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.
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).
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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