Friday assumes a special importance in the lives of the Muslims all over the world, for it is the day when the noon prayers is offered in the form of a congregation and this prayer has to be offered in the masjids compulsorily. In fact the word Jumuah (Friday) means congregation in Arabic.
Thus it is the day of assembly, when the Muslim community abandons trade, transactions and other diversions in favor of assembling to seek the all-encompassing truth and most beneficent and seek the "bounty of God" exclusively. [1]
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) has been quoted as saying,
"The best day during which the sun have risen is Friday. It is the Day Adam was created. It is the day when Adam entered paradise and also when he was taken out from it. It is also the day on which the Day of Judgment takes place." [Imam Muslim, Abu-Dawood, Al-Nasai, and Al-Tirmizi]
“When the Friday comes, at every door of the Masjid there stands Angels who write down (the names of) those who come First, and then who comes next. When the Imam sits down, the records are closed and they come to listen to the reminder, i.e. the Khutba….” (Muslim)
Let us now understand the surah in segmented portions for better understanding:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
This surah is a Al-Musabbihat* surah because it begins with the glorification of Allah as can be seen in the translation of the first below:
[1] Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah-the Sovereign, the Holy, the All-Mighty and the All-Wise!
*Al-Musabbihat are those surahs of the Quran that begin with Allah's glorification 'Subhana', 'Sabbaha', and 'Yusabbihu'. According to Islamic scholar Mufti Muhammad Shafi (1897–1976) the collective name of the series Al-Musabbihat refers to the following five or seven Surahs:
Al-Hadid
Al-Hashr
As-Saff
Al-Jumua and
At-Taghabun
The surah can be divided into two distinct segments as these were sent down in two different periods. That is why their themes as well as their audiences are different. Although there is a kind of harmony between them on account of which they have been put together in one Surah, yet we should understand their themes separately before we consider the question of their harmony. [2]
The first section that comprises verses 2-8 was sent down at a time when all Jewish efforts to obstruct the message of Islam during the past six years had failed: [2]
First. in Madinah as many as three of their powerful tribes had done whatever they could to frustrate the mission of the Holy Prophet, with the result that one of the tribes was completely exterminated and the other two were exiled.
Then by intrigue and conspiracy they brought many of the Arab tribes together to advance on Madinah, but in the Battle of the Trench they were all repulsed.
After this, Khyber had become their stronghold, where a large number of the Jews expelled from Madinah also had taken refuge. At the time these verses were revealed, that too was taken without any extraordinary effort, and the Jews at their own request agreed to live there as tenants of the Muslims.
After this final defeat the Jewish power in Arabia came to an end. Then, Wad-il-Qura, Fadak, Taima', Tabuk, all surrendered one after the other, so much so that all Arabian Jews became subdued to the same Islam which they were not prepared to tolerate before. This was the occasion when Allah Almighty once again addressed them in this Surah, and probably this was the last and final address that was directed to them in the Qur'an. In this they have been reminded of three things:
[2-4] He it is Who has raised a Messenger among the gentiles from among themselves, who recites to them His Revelations, purifies them and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, whereas before this they were indeed lost in manifest error. And (the advent or the Messenger) is also for those others who have not yet joined them. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. This is Allah's bounty; He bestows it on whomever He wills, and Allah is the Owner of supreme bounty.
Here the word ummi (gentile) has been used as a Jewish term and there is a subtlety in it. The verse means: "The All-Mighty and All-Wise Allah has raised a Messenger among the Arabs whom the Jews contemptuously consider the gentiles and much below themselves, The Messenger has not risen of his own wish and will, but has been raised by Him Who is the Sovereign of the universe, Who is All-Mighty and All-Wise, Whose power can be resisted and opposed only to one's own loss and peril.
[5] The example of those who were entrusted with the burden of the Torah, and yet they failed to bear its burden, is of a donkey laden with books. Even worse is the example of those who have treated Allah's Revelations as false. Allah does not guide such wrongdoers.
[6-8] Say to them, "O you who have become Jews. If you claim that you alone are Allah's favorites, apart from all other people, then you should long for death if you be truthful. But they will never wish for it because of the misdeeds they have committed, and Allah knows full well these wrongdoers. Say to them, "The death from which you flee will certainly overtake you. Then you will be presented before Him, Who is the Knower of the hidden and the open, and He will tell you what you had been doing."
The verses 9-10 were revealed many years after the first eight verses. In these verses Allah has bestowed Friday on the Muslims as against the Sabbath of the Jews, and Allah wanted to warn the Muslims not to treat their Friday as the Jews had treated their Sabbath. The verses thus clearly show the importance of the Friday congregation and it is made very clear that when the call for noon prayers on Friday is made, every Muslim must hasten towards the masjids to offer as part of the congregation. And during this time, one must defer all wordily needs, desires and business commitments for "This better for you only if you knew." And then after the prayers one must disperse in the land and seek Allah's blessings and bounties.
[9-10] O you who have believed, when the call is made to the Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off your trading. This is better for you only if you knew. Then, when the Prayer is over, disperse in the land and seek Allah's bounty, and remember Allah much. Perhaps you may achieve success.
Verse 11 below was revealed after an incident while it was time for the Friday congregation and the Prophet of Allah was in the masjid delivering the Friday sermon. The time was very hard due to drought and non availability of food grain and other household essentials. And it so happened that a vendor came along and started calling people for the sale of his merchandise. Hearing his call, all but twelve Muslims left the masjid and ran to buy their needs. And the Prophet of Allah was left alone with a handful of his companions.
[11] And when they saw some merchandise and sport they broke off to it and left you standing. Say to them, "That which is with Allah is far better than sport and business, and Allah is the best of all providers."
Thus the verse 11 was revealed admonishing those who abandoned the Jumuah congregation. However, this sentence by itself shows what was the nature of the error committed by the Companions. God forbid, if it had been due to any weakness of the faith, or due to giving the world preference over the Hereafter, Allah's wrath and displeasure and reprimand would have been much severer. But since there was no such weakness, and whatever happened was only due to insufficient training, Allah first taught the people the coquette of the Friday Service, then, after pointing out the error, promised them that the reward they would get with Allah for listening to the Sermon and performing the Prayer would be much greater than worldly gains and amusements. And that Allah has better rewards and provisions for those who have firm faith in Allah and His messenger, for Allah is the best of all providers. [2] This incident clearly shows the importance of the Jumuah congregation and its attendance no matter what hurry a person may have to attend to his business or needs.
You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Surah Al Jumuah 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)
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Sürah Al-Muddaththir " ٱلْمُدَّثِّر " is the 74th chapter / surah of the Qur'ān, part of the 29th Juz' with 56 verses (āyāt) and two rukus. " ٱلْمُدَّثِّر " means "the Cloaked One" or "the Man Wearing a Cloak".
This Sürah is related to Sürah Al 'Alaq - the 96th Chapter. The first five verses of Sürah Al 'Alaq were the first ever revelation from Allah to His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which were brought to the Prophet of Allah by angel Jibraeel (Gabriel) in the cave of Hira. This great event was the beginning of the revelation of the entire Holy Qur'an consisting 114 chapters for the next 23 years. However, soon after the five verses of Surah Al Alaq, the revelations stopped. This was naturally quite disturbing for the newly acquired status of prophet hood for Muhammad (peace be upon him) and made him feel distressed and made him grief stricken. He would often go out and look towards to the sky for any sign of Divine messages, but for quite sometime none came. Then one day something strange happened. Here is what happened in the very own words of the Prophet of Allah as recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Salamah that Jabir bin `Abdullah: [1]
While I was walking I heard a voice from the sky. So I lifted my gaze towards the sky and saw the same angel who had come to me at the cave of Hira'. He was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. So I fled from him (in fear) until I fell down to the ground. Then, I went to my family and I said, `Wrap me up, wrap me up. So, they wrapped me up! So Allah revealed, (O you wrapped up! Arise and warn!) until (And keep away). Here, Abu Salamah added, `Ar-Rujz means idols. (After this, the revelation started coming strongly and frequently in succession.
And as per the recording of the Holy Qur'an, these were the opening verses of Sūrat al-Muddaththir from which the revelations continued to pour in and never stopped till completion of the Holy Qur'an. According to Sayyid Qutb's exegesis, the first verses of this surah as well as those of Surah Al Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One), the 73rd chapter, represent the Prophet’s earliest revelations and those which prepare him for the ordeal of revelation. [3] Let us now read explanation of the Surah segmented into portions as per the subject matter.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
The first seven verses of this Surah the Prophet of Allah was for the first time commanded to arise and warn the people of the consequences of the way of life they were following and to proclaim the greatness of Allah in the world where others were being magnified without any right. Along with that he was given this instruction: The demand of the mission that He was to perform expected of Him to live a life pure in every respect and to carry out the duty of reforming His people sincerely irrespective of any worldly gain. Then, in the last sentence, the Prophet of Allah was exhorted to endure with patience, for the sake of his Lord, all the hardships and troubles that he might have to face while performing his mission. [2]
[1-7] O you who lies wrapped up, arise and warn and proclaim the greatness of your Lord. And keep your garments pure, and avoid filth, and do not favor (others) expecting to get more, and be patient for the sake of your Lord.
The verses 2-3 above "Arise and warn and proclaim the greatness of your Lord" point towards a similar command that had also been given the Prophet Nuh (Noah, peace be upon him) while appointing him to the office of Prophet hood: Warn the people of your nation before they are overtaken by a painful torment. (Surah Nooh, Ayat 1) The verse: O you who lays enwrapped, stand up and arouse the people thus means people who live in heedlessness around you. Warn them of the fate which would certainly overtake them if they remained involved in the same heedlessness. Warn them that they are not living in a lawless kingdom where they are free to conduct themselves as they like and where they can do wherever they please without any fear or being called to account for it. As for "Proclaiming the greatness of your Lord", this is the the primary duty of a prophet which he has to perform. His foremost duty is to refute the greatness of all those whom the ignorant people might be holding as great, and publicly proclaim that the greatness in this universe belongs to none but Allah alone.
It should be borne in mind that the task was not that easy for Makkah was the centre of polytheism and was the most sacred place of pilgrimage for the polytheistic Arabs, and the Quraish were its attendants. Arising of a person in such a place all by himself and proclaiming the Oneness of God in the face of polytheism was full of risks. Therefore, the Prophet of Allah was cautioned: "Do not at all mind the terrifying and dreadful forces that seem to be obstructing and impeding your work and proclaim publicly that your Lord is the greatest of all those who can hinder and resist you from giving your message." This is indeed the greatest encouragement for a person who embarks on a divine mission. The one who has Allah’s greatness and majesty deeply embedded in his heart will feel no hesitation at all in facing and fighting the entire world by himself for the sake of Allah. [4]
In the verses 8-10, the deniers of Truth have been warned, saying: "You will see the evil result of what you are doing today on the Resurrection Day."
[8-10] When the Trumpet is blown, it shall be a very hard Day, not easy for the disbelievers.
In verses 11-26, without naming Walid bin al-Mughirah, it has been told how Allah had blessed him and how inimical he proved to be to true Faith. In this connection, his mental conflict has been portrayed, telling that, on the one hand, he was fully convinced of the truth of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and the Qur'an, but, on the other, he did not want to risk his leadership and position among his people. Therefore, not only he did not believe himself but after a long-drawn-out conflict with his conscience he also came out with the proposal that in order to restrain the people from believing the Qur'an should be branded as magic. After exposing his evil nature, it has been said: "Notwithstanding such evil inclinations and misdeeds, this person desires that he should be further blessed, whereas he has now become worthy of Hell, and never of further blessings." [2]
[11-26] Leave Me and the person whom I created alone. I gave him ample wealth and sons* to be present by his side, and smoothed for him the way to his leadership (and prosperity). Yet he desires that I should give him more. No, never! He is hostile to Our Revelations. I shall soon make him ascend a hard ascent. He pondered and tried to devise a plan. May God destroy him: what he tried to devise! Yes, may God destroy him, what he tried to devise! Then he looked around, then he frowned and scowled, then he turned his back and showed arrogance. At last, he said, "This is nothing but magic, handed down from the past; nothing but the word of a mere mortal. Very soon I shall cast him into Hell.
* Walid bin al-Mughirah had ten or twelve sons of whom Khalid bin Walid was the most famous before and after embracing Islam. For these sons the word "shuhud" has been used, which can have several meanings: 1) hat they do not have to run about and go abroad in search of their livelihood: they have enough provisions at home; therefore, they can always remain at the beck and call of their father, 2) That all his sons are prominent and influential people: they sit in assemblies and conferences with him. 3) That they are the people of high rank and position and their testimony is accepted in all matters of life. [4] Verse 18: "He pondered and tried to devise a plan." In his book "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an", the great Islamic scholar Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi has narrated a detailed narration of events that followed no sooner the Prophet of Allah started spreading the words of Allah. I wanted to make a summary of it , but this would have left out many details that one must know as a background to understand the next segment of verses: When the Holy Messenger of Allah began to preach Islam and recite the Qur'anic Surahs, the people of Makkah felt alarmed, and it provoked hostile opposition to Him. This was the time when the Hajj season was about to begin and people of Makkah feared that if Muhammad (peace be upon him) started visiting the caravans of the pilgrims coming from all over Arabia and reciting the spell binding revelations of the Qur'an to them, His message would reach every part of Arabia and influence countless people. Therefore, the Quraish chiefs decided to start a propaganda campaign against the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) among the pilgrims as soon as they arrived. For this, Walid bin al-Mughirah assembled the pilgrims and said: [2]
"If you said contradictory things about Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), we all would lose our trust among the people. Therefore, let us agree upon one opinion, which we should all say without dispute. Some people said that they would call Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) a soothsayer.
Walid said: “No, by God, be is not a soothsayer. We have seen the soothsayers: what they murmur and what they utter has no remote resemblance with the Qur'an.” So some suggested: “Then we say he is possessed.” Walid said: He is not a possessed one: we have seen mad and insane people; the way one talks disjointedly and behaves foolishly in that state is known to all: who would believe that what Muhammad (upon whom be peace) presented was the incoherent speech of a madman?” The people said: “Then we say he is a poet.” Walid said: “No, he is not a poet, for we know poetry in all its forms, and what he presents conforms to no form of it.” The people said: “Then he is a sorcerer.” Walid said: “He is no sorcerer either: we have seen sorcerers and we also know what methods they adopt for their sorcery. This also does not apply to Muhammad.” Then he said: "Whichever of these things you said about Muhammad, it would be known to be a false accusation. By God, his speech is sweet, his root is deep and his branches are fruitful.”
It may be seen that despite leveling charges against the Prophet of Allah, Walid inadvertently recognized the very high traits of Muhammad (peace be upon him), as highlighted in the above text, and could not find words readily available to scheme against the Prophet of Allah. At this Abu Jahl urging on Walid said: “Your people will never be pleased with you unless you say something about Muhammad.” So Walid came up with a new idea and he opined: “The nearest thing to the truth is that you tell the Arabs that he is a sorcerer, who has brought a message by which he separates a man from his father; and from his brother, and from his wife and children, and from his family.” They all agreed on what Walid had proposed. Thereafter men of Quraish spread among the pilgrims warned everyone of the sorcery of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and of his stirring up divisions in the families by it." But the result was that by their this plan the Quraish chiefs themselves made the name of the Holy Messenger known throughout Arabia. After warning Walid "Very soon I shall cast him into Hell", (Verse 26), the dreadfulness of Hell has been depicted in verses 27-48, and it has been explained as to people of what character and morals really deserve it.
[27-31] And what do you know what Hell is? It leaves nothing and it spares none. It scorches the skin. Nineteen keepers are appointed over it. [31] And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity.
Verse 31 (highlighted above) is unique in its prose-like syntax and length; it is easily the longest verse of this surah and is a glaring break with the rhyme structure that precedes and follows it. This type of verse is most common in the later Medinan revelations. [3] Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in his "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" explains the verse 31 in detail: [2] The whole passage is a parenthetical sentence, which has been inserted here to answer an objection of the disbelievers, who had started mocking it when they heard the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) say that 19 keepers had been appointed over Hell. Their objection was: "How strange that, on the one hand, we are told that all human beings, from the time of the Prophet Adam till Resurrection, who disbelieved and committed evil, will be cast into Hell. and, on the other, that there will be only 19 keepers, who will administer punishment to the countless numbers of men in such a huge Hell. " This caused a huge laughter among the chiefs of Quraish. Abu Jahl said: "Brothers, are you so powerless that even as many as ten of you at a time will not be able to overpower a single watchman of Hell?" At this a wrestler of the Bani Jumha said: ` Well I will deal with and overpower at least 17 of them by myself; as for the remaining two, you all together can tackle them. " In response these sentences have been inserted as a parenthetical clause. And here is the Divine answer: "It is foolish on your part to compare the angelic powers to human powers. They will be angels, not men, and you cannot imagine what tremendous powers Allah has granted to the angels He has created." Although apparently there was no need to mention the number of the keepers of Hell, yet We have mentioned it so that it becomes a trial for every such person who may be concealing any kind of unbelief in his heart. Such a man may be making a great display of his faith but if he conceals even a tinge of the doubt about the Godhead and supreme powers of God, or about Revelation and Prophet hood, anywhere in his heart, his disbelief would immediately be exposed as soon as he would hear that only 19 watchmen would control countless numbers of the culprits from among the jinn and men in such a huge jail and would also administer punishment to each of them individually. " Some commentators have explained it thus: "As in the scriptures of the Jews and Christians themselves also the same number of the angels has been mentioned as keepers of Hell, they would be convinced of this thing's being truly from Allah as soon as they heard it." But in our opinion this commentary is not correct for two reasons. First, we have not been able to see anywhere in the existing scriptures of the Jews and Christians in spite of search that the number of the angels appointed over Hell is 19. Second, there are many things in the Qur'an, which also have been mentioned in the scriptures of the Jews and Christians, yet they explain them away, saying that the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) has plagiarized these from their books. For these reasons the correct meaning of this statement in our opinion is: The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) knew fully well that he would be ridiculed as soon as the disbelievers heard that 19 angels had been appointed over Hell, but in spite of this, he presented without the least hesitation and fear publicly before the people what had been revealed to him from Allah, and did not at all mind the jesting and mocking by the people. The pagans of Arabia were unaware of the unique distinction of the Prophets, but the followers of the earlier scriptures were fully aware that the Prophets in every age used to convey to their people intact whatever they received from God, whether it pleased them or displeased them. On this very basis it was to be expected of the Jews and the Christians that they would be convinced of the Prophet Muhammad's truth for only a Prophet could present an apparently strange thing without any hesitation before the people in an environment charged with antagonism and hostility. This also is evident that such a thing was shown by the Holy Prophet on many other occasions. Its most prominent example is the event of the mi'raj (ascension) which he related openly before a general assembly of the disbelievers and did not at all care how his opponents would behave and react after they had heard the story of the wonderful event.
It has been explained at several places in the Qur'an that on the occasion of every trial when a believer remains steadfast to his faith, and forsaking the way of doubt and denial, disobedience or disloyalty to the faith, adopts the way of faith, obedience and loyalty to it, it increases and strengthens him all the more in faith and resignation. In the following section the mention of the moon has been made for the reason: "Just as the moon and the night and the day are the great signs of the powers of Allah, so also is Hell a great sign of His powers. If the existence of the moon and the alternation of the night and day so regularly were not impossible, why should the existence of Hell be impossible as you think it is? You see these phenomena day and night; therefore, they do not surprise you: otherwise these things in themselves also are great marvels of the powers of Allah. If you had not observed them and somebody were to tell you that there is also such a thing as the moon in the world, or, there is a sun which leaves the world dark when it hides and makes the world shine forth with light when it appears, then the people like you would have made jests of it too as you make jests of Hell."[2]
[32-48] No, never! By the moon and by the night when it withdraws, and by the morning when it dawns, this Hell too, is one of the mighty things, a warning to mankind, a warning to every one of you, who desires to go forward, or to lag behind. Every person is a pledge for his own deeds, except the people of the right hand, who shall be in Gardens. There they will ask the culprits, "what has brought you into Hell?" They will reply, "We were not of those who offered the salat, and we did not feed the poor, and we used to join with those who indulged in idle talk against the Truth, and we used to belie the Day of Recompense, till the inevitable overtook us." At that time, no intercession of the intercessors shall avail them anything.
The dwellers of the Paradise would ask the culprits: At several places in the Qur'an, it has been stated that the dwellers of Paradise and the dwellers of Hell will be able to see and commune with each other directly whenever they will so desire, although they will be living hundreds of thousands of miles away from each other. [Surah Al-A`:44-50 and Surah As-Saaffat: 50-57]
And then in the last section of the surah (verses 49-56), the root cause of the disbelievers' aversion has been pointed out, saying: "Since they are fearless of the Hereafter, and look upon this worldly life as an end in itself, they flee from the Qur'an as though they were wild asses fleeing away from the lion: therefore, they propose unreasonable conditions for believing, whereas even if each and every condition of theirs was fulfilled, they could not advance even an inch on the way of Faith with their denial of the Hereafter." [2]
[49-56] What then is the matter with these people that they are turning away from this Admonition as though they were wild asses fleeing away from a lion? Nay, each one of them desires that he should be sent open letters. No, never! The fact is that they do not fear the Hereafter. No, never! This indeed is an Admonition. So, let him who wills, take heed. But they will never take heed unless Allah so wills. He alone is worthy that he should be feared, and He alone is worthy to forgive (those who fear Him).
For general information and interest, let me share information on "Humur (Arabic: حُـمُـر, 'asses' or 'donkeys')" and "Qaswarah (Arabic: قَـسْـوَرَة, 'lion', 'beast of prey' or 'hunter')" as referred to in the verses 50 and 51 and explained in Wikipedia: [3]
The wild ass that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula was of the Syrian subspecies and the lion that inhabited this region, at least the sandy deserts north of the southern region, would have been the Arabian population of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo). A reference to the lion in the region of Pilgrimage is in a hadith.
Nowadays, neither the Humur nor Qaswarah inhabit the wilderness of the peninsula. The donkey was last seen in Vienna Zoo, Austria-Hungary, 1915. And the Asiatic lion was seen in Zürich Zoo, Switzerland in 2012.
You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat al-Muddaththir 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)
If you like My Ultimate Decision, follow us on Facebookto keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam
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.
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook Follow @IslamUltimate
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
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)
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.
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook Follow @IslamUltimate
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
Sūrat ʻAbasa "He Frowned" is the 80th surah of the Qur'an with 42 ayahs, part of the 30th Juz. It is a Meccan surah. The Surah is so titled after the word `abasa with which it opens. Allah, the Almighty, while praises His chosen ones like prophets and messengers profusely in the holy scriptures He revealed onto some, He also admonishes and cautions His chosen ones if they commit something that is not liked. Surah Abasa was revealed on one such occasion. It so happened one day that a chieftain of Makkah was visiting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Prophet of Allah was trying to persuade him to embrace Islam. While both them were engrossed in a serious discussion, a blind man , Ibn Umm Maktum was one who had accepted Islam at a very early stage at Makkah, approached the prophet and requested him to clarify one his query about Islam. The Holy Prophet disliked his interruption and ignored him Allah did not like this act of the prophet and sent down this 42 versed surah as a caution against his frown and ignoring others.
It is to be noted that the word used was Abasa, which refers to 'He'. The Quran doesn't directly impose the frowning on Muhammad, But the Quran says "He frowned away", making it widely open for interpretation. Thus as per another interpretation, it is concluded that that the person that frowned away was not the Prophet of Allah, but an elite from Banu Umayya who was sitting with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). And these verses were descended Abdullah bin Umm Maktum entered and the Makkah chieftain when saw a poverty stricken man coming close to him, he drew himself aside, not to get his dress dirty and contracted his facial expressions, got uneasy. In those verses the God stated his acts and criticized and condemned it. [2]
In this Surah, thus Allah has expressed displeasure against ill-treatment of any low level man. And when the whole Surah is considered objectively, the displeasure, in fact, has been expressed against the disbelieving Quraish, who because of their arrogant attitude and indifference to the truth, were rejecting with contempt the message of truth being conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). [2]
Here is a segmented translation of the Surah Abasa:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلّٰٓىۙ
1. He frowned and turned away
In the first sixteen verses, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace), by a subtle method, has been made to realize that it was an act unseemly for him. It has been pointed out to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) that he had overlooked in the preaching of Islam on that occasion, and for teaching him the same Allah first reproved him on his treatment of Ibn Umm Maktum, and then ' told him what really deserved to occupy his attention as preacher of the Truth and what did not. In fact it is told that seekers of guidance should be given preference in conveying Allah's message
( 2 ) Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
( 3 ) But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
( 4 ) Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
( 5 ) As for he who thinks himself without need,
( 6 ) To him you give attention.
( 7 ) And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
( 8 ) But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
( 9 ) While he fears [Allah],
Verse 10: This is the real point which the Prophet (peace be upon him) had overlooked in the preaching of Islam on that occasion, and for teaching him the same Allah first reproved him on his treatment of Ibn Umm Maktum, and then told him what really deserved to occupy his attention as preacher of the truth and what did not.
( 10 ) you pay no heed to him
There is a man whose apparent state clearly shows that he is a seeker after truth: he fears lest he should follow falsehood and invite Allah’s wrath; therefore, he comes all the way in search of the knowledge of the true faith. There is another man, whose attitude clearly reflects that he has no desire for the truth; rather on the contrary, he regards himself as self sufficient, having no desire to be guided to the right way. Between these two kinds of men one should not see whose becoming a Muslim would be of greater use for Islam and whose becoming a believer could not be of any use in its propagation. But one should see as to who was inclined to accept the guidance and reform himself, and who was least interested in this precious bargain. The first kind of man, whether he is blind, lame, crippled or an indigent mendicant, who might apparently seem incapable of rendering any useful service in the propagation of Islam, is in any case a valuable man for the preacher to the truth. To him therefore he should attend, for the real object of this invitation is to reform the people, and the apparent state of the person shows that if he was instructed he would accept guidance. As for the other kind of man, the preacher has no need to pursue him, no matter how influential he is in society. For his attitude and conduct openly proclaim that he has no desire for reform; therefore, any effort made to reform him would be mere waste of time. If he has no desire to reform himself, he may not, the loss would be his, the preacher would not at all be accountable for it.
( 11 ) No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
That is, you should never do so: do not give undue importance to those who have forgotten Allah and become proud of their high worldly position. The teaching of Islam is not such that it should be presented solicitously before him who spurns it, nor should a man like you try to invite these arrogant people to Islam in a way as may cause them the misunderstanding that you have a selfish motive connected with them, and that your mission would succeed only if they believed, otherwise not, whereas the fact is that the truth is as self-sufficient of them as they are of the truth.
( 12 ) So whoever wills may remember it.
( 13 ) [It is recorded] in honored sheets,
( 14 ) Exalted and purified,
( 15 ) [Carried] by the hands of messenger-angels,
( 16 ) Noble and dutiful.
The Prophet has thus been told that he should never give undue importance to those who have forgotten Allah and become proud of their high worldly position, as this may cause a misunderstanding that the Prophet has a selfish motive connected with them, and that his mission would succeed only if they believed, otherwise not, whereas the fact is that the Truth is as self-sufficient of them as they are of the Truth.
The last verse above indicate towards the Holy Qur'an and it is staid that there is no tinge whatever in these scrolls of the impurities with which the other religious books of the world have been polluted. They have been kept pure and secure from all kinds of human speculation and evil suggestions.
From the 17th verse onward till the 32nd verse, the Divine attention turns towards the nonbelievers. Here the mention of "man" does not imply every individual of the human race but the people whose evil traits of character are intended to be censured. At some places the word "man" is used because the evil traits are found in most of human beings, and at others for the reason that if the particular people are pin-pointed for censure, it engenders stubbornness. Therefore, admonition is given in general terms so as to be more effective.
( 17 ) Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
From Verse 17 on, the rebuke turns directly against the disbelievers, who were treating the message of the truth with scant attention. Before this, from the beginning of the Surah to verse 16, the address though apparently directed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), was actually meant to reprimand the disbelievers, as if to say: O Prophet (peace be upon him), why are you ignoring a seeker after truth and paying all your attention to those who are worthless from your mission’s point of view? They do not deserve that a great Prophet like you should present a sublime thing like the Quran before them.
At all such places in the Quran, man does not imply every individual of the human race but the people whose evil traits of character are intended to be censured. At some places the word man is used because the evil traits are found in most of human beings, and at others for the reason that if the particular people are pin-pointed for censure, it engenders stubbornness. Therefore, admonition is given in general terms so as to be more effective.
( 18 ) From what substance did He create him?
( 19 ) From a sperm-drop He created him and destined for him;
That is, let him first consider out of what he was created, where he was nourished and developed, by what way he came into the world, and from what helpless state he began his life in the world. Why does he forget his such beginning and becomes involved in conceit and haughtiness and why does he feel so puffed up as to resist his Creator and stand before Him as an adversary? (The same theme has been expressed in( Surah Ya Seen, Ayats 77-78).
That is, he was yet developing and taking shape in his mother’s womb when his destiny was set for him. It was determined what would be his sex, his color, his size; the extent and volume of his body, the extent to which his limbs would be sound or unsound, his appearance and voice, the degree of physical strength and mental endowments, what would be the land, the family, the conditions and environments in which he would take birth, develop and be molded into a specific person, what would be the hereditary influences and effects of the surroundings and the role and impact of his own self in the make-up of his personality, the part he would play in his life of the world, and how long he would be allowed to function on the earth. He cannot swerve even a hair-breadth from his destiny, nor can effect the slightest alteration in it. Then, how strange is his daring and stubbornness! He commits disbelief of the Creator before Whose destiny he is so helpless and powerless.
( 20 ) Then He eased the way for him;
That is, He created all those means and provisions in the world, which he could utilize, otherwise all the capabilities of his body and mind would have remained useless, had not the Creator provided the means and created the possibilities on the earth to employ them. Furthermore, the Creator also gave him the opportunity to choose and adopt for himself whichever of the ways, good or evil, of gratitude or ingratitude, of obedience or disobedience that he pleased. He opened up both the ways before him and made each way smooth and easy so that he could follow any way that he liked.
( 21 ) Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
That is, not only in the matter of birth and destiny but also in the matter of death he is absolutely helpless before his Creator. Neither can he take birth by his choice nor die by his choice, nor can defer his death even by a moment. He dies precisely at the appointed time, in the appointed place, under the appointed circumstances that have been decreed for his death, and he is deposited in the type of grave destined for him whether it is the belly of the earth, the depths of the sea, a bonfire or the stomach of a beast. Nothing to say of the man. The whole world together cannot change the Creator’s decree in respect of any person.
( 22 ) Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
That is, he does not either have the power to refuse to rise up when the Creator may will to resurrect him after death. When he was first created, he was not consulted: he was not asked whether he wanted to be created or not. Even if he had refused, he would have been created. Likewise, his resurrection is also not dependent upon his will and assent that he may rise from death if he so likes, or refuse to rise if he does not like. In this matter, he is also absolutely helpless before the Creator's will. Whenever He wills, He will resurrect him, and he will have to rise whether he likes it or not.
( 23 ) No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
He commanded him: Implies the duty that Allah has enjoined on every man in the form of natural guidance as well as the duty to which man’s own existence and every particle of the universe, from the earth to the heavens, and every manifestation of divine power are pointing, and also that duty which Allah has conveyed in every age through His Prophets and Books and disseminated through the righteous people of every period. (For explanation, see(E.N. 5 of Surah Ad-Dahr). In the present context the object is to express the meaning that on the basis of the truths stated in the above verses, it was man’s duty to have obeyed his Creator, but, contrary to this, he adopted the way of disobedience and did not fulfill the demand of his being His creature.
( 24 ) Then let mankind look at his food
That is, let him consider the food, which he regards as an ordinary thing, how it is created. Had God not provided the means for it, it was not in the power of man himself to have created the food on the earth in any way.
( 25 ) How We poured down water in torrents,
This refers to rainwater. Water vapors are raised in vast quantities from the oceans by the heat of the sun, then they are turned into thick clouds, then the winds blow and spread them over different parts of the earth, then because of the coolness in the upper atmosphere the vapors turn back to water and fall as rain in every area in a particular measure. The water not only falls as rain directly on the earth but also collects underground in the shape of wells and fountains, flows in the form of rivers and streams, freezes on the mountains as snow and melts and flows into rivers in other seasons as well than the rainy season. Has man himself made all these arrangements? Had his Creator not arranged this for his sustenance, could man survive on the earth.
( 26 ) Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
Then We split the earth in clefts: Implies cleaving it in a way that the seeds, or seed-stones, or vegetable seedlings that man sows or plants in it, or which are deposited in it by winds or birds, or by some other means, should sprout up. Man can do nothing more than to dig the soil, or plough it, and bury in it the seeds that God has already created. Beyond this everything is done by God. It is He Who has created the seeds of countless species of vegetable; it is He Who has endowed these seeds with the quality that when they are sown in the soil, they should sprout up and from every seed, vegetable of its own particular species should grow. Again it is He Who has created in the earth the capability that in combination with water it should break open the seeds and develop and nourish every species of vegetable with the kind of food suitable for it. Had God not created the seeds with these qualities and the upper layers of the earth with these capabilities, man could not by himself have arranged any kind of food on the earth. [4]
( 27 ) And caused to grow within it grain
( 28 ) And grapes and herbage
( 29 ) And olive and palm trees
( 30 ) And gardens of dense shrubbery
( 31 ) And fruit and grass -
( 32 ) [As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
The man is reminded of his creation from a drop of dirty water (sperm) and then his elation and the life made easy for him. He was also given the opportunity to choose and adopt for himself whichever of the ways, good or evil, of gratitude or ingratitude, of obedience or disobedience, that he pleased. He opened up both the ways before him and made each way smooth and easy so that he could follow any way that he liked. But despite all blessings of Allah, he forgets his creation, not thinking for a minute that one day he has to die and to be graved.
And then man is told that the End Day will finally come one day as promised by Allah. The day when man will be all alone, brothers will be separated and mothers will forget about their children. None will be able to help the other. On that day everyone will be presented his deeds, good or bad, weighed and then awarded or punished for which ever end the scale tilted.
( 33 ) But when there comes the Deafening Blast
( 34 ) On the Day a man will flee from his brother
( 35 ) And his mother and his father
( 36 ) And his wife and his children,
A theme closely resembling to this has already occurred in Surah Al-Maarij, Ayats 10-14. Fleeing may also mean that when he sees those nearest and dearest to him in the world, involved in distress, instead of rushing forth to help them, he will run away from them lest they should call out to him for help. And it may also mean that when they see the evil consequences of committing sin for the sake of one another and misleading one another, fearless of God and heedless of the Hereafter, in the world, each one would flee from the other lest the other should hold him responsible for his deviation and sin. Brother will fear brother, children their parents, husband his wife, and parents their children lest they should become witnesses in the case against them.
( 37 ) For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
A tradition has been reported in the Hadith by different methods and through different channels, saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: On the Day of Resurrection all men will rise up naked. One of his wives (according to some reporters, Aishah, according to others, Saudah, or a woman) asked in bewilderment: O Messenger of Allah, shall we (women) appear naked on that Day before the people. The prophet (peace be upon him) recited this very verse and explained that on that Day each one will have enough of his own troubles to occupy him, and will be wholly unmindful of others. (Nasai, Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi Hatim,
( 38 ) [Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
( 39 ) Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
( 40 ) And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
( 41 ) Blackness will cover them.
( 42 ) Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.
Explaining the last set of verses, Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in his book "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" has shared a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): [1]
As per one hadith the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been quoted as saying: "On the Day of Resurrection all men will rise up naked." One of his wives (according to some reporters, Hadrat `A'ishah, according to others, Hadrat Saudah, or a woman) asked in bewilderment: "O Messenger of Allah, shall we (women) appear naked on that Day before the people?” The Holy prophet recited these verses and explained that on that Day each one will have enough of his own troubles to occupy him, and will be wholly unmindful of others.
So beware of one's own deeds from henceforth, for the message for the End Day is very clear: 'Everyone on his very own." And mend ways so that we do not have to be grieved for what bad did we do in this life. May Allah help us chose the righteous way of believers and forgive us all of our sins before we die. Aameen You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat ʻAbasa 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.
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook Follow @IslamUltimate
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
