78
The Tiding
al-Nabaʾ
Al-Nabaʾ, a late Makkan sūrah, takes its name from the mention of the Great Tiding (al-nabaʾ al-ʿāẓīm) in the second verse, which is understood by most as a reference to the Quran itself, or to the Day of Resurrection. It is also known as al-Muʿṣirāt, “The Rain Clouds,” and as al-Tasāʾul, “The Questioning of One Another” (Āl). The first title comes from v. 14, and the second refers to the theme of the first verses, in which the disbelievers are said to question one another regarding the Resurrection or the revelation of the Quran or both. According to Ibn ʿAjībah, insofar as the Great Tiding refers to the Resurrection, this sūrah is connected to the previous sūrah’s discussion of the Day of Division (77:13–14, 38), which is also a reference to the Day of Resurrection. Insofar as the Great Tiding refers to the Quran, this sūrah follows directly upon the last verse of the previous sūrah (Aj).
This sūrah can be seen as comprising three sections. Vv. 1–5 discuss the nature of those who do not believe in certain aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s message. Given the content of the sūrah, it is most likely a reference to those who do not believe in the Resurrection. Rather than argue against their disbelief, vv. 6–16 point to all of those things that God has created as signs that should make the truth evident to those with intellects. Vv. 17–40 then discuss the advent of the Resurrection, referred to here as the Day of Division and as the Moment Appointed, and then the different ways in which the return to God will be experienced by believers and disbelievers when they are indeed divided.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
¡ About what do they question one another? * About the Great Tiding, + regarding which they differ. J Nay, but they will know! Z Then indeed they will know! j Did We not make the earth a resting place, z and the mountains stakes, { and create you in pairs, | and make your sleep repose, Ċ and make the night a garment, Ě and the day for livelihood? Ī And [did We not] build above you seven firmaments, ĺ and make a radiant lamp, Ŋ and send down water pouring from the rain clouds, Ś that We might produce grain and plants thereby, Ū and luxuriant gardens? ź Truly the Day of Division is a Moment Appointed, Ɗ a day when the trumpet is blown and you come forth in throngs, ƚ and the sky is opened as if it were gates, Ȋ and the mountains are set in motion as if they were a mirage. ! Truly Hell lies in ambush, " a place unto which the rebellious return # to tarry therein for ages. $ They taste therein neither coolness nor drink, % save boiling liquid and a cold, murky fluid, & a fitting recompense. ' Truly they anticipated not a reckoning, ( and denied Our signs with utter denial. ) And everything have We recorded in a book. Ð So taste! For We shall not increase you in aught but punishment! Ñ Truly the reverent shall have a place of triumph, Ò gardens and vineyards, Ó buxom maidens of like age, Ô and an overflowing cup. Õ They hear therein neither idle talk nor lying— Ö a recompense from thy Lord, a gift abounding— × the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatsoever is between them, the Compassionate, Whom they have no power to address. Ø That Day the Spirit and the angels stand in rows, none speaking, save one whom the Compassionate permits and who speaks aright. Ù That is the True Day. So let whosoever will, take a path of return unto his Lord. @ Truly We have warned you of a punishment nigh, on a day when a man beholds what his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever says, “Oh, would that I were dust!”
Commentary
¡ About what do they question one another?
1 They is interpreted to mean the Prophet’s tribe, the Quraysh (Q, R, Ṭ), most of whose leaders rejected Muhammad and the Quran at the time of the revelation of this verse, though this particular reference is not understood to limit the more general implications of the sūrah.
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* About the Great Tiding,
2 The Great Tiding (al-nabaʾ al-ʿaẓīm; cf. 38:67) refers to the Resurrection; the Quran itself (Q, Ṭ), called the Mighty Quran (al-qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm; 15:87); or the Prophet Muhammad (R). The content of the sūrah best supports the reference to the Resurrection in general or to the Day of Resurrection, which is also referred to as a tremendous day (yawm ʿāẓīm) when considered in relation to the punishment received by disbelievers (see, e.g., 6:15; 19:37; 26:189; 83:5).
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+ regarding which they differ.
3 This verse is understood as an allusion to the distinction between two parties: those who accept and confirm the Quran and the Prophet and those who reject and deny them (Ṭ). Ashʿarite theologians, who oppose a metaphorical understanding of Resurrection, have viewed it as an allusion to the different degrees and modes of rejection and denial (Qu, R), since some believe in certain aspects of the message but not in others, and some believe in a spiritual resurrection but not in a bodily one.
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J Nay, but they will know!
Z Then indeed they will know!
4–5 Nay, translating the emphatic particle kallā, could alternately be rendered “truly” or “indeed,” as it is in v. 5. If the two verses are both addressed to the disbelievers, the repetition can be seen as emphasis; they can also be viewed as addressed to two groups: the first to the disbelievers, the second to the believers (Q, R, Ṭ). When both are viewed as an address to disbelievers, v. 4 can be seen as a reference to knowing the truth of the Resurrection and v. 5 to knowing the truth of the punishment; or v. 4 can be seen as a reference to the punishment in this world and v. 5 to the punishment in the Hereafter (R). If addressed to the two groups, vv. 21–30 would correspond to what the disbelievers will know, and vv. 31–36 to what the believers will know.
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j Did We not make the earth a resting place,
6 Like 22:2 and 27:61, this verse indicates both that God has made all that is upon the earth subservient to human beings (see, e.g., 22:65; 31:20) and that He has placed guidance upon the earth, as in 43:10: He it is Who made the earth a cradle for you and made paths for you therein, that haply you may be guided.
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z and the mountains stakes,
7 Several verses refer to God’s having made the mountains firm; see 21:30–31c. The mention of mountains here is also connected to the resting place in v. 6, for God has made places of refuge for you in the mountains (16:81) and in other verses mountains are referred to as places with dwellings and houses (see 7:74; 15:82; 26:149).
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{ and create you in pairs,
8 Pairs (azwāj) could be a reference to the male and female, as in 53:45: And that He creates the two (zawjayn)—male and female, which are said to be “mates” (azwāj) created from a single soul (4:1; 7:189; 39:6). In this sense, this verse follows upon v. 6, for human beings find rest and repose in their mates, as in 30:21: And among His signs is that He created mates for you from among yourselves, that you might find rest in them, and He established affection and mercy between you (see also 7:189). The verse can also be seen as a reference to the creation of all things in pairs, as in 51:49, And of all things We created pairs, that haply you may remember, which is understood by some as a reference to the manner in which human beings can be said to know things through their opposites.
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| and make your sleep repose,
9 Sleep provides rest for the body and a break from external activity. Some relate this verse to 6:60, He it is Who takes your souls by night, in which the body is as if dead; for sleep as “a minor death,” see 6:60c; 39:42; and the essay “Death, Dying, and the Afterlife in the Quran.”
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Ċ and make the night a garment,
10 This verse can be seen as a continuation of v. 9, as He it is Who made the night for you, that you might rest therein (10:67), and He has made the night for repose (6:96). On the one hand, night as a garment implies that it is a protection and comfort. On the other hand, night allows the true nature of a person to manifest, as the cover of night facilitates the actions of those who incline toward wrongdoing. It also provides a stillness that facilitates devotion and vigil, as in 73:6: Truly the vigil of the night is firmest in tread and most upright for speech; for the importance of night vigil, see 11:114; 17:79; 20:130; 21:20; 25:63–64; 50:40; 52:49; 73:2, 6, 20; 76:26; 73:1–2c; 73:20c. In his Makkan Openings (al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyyah), Ibn ʿArabī mentions that the night is a cloak for “the people of the night” (aṣḥāb al-layl), because it covers them from others and creates a spiritual retreat (khalwah) for them.
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Ě and the day for livelihood?
11 When v. 9 is viewed in relation to 6:60, this verse can be viewed in relation to another phrase in 6:60, by day He resurrects you. Together vv. 9–11 indicate the cycles of rest and activity essential to the functioning of the created order. The alternation of night and day is referred to as an important sign in over two dozen verses; e.g., 24:44: God alternates the night and the day. Truly in that is a lesson for those possessed of sight; for vv. 9–11, cf. 25:47. For other verses that contrast night and day, see 27:86; 28:73; 40:61.
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Ī And [did We not] build above you seven firmaments,
12 Seven firmaments is a reference to the seven heavens (2:29; 17:44; 23:17; 41:12; 65:12; 67:3; 71:15). Firmaments translates shidād, which also means “strong, solid, and firm,” thus implying that the heavens have no fissure and are not subject to the vicissitudes of this world (R, Ṭ). For the significance of the seven heavens, see 23:17c.
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ĺ and make a radiant lamp,
13 For v. 12–13, cf. 71:16. Radiant lamp is understood by most as a reference to the sun (Q, Ṭ, Ṭs), although some interpret it as a reference to the Prophet Muhammad, as in 33:45–46, where he is said to have been sent as a luminous lamp (see also 25:61).
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Ŋ and send down water pouring from the rain clouds,
14 Rain clouds, translating muʿṣirāt, is read by some as “the winds” that bring the rain clouds (Q, R, Ṭ). A small minority read it as a reference to “the heavens” (Ṭ).
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Ś that We might produce grain and plants thereby,
Ū and luxuriant gardens?
15–16 God remains the primary cause for all things. Therefore, it is not the rain that produces grain, plants and gardens, as some are inclined to believe; rather, it is God Himself who does so by means of rain, since God made every living thing from water (21:30; see also 24:25; 25:54).
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ź Truly the Day of Division is a Moment Appointed,
17 Cf. 44:40. The Day of Resurrection is referred to here and elsewhere (e.g., 44:40; 77:13–14; 77:38) as the Day of Division, because it provides the ultimate distinction between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, light and dark. It is a Moment Appointed because it is guaranteed, and God will not fail the tryst (3:9; 13:31; 39:20). For the Day of Division, see 77:13–14; 77:38.
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Ɗ a day when the trumpet is blown and you come forth in throngs,
18 In 39:68 the Archangel Seraphiel is said to blow the trumpet twice: at the first blast, all of creation will swoon (see 69:13); at the second, all souls will rise from their graves and be gathered before God (see 50:20–21; 64:9). This verse may refer to the fact that the trumpet is blown twice or to the second blowing of the trumpet (see 39:68c). Throngs (afwāj) is taken by some to indicate that human communities will come in “groups” (afwāj), with each community gathered behind its prophet (see 17:71c). After all souls are gathered, they will be divided according to those who must be reckoned for their bad deeds and those who are rewarded for their good deeds. When asked about the afwāj, the Prophet said that on the Day of Resurrection his community (ummah) would be resurrected in ten afwāj, which he then enumerated.
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ƚ and the sky is opened as if it were gates,
19 Cf. 54:11: So We opened the gates of the sky with pouring water. The word translated sky and Heaven in these two verses is the same, samāʾ. Most interpret v. 19 as an allusion to the descent of the angels (IK, Q), as in 25:25, where it is referred to as the Day when the sky is split open with clouds and the angels are sent down. For a more extensive discussion of the opening of the sky or Heaven, see 39:73c.
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Ȋ and the mountains are set in motion as if they were a mirage.
20 Cf. 81:3. Several verses indicate that the mountains will be dispatched on the Day of Judgment, as in 27:88: And thou seest the mountains that thou dost suppose are solid pass away like clouds—the work of God, Who perfects all things; see also 18:47; 70:8–9; 73:14; 101:5.
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! Truly Hell lies in ambush,
" a place unto which the rebellious return
21–22 Hell is the place to which those who rebel against the truth are sent. It will come upon them like an ambush when they die, because they had been oblivious to the truth in this world.
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# to tarry therein for ages.
23 For ages (aḥqāban) indicates periods of time. The vast majority of commentators maintain that it indicates Hell will be eternal, with one period following after another endlessly. Others say it indicates that, although Hell is “endless” in relation to our understanding of time; it is of limited duration, limited “ages,” in the absolute sense. The relativity of Hell in relation to the Absolute is alluded to in a famous ḥadīth, “On the Day of Judgment, those who deserve the Garden will enter the Garden, and those who deserve the Fire, the Fire. Thereupon God will say, ‘Take out everyone in whose heart there was as much faith as a grain of a mustard seed’ [see 4:40c]. Then they will be taken out already blackened and will be cast into the River of Life. Then they will sprout as an herb sprouts by the side of a stream. Do you not see how it comes out yellow and budding?”
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$ They taste therein neither coolness nor drink,
% save boiling liquid and a cold, murky fluid,
24–25 Therein can be taken as a reference to ages or to Hell. The former implies that there will be ages in which they drink of nothing other than boiling liquid (ḥamīm) and cold, murky fluid (ghassāq), followed by ages in which they drink of other beverages or experience other forms of punishment. The second implies that they will drink of these forever. The boiling liquid (cf. 6:70; 10:4; 22:19; 37:67; 38:57; 40:72; 44:46, 48; 47:15; 56:42, 54; 88:5) indicates something that has reached its maximum temperature, but can also indicate severe, painful cold. The cold, murky fluid (cf. 10:4; 38:57) is said to be an unbearably cold liquid with an intolerable stench gathered from the pus, sweat, tears, and wounds of the people of Hell (IK). This verse and similar verses provide an interesting window onto the nature of Hell—it is characterized not just by fire and heat but by extremes at both ends of the spectrum of temperature and all of the tension such extremes entail, whereas the Garden is described as a place of perfect tranquility. Although in the garden there are all the wine, fruits, and pure companions one could want, there is no indulgence. Peace and joy lie in moderation; torture lies in the extremes.
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& a fitting recompense.
26 It is a fitting recompense in that it is proportionate to the offense committed, for the recompense of an evil is an evil like unto it (42:40) and God wrongs not His servants (3:182; see also 10:44; 22:10).
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' Truly they anticipated not a reckoning,
27 As the disbelievers did not believe in the Resurrection and Divine Judgment, they did not anticipate the reckoning and did not fear it or seek to avoid it by accounting for their own actions (Q). Their recompense is therefore of their own doing, since it is they who have wronged themselves (3:117; 10:44; 16:118).
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( and denied Our signs with utter denial.
28 Our signs indicates all aspects of revelation. With utter denial, translating kadhdhāb, could also be rendered “as deniers” if read as kudhdhāb (Q, R, Z); or kudhdhāb could be read in the singular as a name of emphasis and thus rendered “as does a great denier.”
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) And everything have We recorded in a book.
29 This verse refers to the book in which all deeds are recorded by angels (see 86:4; commentary on 43:80; 50:17–18; 82:10–12) or to the Preserved Tablet (85:22; Q). Since the disbelievers’ transgressions are as described in vv. 27–28 and since God has recorded everything, theirs is a fitting recompense (v. 26); cf. 36:12. In a book, translating kitāban, could also be rendered “in writing” (Q, Ṭs).
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Ð So taste! For We shall not increase you in aught but punishment!
30 So taste means, “Taste the punishment [see 3:106, 181; 4:56; 6:30; 7:39; 8:35, 50; 10:52; 22:22; 32:14, 20; 34:42; 46:34] that you have brought upon yourselves through your disbelief and your actions.” According to a ḥadīth, “This verse is the most severe [verse] against the people of the Fire” (IK, R, Z). See also 17:97, which says of the punishment, Every time it abates, We shall increase for them a blazing flame; and 4:56, which promises that as often as their skins are consumed, We shall replace them with other skins, that they may taste the punishment.
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Ñ Truly the reverent shall have a place of triumph,
31 For the Quranic understanding of the reverent, see 2:2c. Attaining “the Garden” is referred to as the great triumph in over a dozen verses; for the blessings of Paradise, see commentary on 5:119; 44:51–57.
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Ò gardens and vineyards,
32 Gardens will surround believers on all sides.
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Ó buxom maidens of like age,
33 Maidens with full breasts represent those who will be fully mature, but whose bodies will not suffer the vicissitudes of time. According to some commentaries, all men and women of Paradise will be thirty-three years old. For of like age, see 56:36–37c.
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Ô and an overflowing cup.
34 Overflowing translates dihāq, which has several interpretations: “continuously filled,” “pure,” or most commonly “completely filled” (IK, R). According to the early commentator al-Ḍaḥḥāk (d. 212/827), every use of “cup” in the Quran is a reference to paradisal wine (R); e.g., 37:45–47; 76:6.
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Õ They hear therein neither idle talk nor lying—
35 Cf. 19:62; 56:25; 88:11. All they hear is Peace (19:62; 56:26), because that is the greeting of the Garden (see, e.g., 10:10; 14:23). Idle talk and lying can be seen to represent the concupiscent and devious tendencies, respectively, as manifested in speech, whereas true speech is pure peace.
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Ö a recompense from thy Lord, a gift abounding—
36 Abounding translates ḥisāb, which could also mean “sufficient” (Z). When viewed in relation to v. 26, it could be rendered “appropriate” or “fitting” (R), indicating that the reverent receive what they have earned, as do the deniers.
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× the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatsoever is between them, the Compassionate, Whom they have no power to address.
37 Here they is understood by some as a reference to the disbelievers (Q), as in 36:65: On that Day We shall seal their mouths. Others say they refers to all created beings (R). Some say this verse does not indicate speech as such, but that on the Day it comes, no soul shall speak, save by His Leave (11:105; Q).
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Ø That Day the Spirit and the angels stand in rows, none speaking, save one whom the Compassionate permits and who speaks aright.
38 The Spirit (al-rūḥ) is open to many interpretations. Even the Quran does not give a definitive explanation, responding instead by saying, They ask thee about the Spirit. Say, “The Spirit is from the Command of my Lord, and you have not been given knowledge, save a little” (17:85). As al-Ghazzālī writes, “‘The Spirit’ is found in the Quran with many meanings” (Iḥyāʾ ʿulūm al-dīn, K. al-ʿilm). Here some say it refers to the Archangel Gabriel (IK, Q, R), as in 26:192–94, where he is referred to as the Trustworthy Spirit (al-rūḥ al-amīn). Others say that here the Spirit does not specify a particular angel, but the first creature created by God (Q, R), which may or may not be the Archangel Gabriel. The angels refers to the most noble of angels, the protecting angels who are responsible for recording the deeds of each individual (see commentary on 82:10–12), or all angels. In rows, translating ṣaffan, could also mean “in a row.” Some read the verse to mean that the Spirit and the angels stand in a single row; others take it to mean that the Spirit stands alone, while the angels stand in a row (Āl). In relation to 89:22, which refers to the angels coming row upon row, some read ṣaffan to mean that the angels stand in many rows (Āl, R). Save one whom the Compassionate permits is interpreted as a reference to those whom God permits to intercede on behalf of others, as in 2:255: Who is there that may intercede with Him save by His Leave? The referent to who speaks aright is then taken by many as those who intercede, since they will only be able to speak aright about those for whom they intercede (Āl, Q, R). Some maintain that this refers to the prophets (IK). Others say who speaks aright means those who say, “There is no god but God” (Q). Some maintain that the verse should be read, “save one whom the Compassionate permits. And he speaks aright,” meaning that after permission has been granted, he cannot but speak aright.
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Ù That is the True Day. So let whosoever will, take a path of return unto his Lord.
39 It is the True Day, for it is the Day in which there is no doubt (3:9, 25; 4:87; 6:12; 42:7; 45:26). The path of return to the Lord is through belief and good deeds.
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@ Truly We have warned you of a punishment nigh, on a day when a man beholds what his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever says, “Oh, would that I were dust!”
40 According to most, this entire verse points to disbelievers, for disbelievers will behold and dwell upon the evil of their deeds, whereas believers will experience the Forgiveness and Mercy of God. According to others, a man beholds what his hands have sent forth (see 75:13c; 82:5c) refers to believers, who will experience reward for their good deeds, in contrast to disbelievers, who will wish that they were nothing (R). Oh, would that I were dust could indicate that one wishes either to have never been born or to be back in the grave and not resurrected (IK, Q), as in 4:42: On that Day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that they were level with the earth, and they will conceal no account from God (R). It can also be taken as an indication that those who took pride in their high station in this world will prefer that they had had a low station that had not made them prideful and insolent; see also 69:25–27. Many commentaries convey an account that links this verse to the resurrection of animals. Traditional Islamic teachings maintain that all animals will be resurrected. Then God will rectify all injustices between them, and according to many when the judgment between them is finished, He will say to them “Be dust,” and they will all become dust. Upon witnessing this, disbelievers will prefer the fate of the animals to their own and say, Oh, would that I were dust (IK, Q, Ṭs, Ṭū).
A few commentators interpret the disbeliever as a reference to Satan, who, when he sees the rewards received by believing human beings, wishes that he too had been made of dust or clay, thus altering his previous evaluation: I am better than him. Thou hast created me from fire, while Thou hast created him from clay (7:12; 38:76; Q, R, Ṭs). In some Shiite commentaries, the Arabic for Oh, would that I were dust, yā laytanī kuntu turāban, is read yā laytanī kuntu turābiyyan, that is, “Oh, would that I were a follower of Abū Turāb,” meaning ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, the first Shiite Imam (Kā, Qm). This would then mean that on the Day of Resurrection all who were not among the followers of the twelve Shiite Imams would wish that they had been. In this sense Shiites may be inverting the pejorative name Turābiyyah (“the followers of Abū Turāb”), which some of their opponents gave to them, and wearing it as a badge of honor.