بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-A'la 87:19
The Most High · Juz 30 · Page 592
صُحُفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ ١٩
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 87:18–88:1
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ (Indeed this is [ written ] in the earlier divine scripts, the scripts of Ibrahim and Musa....87:18, 19] In other words, either all the themes of this Surah or its last theme, that the Hereafter is much better and much more durable than this life, was written in the earlier Divine scriptures. It is further explicated that this theme was written in the scriptures of Prophets Ibrahim and Musa (علیہما السلام) . Probably, it refers to other scriptures that were given to Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) before Torah. It is also possible that it refers to Torah itself.
Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام)
Ajurri transmits a narration from Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ that he inquired from the Prophet ﷺ as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ replied that they contained educating parables . A story is told in it about a tyrant king where he is addressed and told: You haughty, arrogant and oppressive ruler! I did not give you kingdom so that you may amass wealth, but I had given you power so that you may let the supplication of the oppressed against the oppressor reach me, because my law does not reject the supplication of an oppressed, even though it may be uttered by an unbeliever.
Another parable addresses the general public thus: A wise person should divide his time into three parts. One part should be reserved for the worship of his Lord and supplication to Him. The second part should be reserved for self-assessment of his deeds, and reflection on the Omnipotence and creation of Allah. The third part should be allocated for acquisition of livelihood and fulfilling the natural needs. It further imparts that a wise person should keep himself abreast of the circumstances of his time, and keep himself busy in performing his intended work. He should take care of his tongue. He who takes speech as one of his works, his speech will be confined only to the things of real need.
Themes of the Scripts of Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام)
Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ says that he then inquired from the Holy Prophet ﷺ as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) and the Holy Prophet ﷺ replied
that they contained lessons of wisdom. Some of them are as follows:
§ I am surprised at the person who believes that he will certainly die, and yet he lives happily.
• I am surprised at the person who believes in Divine destiny, and yet he is despondent and aggrieved.
• I am surprised at the person who experiences the vicissitudes of life and rise and fall of nations, and yet he is content with the world.
• I am surprised at the person who believes in the Reckoning of the Hereafter, and yet he abandons [ good ] deeds.
Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari ؓ says that he asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ whether anything from these scriptures was revealed to him, he replied in the affirmative and asked Sayyidna Abu Dharr Ghifari ؓ to recite verses 14-19 of this Surah. [ Qurtubi ]
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-A` la
Ends here
Page 592
87:16
بَلۡ تُؤۡثِرُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا ١٦
But you prefer the worldly life,
87:17
وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ وَأَبۡقَىٰٓ ١٧
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
87:18
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ ١٨
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,
87:19
صُحُفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ ١٩
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
سورة الغاشية
Al-Ghashiyah
The Overwhelming · Meccan · 26 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
88:1
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلۡغَٰشِيَةِ ١
Has there reached you the report of the Overwhelming [event]?
88:2
وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٍ خَٰشِعَةٌ ٢
[Some] faces, that Day, will be humbled,
88:3
عَامِلَةٞ نَّاصِبَةٞ ٣
Working [hard] and exhausted.1
1 translator’s note
- Another accepted meaning is "They were working hard and exhausted," i.e., doing deeds during worldly life which did not benefit them since they were not accompanied by faith or done for the acceptance of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) . ↩
88:4
تَصۡلَىٰ نَارًا حَامِيَةٗ ٤
They will [enter to] burn in an intensely hot Fire.
88:5
تُسۡقَىٰ مِنۡ عَيۡنٍ ءَانِيَةٖ ٥
They will be given drink from a boiling spring.
88:6
لَّيۡسَ لَهُمۡ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِن ضَرِيعٖ ٦
For them there will be no food except from a poisonous, thorny plant
88:7
لَّا يُسۡمِنُ وَلَا يُغۡنِي مِن جُوعٖ ٧
Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.
88:8
وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ نَّاعِمَةٞ ٨
[Other] faces, that Day, will show pleasure.
88:9
لِّسَعۡيِهَا رَاضِيَةٞ ٩
With their effort [they are] satisfied
88:10
فِي جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٖ ١٠
In an elevated garden,
88:11
لَّا تَسۡمَعُ فِيهَا لَٰغِيَةٗ ١١
Wherein they will hear no unsuitable speech.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., any insult, falsehood, immorality, idle or vain talk, etc. ↩
88:12
فِيهَا عَيۡنٞ جَارِيَةٞ ١٢
Within it is a flowing spring.
88:13
فِيهَا سُرُرٞ مَّرۡفُوعَةٞ ١٣
Within it are couches raised high
88:14
وَأَكۡوَابٞ مَّوۡضُوعَةٞ ١٤
And cups put in place
88:15
وَنَمَارِقُ مَصۡفُوفَةٞ ١٥
And cushions lined up
88:16
وَزَرَابِيُّ مَبۡثُوثَةٌ ١٦
And carpets spread around.
88:17
أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡإِبِلِ كَيۡفَ خُلِقَتۡ ١٧
Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created?
88:18
وَإِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيۡفَ رُفِعَتۡ ١٨
And at the sky - how it is raised?
88:19
وَإِلَى ٱلۡجِبَالِ كَيۡفَ نُصِبَتۡ ١٩
And at the mountains - how they are erected?
88:20
وَإِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كَيۡفَ سُطِحَتۡ ٢٠
And at the earth - how it is spread out?
88:21
فَذَكِّرۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٞ ٢١
So remind, [O Muḥammad]; you are only a reminder.
88:22
لَّسۡتَ عَلَيۡهِم بِمُصَيۡطِرٍ ٢٢
You are not over them a controller.
88:23
إِلَّا مَن تَوَلَّىٰ وَكَفَرَ ٢٣
However, he who turns away and disbelieves –
88:24
فَيُعَذِّبُهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡعَذَابَ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرَ ٢٤
Then Allāh will punish him with the greatest punishment.
88:25
إِنَّ إِلَيۡنَآ إِيَابَهُمۡ ٢٥
Indeed, to Us is their return.
88:26
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا حِسَابَهُم ٢٦
Then indeed, upon Us is their account.