic metaphysics. (Ed.) ↩︎

  11. That is, the hearts will be in a variety of conditions, where some of them will be trembling. (Ed.) ↩︎

  12. Apparently the problem is that the verse uses the preposition “in” (fī), not “from” (min), and it does not make sense to say, “Will we be returned in our graves?” However, there is a similar mismatch in the author’s favored interpretation, which assumes the preposition “in” to mean “to” (ilá). Otherwise, it would equally not make sense to say, “Will we be returned in our earlier state?” Meanwhile, the first suggested view can be construed in a plausible way: “Once we are in our graves, shall we be returned and raised back to life?” This maintains the original meaning of the preposition fī in the verse. Hence, al-ḥāfirah can arguably be interpreted as “the grave.” (Ed.) ↩︎

  13. The next verse clearly shows that this is what they say in this world, not on the Day of Resurrection. (Ed.) ↩︎

  14. It is used as nakhira yankharu nakharan, whereby the bone is called nākhir or nakhir. (Auth.) ↩︎

  15. In the first interpretation, tazakkī is a cure. In the second case, it is prevention. (Ed.) ↩︎

  16. Fāʾ al-faṣīḥah indicates an omission of a clause or sentence which can be inferred from the context. It often implies: “Given what was said above…” More precisely, fāʾ al-faṣīḥah indicates a conditional sentence, where the introductory clause (protasis) is omitted, and only the complement (apodosis) is stated. The omitted protasis can be inferred from the previous discussion, while the resulting concision enhances the eloquences of the speech. The implied meaning is: “Following the above instructions, Moses went to Pharaoh, and, among other things, he showed Pharaoh the greatest sign.” (Ed.) ↩︎

  17. For more on this and its rival views, see volume 16, pp. 47-50 of the English translation, under verse . (Ed.) ↩︎

  18. Apparently the last is mentioned before the first because eternal punishment is more severe and significant than worldly pain. The order also maintains the rhyme of the verses. (Ed.) ↩︎

  19. See the author’s exegesis of verse . (Ed.) ↩︎

  20. See verse above. (Ed.) ↩︎

  21. The object of the verb “see” is deliberately omitted. (Auth.)

    In other words, the verse is not about seeing anything in particular, but it is about vision in general. (Ed.) ↩︎

  22. Verse can also help clarify the meaning here. (Ed.) ↩︎

  23. The problem is that this interpretation assumes some omission in the verse without any evidence for it. (Ed.) ↩︎

  24. As some linguists have pointed out, zāʾidah means zāʾidat al-maʿnī (that which adds more meaning). In other words, it does not mean “redundant” or “excessive,” but it means “emphasizing, highlighting, underscoring.” It is an ism al-fāʿil (nominative substantive, active participial noun), not an ism al-mafʿūl (accusative substantive, passive participial noun). Nevertheless, it is semantically empty in the sense that removing it would not damage the completeness of the sentence. (Ed.) ↩︎

  25. Based on this interpretation, verse is saying, “Honor him.” (Ed.) ↩︎

  26. Man lā yaḥḍuruhu al-faqīh, on the authority of ʿAlī b. Mahziyār. We presented a similar hadith to this from Imam al-Bāqir at the beginning of Sūrah al-Najm [under verses ], from al-Kāfī, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Muslim. ↩︎

  27. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Saʿīd b. al-Manṣur and Ibn al-Mundhir. ↩︎

  28. Apparently what is meant here by “remembrance” is the Qur’an. Therefore, the verse is about the angels which bring down divine revelation and execute divine decrees. Alternatively, the verse is about angels which engage in God’s remembrance and the execution of His commands. (Ed.) ↩︎

  29. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim. ↩︎

  30. The preposition used in the hadith is fī (lit. in), which is the same as the preposition used in the verse. However, one of the usages of this preposition is “for the purpose of,” as used in many verses which talk about jihād fī Allāh, where fī means “for.” (Ed.) ↩︎

  31. Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎

  32. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Dāwūd al-Raqqī. ↩︎

  33. Having prolonged hopes means developing extended dreams, plans and ambitions for the future. It is taking life for granted, and being heedless of death. (Ed.) ↩︎

  34. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Yaḥyá b. ʿAqīl. ↩︎