بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
An-Naba 78:9
The Tidings · Juz 30 · Page 582
وَجَعَلۡنَا نَوۡمَكُمۡ سُبَاتٗا ٩
And made your sleep [a means for] rest
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 78:9
وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا (and made your sleep a source of rest,...78:9). The word subat is derived from sabt which means to cut off. Sleep is something that cuts off the worries and tensions one may have, and thus gives him such a rest that cannot be attained from anything else. Therefore, some scholars translate the word subat as 'rest'.
Sleep Is a Great Gift
After mentioning in verse [ 8] that Allah has created mankind in pairs, Allah Ta’ ala states in verse [ 9] that among the means of their comfort, He created sleep, which is a great divine gift. Sleep is a great source of relaxation for the entire creation - for rich as well as for poor, for learned people, as well as for the illiterate ones, for kings as well as for labourers. This gift is made available equally and simultaneously for all. Rather, experience shows that this gift is most readily available to the poor and labouring class, as compared to the affluent and the elite class. The latter class has all the means of comfort, they have comfortable homes, they have moderately warm and cold places, they have comfortable mattresses and pillows that are rarely available to the poor. But the gift of sleep is not dependent upon the mattresses, pillows, cottages and bungalows. It is purely a divine gift that is given directly by Allah. Often the poor, with no means of comfort and without bed or bedding, enjoy the best sleep in an open space. Sometimes, the affluent and the men of means suffer from insomnia and can only get sleep when they take sleeping pills. Often the pills do not work either. Not only that this great gift is given to all creatures - humans as well as animals - and it is given free of charge, without working for it. Allah has made it compulsory for everyone in a way that even if he wishes to keep awake because of load of work, sleep is imposed on him by Allah's mercy, so that his tiredness is removed and he is refreshed to work further. This arrangement is a wonderful means of providing rest and peace for man.
Page 582
سورة النبإ
An-Naba
The Tidings · Meccan · 40 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
78:1
عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ١
About what are they asking one another?
78:2
عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٢
About the great news1 -
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the Resurrection. ↩
78:3
ٱلَّذِي هُمۡ فِيهِ مُخۡتَلِفُونَ ٣
That over which they are in disagreement.
78:4
كـَلَّا سَيَعۡلَمُونَ ٤
No! They are going to know.
78:5
ثُمَّ كـَلَّا سَيَعۡلَمُونَ ٥
Then, no! They are going to know.
78:6
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَلِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِهَٰدٗا ٦
Have We not made the earth a resting place?
78:7
وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَوۡتَادٗا ٧
And the mountains as stakes?1
1 translator’s note
- To stabilize the land and balance the earth. ↩
78:8
وَخَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا ٨
And We created you in pairs
78:9
وَجَعَلۡنَا نَوۡمَكُمۡ سُبَاتٗا ٩
And made your sleep [a means for] rest
78:10
وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلَّيۡلَ لِبَاسٗا ١٠
And made the night as clothing1
1 translator’s note
- Covering you in darkness and providing rest. ↩
78:11
وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشٗا ١١
And made the day for livelihood
78:12
وَبَنَيۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمۡ سَبۡعٗا شِدَادٗا ١٢
And constructed above you seven strong [heavens]
78:13
وَجَعَلۡنَا سِرَاجٗا وَهَّاجٗا ١٣
And made [therein] a burning lamp
78:14
وَأَنزَلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلۡمُعۡصِرَٰتِ مَآءٗ ثَجَّاجٗا ١٤
And sent down from the rain clouds pouring water
78:15
لِّنُخۡرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبّٗا وَنَبَاتٗا ١٥
That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation
78:16
وَجَنَّٰتٍ أَلۡفَافًا ١٦
And gardens of entwined growth.
78:17
إِنَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ كَانَ مِيقَٰتٗا ١٧
Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time -
78:18
يَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأۡتُونَ أَفۡوَاجٗا ١٨
The Day the Horn is blown and you will come forth in multitudes
78:19
وَفُتِحَتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتۡ أَبۡوَٰبٗا ١٩
And the heaven is opened and will become gateways
78:20
وَسُيِّرَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ فَكَانَتۡ سَرَابًا ٢٠
And the mountains are removed and will be [but] a mirage.
78:21
إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتۡ مِرۡصَادٗا ٢١
Indeed, Hell has been lying in wait
78:22
لِّلطَّٰغِينَ مَـَٔابٗا ٢٢
For the transgressors, a place of return,
78:23
لَّٰبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحۡقَابٗا ٢٣
In which they will remain for ages [unending].
78:24
لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرۡدٗا وَلَا شَرَابًا ٢٤
They will not taste therein [any] coolness or drink.
78:25
إِلَّا حَمِيمٗا وَغَسَّاقٗا ٢٥
Except scalding water and [foul] purulence -
78:26
جَزَآءٗ وِفَاقًا ٢٦
An appropriate recompense.1
1 translator’s note
- In proportion to and comparable with their crimes. ↩
78:27
إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ لَا يَرۡجُونَ حِسَابٗا ٢٧
Indeed, they were not expecting an account
78:28
وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا كِذَّابٗا ٢٨
And denied Our verses with [emphatic] denial.
78:29
وَكُلَّ شَيۡءٍ أَحۡصَيۡنَٰهُ كِتَٰبٗا ٢٩
But all things We have enumerated in writing.
78:30
فَذُوقُواْ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمۡ إِلَّا عَذَابًا ٣٠
"So taste [the penalty], and never will We increase you except in torment."1
1 translator’s note
- This announcement will be made to the companions of Hell. ↩