Qaf 50:22
The Letter "Qaf" · Juz 26 · Page 519
لَّقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٞ ٢٢
[It will be said], "You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover,1 so your sight, this Day, is sharp."
1 translator’s note
- Of heedlessness, or that which had sealed your hearing, your vision and your heart from guidance. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 50:22
The Unseen World Becomes Visible at Death
فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ (Now We have removed your veil from you; so your sight today is sharp...50:22). There is a difference of opinion regarding the addressees of this verse. The preferred opinion is that Allah addresses mankind in general. This includes the believers, the unbelievers, the pious and the wicked. Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir and others have adopted this interpretation. The analogy drawn here is that this world is like the dream-world and the Hereafter is like the state of wakefulness. When man is in the dream-world, his eyes are closed and cannot perceive by his physical organs of sight the stark realities of the next world. When the physical organs of sight close, his dream-world ends and the state of wakefulness begins, and he is able to discern the stark realities of the Hereafter. Therefore, scholars have formulated the following aphorism:
النَّاسُ نِیَامُ فَاذِا مَاتُوا اِنتَبَھُوا
"People are sleeping in this world; when they die, they will wake up.
Page 519
50:16
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ وَنَعۡلَمُ مَا تُوَسۡوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفۡسُهُۥۖ وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ ٱلۡوَرِيدِ ١٦
And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer1 to him than [his] jugular vein.
1 translator’s note
- In absolute knowledge of everything about him. "We" has also been interpreted to mean the angels who are mentioned in the following verse. ↩
50:17
إِذۡ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلۡمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٞ ١٧
When the two receivers [i.e., recording angels] receive,1 seated on the right and on the left.
1 translator’s note
- And record each word and deed. ↩
50:18
مَّا يَلۡفِظُ مِن قَوۡلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيۡهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٞ ١٨
He [i.e., man] utters no word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
50:19
وَجَآءَتۡ سَكۡرَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنۡهُ تَحِيدُ ١٩
And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.
50:20
وَنُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡوَعِيدِ ٢٠
And the Horn will be blown. That is the Day of [carrying out] the threat.
50:21
وَجَآءَتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ مَّعَهَا سَآئِقٞ وَشَهِيدٞ ٢١
And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., one angel driving the soul to the Judgement and one to testify as to its deeds. ↩
50:22
لَّقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٞ ٢٢
[It will be said], "You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover,1 so your sight, this Day, is sharp."
1 translator’s note
- Of heedlessness, or that which had sealed your hearing, your vision and your heart from guidance. ↩
50:23
وَقَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ هَٰذَا مَا لَدَيَّ عَتِيدٌ ٢٣
And his companion, [the angel], will say, "This [record] is what is with me, prepared."
50:24
أَلۡقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٖ ٢٤
[Allāh will say], "Throw into Hell every obstinate disbeliever,
50:25
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٖ مُّرِيبٍ ٢٥
Preventer of good, aggressor, and doubter,
50:26
ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَأَلۡقِيَاهُ فِي ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلشَّدِيدِ ٢٦
Who made [as equal] with Allāh another deity; then throw him into the severe punishment."
50:27
۞ قَالَ قَرِينُهُۥ رَبَّنَا مَآ أَطۡغَيۡتُهُۥ وَلَٰكِن كَانَ فِي ضَلَٰلِۭ بَعِيدٖ ٢٧
His [devil] companion will say, "Our Lord, I did not make him transgress, but he [himself] was in extreme error."
50:28
قَالَ لَا تَخۡتَصِمُواْ لَدَيَّ وَقَدۡ قَدَّمۡتُ إِلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡوَعِيدِ ٢٨
[Allāh] will say, "Do not dispute before Me, while I had already presented to you the threat [i.e., warning].
50:29
مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ لَدَيَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمٖ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ ٢٩
The word [i.e., decree] will not be changed with Me, and never will I be unjust to the servants."
50:30
يَوۡمَ نَقُولُ لِجَهَنَّمَ هَلِ ٱمۡتَلَأۡتِ وَتَقُولُ هَلۡ مِن مَّزِيدٖ ٣٠
On the Day We will say to Hell, "Have you been filled?" and it will say, "Are there some more,"
50:31
وَأُزۡلِفَتِ ٱلۡجَنَّةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ غَيۡرَ بَعِيدٍ ٣١
And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far,
50:32
هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٖ ٣٢
[It will be said], "This is what you were promised - for every returner [to Allāh] and keeper [of His covenant].
50:33
مَّنۡ خَشِيَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَجَآءَ بِقَلۡبٖ مُّنِيبٍ ٣٣
Who feared the Most Merciful in the unseen and came with a heart returning [in repentance].
50:34
ٱدۡخُلُوهَا بِسَلَٰمٖۖ ذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمُ ٱلۡخُلُودِ ٣٤
Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity."
50:35
لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيۡنَا مَزِيدٞ ٣٥
They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.