[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:1] The inevitable event is the resurrection for the final judgement. People may have doubts about its coming, but when it comes, as it shall certainly come suddenly upon them, all false notions about its incredibility shall vanish, and its reality shall penetrate every soul. Call to mind all that you have read about resurrection, reckoning and final judgement, in this book. Some references are given below: Anam: 51, 128 Araf: 187 Nahl: 38 to 40, 77 Bani Israil: 49 to 52 Kahf: 47 to 49, 99 to 101 Maryam: 66 to 72 TaHa: 100 to 112, 124 to 127 Anbiya: 47, 97 to 104 Hajj: 1, 2, 5, 7 Muminun: 101 to 111 Furqan: 17 to 30 Naml: 88 to 90 Rum: 12, 13 Saba : 3 to 5 Ya Sin: 51 to 59 Saffat: 16 to 74 Zumar: 67 to 70 Mumin: 59 Zukhruf: 65 to 69 Jathiyah: 27 to 35 Ahqaf: 33, 34 Qaf: 3, 20 to 29, 41 to 44 Dhariyat: 5, 6, 12 to 16 Tur: 7 to 16, 45 to 47 Qamar: 6 to 8 Rahman: 35 to 44. These verses will help you to understand many verses of this surah. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: According to the above verses resurrection must come and will come followed by the final judgement, because the process of creation bears testimony to the inevitable end, therefore no one should belie it or have false notions about it.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:2] (see commentary for verse 1)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:3] There will be a sorting out of good and evil. The disbelievers, even if they were high and mighty in this world, will be brought low; and the believers, irrespective of whether they occupied low or high position in this world, will be exalted to various ranks and degrees.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:4] The existing physical world will disappear in the new creation. Refer to Anbiya: 104; Hajj: 1 and 2; Furqan: 25, 26.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:5] (see commentary for verse 4)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:6] (see commentary for verse 4)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:7] There will be a sorting out of good and evil. There will be three main classes: (i) The people of the right hand are those who made mistakes but turned in repentance to Allah within reasonable time and thereafter lived a pious life. Their rewards are described in verses 27 to 40. (ii) The people of the left hand are those who did not believe in Allah, His book and His last Prophet lived in sin and died in disbelief. Their agony and torment is described in verses 41 to 56. (iii) "The foremost in faith" are those who were always the quickest and readiest to accept Allah's message and to give life, property and position in the service of Allah. They reached the highest degree in submission to Allah's will and spiritual understanding, such as the messengers and prophets of Allah and their divinely chosen successors. Refer to the commentary of Bara-at: 100 and Saffat: 40. When the Holy Prophet made known his mission Ali ibn abi Talib and Khadijah Kubra were the foremost in accepting the truth. They were the first two who prayed salat behind the Holy Prophet. Refer to the commentary of Ali Imran: 52 and 53 for the event of "the feast of the relatives". Ali was the first man who agreed to help the Holy Prophet in his mission and throughout his life fulfilled his undertaking. The commentary of several verses so far read by you confirm the historical facts that in Badr, Uhad, Khandaq, Khaybar, Hunayn and all the battles the Holy Prophet had to fight in self defence Ali was not only in the forefront but also the exclusive hero who won every battle he fought. The commentary of Baqarah: 124 makes clear the fact that he alone was the person who did not worship any ghayrullah (other than Allah) and in wisdom, mercy and guidance he was with the Holy Prophet all the time. Ahmad bin Hanbal says in his Musnad that the foremost in faith were three men (i) mumin of ali Firawn (ii) mumin of ali Ya Sin (iii) Ali ibn abi Talib. The well-known commentator, Thalabi, reports on the authority of Ibn Abbas that Ali ibn abi Talib said: "I am the servant of Allah, the brother of the Holy Prophet, the siddiq al akbar, the greatest testifier (of the Holy Prophet), He who claims this title is an impostor." Therefore Ali is the highest example of the foremost (sabiqun). There are others according to the degree they attain. Those who spent a long life in worship of idols, and even after accepting Islam, ran away from the battles, deserting the Holy Prophet, and deviated from the path shown by him can never be included in the category of the foremost. Imam Ali said: "The Holy Prophet told me that my devotees (shi-ahs) will be the first to enter the paradise." The devotees of Ali are those who reflect Ali's character (like Salman and Abu Dhar). The light of faith will make their faces radiant on the day of resurrection. They will be nearest to Allah, enjoying the highest bliss. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The people of "the right hand" in verse 8 are those who incline towards the absolute, and the people of "the left hand" in verse 9 are those who incline towards the illusory gains, and the foremost in verse 10 are those whose obedience to the absolute is total and exclusive. Refer to my note in the commentary of Maryam: 71. These are those referred to in Anbiya: 101 (freed from all afflictions in the hereafter), in Fatir: 32 (the inheritors of the book). The number of the foremost between the time of Adam and the advent of the Holy Prophet are many because in the terms sabiqun and muqarrabun (the foremost and the nearest to Allah) all the prophets and their divinely commissioned successors (awsiya) are included. The Holy Prophet said: "The guides (leaders) after me are twelve". Therefore the foremost among the followers of the Holy Prophet are very few. According to Sahih Bukhari, the Holy Prophet said: "He who does not recognise the Imam of his age and leaves this world dies the death of ignorance." In verse 34 furush literally means carpet, or anything spread on the ground. In Dhariyat: 48 it has been used for the earth. Figuratively it has been used here for wives as the Holy Prophet has used it when he said: "The child belongs to the farash (bed-wife) and the wife belongs to the husband." Verse 35 supports this interpretation. The reward and punishment, the pleasure and torment, are described in terms of the physical world. The physical world is the manifestation of the spiritual world. The enjoyments and torments described in the terms of the physical world are figurative to give an idea of the real world. See my note in the commentary of Maryam: 61.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:8] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:9] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:10] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:11] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:12] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:13] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:14] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:15] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:16] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:17] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:18] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:19] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:20] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:21] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:22] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:23] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:24] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:25] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:26] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:27] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:28] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:29] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:30] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:31] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:32] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:33] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:34] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:35] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:36] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:37] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:38] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:39] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:40] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:41] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:42] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:43] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:44] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:45] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:46] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:47] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:48] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:49] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:50] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:51] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:52] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:53] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:54] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:55] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:56] (see commentary for verse 7)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:57] Aqa Mahdi Puya says: To prove the evolutionary process of the development of the life from physical to transcendental the Quran refers to the process of creation-the development of a most intricate living being out of the most insignificant human seed (see Anam: 2; Araf: 12; Kahf: 37; Hajj: 5; Rum: 20; Muminum: 12 to 16; Fatir: 11 and Zumar: 6).

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:58] (see commentary for verse 57)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:59] (see commentary for verse 57)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:60] The time between life and death is the respite given to man. Just as Allah has created life, so He has decreed death which is inevitable. If he can give life and death, He can give us other forms when this life is over. The future life will be on a wholly different plane not known to us.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:61] (see commentary for verse 60)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:62] Aqa Mahdi Puya says: It is asserted that the life in the unknown realm is comparable to the life known to man therefore it is proved that man will have a conscious awareness of the life known to him.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:63] The real cause of growth, development and changes is Allah. Though the action is attributed to man but the effect is always due to Allah's administration. Innumerable bounties of nature are made available to man by Allah's rahmaniyyat (grace). The creation of fire which serves many needs of man is a reminder. Seeing all these signs in nature and their symbolical meaning in the spiritual world, man must turn to Allah, surrender to His will and carry out His plan.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:64] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:65] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:66] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:67] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:68] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:69] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:70] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:71] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:72] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:73] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:74] (see commentary for verse 63)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:75] An oath when pronounced by Allah means His calling to witness some of the great and special objects of His creation to make an extraordinary announcement-the Quran is karim, well guarded in a hidden book, and only the thoroughly purified can achieve real contact with its true meaning; see verses 77 to 79.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:76] (see commentary for verse 75)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:77] All shades of meanings associated with the word "karim" are applicable. The Quran gives out, imparts, makes available openhandedly knowledge, justice, mercy, awareness of laws made by Allah, relationship between man and God, and interrelation among all that has been created, in all directions, covering every aspect and dimension. The maknun (hidden, precious, well-guarded) Quran in the lawh mahfuz is beyond the reach of earthly understanding, based upon empirical conclusions. Only the thoroughly purified, mentioned in Azhab: 33, come in contact or achieve real contact with its true meaning (refer to Ali Imran: 7), sense, grasp and handle (various meanings of the word mass) the real purport of the word of Allah. Refer to the commentary of Ahzab :33. The Quran is amidst the people, sent by the beneficent Lord, to give guidance to whosever seeks it as promised in verse 69 of Ankabut, but in the light of hadith al thaqalayn (on page 6) the Holy Prophet made it clearly known that unless the seeker of guidance comes to his Ahl ul Bayt, he will not find it. Verse 78 says that the Quran is treasured and preserved in a well guarded book (maknun) implying that it is the recitation which is in our hands, not the actual book. In support verses 3 and 4 of Zukhruf say: "Verily, We have made it an Arabic Quran that you may haply understand. Verily it is in the mother (of the) book with Us, the most exalted, full of wisdom." According to Shu-ara: 192 to 194 it was sent down to the heart of the Holy Prophet through the trusted spirit. It was taught to the Holy Prophet by Allah as per Najam: 5. Ankabut: 49 says that the Quran, a collection of clear or manifest signs or verses, is treasured in the hearts of those who are endowed with divine wisdom-the Holy Prophet and his thoroughly purified Ahl ul Bayt. Therefore the well-guarded book preserved in the lawh mahfuz (also described in Anam: 59) was known to the Holy Prophet, and from the heart of the Holy Prophet this heavenly treasure was transferred to the twelve Imams of the Ahl ul Bayt, the thoroughly purified. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: (i) According to Buruj: 21 and 22 the Quran has a pre-revealed existence in the lawh mahfuz (the preserved tablet). (ii) This existence is not material or physical, knowable to human senses. (iii) The nature of this existence is spiritual and intellectual, so the word mass cannot refer to the sense of touch. It implies intellectual grasp because the inseparable pronoun in objective case (yamassuhu) either refers to the maknun book or the Quran which is hidden in the maknun book. (iv) The clause la yamassuhu should be taken as purely of indicative and not of imperative significance. (v) If there is a tradition which prohibits impure persons to touch the revealed version of the Quran, it should be taken as an imperative based on the indicative preposition as has been pointed out in the commentary of Saffat: 102-Ibrahim told Ismail his dream in an indicative form but Ismail treated the indicative as imperative. (vi) The phrase al mutahharun (the purified) does not refer to those who purify themselves by a material purifying agent or by embracing Islam. In Abasa: 13 to 16 and Bayyinah: 2 and 3 this phrase has been used for purifying the book by Allah Himself. In Baqarah: 25 it is used to describe the wives purified by Allah. (vii) The physical touch is partial because the surface of one thing touches the surface of another thing. In the case of intellectual touch the knower grasps the known in such a way that the known, the knowing and the knower become identifiable with each other. It is a total touch. (viii) As the term touch requires, the toucher and the touched should be of the same class, otherwise the touch or grasp would be not possible. (ix) Taking into consideration all these arguments, many commentators have said that the word mutahharun refers to the angels, accepting the principle that touching of the Quran in its original state of "well guarded tablet" is possible only if the toucher has been purified. Now if the application of the term is confined to the angels, the superior status given to man by Allah-He has appointed him as His vicegerent and commanded the angels to prostrate before him (see commentary of Baqarah: 30 to 39)-will be brought low which amounts to rebellion against Allah; particularly when Allah has thoroughly purified a group of human beings, the Ahl ul Bayt of the Holy Prophet, by His will and command in verse 33 of Ahzab. These verses are inseparably linked with Ahzab: 33. On the basis of all these verses the Holy Prophet joined the Quran and his Ahl ul Bayt together (see hadith al thaqalayn on page 6) so that guidance, mercy and knowledge be available to mankind in all ages. The Quran and sunnah, in unequivocal terms, have asserted the infallibility of the Ahl ul Bayt as well as the book of Allah.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:78] (see commentary for verse 77)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:79] (see commentary for verse 77)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:80] The message (the Quran) is from Allah. No reasonable man ignores it or treats it with contempt or refuses to follow its commandments save the obstinate ignorant and the disbeliever.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:81] (see commentary for verse 80)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:82] The worst punishment the opponents of the revelation impose on themselves is that they let falsehood and corruption upset and destroy their day to day life.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:83] Aqa Mahdi Puya says: If man thinks that life and death is not controlled by a supreme authority then he, as a conscious being having independent existence, should demonstrate his control over life and death, by bringing back the life after dying but he cannot do so as neither he is independent nor has he authority.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:84] (see commentary for verse 83)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:85] (see commentary for verse 83)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:86] (see commentary for verse 83)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:87] (see commentary for verse 83)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:88] Refer to the commentary of verses 7 to 56 for the certainty of resurrection, judgement, reward and punishment.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:89] (see commentary for verse 88)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:90] (see commentary for verse 88)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:91] (see commentary for verse 88)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:92] (see commentary for verse 88)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:93] (see commentary for verse 88)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:94] (see commentary for verse 88)

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:95]

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 56:96]