Verses 1–14
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.
This sūrah was revealed in Mecca and consists of 29 verses. It reminds the audience about the Day of Resurrection by discussing some of the events that will occur immediately before it. That is a day when everyone will be shown everything that they have done in their lifetime. The chapter then describes the Qur’an as being a divine revelation imparted to the Prophet through a heavenly envoy, which is the angel of revelation. It is not a Satanic inspirations. Nor is the Prophet a lunatic who has been contacted by the Devil.
This chapter is seemingly one of the earliest chapters that were revealed at the outset of the Prophet’s mission (called al-ʿatāʾiq). This can be deduced from its vindication of the Prophet from the allegation of insanity. People used to charge him with this at the beginning of his mission. The same vindication is seen in Sūrah Nūn [], which was revealed at the outset of the Prophetic mission. The chapter is Meccan beyond any doubt.
Commentary
إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ ١}
(81:1) When the sun is wound up (kuwwirat, from takwīr)
Takwīr means “rolling and wrapping in a circular manner,” like how a turban is wrapped around the head. Perhaps it is used metaphorically here to describe the sun being wrapped by darkness.
وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انْكَدَرَتْ ٢}
(81:2) when the stars fall (inkadarat, from inkidār),
Inkidār is used when a bird swoops down toward the earth. Therefore, what is meant here is the disintegration of the heavenly bodies, as reflected in the verse: When the stars are scattered (). Another possible meaning is that inkidār means “darkening.” In that case, the verse is about the stars fading and losing their brightness.
وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ ٣}
(81:3) when the mountains are set moving,
The mountains will move as a result of the quake upon the Hour, will be demolished into scattered dust [], and will become a mirage [], as mentioned elsewhere in the Qur’an.
وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ ٤}
(81:4) when the pregnant camels (ʿishār) are neglected,
It is said that ʿishār is the plural of ʿusharāʾ, much like nifās being the plural of nufasāʾ (pregnant woman). ʿAshrāʾ denotes “a she-camel between its tenth month of pregnancy and its delivery.” It is also applied to such a camel after giving birth. Either way, such a camel was a very valuable asset to Arabs. Nevertheless, upon the Hour, such camels will be neglected and abandoned, without anyone to look after them. This a metaphorical expression, showing that the most cherished properties—for which people tend to compete—will be left unattended, without anyone claiming ownership over them. That is because everyone on that day will be preoccupied with themselves, and thus unable to attend to anything else. God says: that day each of them will have a task to keep him preoccupied ().
وَإِذَا الْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ ٥}
(81:5) when the wild beasts (wuḥūsh) are mustered,
Wuḥūsh is the plural of waḥsh, which means “an animal that cannot be domesticated.” The verse appears in a context of verses which describe the Day of Resurrection. Hence, it apparently implies that the beasts will be resurrected just like humans. This can be confirmed by the verse: There is no animal on land, nor a bird that flies with its wings, but they are communities like yourselves. We have not omitted anything from the Book. Then they will be mustered toward their Lord (). However, what happens to them afterwards is not mentioned in the Qur’an. Nor is it discussed in any of the reliable narrations. Perhaps some of their fate can be deduced—by a discerning thinker—from the expression: they are communities like yourselves. We have not omitted anything from the Book ().
Another suggested meaning is that the verse describes one of the events prior to the Day of Resurrection. What is meant here is that they will come out of their dens and woods.
وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ ٦}
(81:6) when the seas are set afire (sujjirat, from tasjīr),
There are two suggested definitions for tasjīr: (1) “Setting something on fire.” (2) “Filling something.” Accordingly, there are two possible meanings for the verse: (1) “When the seas will be set ablaze.” (2) “When the seas will be filled [in spate and overflow].”
وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ ٧}
(81:7) when the souls are coupled,
Happy souls will be coupled with heavenly spouses: In it there will be pure mates for them (, ); And We will wed them to wide-eyed houris (, ). And wretched souls will be coupled with devils as their eternal mates and companions: Muster the wrongdoers and their mates and what they used to serve (); Whoever turns a blind eye to the remembrance of the All-Merciful, We assign him a devil who remains his companion ().
وَإِذَا الْمَوْءُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ ٨ بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ قُتِلَتْ ٩}
be asked for what sin she was killed.
Mawʾūdah means “a girl who is buried alive.” It was a custom among Arabs to bury their girls alive to avoid facing any potential disgrace because of them. This is reflected in these verses: When one of them is brought the news of a female [newborn], his face becomes darkened and he chokes with suppressed agony. He hides from the people out of distress at the news he has been brought: shall he retain it in humiliation, or bury it in the ground ().
The real person who will be held accountable and given punishment for this will be the father who buried the girl. The verse’s expression—where the girl is questioned—is a way of reprimanding the murderer. This kind of questioning sets the stage for the victim to file a grievance to God against her murderer, so that God would ask her murderer about it and take her vengeance. This way of expression is similar to how God will question Prophet Jesus: And when Allah will say, “O Jesus son of Mary! Was it you who said to the people, ‘Take me and my mother for gods besides Allah?” ().
Another suggested possibility is that the verse’s expression is figurative. What is meant is that the buried girl will be asked about, much like the verse: Indeed all covenants are accountable ().
وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ ١٠}
(81:10) When the records are unfolded,
This is about the records of deeds. They will be unfolded for reckoning and accounts.
وَإِذَا السَّمَاءُ كُشِطَتْ ١١}
(81:11) when the sky is stripped off (kushiṭat, from kashṭ),
According to Majmaʿ al-bayān, the word kashṭ means “ripping away two things that are tightly bound together.” This amounts to the rolling up of the heavens, as mentioned in these verses: and the heavens, scrolled, in His right hand (); The day when the sky with its clouds will split open, and the angels will be sent down [in a majestic] descent ().
وَإِذَا الْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ ١٢}
(81:12) when hell is set ablaze (suʿʿirat, from tasʿīr),
Tasʿīr means “setting the fire aflame, stirring the fire until it flames.”
وَإِذَا الْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ ١٣}
(81:13) when paradise is brought near (uzlifat, from izlāf),
Izlāf means “bringing close.” Paradise will be brought close to its inhabitants to enter.
عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَا أَحْضَرَتْ ١٤}
(81:14) then a soul shall know what it has readied [for itself] (aḥḍarat).
This verse is the complement of the word “when” (idhā) in the previous verses. Soul is meant in its generic sense [including all humans]. What it has readied refers to the actions that one has performed. Aḥḍartuhu means “I found it present,” just as aḥmadtuhu means “I found it agreeable.” Accordingly, the verse is comparable to the verse: The day when every soul will find present whatever good it has done; and whatever evil ().
Examining Narrations
- Tafsīr al-Qummī says concerning When the sun is wound up (): It will turn pitch-black. When the stars fall (): Their light will fade away. When the mountains are set moving (): They will move, as God says: And you see the mountains, which you suppose to be stationary, while they drift like passing clouds (). When the pregnant camels are neglected (): The camels will be deserted since people have died, so there will be no one to milk them. When the seas are set afire (): The seas that encompass the entire world will turn into fire. When the souls are coupled (): They will be wed with wide-eyed houris.
- Concerning when the souls are coupled () Imam al-Bāqir said: “The dwellers of paradise will be coupled with maidens good and lovely (). As with the inhabitants of hell, there will be a devil for each one of them.” That is, the souls of disbelievers and hypocrites will be coupled with devils. Thus they will be peers and companions [to each other].
Author’s comment: Apparently the subsequent part of the narration—“That is, the souls…”—was added by one of the transmitters.
- The Prophet said: When the sun is wound up (): It will wind up in hell. When the stars fall (): They will darken [or fall] in hell. Similarly, anyone who was worshiped beside God will be in hell, except for Jesus son of Mary and his mother. Even they would enter therein if they were to be pleased with being worshiped.
- Tafsīr al-Qummī says concerning when the records are unfolded (): That is the records of deeds. When the sky is stripped off (kushiṭat) (): It [kushiṭat] means ubṭilat (abolished, abrogated, cancelled).
- Concerning when the souls are coupled () the Messenger of God said: That is two individuals who participate in the same act: they will enter paradise or hell together.
See verses , , , , , , , , . (Ed.) ↩︎
In other words, the end of the world will be accompanied with a frenzied stampede of animals. (Ed.) ↩︎
Based on verse (below), the author favors the second meaning. (Ed.) ↩︎
God will not ask the covenants, but will ask the people about the covenants. The same logic is applicable to the current verse. (Ed.) ↩︎
Also see verses and . (Ed.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim and al-Daylamī, on the authority of Abū Maryam. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Nuʿmān b. Bashīr. ↩︎