Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
Ya-Sin 36:33–60
36:33–36Page 442
وَءَايَةٞ لَّهُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ ٱلۡمَيۡتَةُ أَحۡيَيۡنَٰهَا وَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مِنۡهَا حَبّٗا فَمِنۡهُ يَأۡكُلُونَ ٣٣
And a sign for them is the dead earth. We have brought it to life and brought forth from it grain, and from it they eat.
وَجَعَلۡنَا فِيهَا جَنَّٰتٖ مِّن نَّخِيلٖ وَأَعۡنَٰبٖ وَفَجَّرۡنَا فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلۡعُيُونِ ٣٤
And We placed therein gardens of palm trees and grapevines and caused to burst forth therefrom some springs -
لِيَأۡكُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦ وَمَا عَمِلَتۡهُ أَيۡدِيهِمۡۚ أَفَلَا يَشۡكُرُونَ ٣٥
That they may eat of His fruit.1 And their hands have not produced it,2 so will they not be grateful?
سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَزۡوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمِنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٦
Exalted is He who created all pairs1 - from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.
The accumulation of fertile soil on the surface of the earth; the provision of water, sun and air and the potential in the seed to germinate and grow—these and other such innumerable known and unknown factors combine to produce the food-grains, fruits and vegetables which nourish human beings. This entire system of nature is not the handiwork of man. Its existence and sustenance clearly illustrate the grace of the Creator. Thoughtfully pondering over these facts would overwhelm man with gratitude towards God. Studies show that the ‘principle of pairing’ is in operation in all the things of this world. When the system of this universe is based on the principle that all objects achieve completion by way of pairing, the present world by this logic should also have its counterpart. This crucial insight establishes the possibility of a Hereafter.
36:37–40Page 442
وَءَايَةٞ لَّهُمُ ٱلَّيۡلُ نَسۡلَخُ مِنۡهُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُم مُّظۡلِمُونَ ٣٧
And a sign for them is the night. We remove1 from it the [light of] day, so they are [left] in darkness.
وَٱلشَّمۡسُ تَجۡرِي لِمُسۡتَقَرّٖ لَّهَاۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقۡدِيرُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡعَلِيمِ ٣٨
And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
وَٱلۡقَمَرَ قَدَّرۡنَٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَٱلۡعُرۡجُونِ ٱلۡقَدِيمِ ٣٩
And the moon - We have determined for it phases, until it returns [appearing] like the old date stalk.
لَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ يَنۢبَغِي لَهَآ أَن تُدۡرِكَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيۡلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِۚ وَكُلّٞ فِي فَلَكٖ يَسۡبَحُونَ ٤٠
It is not allowable [i.e., possible] for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.
The earth, the moon and the sun have their fixed orbits, in which they move with the utmost precision, and due to which different celestial phenomena take place: for instance, the occurrence of day and night on the earth and the waxing and waning of the moon, serve as a heavenly calendar. This system has been in existence for millions of years now, and there is still no deviation of any kind in it. This observation is purely an introduction to the fathomless and unlimited powers of God. If man learns lessons from these phenomena, the majesty of the One God will prevail over his mind to such an extent that all other impressions of greatness will be automatically erased from it.
36:41–44Page 443
وَءَايَةٞ لَّهُمۡ أَنَّا حَمَلۡنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلۡمَشۡحُونِ ٤١
And a sign for them is that We carried their forefathers1 in a laden ship.
وَخَلَقۡنَا لَهُم مِّن مِّثۡلِهِۦ مَا يَرۡكَبُونَ ٤٢
And We created for them from the likes of it that which they ride.
وَإِن نَّشَأۡ نُغۡرِقۡهُمۡ فَلَا صَرِيخَ لَهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنقَذُونَ ٤٣
And if We should will, We could drown them; then no one responding to a cry would there be for them, nor would they be saved
إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّنَّا وَمَتَٰعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ٤٤
Except as a mercy from Us and provision for a time.
God has created vast possibilities in this world, so that man may travel by land, sea and air. All these forms of travel are possible due to the grace of God and if man consciously reflected, he would prostrate himself before God and never develop an attitude of arrogance.
36:45–47Page 443
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّقُواْ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيكُمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ ٤٥
But when it is said to them, "Beware of what is before you and what is behind you;1 perhaps you will receive mercy..."2
وَمَا تَأۡتِيهِم مِّنۡ ءَايَةٖ مِّنۡ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَّا كَانُواْ عَنۡهَا مُعۡرِضِينَ ٤٦
And no sign comes to them from the signs of their Lord except that they are from it turning away.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنُطۡعِمُ مَن لَّوۡ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ أَطۡعَمَهُۥٓ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ ٤٧
And when it is said to them, "Spend from that which Allāh has provided for you," those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Should we feed one whom, if Allāh had willed, He would have fed? You are not but in clear error."
Behind a man are his actions and before him lies the Day of Reckoning. Life, in other words, is a journey from the world of actions towards the world of results. This is a very crucial state of affairs. If a man actually realises his position, he will start trembling. But he does not consider this; nor does any sign open his eyes. He tries to justify his actions by false interpretations until the day he dies.
36:48–49Page 443
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٤٨
And they say, "When is this promise, if you should be truthful?"
مَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ تَأۡخُذُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ يَخِصِّمُونَ ٤٩
They do not await except one blast1 which will seize them while they are disputing.
It has been recorded in the Hadith that the Angel Israfil is looking towards the throne (‘arsh) of God with the trumpet (sur) in his mouth awaiting His orders and ready to blow the trumpet instantly. The blowing of the trumpet will be just like the ringing of a bell which signals the end of the examination. Immediately thereafter, the system of the world will change: the stage of the appearance of results will commence, while at present we are still at the stage of actions.
36:50–53Page 443
فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ تَوۡصِيَةٗ وَلَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٥٠
And they will not be able [to give] any instruction, nor to their people can they return.
وَنُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَنسِلُونَ ٥١
And the Horn will be blown;1 and at once from the graves to their Lord they will hasten.
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا مَنۢ بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرۡقَدِنَاۜۗ هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَصَدَقَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ٥٢
They will say, "O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?" [The reply will be], "This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."
إِن كَانَتۡ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَإِذَا هُمۡ جَمِيعٞ لَّدَيۡنَا مُحۡضَرُونَ ٥٣
It will not be but one blast, and at once they are all brought present before Us.
Those who do not believe in the Hereafter pay scant attention to it and remain heedless of it as if it were a faraway thing. Among them, those who are of a frivolous nature will even go to the extent of mocking the concept of the Hereafter. People such as these will remain reckless until the arrival of Doomsday. Then Doomsday will seize them suddenly and in such a way that they will be unable to save themselves. It has been recorded in the Hadith that the Angel Israfil is looking towards the throne (‘arsh) of God with the trumpet (sur) to his mouth awaiting His orders, ready to carry out the command instantly. The blowing of the trumpet will be like the ringing of a bell which signals the end of the examination. Immediately thereafter, the system of the world will change: the stage of the appearance of results will commence, leaving behind the stage of actions (the present world).
36:54–58Page 443
فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ لَا تُظۡلَمُ نَفۡسٞ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٥٤
So today [i.e., the Day of Judgement] no soul will be wronged at all, and you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do.
إِنَّ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ فِي شُغُلٖ فَٰكِهُونَ ٥٥
Indeed the companions of Paradise, that Day, will be amused in [joyful] occupation -
هُمۡ وَأَزۡوَٰجُهُمۡ فِي ظِلَٰلٍ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ مُتَّكِـُٔونَ ٥٦
They and their spouses - in shade, reclining on adorned couches.
لَهُمۡ فِيهَا فَٰكِهَةٞ وَلَهُم مَّا يَدَّعُونَ ٥٧
For them therein is fruit, and for them is whatever they request [or wish]
سَلَٰمٞ قَوۡلٗا مِّن رَّبّٖ رَّحِيمٖ ٥٨
[And] "Peace," a word from a Merciful Lord.
The final result of man’s deeds (in the present world) will be declared in the Hereafter. One who remained immersed in the pursuance of his petty interests here, will enter the eternal world of the Hereafter empty-handed, unlike those who lived a life of high purpose and who will be very pleased with the good results they achieve.
36:59–60Page 444
وَٱمۡتَٰزُواْ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ ٥٩
[Then He will say], "But stand apart today, you criminals.1
۞ أَلَمۡ أَعۡهَدۡ إِلَيۡكُمۡ يَٰبَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ أَن لَّا تَعۡبُدُواْ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمۡ عَدُوّٞ مُّبِينٞ ٦٠
Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy -
In the present life, good people and bad people live in the same world. But in the life of the Hereafter, these two groups will be separated; the followers of Satan will be with Satan and the subjects of the Most Beneficent God will be with God. Nobody worships Satan per se, but the worshipper of anybody other than God is in fact indirectly the worshipper of Satan.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences