بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Qalam 68:49
The Pen · Juz 29 · Page 566
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ ٤٩
If not that a favor [i.e., mercy] from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.1
1 translator’s note
- But instead, Allāh accepted his repentance and provided means for his recovery. See 37:139-148. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 68:49–50
1-This is the literal translation of the Qur'anic phrase used here. The exegetes have explained it in two different ways. Some of them are of the view that, according to the Arabic usage, 'exposure of the shin' is an idiomatic expression for a severe state of distress. When a person is confronted with such a distress, he normally lays his shins bare. Therefore, exposure of the shin has been taken as indicative of such a state. Given this interpretation, the verse means that on the day when the disbelievers will face the severe distress, they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do so, because their backs will be made flat, with no elasticity to bow down. Some other commentators, however, take the phrase in its literal sense. They say that the 'Shin' referred to here is the Shin of Allah Ta'ala, which is one of His attributes, the exact nature of which is neither known to anybody, nor discoverable in this world. (But obviously, it is not like the shins of human beings). According to this interpretation, the verse means that, at some stage on the Day of Judgment, Allah Ta'ala will expose this attribute of His which is called 'Shin', and they will be called upon to prostrate before it. This interpretation is supported by an authentic hadith reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
2-It refers to Sayyidna Yunus (علیہ السلام) who was devoured by a fish after he left his nation. Full description of the event has been given in Surah Yunus. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)
3-According to the explanation given to this verse by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (رح) ، 'Favour from His Lord' means the acceptance of his repentance, and 'wilderness' refers to the place where he was thrown by the fish. If this verse is read in juxtaposition with Verses 143, 144 of Surah As-Saffat, the sense appears to be that if Yunus had not offered tasbih and taubah, he would have remained in the belly of the fish for good, and if he had repented, but was not favoured by Allah with the acceptance of his taubah, he would have been cast by the fish into the wilderness, due to his repentance, but in a reproachable state. However, since Allah favoured him with accepting his taubah, he was no more reproachable. Some other scholars, however, suggest that 'wilderness' in this verse refers to the plain of Hashr, and the verse means that if Allah had not accepted his taubah, he would have been cast into the plain of Hashr in a reproachable state.
4-It means that they glare at you with such a hatred and anger as if they were to make you slip from your standpoint due to their aversion.
Page 566
68:43
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۖ وَقَدۡ كَانُواْ يُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمۡ سَٰلِمُونَ ٤٣
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.1
1 translator’s note
- During worldly life. ↩
68:44
فَذَرۡنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِۖ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤٤
So leave Me, [O Muḥammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies this statement [i.e., the Qur’ān]. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh will increase His favors to them in this world by way of trial, whereby they will sink deeper into sin and thus into destruction. ↩
68:45
وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ ٤٥
And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.
68:46
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ ٤٦
Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?
68:47
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ ٤٧
Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?
68:48
فَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلۡحُوتِ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكۡظُومٞ ٤٨
Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muḥammad], and be not like the companion of the fish [i.e., Jonah] when he called out while he was distressed.
68:49
لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعۡمَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُومٞ ٤٩
If not that a favor [i.e., mercy] from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.1
1 translator’s note
- But instead, Allāh accepted his repentance and provided means for his recovery. See 37:139-148. ↩
68:50
فَٱجۡتَبَٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٥٠
And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.
68:51
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزۡلِقُونَكَ بِأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجۡنُونٞ ٥١
And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes [i.e., looks] when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."
68:52
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرٞ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٥٢
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.
سورة الحاقة
Al-Haqqah
The Reality · Meccan · 52 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
69:1
ٱلۡحَآقَّةُ ١
The Inevitable Reality -
69:2
مَا ٱلۡحَآقَّةُ ٢
What is the Inevitable Reality?
69:3
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡحَآقَّةُ ٣
And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?
69:4
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ وَعَادُۢ بِٱلۡقَارِعَةِ ٤
Thamūd and ʿAad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e., the Resurrection].
69:5
فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ ٥
So as for Thamūd, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].
69:6
وَأَمَّا عَادٞ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِرِيحٖ صَرۡصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٖ ٦
And as for ʿAad, they were destroyed by a screaming,1 violent wind
1 translator’s note
- Or "cold." ↩
69:7
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ سَبۡعَ لَيَالٖ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومٗاۖ فَتَرَى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ فِيهَا صَرۡعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمۡ أَعۡجَازُ نَخۡلٍ خَاوِيَةٖ ٧
Which He [i.e., Allāh] imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
69:8
فَهَلۡ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٖ ٨
Then do you see of them any remains?