77
Those Sent Forth
al-Mursalāt
Al-Mursalāt is an early Makkan sūrah, although some early commentators, such as Ibn ʿAbbās and al-Qatādah, maintain that v. 48 is Madinan (Āl, Q). It takes its name from the mention of those sent forth in the first verse and is also known as al-ʿUrf after the second word in the first verse, ʿurfan (Āl), which can mean in succession. According to a ḥadīth: “While we were with the Messenger of God in a cave, the sūrah By those sent forth was revealed to him, and we received it directly from his mouth as soon as he had received the revelation. Suddenly a snake came out, and the Messenger of God said, ‘Get it and kill it!’ We ran to kill it, but it outstripped us. The Messenger of God said, ‘It has escaped your evil, as you too have escaped its evil’” (Āl, Q).
After a series of oaths and reminders of the Last Day (vv. 1–6) and descriptions of its signs (vv. 8–14) is the first appearance of the phrase Woe that Day to the deniers! (v. 15), which thereafter serves as a refrain repeated ten times in the sūrah. The sūrah then affirms that the guilty of all generations will meet the same end (vv. 16–19) and points to the stages of gestation as a sign of God’s Power (vv. 20–24), followed by a reference to the created order as a sign of God’s Power and Mercy (vv. 25–28). It then addresses the disbelievers, ordering them toward that which they deny and warning them of the punishments such denial entails (vv. 29–40). This is subsequently contrasted to the rewards of the reverent and the virtuous (vv. 41–45). The sūrah concludes with a final address to the disbelievers and criticism of their failure to pray and to believe (vv. 46–50).
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
¡ By those sent forth in succession! * By the storming tempests! + By the spreaders spreading! J By the discerners discerning! Z And by those who bring forth the Reminder, j to excuse or to warn, z surely what you are promised will befall. { So when the stars are blotted out, | and when the sky is riven asunder, Ċ when the mountains are scattered, Ě and when the messengers are slated, Ī for what day is it appointed? ĺ For the Day of Division. Ŋ And what shall apprise thee of the Day of Division? Ś Woe that Day to the deniers! Ū Did We not destroy those of old, ź then make those of later times follow them? Ɗ Thus do We deal with the guilty. ƚ Woe that Day to the deniers! Ȋ Did We not create you from a base fluid, ! then lodge it in a secure dwelling place " for a known measure? # Thus do We determine; what excellent determiners! $ Woe that Day to the deniers! % Did We not make the earth a receptacle & for the living and the dead? ' And We placed therein firm, soaring mountains and gave you sweet water to drink. ( Woe that Day to the deniers! ) Away to that which you used to deny! Ð Away to a threefold shadow Ñ that provides no shade, nor avails against the flame. Ò Indeed, it throws up sparks like massive tree trunks, Ó as though they were yellow camels. Ô Woe that Day to the deniers! Õ That is the Day on which they speak not; Ö nor is permission granted them, such that they might offer excuses. × Woe that Day to the deniers! Ø This is the Day of Division, “We have gathered you and those of old.” Ù So if you have a scheme, then scheme against Me! @ Woe that Day to the deniers! A Truly the reverent shall be amid shade and springs, B and fruits such as they desire. C “Eat and drink in enjoyment for that which you used to do.” D Thus do We recompense the virtuous. E Woe that Day to the deniers! F Eat and enjoy yourselves a little; truly you are guilty. G Woe that Day to the deniers! H And when it is said unto them, “Bow!” they bow not. I Woe that Day to the deniers! P So in what discourse after this will they believe?
Commentary
¡ By those sent forth in succession!
1–5 Many interpret these first five verses as references to different types of angels (Āl, IK, Q), while al-Ṭabarī allows that v. 1 may refer to both the wind and the angels (Ṭ). Vv. 1–5 can also be understood as allusions to forms of knowledge and inspiration that God sends into the hearts of human beings.
1 In accord with the interpretation of vv. 2–3 as references to storms and violent winds, those sent forth is understood by many as a reference to the winds following one another in succession (JJ, Q, Ṭ), but it may also refer to the prophets and messengers who follow one another in succession (IK, Q).
***
* By the storming tempests!
2 Storming tempests means the wind (Ṭ).
***
+ By the spreaders spreading!
3 Spreaders refers to the wind (IK, JJ, Ṭ), the rain (IK, Ṭ), or the angels who spread God’s Blessings and revelations (Āl, Ṭ) or who spread their wings (Aj). Al-Ṭabarī allows that the verse does not specify one of these to the exclusion of others, as the wind spreads the clouds, the rain spreads over the earth, and the angels spread God’s revealed books.
***
J By the discerners discerning!
4 The discerners are the angels, who discriminate between truth and falsehood (Q, Ṭ), and between what is lawful and what is unlawful (Q), or the Quran, which does the same (JJ, Ṭ). Al-Ṭabarī maintains that this verse can refer simultaneously to the angels, the Quran, and anything that distinguishes between truth and falsehood.
***
Z And by those who bring forth the Reminder,
5 This verse refers to the angels who descend with the revelation, casting it upon the prophets and messengers in various human collectivities (JJ, Ṭ).
***
j to excuse or to warn,
6 The revelation that the angels bring from God to creation serves to both excuse, here meaning provide absolution and forgiveness, and warn (IK, Ṭ).
***
z surely what you are promised will befall.
7 This is the answer to the oaths made in vv. 1–6. When the images in vv. 1–6 are taken as references to angels who bring various messages, the present verse indicates that through these angels human beings have been provided a clear message about what will befall them on the Day of Judgment and in the Hereafter (Ṭ). For similar verses, see 6:134; 51:5.
***
{ So when the stars are blotted out,
| and when the sky is riven asunder,
8–9 Theses verses refer to the dissolution of the heavens at the end of time. The light of the stars fades (see also 81:2; 82:2), and the sky is rent asunder (73:18) and opened as if it were gates (78:19; see also 70:8; 84:1).
***
Ċ when the mountains are scattered,
10 Elsewhere it is said that the Day of Judgment is a day when the mountains are made like carded wool (70:9; 101:5) or heaps of shifting sand (73:14); for other references to mountains in the Quran’s apocalyptic descriptions, see 18:47; 19:90; 20:105–6; 27:88; 52:10; 56:5–6; 69:14; 78:20; 81:3.
***
Ě and when the messengers are slated,
Ī for what day is it appointed?
11–12 Slated translates uqqitat, here indicating that the messengers are gathered together at an appointed moment, understood by most to be the Day of Resurrection (IK, Ṭ, Z). Uqqitat can also mean “postponed” (IK, Ṭ, Z), indicating the manner in which God does not punish humanity immediately, but grants them respite until an appointed time; see 3:178; 7:183–84; 13:32; 15:37–38; 22:44. Others understand uqqitat to mean “promised” (IK, Ṭ); in this vein, it is related to 39:69, which says that on the Day of Judgment the prophets and the witnesses will be brought forth to witness for or against humanity. For what day is it appointed? can also be read “Until what day is it postponed?” In both senses it is a rhetorical question that is answered in the following verse.
***
ĺ For the Day of Division.
Ŋ And what shall apprise thee of the Day of Division?
13–14 The Day of Division (37:21; 44:40; 77:38; 78:17; see also 10:28; 30:14) is another name for the Day of Judgment, indicating the manner in which the believers and the disbelievers will be definitively divided from one another (Z) and that the division between true and false, good and evil, light and dark will be made clear.
***
Ś Woe that Day to the deniers!
15 This is the first occurrence of a refrain that is repeated ten times in this sūrah. Each instance can be taken as a repetition for emphasis in reference to those who deny the Resurrection (Ṭ) or those who deny both the Resurrection and God. The way the warning builds through repetition increases the sense of danger and urgency. Alternately, each can be viewed in context as a reference to one of the many things that disbelievers may deny (Q on v. 49).
***
Ū Did We not destroy those of old,
ź then make those of later times follow them?
Ɗ Thus do We deal with the guilty.
ƚ Woe that Day to the deniers!
16–19 Those of old refers to the disbelievers among peoples of earlier ages from the time of Adam until that of Muhammad (Q, Sh). Here the guilty refers to the disbelievers among the Quraysh (Q) or to all who are guilty (N, Sh). According to some, the first instance of Woe that Day to the deniers! (v. 15) warns of the punishment in the Hereafter, while the second instance (v. 19) warns of the punishment in this world (Sh).
***
Ȋ Did We not create you from a base fluid,
! then lodge it in a secure dwelling place
" for a known measure?
# Thus do We determine; what excellent determiners!
$ Woe that Day to the deniers!
20–24 The creation of the human being from a base fluid (cf. 32:8) is cited in several verses to remind people of their humble origins and as testimony to God’s creative power and ability to resurrect human beings in the Hereafter; see commentary on 32:7–11. The secure dwelling place is a reference to the womb (IK, Ṭ), while a known measure refers to the phases of gestation outlined in 22:5 and 23:14. An argument implied here and elsewhere is that those who do not recognize the nature of their own creation deny God and are thus a manifest adversary (16:4; 36:77) to God and to themselves. This third occurrence of Woe that Day in v. 24 can be read in connection with v. 23 and thus as a warning regarding the manner in which God determines (Sh).
***
% Did We not make the earth a receptacle
& for the living and the dead?
25–26 These verses are understood to be a reference to the earth as a place of shelter for the living and as a container for the bodies of the dead. Thus al-Shaʿbī is reported to have said, “Its interior is for your dead, and its surface is for your living” (IK).
***
' And We placed therein firm, soaring mountains and gave you sweet water to drink.
27 In this context, the reference to both mountains and sweet water is understood to mean that God’s creation of these is as wondrous as the Resurrection, were one to reflect (Q, Sh).
***
( Woe that Day to the deniers!
28 This fourth occurrence of the sūrah’s refrain can be seen as a warning to those who fail to be thankful for the blessings mentioned in vv. 25–27.
***
) Away to that which you used to deny!
Ð Away to a threefold shadow
Ñ that provides no shade, nor avails against the flame.
29–31 These verses can be understood as an address to the disbelievers by God or the angels in the Hereafter, instructing the disbelievers to enter the punishment of the Fire, which they had denied (Sh). The threefold shadow refers to the smoke from the Fire of Hell. As the Quranic use of shade implies protection from heat and a comfortable state (see 56:30c), this passage implies that, although a shadow would seem to provide “shade,” this shadow will neither protect them nor comfort them in the Hereafter.
***
Ò Indeed, it throws up sparks like massive tree trunks,
Ó as though they were yellow camels.
Ô Woe that Day to the deniers!
32–34 Massive tree trunks translates qaṣr, which can also mean, “huge castles.” In either translation, it is implied that the flames are larger than those anyone could expect to see in this life. Yellow camels can be understood to mean that they are large and long as well as yellow (Z). But this particular usage can also be taken as a reference to “dark camels,” who are called yellow (ṣufr), because there is a touch of yellow in their blackish hair (JJ, Sh). It is thus understood to mean that the Fire of Hell is pitch-black (Sh). In this way it has none of the positive properties associated with fire in this world. This fifth occurrence of the sūrah’s refrain in v. 34 can be seen more specifically as a reference to those who deny such attributes of the Fire (Sh).
***
Õ That is the Day on which they speak not;
35 On that day, people will not be asked about their deeds, since they will have already been recorded (17:71; 18:49; 50:17–18; 69:19–29; 82:11–12). People will not be given the opportunity to testify for themselves. Rather, on that Day We shall seal their mouths. Their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will bear witness to that which they used to earn (36:65); and their ears, their eyes, and their skins will bear witness against them for that which they used to do (41:20).
***
Ö nor is permission granted them, such that they might offer excuses.
36 As translated, this verse is understood to mean that the deniers are not permitted to speak, and when they seek to offer excuses, they admit instead their guilt (see 67:11). The second part of this verse could also be rendered “and they offer no excuses.” In this second reading, the negation that applies to the first part of the verse, nor is permission granted them (lā yuʾdhanu) is read as applying to the second part as well, “they offer no excuses” (yaʿtadhirūn; Q). From one perspective, people are unable to offer excuses because the reality of their deeds is completely manifest.
***
× Woe that Day to the deniers!
37 This sixth occurrence of the sūrah’s refrain can be taken as another reference to those who deny this Day (N).
***
Ø This is the Day of Division, “We have gathered you and those of old.”
38 For the Day of Division, see 77:13–14c. This verse refers to God’s gathering every generation of humanity together on a single open and barren plain for the Day of Judgment (see 18:47c; 20:106; 79:14c).
***
Ù So if you have a scheme, then scheme against Me!
39 This is one of several verses intended to show the folly of the disbelievers by challenging them to challenge God or to see what happens when they attempt to operate outside of the limits that God has established, as in 22:15: Whosoever thinks that God will not help him in this world and the Hereafter, let him stretch out a rope to Heaven. Then let him sever it and see if his scheming removes that which enrages (see also 55:33).
***
@ Woe that Day to the deniers!
40 This seventh occurrence of the sūrah’s refrain can be seen as another reference to those who deny the Resurrection (N) or, in connection with the previous verse, as a reference to those who deny God’s Power and thus seek to scheme against Him.
***
A Truly the reverent shall be amid shade and springs,
41 This verse is similar to 15:45. For the connotations of the Quranic use of shade, see 56:30c. Springs can be seen as a reference to the common motif that God will make the believers enter Gardens with rivers running below (3:195; 4:13, 57, 122; 5:12) and to the various types of springs and drinks mentioned in other sūrahs (e.g., 76:5–6, 17–18; 83:25–28; 88:12).
***
B and fruits such as they desire.
42 Cf. 52:22; 56:21. That the fruits of the Garden are available such as they desire indicates that they are available whenever believers wish, in contrast to this world where the availability of food and drink is determined by external circumstances (JJ). Several other verses also refer to the fruits of Paradise that will always be at the disposal of the believers (e.g., 37:42; 38:61; 43:73); see 36:57c.
***
C “Eat and drink in enjoyment for that which you used to do.”
43 See commentary on the identical verse in 52:19.
***
D Thus do We recompense the virtuous.
44 Cf. 6:84; 12:22; 28:14; 37:80, 105, 110, 121, 131. See 29:69c; 37:80c.
***
E Woe that Day to the deniers!
45 In relation to the previous verse, this eighth occurrence of the sūrah’s refrain could be seen as a reference to those who fall into despair (Sh), as such despair indicates denial of the manifold reward of good deeds.
***
F Eat and enjoy yourselves a little; truly you are guilty.
46 These words, which God addresses to the disbelievers, are ironic. They allude to the respite that God grants the disbelievers, though they think it good, as they are able to enjoy . . . a little; in fact, it lets them dig a deeper hole for themselves, as in 31:24: We grant them enjoyment a little, then We compel them toward a grave punishment; see also 3:178; 10:69–70; 15:3; 16:55; 26:205–7; 29:66; 30:34c.
***
G Woe that Day to the deniers!
47 This ninth occurrence of the sūrah’s refrain can be seen as a repetition of the previous occurrence (Sh) or as an indication that those who enjoy . . . a little with no thought to the consequences of their actions in effect deny that all they receive is from God.
***
H And when it is said unto them, “Bow!” they bow not.
I Woe that Day to the deniers!
48–49 The command to bow is understood as a command to perform the prayer, as bowing is a part of the canonical prayer. The Prophet is reported to have said, “There is no good in a religion that has no bowing and no prostration” (Āl, Q, Sh). V. 48 is said to have been revealed regarding some disbelievers who protested that the positions required for prayer were an insult (Q). Others say that this injunction refers to those who are called to prostrate on the Day of Judgment, but are not able to do so (Q, Sh; see 36:8c; 68:42c; 68:43c). In this vein, the tenth and final occurrence of the sūrah’s refrain in v. 49 would appear to indicate those who deny the commands and prohibitions of God (N, Sh), since the command to pray is considered foremost among the actions enjoined by God.
***
P So in what discourse after this will they believe?
50 This verse asks, “So in what discourse other than this Quran will they believe?” It is similar to 45:6: These are the signs of God that We recite unto thee in truth. So in what discourse after God and His signs do they believe? Both verses can be understood to mean, “If they will not believe in revelation, then in what will they believe?” implying that those who reject revelation do not believe in anything real. Vv. 48 and 50 can be viewed as complementary; the first criticizes the disbelievers for failing to act in accord with the revelation, and the second, for failing to believe and understand in accord with the revelation.