78- Surat Alnaba'/Tafseer
40 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Amma yatasa-alun (1).
About what are they asking one another?.
Ani alnabai al-azeem (2).
About the great news.
Allazi hum feehi mukhtalefun (3).
That over which they are in disagreement.
Kalla sa-ya'lamun (4).
Nay! They will soon know.
Thumma kalla sa-ya'lamun (5).
Then, nay! They will soon know.
A-lam naj'ali al-arda mehada (6).
Did we not make the earth a resting place?.
Wa aljebala awtada (7).
And the mountains as pegs.
Wa khalaqnakum azwaja (8).
And We have created you in pairs.
Wa ja-alna nawmakum subata (9).
And We have made your sleep a source of rest.
Wa ja-alna al-laila lebasa (10).
And We have made the night a covering.
Wa ja-alna alnahara ma-asha (11).
And We have made the day for livelihood.
Wa banayna fawqakum sab'an shedada (12).
And We have built above you seven, strong.
Wa ja-alna sriajan wahhaja (13).
And We have made a burning lamp.
Wa anzalna mena almu'sirati ma'an thajjaja (14).
And We have sent down from the rain-laden clouds abundant water.
Le-nukhreja behi habban wa nabata (15).
That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation.
Wa jannatin alfafa (16).
And gardens of thick trees.
Inna yawma alfasli kana meqata (17).
Indeed, the day of judgment is an appointed time.
Yawma younfakhu fee alsuri fata'tuna afwaja (18).
The day when the trumpet will be blown, so you will come forth in multitudes.
Wa futehati alsamau fa-kanat abwaba (19).
And the sky will be opened, and it will become as gates.
Wa suyyirati aljebalu fa-kanat saraba (20).
And the mountains will be removed, and they will become as mirage.
Inna jahannama kanat mirsada (21).
Indeed, Hellfire has been lying in wait.
Le-tagheena ma-aba (22).
It is an abode for the transgressors.
Labetheena feeha ahqaba (23).
They will remain therein for ages.
La yazuquna feeha bardan wa-la sharaba (24).
They will not taste therein coolness or drink.
Ella hameeman wa ghassaqa (25).
Except boiling water and pus.
Jaza-an wefaqa (26).
An appropriate recompense.
Innahum kanu la yarjuna hesaba (27).
Indeed, they were not expecting any reckoning.
Wa kazzabu be-ayatina kezzaba (28).
And they denied Our signs, extreme denial.
Wa kulla shay-in ahsaynahu ketaba (29).
And every thing we have enumerated in writing.
Fa-zuqu fa-lan nazedakum ella azaba (30).
So Taste, We will never increase you except torment.
Inna lel-muttaqeena mafaza (31).
Indeed for the righteous there is an achievement.
Hadaeqa wa a'naba (32).
Gardens and grapes.
Wa kawaeba atraba (33).
And women of equal age.
Wa ka'san dehaqa (34).
And a full cup.
La yasma-una feeha laghwan wa-la kezzaba (35).
They do not hear therein vain speech nor falsehood.
Jaza-an men Rabbeka ata-an hesaba (36).
A reward from Your Lord, a sufficing gift.
Rabbi al-samawati wa al-ardi wa-ma baynahuma Alrahmani la yamlekuna menhu khetaba (37).
The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Most Gracious, they have no power to address Him.
Yawma yaqumu Alruhu wa al-malaekatu saffan, la yatakallamuna ella man azena lahu Alrahmanu wa qala sawaba (38).
The day, when the Spirit and the Angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Most Gracious permits, and he will say what is correct.
Zaleka alyawmu alhaqqu fa-man shaa ettakhaza ela Rabbehi ma-aba (39).
That is the true day, so whoever wills, may take towards his Lord a return.
Inna anzarnakum azaban qareeban yawma yanzuru almar'u ma qaddamat yadahu wa yaqulu alkaferu ya-laytani kuntu turaba (40).
Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on a day when man will observe what his hands have put forth, and the disbeliever will say O I wish that I were dust.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Alnab' comes as a denunciation from Allah to the polytheists who denies the day of resurrection and the reckoning, and Allah lists His great ability to create all creatures including man, and He shows how the rest of creatures are harnessed to serve mankind, and then Allah assures that the day of resurrection is an appointed time, and He describes some of its scenes, including that Hellfire has been lying in wait for the transgressors who denies Allah's signs, and Allah describes the torment they will find therein, whereas Paradise is for the righteous, and Allah describes what they will find therein of bliss. Then Allah assures that the day of resurrection belongs to Him alone, so no one has power to address Him, or to speak except by His permission, and He warns man in the last verse of that day, as man will see what he had sent forth of deeds, and the disbeliever will wish that if he were dust.
Allah Almighty says in the first five verses (1-5) "About what are they asking one another?, about the great news, that over which they are in disagreement, nay! They will soon know, then, nay! They will soon know", that is, Allah marvels at the polytheists' denial of the day of resurrection, and how Quraish differed regarding that day between a believer and a disbeliever, then Allah threatens those who deny the resurrection saying nay! they will soon know, and He repeated it again as a serious and clear threat that the day of resurrection is inevitable.
Allah Almighty says in the next eleven verses (6-16) "Did we not make the earth a resting place?, and the mountains as pegs, and We have created you in pairs, and We have made your sleep a source of rest, and We have made the night a covering, and We have made the day for livelihood, and We have built above you seven, strong, and We have made a burning lamp, and We have sent down from the rain-laden clouds abundant water, that We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation, and gardens of thick trees", that is, Allah enumerates His ability to create whatever is in the Heaven and whatever is on the earth, as Allah has leveled the earth as a bed for man, and the mountain as pegs to remain anchored, and it is a great sign for Allah's power as mentioned in Surat Alghashyiah, and he created the male and the female, and He made sleep as a source of comfort for man, and the night as covering for him, while the day is for livelihood and to fulfill his need, and Allah created seven strong heavens, and made the sun as a burning lamp to illuminate the universe, and He sent forth abundant rain from the clouds and bring forth thereby various kinds of grain, vegetation, and fruits from gardens of thick and wrapped trees.
Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (17-20) "Indeed, the day of judgment is an appointed time, the day when the trumpet will be blown, so you will come forth in multitudes, and the sky will be opened, and it will become as gates, and the mountains will be removed, and they will become as mirage", that is, Allah has enumerated his great ability to create all His creatures to assure man that the day of Judgement is an appointed time, as Allah says in Aya (27) of Surat Alroom {And He is the One who begins the creation then He repeats it, and it is easier for Him}. So Allah will resurrect man on the day of resurrection and He describes some of its scenes, as the trumpet will be blown twice (Alrajifah and Alradifah) as mentioned in Surat Alnazi'at, and then people will come forth in multitudes, where every nation to which Allah has sent a Messenger will com with their Messenger, as Allah has stated in Aya (47) of Surat Yunus {And for every nation is a Messenger, so when their Messenger comes, it will be judged between them in justice, and they will not be wronged}, and then the sky becomes gates and roads for the descend of Angels, and Allah will blow the mountains up totally and it will disappear until it will become as mirage.
Allah Almighty says in the next ten verses (21-30) "Indeed, Hellfire has been lying in wait, it is an abode for the transgressors, they will remain therein for ages, they will not taste therein coolness or drink, except boiling water and pus, an appropriate recompense, indeed, they were not expecting any reckoning, and they had denied our signs, extreme denial, and every thing we have enumerated in writing, so taste, We will not increase you except torment", that is, Allah has prepared Hellfire for those who transgressed, disobeyed Him, and denied His Messengers, so it will be their abode and they will remain in it for ages as Allah wills, and they do not drink in it any cool that cools the heat of the blaze fire except boiling water, and no drink that quenches them because of their severe thirst except pus, and this is a befitting and appropriate punishment for what they did of evil deeds in the worldly life, and they used to deny the resurrection and the reckoning, as they were not expecting any reckoning, and they used to deny Allah's signs with which He has sent His Messengers, thereupon Allah assures that their deeds were enumerated in their book by the Noble and Recording Angels as mentioned in Surat Alinfitar, then it will be said to them Taste this punishment and We will not increase you except torment, so they will be in more and more torment.
Allah Almighty says in the next six verses (31-36) "Indeed for the righteous there is an achievement, gardens and grapes, and women of equal age, and a full cup, they do not hear therein vain speech nor falsehood, a reward from Your Lord, a sufficing gift", that is, the state of the righteous will be different in the Hereafter. For them there will be an an achievement: Because they will enter Paradise, and will not face the fate of the people of Hellfire, and this achievement includes what they will find in Paradise of gardens and grapes, and women of equal age and that women as mentioned in Aya (23) of Surat Alwaqi'ah {The likenesses of pearls, well protected}. The righteous will drink from full cups, one cup after another, unlike the people of Hellfire whose drink was mentioned above, and they will not hear therein any falsehood or ill speech, and this is a plentiful reward as a gift from their lord because Allah multiplies the reward for whomever He wills as mentioned in several verses of the Holy Quran such as (Surat Alnisa' Aya 40, Surat Alan'am Aya 160, Surat Alnaml Aya 89), and as a reckoning for their deeds and for their obedience to Him in the worldly life.
Allah Almighty says in the last four verses (37-40) "The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Most Gracious, they have no power to address Him, the day when the Spirit and the Angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Most Gracious permits, and he will say what is correct, that is the true day, so whoever wills, may take towards his Lord a return, Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on a day when man will observe what his hands have put forth, and the disbeliever will say O I wish that I were dust", that is, Allah tells about His greatness and His power saying that He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and He is the Most Gracious, and that no one has power to address Him on the day of resurrection, that the Spirit and the Angels will stand in rows on the day of resurrection, and the Spirit refers to Gabriel as mentioned in Surat Alqadr, and they will not speak except for one whom the Most Gracious grants him permissions and accepts his word, as mentioned in Aya (109) of Surat Ta Ha {That day the intercession will not benefit except the one to whom the Most Gracious has given permission, and has accepted a word from him}.
And Allah assures that the day of resurrection is inevitable and it is the true day, so whoever wills, may take towards his Lord a return by doing what He commanded and avoiding what He forbade, then Allah warns of a near torment for the day of resurrection is near where Allah says in Aya (1) of Surat Alanbiyaa {Their reckoning has drown near to the people while they are in heedlessness, turning away}, and then man will see what he has sent forth for that day and this is the same of Aya (14) of Surat Altakwir, and the disbeliever will say because of what he has sent forth of evil deeds and because of the horrors of that day O I wish that I were dust like beasts and livestock which will turn on the day of resurrection into dust.