Taha 20:108
Ta-Ha · Juz 16 · Page 319
يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُۥۖ وَخَشَعَتِ ٱلۡأَصۡوَاتُ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ فَلَا تَسۡمَعُ إِلَّا هَمۡسٗا ١٠٨
That Day, they [i.e., everyone] will follow [the call of] the Caller1 [with] no deviation therefrom, and [all] voices will be stilled before the Most Merciful, so you will not hear except a whisper [of footsteps].
1 translator’s note
- To the gathering for judgement. ↩
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 20:105–108
The destruction of the Mountains, and the Earth becomes a Smooth Plain
Allah says,
وَيَسَْلُونَكَ عَنِ الْجِبَالِ
(And they ask you concerning the mountains.) This is a question, will they remain on the Day of Resurrection or will they cease to exist
فَقُلْ يَنسِفُهَا رَبِّى نَسْفاً
(Say: "My Lord will blast them and scatter them as particles of dust.") This means that He will take them away from their places, wipe them out and remove them completely.
فَيَذَرُهَا
(Then He shall leave it) referring to the earth;
قَاعاً صَفْصَفاً
(as a level smooth plain.) This means one expanse spread out. The word Qa` means a piece of land that is level and the word Safsafa is used to place emphasis on this meaning. It has also been said that Safsafa means that which has no vegetation growing in it. The first meaning is preferred, even though the second meaning is also included by necessity. In reference to this, Allah says,
لاَّ تَرَى فِيهَا عِوَجاً وَلا أَمْتاً
(You will see therein no crookedness nor curve. ) meaning, `on that Day you will not see in the earth any valley, hill, or any place, whether low or elevated.' Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others of the Salaf all said the same.
The People will rush towards the Voice of the Caller
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَّبِعُونَ الدَّاعِىَ لاَ عِوَجَ لَهُ
(On that Day mankind will follow strictly Allah's caller, no crookedness will they show him.) On the Day, they see these conditions and these frightening sights, they will hastily respond to the caller. Wherever they are commanded to go, they will rush to it. If they had been like this in the worldly life, it would have been more beneficial for them, but here it does not benefit them. This is as Allah says,
أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْ وَأَبْصِرْ يَوْمَ يَأْتُونَنَا
(How clearly will they see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us!) 19:38 Allah also says,
مُّهْطِعِينَ إِلَى الدَّاعِ
(hastening towards the caller.) Concerning Allah's statement,
وَخَشَعَتِ الأَصْوَاتُ لِلرَّحْمَنِ
(And all voices will be humbled for the Most Gracious,) Ibn `Abbas said, "This means they will be silent." As-Suddi also said the same.
فَلاَ تَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ هَمْساً
(And nothing shall you hear except Hamsa.) Sa`id bin Jubayr related that Ibn `Abbas said, "This means the steps of feet." `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd and others all said the same. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said,
فَلاَ تَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ هَمْساً
(And nothing shall you hear except Hamsa.) "Hamsa means a hidden voice." This has also been repor- ted from `Ikrimah and Ad-Dahhak. Sa`id bin Jubayr said,
فَلاَ تَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ هَمْساً
(And nothing shall you hear except Hamsa.) "Hamsa means the secret speech and the steps of feet."
Page 319
20:99
كَذَٰلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ مَا قَدۡ سَبَقَۚ وَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكَ مِن لَّدُنَّا ذِكۡرٗا ٩٩
Thus, [O Muḥammad], We relate to you from the news of what has preceded. And We have certainly given you from Us a message [i.e., the Qur’ān].
20:100
مَّنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَحۡمِلُ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وِزۡرًا ١٠٠
Whoever turns away from it - then indeed, he will bear on the Day of Resurrection a burden [i.e., great sin],
20:101
خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهِۖ وَسَآءَ لَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ حِمۡلٗا ١٠١
[Abiding] eternally therein,1 and evil it is for them on the Day of Resurrection as a load -
1 translator’s note
- i.e., in the state of sin. ↩
20:102
يَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِي ٱلصُّورِۚ وَنَحۡشُرُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ يَوۡمَئِذٖ زُرۡقٗا ١٠٢
The Day the Horn will be blown. And We will gather the criminals, that Day, blue-eyed.1
1 translator’s note
- From terror, or blinded completely. ↩
20:103
يَتَخَٰفَتُونَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلَّا عَشۡرٗا ١٠٣
They will murmur among themselves, "You remained not but ten [days in the world]."
20:104
نَّحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذۡ يَقُولُ أَمۡثَلُهُمۡ طَرِيقَةً إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلَّا يَوۡمٗا ١٠٤
We are most knowing of what they say when the best of them in manner [i.e., wisdom or speech] will say, "You remained not but one day."
20:105
وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡجِبَالِ فَقُلۡ يَنسِفُهَا رَبِّي نَسۡفٗا ١٠٥
And they ask you about the mountains, so say, "My Lord will blow them away with a blast.1
1 translator’s note
- Once they have been reduced to dust. ↩
20:106
فَيَذَرُهَا قَاعٗا صَفۡصَفٗا ١٠٦
And He will leave it [i.e., the earth] a level plain;
20:107
لَّا تَرَىٰ فِيهَا عِوَجٗا وَلَآ أَمۡتٗا ١٠٧
You will not see therein a depression or an elevation."
20:108
يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُۥۖ وَخَشَعَتِ ٱلۡأَصۡوَاتُ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ فَلَا تَسۡمَعُ إِلَّا هَمۡسٗا ١٠٨
That Day, they [i.e., everyone] will follow [the call of] the Caller1 [with] no deviation therefrom, and [all] voices will be stilled before the Most Merciful, so you will not hear except a whisper [of footsteps].
1 translator’s note
- To the gathering for judgement. ↩
20:109
يَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةُ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُۥ قَوۡلٗا ١٠٩
That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word.
20:110
يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٗا ١١٠
He [i.e., Allāh] knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them,1 but they do not encompass it [i.e., what He knows] in knowledge.
1 translator’s note
- Allāh’s knowledge encompasses every aspect of His creations in the past, present and future. ↩
20:111
۞ وَعَنَتِ ٱلۡوُجُوهُ لِلۡحَيِّ ٱلۡقَيُّومِۖ وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَنۡ حَمَلَ ظُلۡمٗا ١١١
And [all] faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining.1 And he will have failed who carries injustice.2
20:112
وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٞ فَلَا يَخَافُ ظُلۡمٗا وَلَا هَضۡمٗا ١١٢
But he who does of righteous deeds while he is a believer - he will neither fear injustice nor deprivation.
20:113
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ قُرۡءَانًا عَرَبِيّٗا وَصَرَّفۡنَا فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلۡوَعِيدِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ أَوۡ يُحۡدِثُ لَهُمۡ ذِكۡرٗا ١١٣
And thus We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’ān1 and have diversified therein the warnings that perhaps they will avoid [sin] or it would cause them remembrance.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., revealed in the Arabic language. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy