- 1－7. In the present world, man observes...
- 8-26. The group at the forefront (as-sab...
- 27-40. ‘Those on the Right’ (ashab al-ya...
- 41. ‘Those on the Left’ (ashab ash-shim...
- 42-58. The birth of a human being from...
- 59-74. For one who ponders over these...
- 75. The word ‘mawaqi’ is the plural of...
- 76-82. This is a happening so great as...
- 83-96. The event of death is the last...
Commentary By Maulana Wahiduddin khan
1－7. In the present world, man observes…
In the present world, man observes that he is free to do whatever he likes. So the question of retribution in the Hereafter makes no impact on his mind. But the formation of the ‘other world’ is just as possible as the formation of the present world. When that time comes, the whole system will be reversed. Those who were higher in position will go down and those who were lower in position will be elevated. At that time human beings will be divided into three groups, the forward group (as-sabiqun), the people of the Right (ashab al-yamin) and the people of the Left (ashab ash-shimal).
8-26. The group at the forefront (as-sab…
The group at the forefront (as-sabiqun) will comprise of those who, immediately accept the Truth when it appears before them, and surrender themselves to it without hesitation. According to the Prophet’s wife, ‘A’ishah, the Prophet said, ‘Do you know, on the Day of Judgement, who will be the first to find a place in the protective shade of God?’ People said that God and His Prophet knew best. Then he said, ‘It will be those to whom Truth was presented and they accepted it. When Truth was demanded of them, they gave it. They gave the same decision with regard to others as they did with regard to themselves.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir). In the early period of the call for Truth, for those who came forward and embraced Islam, it was a discovery. The generation coming after them, regarded Islam as a legacy. It is this difference between discovery and legacy which raises the status of first group over that of the second group. Naturally, the second group is larger in number than the first group. In the Hereafter, there will be ordinary rewards for the second group while, for the first group, there will be royal rewards.
27-40. ‘Those on the Right’ (ashab al-ya…
‘Those on the Right’ (ashab al-yamin) means the ordinary people of paradise. This category includes all those people who, according to their belief and character, were pious. As regards faith, they were not in possession of a high degree of consciousness. However, they were sincere about God and His Prophet, and they maintained themselves on the path of justice and went in fear of God throughout their lives. In this category there will be a fair number of persons from the earlier period and a considerable number from the later period.
41. ‘Those on the Left’ (ashab ash-shim…
‘Those on the Left’ (ashab ash-shimal) means those to whom is condign punishment will be meted out. Deceived by the amenities they had in this world, they had made things other than God the centre of their attention, and this is the greatest human crime. They had made themselves so forgetful of the Hereafter, it was as if it was not to become a reality at all. Such people will receive severe punishment on the Day of Judgement.
42-58. The birth of a human being from…
The birth of a human being from the womb of his mother, the growing of crops from the earth, the falling of rain, the availability of fire from fuel – all these things come directly from God. They should be treated as gifts of God and not as the results of human effort. Man should be grateful to God for all the blessings He has showered upon him.
59-74. For one who ponders over these…
For one who ponders over these events, there are countless lessons. In them there is proof of a second life after the present life. Similarly, there is a sure indication in them that He who has given things can also take them away. Then, there is the example of water. Reservoirs of water are mostly found here in the shape of seas containing salt water. About 98 percent of the water is found in seas and one tenth of its volume is made up of salt. It is a miracle of God’s law that when water vapour rises from the sea, pure water rises and the salt is left below. The fact is that the system of rain is a huge universal desalination process. Had this natural arrangement not been in place, all of the water in the world would have been brackish just like sea water.
The snow on mountain peaks, the water flowing in rivers would all have been extremely salty. In spite of the vast stores of water on the earth, the non-availability of fresh water would have presented an insurmountable problem for humanity. If man gave this matter consideration, his heart would be full of praises for God.
75. The word ‘mawaqi’ is the plural of…
The word ‘mawaqi’ is the plural of ‘mauqa’a’. Its meaning is the place of falling. Here, the mawaqi of stars probably means the orbits of stars. In this universe, there are countless big stars. They are revolving in their respective orbits with extreme precision.
76-82. This is a happening so great as…
This is a happening so great as to be owesome. A person who gives serious consideration to this system functioning in space, will be compelled to admit that the Creator of this universe is unimaginably Mighty. Then the Book coming from such a Creator should also be certainly great, and the Qur’an is undoubtedly such a great Book.
The Quran reached the Prophet through the angels in exactly the same condition as it was in the preserved tablet (lawh mahfudh) and it is still intact in that same condition today. There is no other book of ancient times which has been so perfectly preserved. This in itself is proof of the Book’s (the Quran’s) greatness. The misfortune of one who does not obtain guidance from such a book is incalculable.
83-96. The event of death is the last…
The event of death is the last proof of the fact that man is completely helpless before the Divine powers. Every man will essentially die at a fixed time and nobody can save him from the angel of death. In view of this, man should be more concerned about his condition after death. Those who performed deeds deserving of paradise in their life before death, will be ushered into paradise in the life after death. However, those who shunned God in this world will be denied God’s grace in the Hereafter. They will be greeted with scalding water and the fire will be their abode.
