Al-Waqi'ah 56:76
The Inevitable · Juz 27 · Page 536
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَقَسَمٞ لَّوۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ ٧٦
And indeed, it is an oath - if you could know - [most] great.
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 56:75–76
Sequencing of Arguments
Preceding verses put forward rational arguments, in support of life after death, by inviting attention to Allah's infinite power. The current verses are meant to prove this fact by giving an authoritative reference, that is, the Qur'an.
Allah swears to the Greatness of the Qur’ an
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ (So, I swear by the setting places of the stars...56:75) The words لَا أُقْسِمُ 'I swear' are prefixed in the text by the particle لَا la [ no ] which is not translated in the text, because it is idiomatically prefixed to 'oath', as for example لَا وَاللہ la wallah [ No, by Allah ]. In pre-Islamic Arabic, we come across the idiomatic oath لَا وَ اَبَیکَ la wa-abik [ No, by your father ]. Some lexicologists say that the particle la is added only as an idiomatic expression [ zaidah ] which carries no sense, and others say that when the refutation of an addressee's hypothesis is intended, y la is used to signify that the assumption of the addressee is not correct, but the right thing is that which follows.
The word مَوَاقِعِ mawaqi` is the plural of مَوقع mawq' and refers to the points where or times when the stars set. Here, like in Surah -Najm وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ "By the star when it goes down to set, [ 1] ", the oath of stars is qualified by their setting-time. The wisdom underlying this is that when the stars set, their function seems to have been cut off from the horizon, and we witness effects of their vanishing. This is the proof of their perishability and dependence on Divine power.
Page 536
56:51
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمۡ أَيُّهَا ٱلضَّآلُّونَ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبُونَ ٥١
Then indeed you, O those astray [who are] deniers,
56:52
لَأٓكِلُونَ مِن شَجَرٖ مِّن زَقُّومٖ ٥٢
Will be eating from trees of zaqqūm
56:53
فَمَالِـُٔونَ مِنۡهَا ٱلۡبُطُونَ ٥٣
And filling with it your bellies
56:54
فَشَٰرِبُونَ عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡحَمِيمِ ٥٤
And drinking on top of it from scalding water
56:55
فَشَٰرِبُونَ شُرۡبَ ٱلۡهِيمِ ٥٥
And will drink as the drinking of thirsty camels.
56:56
هَٰذَا نُزُلُهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلدِّينِ ٥٦
That is their accommodation on the Day of Recompense.
56:57
نَحۡنُ خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ فَلَوۡلَا تُصَدِّقُونَ ٥٧
We have created you, so why do you not believe?
56:58
أَفَرَءَيۡتُم مَّا تُمۡنُونَ ٥٨
Have you seen that which you emit?1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., semen, which contains the potential for human life. ↩
56:59
ءَأَنتُمۡ تَخۡلُقُونَهُۥٓ أَمۡ نَحۡنُ ٱلۡخَٰلِقُونَ ٥٩
Is it you who creates it, or are We the Creator?
56:60
نَحۡنُ قَدَّرۡنَا بَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ ٦٠
We have decreed death among you, and We are not to be outdone
56:61
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ أَمۡثَٰلَكُمۡ وَنُنشِئَكُمۡ فِي مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ٦١
In that We will change your likenesses and produce you in that [form] which you do not know.1
1 translator’s note
- An alternative meaning has also been given: "...in that We will replace the likes of you [with others upon the earth] and create you [in the Hereafter] in that which you do not know." ↩
56:62
وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتُمُ ٱلنَّشۡأَةَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ فَلَوۡلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٦٢
And you have already known the first creation, so will you not remember?
56:63
أَفَرَءَيۡتُم مَّا تَحۡرُثُونَ ٦٣
And have you seen that [seed] which you sow?
56:64
ءَأَنتُمۡ تَزۡرَعُونَهُۥٓ أَمۡ نَحۡنُ ٱلزَّٰرِعُونَ ٦٤
Is it you who makes it grow, or are We the grower?
56:65
لَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ حُطَٰمٗا فَظَلۡتُمۡ تَفَكَّهُونَ ٦٥
If We willed, We could make it [dry] debris, and you would remain in wonder,1
1 translator’s note
- At what had happened or remain in a state of shock. Another meaning is "in regret." ↩
56:66
إِنَّا لَمُغۡرَمُونَ ٦٦
[Saying], "Indeed, we are [now] in debt;
56:67
بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُومُونَ ٦٧
Rather, we have been deprived."
56:68
أَفَرَءَيۡتُمُ ٱلۡمَآءَ ٱلَّذِي تَشۡرَبُونَ ٦٨
And have you seen the water that you drink?
56:69
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَنزَلۡتُمُوهُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُزۡنِ أَمۡ نَحۡنُ ٱلۡمُنزِلُونَ ٦٩
Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We who bring it down?
56:70
لَوۡ نَشَآءُ جَعَلۡنَٰهُ أُجَاجٗا فَلَوۡلَا تَشۡكُرُونَ ٧٠
If We willed, We could make it bitter, so why are you not grateful?
56:71
أَفَرَءَيۡتُمُ ٱلنَّارَ ٱلَّتِي تُورُونَ ٧١
And have you seen the fire that you ignite?
56:72
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَنشَأۡتُمۡ شَجَرَتَهَآ أَمۡ نَحۡنُ ٱلۡمُنشِـُٔونَ ٧٢
Is it you who produced its tree, or are We the producer?
56:73
نَحۡنُ جَعَلۡنَٰهَا تَذۡكِرَةٗ وَمَتَٰعٗا لِّلۡمُقۡوِينَ ٧٣
We have made it a reminder1 and provision for the travelers,2
56:74
فَسَبِّحۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٧٤
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.
56:75
۞ فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِمَوَٰقِعِ ٱلنُّجُومِ ٧٥
Then I swear by the setting of the stars,1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) confirms absolutely by oath. ↩
56:76
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَقَسَمٞ لَّوۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ ٧٦
And indeed, it is an oath - if you could know - [most] great.