بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
As-Saffat 37:21
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 446
هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ ٢١
[They will be told], "This is the Day of Judgement which you used to deny."
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Commentary on 37:20–26
The Day of Recompense
Allah tells us what the disbeliever will say on the Day of Resurrection, how they will blame themselves and admit that they wronged themselves in this world. When they see the horrors of the Day of Resurrection with their own eyes, they will be filled with regret at the time when regret will not avail them anything.
وَقَالُواْ يوَيْلَنَا هَذَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ
(They will say: "Woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense!") And the angels and the believers will say:
هَذَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ الَّذِى كُنتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ
(This is the Day of Judgement which you used to deny.) This will be said to them as a rebuke and reproof. Allah will command the angels to separate the disbeliever from the believers in the place where they are standing. Allah says:
احْشُرُواْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزْوَجَهُمْ
((It will be said to the angels:) Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions) An-Nu`man bin Bashir, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Their companions means their counterparts, those who are like them." This was also the view of Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, As-Suddi, Abu Salih, Abu Al-`Aliyah and Zayd bin Aslam." Sharik said, narrating from Simak, from An-Nu`man: "I heard `Umar say:
احْشُرُواْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزْوَجَهُمْ
(Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions) means, `Those who are like them. So those who committed Zina will be gathered with others who committed Zina, those who dealt in Riba will be gathered with others who dealt in Riba, those who drank wine will be gathered with others who drank wine.' Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr narrated from Ibn `Abbas:
وَأَزْوَجُهُمْ
(their companions) means "Their friends."
وَمَا كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ
(and what they used to worship. Instead of Allah,) means, instead of Allah, i.e., their idols and false gods will be gathered together with them in the same place.
فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطِ الْجَحِيمِ
(and lead them on to the way of flaming Fire.) means, take them to the way to Hell. This is like the Ayah:
وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَمَةِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا مَّأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَاهُمْ سَعِيرًا
(and We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf; their abode will be Hell; whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire) (17:97).
وَقِفُوهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ مَّسْئُولُونَ
(But stop them, verily, they are to be questioned.) means, stop them so that they may be questioned about the things they did and said in this world. As Ad-Dahhak said, narrating from Ibn `Abbas, this means, `detain them, for they are to be brought to account.' `Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak said, "I heard `Uthman bin Za'idah say, `The first thing about which a man will be asked is the company that he kept. Then by way of rebuke, it will be said to them:
مَا لَكُمْ لاَ تَنَصَرُونَ
(What is the matter with you Why do you not help one another)."' meaning, `as you claimed that you would all help one another.'
بَلْ هُمُ الْيَوْمَ مُسْتَسْلِمُونَ
(Nay, but that Day they shall surrender.) means, they will be subjected to the command of Allah, and they will not be able to resist it or avoid it. And Allah knows best.
Page 446
37:1
وَٱلصَّٰٓفَّٰتِ صَفّٗا ١
By those [angels] lined up in rows
37:2
فَٱلزَّٰجِرَٰتِ زَجۡرٗا ٢
And those who drive [the clouds]
37:3
فَٱلتَّٰلِيَٰتِ ذِكۡرًا ٣
And those who recite the message,1
1 translator’s note
- To the prophets or among themselves. Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) swears by these three kinds of angels to the fact mentioned in the following verse. ↩
37:4
إِنَّ إِلَٰهَكُمۡ لَوَٰحِدٞ ٤
Indeed, your God is One,
37:5
رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا وَرَبُّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ ٥
Lord of the heavens and the earth and that between them and Lord of the sunrises.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., each point or place of sunrise. ↩
37:6
إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا بِزِينَةٍ ٱلۡكَوَاكِبِ ٦
Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars
37:7
وَحِفۡظٗا مِّن كُلِّ شَيۡطَٰنٖ مَّارِدٖ ٧
And as protection against every rebellious devil
37:8
لَّا يَسَّمَّعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَإِ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ وَيُقۡذَفُونَ مِن كُلِّ جَانِبٖ ٨
[So] they may not listen to the exalted assembly [of angels] and are pelted from every side,1
1 translator’s note
- By flaming meteors. ↩
37:9
دُحُورٗاۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ وَاصِبٌ ٩
Repelled; and for them is a constant punishment,
37:10
إِلَّا مَنۡ خَطِفَ ٱلۡخَطۡفَةَ فَأَتۡبَعَهُۥ شِهَابٞ ثَاقِبٞ ١٠
Except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but they are pursued by a burning flame, piercing [in brightness].
37:11
فَٱسۡتَفۡتِهِمۡ أَهُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَم مَّنۡ خَلَقۡنَآۚ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّن طِينٖ لَّازِبِۭ ١١
Then inquire of them, [O Muḥammad], "Are they a stronger [or more difficult] creation or those [others] We have created?" Indeed, We created them [i.e., men] from sticky clay.
37:12
بَلۡ عَجِبۡتَ وَيَسۡخَرُونَ ١٢
But you wonder, while they mock,
37:13
وَإِذَا ذُكِّرُواْ لَا يَذۡكُرُونَ ١٣
And when they are reminded, they remember not.
37:14
وَإِذَا رَأَوۡاْ ءَايَةٗ يَسۡتَسۡخِرُونَ ١٤
And when they see a sign, they ridicule.
37:15
وَقَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ مُّبِينٌ ١٥
And say, "This is not but obvious magic.
37:16
أَءِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابٗا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبۡعُوثُونَ ١٦
When we have died and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected?
37:17
أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ ١٧
And our forefathers [as well]?"
37:18
قُلۡ نَعَمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ دَٰخِرُونَ ١٨
Say, "Yes, and you will be [rendered] contemptible."
37:19
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجۡرَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ فَإِذَا هُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ ١٩
It will be only one shout, and at once they will be observing.
37:20
وَقَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ ٱلدِّينِ ٢٠
They will say, "O woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense."
37:21
هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ ٢١
[They will be told], "This is the Day of Judgement which you used to deny."
37:22
۞ ٱحۡشُرُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزۡوَٰجَهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡبُدُونَ ٢٢
[The angels will be ordered], "Gather those who committed wrong, their kinds,1 and what they used to worship
1 translator’s note
- Those similar to them in evil deeds. Another possible meaning is "their wives." ↩
37:23
مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَٱهۡدُوهُمۡ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ٢٣
Other than Allāh, and guide them to the path of Hellfire
37:24
وَقِفُوهُمۡۖ إِنَّهُم مَّسۡـُٔولُونَ ٢٤
And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy