بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
As-Sajdah 32:6
The Prostration · Juz 21 · Page 415
ذَٰلِكَ عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٦
That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 32:6
Commentary
The length of the day of Qiyamah
The text in verse 5 cited above says: فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ (in a day the measure of which is a thousand years according to the way you count - 5). And it appears in a verse of Surah Al-Ma` arij:... (in a day the extent of which is fifty thousand years - 70:4).
A simple explanation of this is what appears in Bayan-ul-Qur'an - since this day will be horrendous, people would find it very long. Then, this length will be felt in terms of one's measure of faith and deeds. Big criminals will find the day longer while the small ones will find it comparatively shorter, so much so that the day some would feel to be of a thousand years, to others, it would appear as of fifty thousand years.
Tafsir Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani reports several other explanations from the ` Ulama' and Sufiya'. But, all these are nothing but conjectures. Something which can be traced back to a proved meaning of the Qur'an or something which can be believed in is just not there. Therefore, the most sound approach in this matter is the same as was taken by the early elders of Islam, the Sahabah and the Tabi` in: They had left the knowledge of this difference of one and fifty to Allah without explaining it on the basis of human whims and, on their part, they had found it sufficient to say, ` we do not know.'
About it, Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said:
ھُمَا یَومَانِ ذَکَرَھُما اللہُ تَعَالٰی فِی کِتَابِہٖ اللہُ تَعَالٰی اَعلَمُ بِھِمَا وَاَکرَہُ اَن اَقُولَ فِی کِتَابِ اللہِ مَالَا اَعلَمُ
They are two days mentioned by Allah Ta’ ala in His Book. Allah Ta’ ala knows best about them and I dislike to say in the matter of the Book of Allah that which I do not know.
Page 415
سورة السجدة
As-Sajdah
The Prostration · Meccan · 30 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
32:1
الٓمٓ ١
Alif, Lām, Meem.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
32:2
تَنزِيلُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٢
[This is] the revelation of the Book about which there is no doubt from the Lord of the worlds.
32:3
أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُۚ بَلۡ هُوَ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوۡمٗا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُونَ ٣
Or do they say, "He invented it"? Rather, it is the truth from your Lord, [O Muḥammad], that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you [so] perhaps they will be guided.
32:4
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٖ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِۖ مَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا شَفِيعٍۚ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٤
It is Allāh who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne.1 You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded?
1 translator’s note
- See footnotes to 2:19 and 7:54. ↩
32:5
يُدَبِّرُ ٱلۡأَمۡرَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ثُمَّ يَعۡرُجُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥٓ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ٥
He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count.
32:6
ذَٰلِكَ عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٦
That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,
32:7
ٱلَّذِيٓ أَحۡسَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقَهُۥۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلۡقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنِ مِن طِينٖ ٧
Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay.
32:8
ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسۡلَهُۥ مِن سُلَٰلَةٖ مِّن مَّآءٖ مَّهِينٖ ٨
Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained.
32:9
ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ ٩
Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul1 and made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]; little are you grateful.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., element of life. See footnote to 15:29. ↩
32:10
وَقَالُوٓاْ أَءِذَا ضَلَلۡنَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَءِنَّا لَفِي خَلۡقٖ جَدِيدِۭۚ بَلۡ هُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ ١٠
And they say, "When we are lost [i.e., disintegrated] within the earth, will we indeed be [recreated] in a new creation?" Rather, they are, in the meeting with their Lord, disbelievers.
32:11
۞ قُلۡ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ ٱلَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١
Say, "The angel of death who has been entrusted with you will take you. Then to your Lord you will be returned."