An-Nazi'at 79:28
Those who drag forth · Juz 30 · Page 584
رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا ٢٨
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 79:27–33
Creating the Heavens and the Earth is more difficult than repeating Creation
in refutation of the claim rejecting resurrection due to the renewal of creation after its original state, Allah says;
ءَأَنتُمْ
(Are you) `O people'
أَشَدُّ خَلْقاً أَمِ السَّمَآءُ
(more difficult to create or is the heaven...) meaning, `rather the heaven is more difficult to create than you.' As Allah said;
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ
(the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind;) (40:57) And His saying;
أَوَلَيْسَ الَذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَوتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بِقَدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُم بَلَى وَهُوَ الْخَلَّقُ الْعَلِيمُ
(Is not the One Who created the heavens and the earth, capable of creating the similar to them. Yes, indeed! He is the Supreme Creator, the All-Knowing.) (36:81) Then Allah says,
بَنَهَا
(He constructed) He explains this by His statement,
رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا
(He raised its height, and has perfected it.) meaning, He made it a lofty structure, vast in its space, with equal sides, and adorned with stars at night and in the darkness. Then Allah says,
وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَهَا
(Its night He covers and He brings out its forenoon.) meaning, He made its night dark and extremely black, and its day bright, luminous, shining and clear. Ibn `Abbas said, "He did Aghtasha of its night means that He made it dark." Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr and a large group have said this as well. In reference to Allah's statement,
وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَهَا
(And He brings out its forenoon.) meaning, He illuminated its day. Then Allah says,
وَالاٌّرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَهَا
(And after that He spread the earth,) He explains this statement by the statement that follows it,
أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرْعَهَا
(And brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture.) It already has been mentioned previously in Surat Ha Mim As-Sajdah that the earth was created before the heaven was created, but it was only spread out after the creation of the heaven. This means that He brought out what was in it with a forceful action. This is the meaning of what was said by Ibn `Abbas and others, and it was the explanation preferred by Ibn Jarir. In reference to the statement of Allah,
وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَهَا
(And the mountains He has fixed firmly,) meaning, He settled them, made them firm, and established them in their places. And He is the Most Wise, the All-Knowing. He is Most Kind to His creation, Most Merciful. Allah then says,
مَتَعاً لَّكُمْ وَلاًّنْعَمِكُمْ
(As provision and benefit for you and your cattle.) meaning, He spread out the earth, caused its springs to gush forth, brought forth its hidden benefits, caused its rivers to flow, and caused its vegetation, trees, and fruits to grow. He also made its mountains firm so that it (the earth) would be calmly settled with its dwellers, and He stabilized its dwelling places. All of this is a means of beneficial enjoyment for His creatures (mankind) providing them of what cattle they need, which they eat and ride upon. He has granted them these beneficial things for the period that they need them, in this worldly abode, until the end of time and the expiration of this life.
Page 584
79:16
إِذۡ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٱلۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى ١٦
When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā,
79:17
ٱذۡهَبۡ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ ١٧
"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.
79:18
فَقُلۡ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ ١٨
And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself
79:19
وَأَهۡدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشَىٰ ١٩
And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"
79:20
فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلۡأٓيَةَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ ٢٠
And he showed him the greatest sign,1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the miracle of his staff becoming a great snake. ↩
79:21
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ ٢١
But he [i.e., Pharaoh] denied and disobeyed.
79:22
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعَىٰ ٢٢
Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].1
1 translator’s note
- An alternative meaning is "running [from the snake]." ↩
79:23
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ ٢٣
And he gathered [his people] and called out
79:24
فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ ٢٤
And said, "I am your most exalted lord."
79:25
فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ ٢٥
So Allāh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].1.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., for Pharaoh's setting himself up as a deity and for his previous oppression of the people and denial of Moses. ↩
79:26
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةٗ لِّمَن يَخۡشَىٰٓ ٢٦
Indeed in that is a lesson [i.e., warning] for whoever would fear [Allāh].
79:27
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُۚ بَنَىٰهَا ٢٧
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., Allāh] constructed it.
79:28
رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا ٢٨
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
79:29
وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا ٢٩
And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., created the day from within the surrounding darkness. ↩
79:30
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ ٣٠
And after that He spread the earth.
79:31
أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعَىٰهَا ٣١
He extracted from it its water and its pasture,
79:32
وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَىٰهَا ٣٢
And the mountains He set firmly
79:33
مَتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ ٣٣
As enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.
79:34
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ ٣٤
But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity1 -
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the Day of Resurrection. ↩
79:35
يَوۡمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٥
The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,
79:36
وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلۡجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ ٣٦
And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see -
79:37
فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ ٣٧
So as for he who transgressed
79:38
وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا ٣٨
And preferred the life of the world,
79:39
فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ ٣٩
Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.
79:40
وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ ٤٠
But as for he who feared the position of his Lord1 and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination,
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 55:46. ↩
79:41
فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ ٤١
Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.
79:42
يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَا ٤٢
They ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival?1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "resting" or "establishment." ↩
79:43
فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكۡرَىٰهَآ ٤٣
In what [position] are you that you should mention it?1
1 translator’s note
- Meaning that Muḥammad (ﷺ) had no knowledge of it, so how could he inform them? ↩
79:44
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ ٤٤
To your Lord is its finality.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., its destination and termination. And to Him belongs ultimate knowledge of it. ↩
79:45
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخۡشَىٰهَا ٤٥
You are only a warner for those who fear it.
79:46
كَأَنَّهُمۡ يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَهَا لَمۡ يَلۡبَثُوٓاْ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوۡ ضُحَىٰهَا ٤٦
It will be, on the Day they see it,1 as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the Hour, the Resurrection. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy