Who would be bankrupt and poor on the Day of Resurrection

Majority of believers are God fearing, who offer salat five times a day regularly, keep fast during the month of Radan, and even otherwise during the year, and pay Zakat (the obligatory charity) and help the poor. Yet, despite these virtues, there are still many who amass wealth from illegal means, hood wink others in matters related to business and mutual affairs. Some even have a bad moth and long tongue which hurt others around them. So, what is the use of being a showcase of offering salat, paying zakat and fasting, if our wealth is from illegal means and none is saved of our bad tongue? 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has warned such believers of being bankrupt on the Day of Resurrection and may face the Divine wrath. This Hadith is quoted in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (The Book (#48) of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship - كتاب البر والصلة والآداب   / Chapter # 15 The Prohibition of Oppression / باب تَحْرِيمِ الظُّلْمِ ‏‏ ) as Hadith number # 2581, reproduced herein under:

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ - عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْمُفْلِسُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا الْمُفْلِسُ فِينَا مَنْ لاَ دِرْهَمَ لَهُ وَلاَ مَتَاعَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ الْمُفْلِسَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِصَلاَةٍ وَصِيَامٍ وَزَكَاةٍ وَيَأْتِي قَدْ شَتَمَ هَذَا وَقَذَفَ هَذَا وَأَكَلَ مَالَ هَذَا وَسَفَكَ دَمَ هَذَا وَضَرَبَ هَذَا فَيُعْطَى هَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَإِنْ فَنِيَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ أُخِذَ مِنْ خَطَايَاهُمْ فَطُرِحَتْ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ طُرِحَ فِي النَّارِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The poor of my Umma would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire.

After reading this Hadith, I for myself shivered and felt very low for many a times I have hurt people and many a times I have offered salat to show off, or perhaps have been negligent in paying Zakat and harshly dismissing the poor asking for alms. I now fear bankruptcy and feel frightened. Do you feel the same way? If so, let us promise ourselves to be sincere in our Ibadaat / worship and be very careful about our affairs for no one knows when angel of death comes and knocks at our door. That time could be any second from now on. Remember: Rights will certainly be restored to those entitled to them on the Day of Resurrection, (to the point that) even the hornless sheep will lay claim upon the horned one.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo | Source of Hadith

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Christian Concept of Vicarious Atonement and Islam

Since descent of Adam and Eve from heavens to the earth, Allah has sent thousands of prophets and messengers for the guidance of the mankind and make them realize that a day would come when everything visible to the naked eye of the man will be destroyed and all dead will be resurrected to answer for their deeds. No prophet or messenger ever proclaimed that his death will save their followers from their sins as they took upon them their sins.

But in Christianity, there exists a belief called Vicarious Atonement which contends that "Jesus Christ took the place of mankind, suffering the penalty for sin." Atonement is term meaning “reconciliation” or “amends.” Vicarious means “done in place of or instead of someone else.” So, in literal terms, the Christian concept of “vicarious atonement” is that Jesus was substituted for humanity and punished for our faults in order to pay for the sins we had committed and reconcile us to God. Vicarious atonement is also referred to as “substitutionary atonement” or “penal substitution.”

This concept only exists in Christianity and no other religion ratifies this belief.

In Islam the very concept of Vicarious Atonement is alien for it means that it is Jesus and not Allah who has the right to justice. It is something that is simply not palatable. Jesus like any other prophet or messenger was a messenger of Allah, chosen to show the righteous path to his people. We in Islam believe the innocence of Prophet Eesa (Jesus Christ) and are averse to the notion that a sinless person could have been punished by All on behalf of the sins of his people.

Sin is not a tangible matter nor is it a liquid that is injectable into the body. Sin is either a thought or an action. You can’t punish crime without punishing the criminal. Sin is what a sinner does and it is the sinner who deserves the punishment. Allah doesn't punish murder, theft and fornication, rather He punishes murderers, thieves and fornicators. We shouldn't be treating sin as some type of abstract thing.

If one wants to clarify “well what we mean is that all sin must be accounted for and it was accounted for in punishing Jesus”. But Jesus was innocent and sinless according to Christian theology, hence how could he be “punished”? How could an innocent person be “punished” when the very word “punished” itself denotes that one is suffering a penalty for an offense that he committed? Innocents are not “punished”, rather they are made to suffer at times, but never “punished”. [3]

Secondly the very concept of Vicarious Atonement nullifies the concept of repentance and forgiveness. In Islam we believe that if someone commits a crimes and repents with his heart and soul, he has been assured of forgiveness by the Allah Almighty.

“Say: ‘O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.’” (Surah Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53-54)

Holy Qur'an which is the last revealed Divine scripture from Allah, after the Psalms, Torah and Bible, makes it very clear almost throughout the 114 surahs / chapter that Day of Resurrection is a reality, a day when all lying in graves will be raised and they would run towards the point of assembly in waves as locust to be questioned for the deeds. 

The sole purpose of cautioning man of the Day of resurrection and presenting the concept of reward and punishment is that while one lives, one must adhere to commandments of Allah and follow the righteous path. and even if one is diverted from the path subscribed by someone, the door of repentance is always open and one must seek forgiveness of Allah. But despite all guidelines if one still persists and continues to sin and involves himself in pleasures and forgets the benevolence of Allah, then fro such people there will be a day when their deeds will be presented before them and justice will be done. 

Herein under are some of the excerpts from the Holy Qur'an:

They will come out of the graves with downcast eyes like an expanding swarm of locusts. (Surah Al Qamar 54:7) 

On that day all sovereignty will belong to Allah: He will judge between them; then those who have faith and do righteous deeds will be in gardens of bliss, (Surah Al Hajj chapter 22 , verse 56) 

And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah . Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly. ( Surah Al Baqarah, chapter 2, verse 281) 

Do not these think that they shall be raised again, for a mighty day, the day on which men shall stand before the Lord of the worlds? (Surah Al Mutaffifin 83:4-6)

Verily We shall give life to the dead, and We record all that they send before and that they leave behind, and We have taken account of all things in a clear Book [of evidence]. (Surah Ya Seen, 36:12)

And to every soul will be paid in full of its deeds, and He knows best all that they do. (Surah Az Zumar 39:70)

The above four references amply make it clear that everyone who ever lived on this earth will be resurrected and questioned for one's deeds. And those whose deeds are heavier in good, will reside in Heavens forever. But those who lived their lives on earth in earthly leisure and pleasures and disregarded the message and commandments of Allah brought to them by their prophets, who were from among them, will be the losers for their final abode be the blazing fire of hell.

Thus if someone believes that Prophet Eesa (Jesus, may peace be upon him) would take away their sins no matter what they do on this earth are certainly misled, for every person will have to appear before Allah and be presented with one's dossier as has been mentioned above, and rewarded or punished accordingly.

When the earth is shaken with her utmost shaking, and the earth casts out all the burdens from within her, and man says, "What has befallen her?" On that Day shall she relate whatever had happened (on her), for your Lord shall have commanded her (to do so). On that day, men shall turn up in sundry groups to be shown their deeds. Then, whoever has done an atom's weight of good, shall see it; and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it. (Surah Az Zalzala (The Earthquake) 

Therefore my brothers and sisters from all faiths, prepare yourself for the day when you will be standing all alone in front of the almighty Allah and listening to your deeds. Do good now and evade evil as best as you can to have a positive and righteous dossier that would not fail you. Remember, the clock is moving very fast and one may never know when angel of death will beget one.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

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Surah Al Mursalat (The Winds Sent Forth - The Emissaries): Summary of 77th Chapter of the Holy Quran

Sūrat al-Mursalāt is one of the earliest surahs revered in Makkah with 50 verses and two rukus and is the last surah of the Chapter / Juz 29.

Sūrat al-Mursalāt is in fact is part of the five surahs, two before it (Surahs Al-Qiyamah and Ad-Dahr) and two following it (Surahs An-Naba and An-Naziat), with the similar theme affirming the Resurrection and Hereafter. There coming together is in fact is to stress upon the disbelievers that the world is their temporary abode and a day shall come when everything will cease to exist and those who denied the Prophet of Allah will come to know the truth he was trying to put across but deliverers mocked him.

The hallmark of this surah is: "Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth!" - this verse is repeated ten times at various places to tell the deniers that the day shall come which has been denied by them and the truth will be revealed.

Let us now read the segmented English translation of the Surah Al Mursalat and details provided where needed to understand its plain meaning / translation:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

Sūrat al-Mursalāt takes its name of the word "al-Mursalāt" mentioned in the first verse of the surah, which means the winds: The winds that take clouds from one place to another as if working as emissaries of rains that would follow from the clouds blown ahead. Allah Almighty always mentions one of His great creations to show His power to tell the disbelievers about His might and mightiness. 

[1-7] By the (winds) which are sent in succession, which then blow tempestuously, and lift up (the clouds) and scatter them, then split (them) asunder, then infuse (the hearts) with the remembrance (of God), as an excuse or as a warning. That which you are being promised, must happen.

Thus here in the first seven verses, the system of winds has been mentioned to exhibit the power of All-Mighty Allah. Having asserted His power over winds and clouds, the message is given to the disbelievers that the One who created these winds can also bring the world to an end and resurrect what all he had earlier created and perished. So those mocking the Prophet of Allah when He forewarns them of the End Day, should know that they would one day know that what they heard was all true but they were unfortunate not to have listened to Allah's commandments and promise that He made while they were living under falsehood.

The pagans of Makkah when heard of the Day of Resurrections, exclaimed with extreme surprise, as people of earlier prophets had when they were warned of the severe consequences of the constantly disbelieving the commandments of Allah. And would often ask the Prophet of Allah as to when the End Day would come,both as a scorn and contempt. Thus in verses 8-15 Allah pains the picture of the day when the wordily life will come to an end and the light of stars and suns will fade away:

[8-15] Then, when the stars become dim and the heaven is rent asunder, and the mountains are thrashed into dust, and the time of the Messengers' appointment comes (that Day it shall happen). For what day has all this been deferred? For the Day of Decision. And what do you know what the Day of Decision is? Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)!

In the verse 11 above a few words about the Messengers' appointment:  At several places in the Quran it has been stated that when the case of mankind will be presented before Allah on the Day of Resurrection, the Messenger of every nation will be called upon to testify that he had conveyed Allah’s messages intact to his people. This will be Allah’s first and major argument against the culprits and the wicked people to prove that they were themselves responsible for their wrong attitude and conduct in life, for there had been no negligence on the part of Allah to show guidance and administer warnings .

Having painted the End Day picture, Allah tell the disbelievers that did not they know that people before them were destroyed for disobedience and that those who denied the Divine words and still shirk away the warnings will be taken to task.

[16-19] Did We not destroy the former peoples? Then We shall follow them up with those of latter day. Thus do We deal with the culprits. Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)!

This is an argument from history for the Hereafter, It means: Consider your own history in the world. Whichever nations denied the Hereafter and took this worldly life to be real life and based their moral attitude on the results appearing here regarding them as the criterion of good and evil, ultimately went to their doom without exception. This is a proof of the fact that the Hereafter is a reality overlooking and ignoring which causes the same kind of harm to a person which is caused when he chooses to close his eyes to the hard facts of life.” [4]

In verses 20-24 Allah tell the disbelievers how He had made them from the dirtiest of water and kept them safe in the womb of the mother and nourished them for almost nine months before they were born. The words "qadar im-malum" does not only mean that the term is appointed and fixed but contain the sense that it is known to Allah alone. About child, no one knows by any means how many months, days, hours, minutes and seconds it will remain in the mothers womb and what will be its exact and precise time of birth. Allah alone has fixed a specific term for every child and He alone knows it.

[20-24] Did We not create you out of a mean fluid, and kept it lodged in a secure place for an appointed term? Behold! We had power to do this, as We are excellent Possessors of power! Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)!

The 24th verse above is an express argument for the possibility of the life-after-death What is meant to be said is: When We had the power to shape and develop you into a perfect and complete man from an insignificant sperm-drop, how shall We be helpless to re-create you in some other way? Our this creation in consequence of which you exist as a living being, is a proof that We are excellent Possessors of power; We cannot be so helpless as to be unable to re-create you after having created you in the first instance. [4]

And yet again those not bringing faith on His bounties are asked that hadn't the world been made comfortable for their living, provided them countless things to eat, water to drink and still they don't find truth in all that has been surrounding them?

[25-28] Have We not made the earth a receptacle, both for the living and for the dead, and set in it high mountains, and given you sweet water to drink? Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)!

In verses 29-34, after giving proofs of the coming of the Hereafter, now it is being stated how the deniers will be dealt with when it has actually taken place. The disbelievers will be asked to walk towards hell which they used to deny. Here by shadow which has "three branches" it meant that when a big smoke arises it is divided into several parts at the top. That is, each spark will be like a castle, and when these huge sparks will rise and burst and fly about in all directions it will seem as though they were yellow camels running and jumping about ceaselessly.

[29-34] Go off now to the same that you used to deny. Go off to the shadow which has three branches. It neither gives coolness nor shelter from the flame of Fire. The Fire shall throw off sparks as huge as castles as though they were yellow camels. Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)!

That is, each spark will be like a castle, and when these huge sparks will rise and burst and fly about in all directions it will seem as though they were yellow camels running and jumping about ceaselessly. 

[35-37] That is the Day when they shall neither speak nor be given leave to offer excuses. Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth!)

The verses 35-37 explain the ultimate state of the deniers at the time they will be entering Hell. Before this in the plain of Resurrection they will be offering all sorts of excuses, blaming others for their errors and proving their own selves to be innocent, abusing their leaders and guides who led them astray; so much so that some of them will even disown their crimes shamelessly, as has been stated at several places in the Quran. But when their being criminals will have been established by every kind of evidence, and when their own hands and feet and limbs will have borne witness against them to prove their guilt fully, and when after fulfilling all requirements of justice rightly and truly, the sentence will be passed on them, they will be dumbfounded and no room will be left for them to offer any excuse. To refuse an opportunity or permission to offer an excuse, does not mean that judgment will be passed against them without giving them a chance for self defense, but it means that their guilt and crime will be proved to the fullest and they will not be able to offer any excuse after it. [4]

Verses 38-40 is a reminder to those who used every kind of deception and trick in self-interest. And warned that on the day when Allah will hold His court they will be asked, "Now, if you have any trick to escape My punishment, you may use it to defeat Me and My plan." 

[38-40] This is the Day of Decision. We have gathered both you and those who had gone before you together. Now, if you have a trick, use it against Me.  Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)!

While those who did not believe and will rot in hell, there tidings for those who affirmed their faith in whatever had been brought forth to them and endeavored to improve their Hereafter, and abstained from the evils of disbelief and thought, and acknowledged that that a day would come when they would be rewarded for they being on the righteous path:

[41-45] The righteous are today amidst shades and springs, and whatever fruits they desire (they shall have). "Eat and drink with relish as a reward for the deeds you have been doing." Thus do We recompense the doers of good. Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)!

But for those who prefer to enjoy the worldly charms and leisures  and did not bow down in gratitude for whatever had been blessed on them, they on the day will be losers and most condemned. Bowing down in fact means submission in gratitude which those denying the End Day refused to do. A similar warning has also been given in Surah Luqman: “We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment” (31:24).

[46-50] "Eat and enjoy yourselves for a while. Indeed, you are culprits." Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)! When it is said to them: "Bow down (before Allah) they do not bow down." Woe on that Day to the deniers (of Truth)! Now, what message can there be after this (Qur'an) in which they will believe?

The losers are therefor been warned, like before and even after this: "Enjoy your short-lived worldly pleasure as you may, but your end will ultimately be disastrous." The discourse concludes with the assertion that the one who fails to obtain guidance from Book like the Qur'an, can have no ether source in the world to afford him Guidance.

The message is thus very clear: Those who want to enjoy the leisures and pleasures of this world, will have a rotting end in the hereafter. But those who endure hardships but remain steadfast in their faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will be rewarded with never ending eternal rewards and blessings

We must have faith that Qur’an is the last Book of Allah explaining its message and wisdom most eloquently and its arguments are most convincing. Those do not believe in the last of the Holy Books, then for which word are they waiting? This is to express disappointment in them, the deniers, the discoverers and those trying to find faults with words of Allah for the justification of their own faith the foundations of which are constructed on deceit and ill will. 

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Surah Al Mursalat 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). 

References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, the exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran are basically based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. 

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Surah Naziat (Those Who Pull Out): Summary of 79th Chapter of the Holy Quran

Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt's theme centers on the truth the End Day / Resurrection and the life hereafter. Since it being one of the chapter revealed in Makkah, it also warns of the consequences of belying the Messenger of Allah,  a clear message to the pagans and nonbelievers of Makkah who mocked the Prophet of Allah whenever He called upon them to listen to the truth and words of salvation that if heeded to, may save them from the fire of hell awaiting when the final whistle is blown to mark the end of the world.

Its name derived from the word wan-nazi‘at with which it opens. The root (n-z-‘) roughly means “to yank out with great force.” [3]

Let us now see explanation of segmented portions of Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt for easy understanding:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

In the opening nine verses of the surah, Allah has taken a solemn pledge of His angels that on the End Day when the final whistle is blown, they would tear open the graves and draw out from the depth the dead, some gently who had had exhibited good deeds and listened to the Divine commandments, and others with rather harshly for they negated the messengers and prophets who tried to convey to them the divine commandments.

[1-9] By those (angels) who tear out from the depths, and draw out gently, and by those (angels) who glide about swiftly (through space), then hasten out (to carry out Commands), then conduct the affairs (in accordance with Divine Commands). The Day when the quake shall cause. a violent jolt, which is followed by another jolt, some hearts on that Day shall be trembling with fear, their looks struck with awe.

These verses have been specifically to tell the audience that the Resurrection is a Divine reality and that it will certainly come to pass and the second life after death will certainly take place. For the angels who are employed to pluck out the soul today can also be employed to restore the soul tomorrow, and the angels who promptly execute Allah's Commands and conduct the affairs of the universe today can also upset the order of the universe tomorrow by orders of the same God and can also bring about a new order. And when the End Day comes, those who sinned and wronged, they shall be trembling with fear, their looks struck with awe.

But while the pleasures of life go on and the wealth makes life easy going, one cannot fathom the Divine commandments unless one hears sincerely to the prophets. 

[10-14] They say, "Shall we really be restored to our former state? What, when we shall have become hollow, rotten bones?" They said, "It would then be a return with sheer loss!" Whereas it will only need a single shout and they will forthwith appear in an open plain.

And when they, the unbelieving, are told that a day will come when all dead will be raised from their graves, they mock the prophets and pull their legs for telling them that dead could raised again. It is for those to know that it will be no hard task of Allah who first created the world from nothing and would reassemble what is contained in the bosom of the earth to question them of their deeds while they were alive. And then the reality would be revealed that what prophets and messengers told them was the truth they refused to accept.

In the verses 15-26, the nonbelievers are taken back to the times of Prophet Musa (Moises, peace be upon him) when he too was mocked by Pharaoh, the all powerful self proclaimed lord of the world, to caution them that even the strongest and mightiest could not escape the wrath of Allah when they mocked the messenger of Allah.

[15-26] Has the story of Moses reached you? Recall when his Lord called out to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa, (saying), "Go to Pharaoh: he has become rebellious, and say to him: Will you mind to adopt purity that I may guide you to your Lord, so that you may have fear (of Him)?" Then Moses (went to Pharaoh and) showed him the great Sign, but he belied it and disobeyed. Then, he turned back to devise plots, and gathering the people together, proclaimed, "I am your Lord, the highest." Consequently, Allah seized him for punishment both in the Hereafter and in the world. Indeed, there is a lesson in this for him who fears.

According to general opinion among the commentators "the sacred . valley of 'Tuwa" means "the sacred valley which was named Tuwa". But, besides this, two other meanings of it also have been given: [1]

• "The valley that was blessed and made sacred twice" . for it was first made sacred when Allah spoke to Moses in it for the first time, and it was blessed and made sacred for the second time when the Prophet Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into it; 
• and "called out to him in the sacred valley in the night," and this is according to the meaning of Tuwa in the Arabic idiom. 

The instruction given to Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was: "Go, you and your brother Aaron, to Pharaoh for he has transgressed all bounds. Talk to him gently; maybe that he is convinced by admonition or is imbued with fear." (Ta Ha: 44). One model of the gentle speech has been given in these verses, which shows what right method a preacher should adopt when preaching to a perverted man. Other models are given in Surah Ta Ha: 49-52, Surah Ash-Shua`ra': 23-28, and Surah Al-Qasas: 37. These verses are of those in which Allah has taught the correct methods of preaching Islam in the Qur'an. [1]

And when the defiant Pharaoh refused to listen to the messenger of Allah and tried to show his might by asking his subjects to tell Prophet Musa as to who could be more powerful than he, Allah punished him for his pride. And he was drowned with his entire army when chasing the followers of Prophet Musa. And that was not all, as if that was not all, Allah promised to save his body as sign of caution for those who refused to obey Allah and His messengers and prophets.

The purpose of mentioning Prophet Musa and his discussion with the Pharaoh is to warn the people to the effect : “You know full well what fate the Pharaoh met in consequence of belying the Messenger and rejecting the guidance brought by him and endeavoring to defeat his mission by trickery and deceit. If you do not learn any lesson from it and do not change your ways and attitude accordingly, you also will have to meet the same fate." [3]

It may be added here the Prophet Musa had not been sent to Pharaoh only for the deliverance of the children of Israel as some people seem to think but the primary object of his appointment was to show Pharaoh and his people the right way, and the second object was that if he did not accept the right way, the children of Israel (who in fact were a Muslim people) should be taken out of his slavery and from Egypt. [1]

Verses 27-33 show what Allah can do and would do. If He had made this universe, and adorned it pastures and crops so that people could eat and have their cattle fed, it would be no wonder that He destroys everything He created and then recreate it to take stock of everyone's deeds:

[27-33] Are you (O men,) harder to create, or is the heaven? Allah built it: He raised its vault high and gave it balance, and covered its night and brought forth its day. After that He spread out the earth from within it. He brought out its water and its pasture, and set the mountains in it, as a mesas of sustenance for you and your cattle.

This same argument for life after death has been given at several places in the Qur'an. For example, in Surah Ya Sin it has been said: "Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them (again)? Why not, when He is the skillful Creator." (v. 81) And in Surah Al-Mu'min it was said: "Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater task than the creation of man, but most people do not know. (v. 57) [1]

In the verses 34-41, the End Day has been painted. In the first the for 'great disaster' the words at-Taammat alkubra have been used. Taammah by itself is a grievous calamity which afflicts everybody. Then it has been further qualified by the word kubra (great), which shows that the mere word taammah is not enough to describe fully its intensity and severity. 

[34-41] Then, when the great Disaster befalls the Day when man shall remember whatever he had striven for and Hell shall be laid open for everyone to see, then the one who had rebelled and preferred the life of the world, Hell shall be his home. As for him who had feared to stand before his Lord and restrained himself from evil desires, Paradise shall be his home.

On that day, every man will come to remember what good or bad has he done while lived his wordily life. That is, "When man will see that the same Day of accountability of which he was being foretold in the world, has come, he will start remembering each one of his misdeeds done in the world even before his records are handed over to him. Some people experience this even in the world. if at some time they come across a dangerous situation suddenly when death seems to be staring them in the face, their whole life-film flashes across their mind's eye all at once. [1]

In fact in these verses, in a few words, it has been told briefly what shall be the criterion of the final judgment in the Hereafter. One kind of the conduct of life in the world is that transgressing all bounds of service man should rebel against his God and should make up his mind that he would seek only the benefits and pleasures of this world in whatever way they could be sought and achieved. The other kind of conduct is that while man passes life in the world he should constantly keep in view the truth that ultimately one day he has to stand before his Lord, and should refrain from fulfilling the evil desires of the self only for the fear that if he earned an unlawful benefit in obedience to his self, or enjoyed an evil pleasure, what answer he would give to his Lord. The criterion of the judgment in the Hereafter will be which of the two kinds of conduct he adopted in the world. If he had adopted the first kind of conduct, his permanent abode would be Hell, and if he had adopted the second kind of conduct, his permanent home would be Paradise.

And the last verses of the Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt prove that no one but Allah knows when the End Day would come. The pagans of Makkah would ask endless questions from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to an extent to leave him answer-less: 

[42-46] They ask you, "When will the Hour come to stay?" (But) it is not for you to tell its time. Its knowledge rests only with your Lord. You are only a warner to him who fears it. The day these people see it, they will feel as though they had stayed (in the world or in the state of death) only for the afternoon of a day or its forenoon.

Thus in order to save the Prophet from any uneasiness for not being in knowledge of, Allah has told his messenger that His task is only to convey the audience what He has been told to covey.  And that "Your warning will benefit only him who fears the coming of that Day."  For those who have faith and have clean hearts have nothing to fear as to when the final bugle will be blown for they are all ready to meet their Creator to be rewarded and sent to the Paradise. 

It is only those who have sinned and know that they would be one day taken to task are fearful of day they are ready to believe. Besides asking questions from the Prophet of Allah questions He did not have answers was in fact to mock Him for not in knowledge of things He was making them afraid of.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt 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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