Surat Al-Ghāshiyah, the 26-versed 88th chapter of the Holy Qur'an, 30th Part, is like most of the following chapters was revealed in Makkah and contain the similar messages of calling nonbelievers to Islam and tidings of reward and punishment in life that would befall on every born human being after he dies and is raised again on the Day of Judgment.
To understand the subject matter well one should keep in view the fact that in the initial stage the preaching of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) mostly centered around two points which he wanted to instill in the people's minds: Tauhid and the Hereafter: and the people of Makkah were repudiating both. Let us now consider the subject matter and the style of this Surah.
At the outset, in order to arouse the people from their heedlessness, they have been plainly asked:"Do you have any knowledge of the time when an overwhelming calamity will descend?" Immediately after this details of the impending calamity are given as to how the people will be divided into two separate groups and will meet separate ends. One group of the people will go to Hell and they will suffer punishment; the second group will go to the sublime Paradise and will be provided with, blessings.
After thus arousing the people the theme suddenly changes and the question is asked: Do not these people, who frown and scorn the teaching of Tauhid and the news of the Hereafter being given by the Qur'an, observe the common things which they experience daily in their lives? Do they never consider how the camels, on whom their whole life activity in the Arabian desert depends, came into being, endowed precisely with the same characteristics as were required for the beast needed in their desert life? When they go on their journeys, they see the sky, the mountains, or the earth. Let them ponder over these three phenomena and consider as to how the sky was stretched above them, how the mountains were erected and how the earth was spread beneath them? Has all this come about without the skill and craftsmanship of an All- Powerful, All Wise Designer? If they acknowledge that a Creator has created all this with great wisdom and power and that no one else is an associate with Him in their creation, why then do they refuse to accept Him alone as their Lord and Sustainer? And if they acknowledge that that God had the power to create all this, then on what rational ground do they hesitate to acknowledge that that God also has the power to bring about Resurrection, to recreate man, and to make Hell and Heaven?
After making the truth plain by this concise and rational argument, the address turns from the disbelievers to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and he is told: "If these people do not acknowledge the truth, they may not; you have not been empowered to act with authority over them, so that you should coerce them into believing: your only task is to exhort, so exhort them. Ultimately they have to return to Us; then We shall call them to full account and shall inflict a heavy punishment on those who do not believe."
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
- Has there reached you the report of the Overwhelming [event]?
- [Some] faces, that Day, will be humbled,
- Working [hard] and exhausted.
- They will [enter to] burn in an intensely hot Fire.
- They will be given drink from a boiling spring.
- For them there will be no food except from a poisonous, thorny plant
- Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.
- [Other] faces, that Day, will show pleasure.
- With their effort [they are] satisfied
- In an elevated garden,
- Wherein they will hear no unsuitable speech.
- Within it is a flowing spring.
- Within it are couches raised high
- And cups put in place
- And cushions lined up
- And carpets spread around.
- Do (these unbelievers) not observe the camels: how they were created?
- And the sky: how it was raised high?
- And the mountains: how they were fixed?
- And the earth: how it was spread out?
Do not these people, who frown and scorn the teaching of Tauhid (oneness of Allah) and the news of the Hereafter being given by the Qur'an, observe the common things which they experience daily in their lives? Do they never consider how the camels, on whom their whole life activity in the Arabian desert depends, came into being, endowed precisely with the same characteristics as were required for the beast needed in their desert life? When they go on their journeys, they see the sky, the mountains, or the earth. Let them ponder over these three phenomena and consider as to how the sky was stretched above them, how the mountains were erected and how the earth was spread beneath them? Has all this come about without the skill and craftsmanship of an All- Powerful, All Wise Designer? If they acknowledge that a Creator has created all this with great wisdom and power and that no one else is an associate with Him in their creation, why then do they refuse to accept Him alone as their Lord and Sustainer? And if they acknowledge that that God had the power to create all this, then on what rational ground do they hesitate to acknowledge that that God also has the power to bring about Resurrection, to recreate man, and to make Hell and Heaven?In the last six verses (21-26), Allah then advises His Prophet (s) to only counsel the non believers and in no way 'compel' them to abide by the divine commandments, for that will be taken care of Allah Himself when the time comes:
- So render good counsel, for you are simply required to counsel,
- and are not invested with the authority to compel them.
- But whoever will turn away (from the Truth),
- Allah will chastise him with the most terrible chastisement.
- Surely to Us is their return;
- and then it is for Us to call them to account.
You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Surat Al-Ghāshiyah with English subtitles:
You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand)
Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |
An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.
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