بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Mursalat 77:18
The Emissaries · Juz 29 · Page 580
كَذَٰلِكَ نَفۡعَلُ بِٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ١٨
Thus do We deal with the criminals.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 77:16–28
The Call to contemplate the various Manifestations of Allah's Power
Allah says,
أَلَمْ نُهْلِكِ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
(Did We not destroy the ancients?) meaning, those who rejected the Messengers and opposed what they came to them with.
ثُمَّ نُتْبِعُهُمُ ٱلَْٔاخِرِينَ
(So shall We make later generations to follow them), meaning, from those who are similar to them. Thus, Allah says,
كَذَلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِالْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
(Thus do We deal with the criminals. Woe that Day to the deniers!) Ibn Jarir said this. Then Allah reminds His creatures of His favor, and using the beginning of creation to support the idea of repeating it, He says:
أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّآءٍ مَّهِينٍ
(Did We not create you from a despised water?) meaning, weak and despised in comparison to the power of the Creator. This is similar to what has been reported in the Hadith of Busr bin Jahhash (that Allah says),
«ابْنَ آدَمَ أَنْى تُعْجِزُنِي وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِنْ مِثْلِ هَذِهِ؟»
("(O) Son of Adam! How can you think that I am unable, and yet I created you from something like this (i.e., semen)")
فَجَعَلْنَهُ فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ
(Then We placed it in a place of safety,) meaning, We gathered him in the womb, where the fluid of the man and the woman settles. The womb has been prepared for this, as a protector of the fluid deposited in it. Allah said:
إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
(For a known period) meaning for a fixed period of time, which is from six months to nine months. Thus, Allah says,
فَقَدَرْنَا فَنِعْمَ الْقَدِرُونَ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
(So We did measure, and We are the best to measure. Woe that Day to the deniers!) Then Allah says,
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الاٌّرْضَ كِفَاتاً - أَحْيَآءً وَأَمْوتاً
(Have We not made the earth Kifat for the living and the dead) Ibn `Abbas said, "Kifat means a place of shelter." Mujahid said, "It holds the dead so that nothing is seen of it." Ash-Sha`bi said, "Its interior is for your dead, and its surface is for your living." Mujahid and Qatadah also said this.
وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِىَ شَمِخَتٍ
(And have placed therein fixed towers), meaning the mountains. The earth is held in place with them so that it does not shake and sway.
وَأَسْقَيْنَكُم مَّآءً فُرَاتاً
(and have given you Furat water), meaning cold and delicious water from the clouds or from what He causes to gush forth from the springs of the earth.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
(Woe that Day to the deniers!), meaning woe to whoever reflects upon these created things, which demonstrate the greatness of their Creator, and then after that continues to reject Him and disbelieve in Him.
Page 580
76:26
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَٱسۡجُدۡ لَهُۥ وَسَبِّحۡهُ لَيۡلٗا طَوِيلًا ٢٦
And during the night prostrate to Him and exalt [i.e., praise] Him a long [part of the] night.
76:27
إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ يُحِبُّونَ ٱلۡعَاجِلَةَ وَيَذَرُونَ وَرَآءَهُمۡ يَوۡمٗا ثَقِيلٗا ٢٧
Indeed, these [disbelievers] love the immediate and leave behind them1 a grave Day.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., neglect. The meaning may also be "leave ahead of them." ↩
76:28
نَّحۡنُ خَلَقۡنَٰهُمۡ وَشَدَدۡنَآ أَسۡرَهُمۡۖ وَإِذَا شِئۡنَا بَدَّلۡنَآ أَمۡثَٰلَهُمۡ تَبۡدِيلًا ٢٨
We have created them and strengthened their forms, and when We will, We can change their likenesses with [complete] alteration.
76:29
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةٞۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلٗا ٢٩
Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.
76:30
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا ٣٠
And you do not will except that Allāh wills. Indeed, Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.
76:31
يُدۡخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِي رَحۡمَتِهِۦۚ وَٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمَۢا ٣١
He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers - He has prepared for them a painful punishment.
77:1
وَٱلۡمُرۡسَلَٰتِ عُرۡفٗا ١
By those [winds] sent forth in gusts
77:2
فَٱلۡعَٰصِفَٰتِ عَصۡفٗا ٢
And the winds that blow violently
77:3
وَٱلنَّٰشِرَٰتِ نَشۡرٗا ٣
And [by] the winds that spread [clouds]
77:4
فَٱلۡفَٰرِقَٰتِ فَرۡقٗا ٤
And those [angels] who bring criterion1
1 translator’s note
- To Allāh's human messengers. ↩
77:5
فَٱلۡمُلۡقِيَٰتِ ذِكۡرًا ٥
And those [angels] who deliver a message
77:6
عُذۡرًا أَوۡ نُذۡرًا ٦
As justification or warning,
77:7
إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَٰقِعٞ ٧
Indeed, what you are promised is to occur.
77:8
فَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ طُمِسَتۡ ٨
So when the stars are obliterated
77:9
وَإِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ فُرِجَتۡ ٩
And when the heaven is opened
77:10
وَإِذَا ٱلۡجِبَالُ نُسِفَتۡ ١٠
And when the mountains are blown away
77:11
وَإِذَا ٱلرُّسُلُ أُقِّتَتۡ ١١
And when the messengers' time has come...1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., when they are gathered to witness concerning their nations. The sentence's conclusion is understood to be "...the promised judgement will then take place." ↩
77:12
لِأَيِّ يَوۡمٍ أُجِّلَتۡ ١٢
For what Day was it postponed?1
1 translator’s note
- "It" may refer to either the aforementioned occurrences collectively or to the testimony of the messengers. ↩
77:13
لِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ ١٣
For the Day of Judgement.
77:14
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا يَوۡمُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ ١٤
And what can make you know what is the Day of Judgement?
77:15
وَيۡلٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ١٥
Woe,1 that Day, to the deniers.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., death and destruction. ↩
77:16
أَلَمۡ نُهۡلِكِ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٦
Did We not destroy the former peoples?
77:17
ثُمَّ نُتۡبِعُهُمُ ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ١٧
Then We will follow them with the later ones.
77:18
كَذَٰلِكَ نَفۡعَلُ بِٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ١٨
Thus do We deal with the criminals.
77:19
وَيۡلٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ١٩
Woe, that Day, to the deniers.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy