Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
النازعات
An-Nazi'at
Those who drag forth · Meccan · 46 ayahs
78:36–79:14Page 583
وَٱلنَّٰزِعَٰتِ غَرۡقٗا ١
By those [angels] who extract with violence1
وَٱلنَّٰشِطَٰتِ نَشۡطٗا ٢
And [by] those who remove with ease1
وَٱلسَّٰبِحَٰتِ سَبۡحٗا ٣
And [by] those who glide [as if] swimming1
فَٱلسَّٰبِقَٰتِ سَبۡقٗا ٤
And those who race each other in a race1
فَٱلۡمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمۡرٗا ٥
And those who arrange [each] matter,1
يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ ٦
On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],
تَتۡبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ ٧
There will follow it the subsequent [one].
قُلُوبٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَاجِفَةٌ ٨
Hearts,1 that Day, will tremble,
أَبۡصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٞ ٩
Their eyes1 humbled.
يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرۡدُودُونَ فِي ٱلۡحَافِرَةِ ١٠
They are [presently] saying, "Will we indeed be returned to [our] former state [of life]?
أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمٗا نَّخِرَةٗ ١١
Even if we should be decayed bones?"1
قَالُواْ تِلۡكَ إِذٗا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٞ ١٢
They say, "That, then, would be a losing return."1
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجۡرَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ ١٣
Indeed, it will be but one shout,
فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ ١٤
And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.
Every year we experience periods of calm weather followed by gales bringing clouds and rainstorms. Soon it is clearly visible that where the land was desolate, a new world has sprung up. This event of nature indicates the possibility of the Hereafter. This shows in symbolic fashion that the emergence of the Hereafter from the present world is just as possible as the emergence of lush green foliage from dry barren land.
79:15–26Page 583
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ ١٥
Has there reached you the story of Moses? -
إِذۡ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٱلۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى ١٦
When his Lord called to him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā,
ٱذۡهَبۡ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ ١٧
"Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.
فَقُلۡ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ ١٨
And say to him, 'Would you [be willing to] purify yourself
وَأَهۡدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشَىٰ ١٩
And let me guide you to your Lord so you would fear [Him]?'"
فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلۡأٓيَةَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ ٢٠
And he showed him the greatest sign,1
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ ٢١
But he [i.e., Pharaoh] denied and disobeyed.
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعَىٰ ٢٢
Then he turned his back, striving [i.e., plotting].1
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ ٢٣
And he gathered [his people] and called out
فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ ٢٤
And said, "I am your most exalted lord."
فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ ٢٥
So Allāh seized him in exemplary punishment for the last and the first [transgression].1.
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةٗ لِّمَن يَخۡشَىٰٓ ٢٦
Indeed in that is a lesson [i.e., warning] for whoever would fear [Allāh].
The life of Pharaoh and other deniers of the truth like him provides proof of the fact that one who denies realities is ultimately punished for it. These historical examples are enough to teach man a lesson. But an instructive event is such only to one who has a prudent mentality, and who examines an action from the viewpoint of its end-result and not just in relation to its beginning.
79:27–33Page 584
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُۚ بَنَىٰهَا ٢٧
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., Allāh] constructed it.
رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا ٢٨
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا ٢٩
And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.1
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ ٣٠
And after that He spread the earth.
أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعَىٰهَا ٣١
He extracted from it its water and its pasture,
وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَىٰهَا ٣٢
And the mountains He set firmly
مَتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ ٣٣
As enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.
The magnificent phenomenon before us in the shape of the universe is so great that all other things are small in comparison to it. So, in the world when the occurrence of a big event is possible, why should the occurrence of a small event not be possible? There are already many factors in existence on a large scale which explain the Quran’s declaration that man shall one Day have to face resurrection.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences