Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
Al-Muddaththir 74:32–56
74:32–48Page 576
كـَلَّا وَٱلۡقَمَرِ ٣٢
No! By the moon
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذۡ أَدۡبَرَ ٣٣
And [by] the night when it departs
وَٱلصُّبۡحِ إِذَآ أَسۡفَرَ ٣٤
And [by] the morning when it brightens,
إِنَّهَا لَإِحۡدَى ٱلۡكُبَرِ ٣٥
Indeed, it [i.e., the Fire] is of the greatest [afflictions]
نَذِيرٗا لِّلۡبَشَرِ ٣٦
As a warning to humanity -
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمۡ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوۡ يَتَأَخَّرَ ٣٧
To whoever wills among you to proceed1 or stay behind.
كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ رَهِينَةٌ ٣٨
Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained1
إِلَّآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٣٩
Except the companions of the right,1.
فِي جَنَّٰتٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ٤٠
[Who will be] in gardens, questioning each other
عَنِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٤١
About the criminals,
مَا سَلَكَكُمۡ فِي سَقَرَ ٤٢
[And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?"
قَالُواْ لَمۡ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ ٤٣
They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,
وَلَمۡ نَكُ نُطۡعِمُ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ ٤٤
Nor did we used to feed the poor.
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلۡخَآئِضِينَ ٤٥
And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it],
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٤٦
And we used to deny the Day of Recompense
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلۡيَقِينُ ٤٧
Until there came to us the certainty [i.e., death]."
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّٰفِعِينَ ٤٨
So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors.
The earth rotates on its axis and the moon orbits the earth. For this reason, lunar dates change and night and day alternate on the earth. This system of rotation and changes is in fact an indication that the present order will change and that the period of the Hereafter will definitely arrive. Those who take this system into account will want to make full use of their ‘day’, before the arrival of ‘night’. They will avoid all actions which could plunge them into Hell, prefering instead to act in a way which will lead them to Paradise.
74:49–56Page 577
فَمَا لَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلتَّذۡكِرَةِ مُعۡرِضِينَ ٤٩
Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away
كَأَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرٞ مُّسۡتَنفِرَةٞ ٥٠
As if they were alarmed donkeys
فَرَّتۡ مِن قَسۡوَرَةِۭ ٥١
Fleeing from a lion?
بَلۡ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُؤۡتَىٰ صُحُفٗا مُّنَشَّرَةٗ ٥٢
Rather, every person among them desires that he1 would be given scriptures spread about.2
كـَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ ٥٣
No! But they do not fear the Hereafter.
كـَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذۡكِرَةٞ ٥٤
No! Indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is a reminder
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ ٥٥
Then whoever wills will remember it.
وَمَا يَذۡكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ هُوَ أَهۡلُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَأَهۡلُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ ٥٦
And they will not remember except that Allāh wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.
Advice, howsoever reasonable and well-supported by arguments, can be effective only when the hearer is serious about it. If the hearer is not serious, the advice will not reach his heart. Such arguments as deeply move a serious-minded person, will only cause a frivolous person to engage in meaningless discussions.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences