وَالنَّازِعَاتِ غَرْقًا
By those [angels] who wrest [the soul] violently,
Commentary on Quran 79:1
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:1] The souls of the wicked are averse to part with their body at death, but their choice will not count. The angel of death will drag forth their souls vehemently. Wa in verses 1 to 5 means "I swear" just as the early verses of al Mursalat.
وَالنَّاشِطَاتِ نَشْطًا
by those who draw [it] out gently,
Commentary on Quran 79:2
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:2] In contrast to the wicked, the souls of the righteous will be drawn out gently to their new life. They are always ready for it. For them death is a release from the temptations of this world. They welcome the approach of the day of judgement.
وَالسَّابِحَاتِ سَبْحًا
by those who swim smoothly,
Commentary on Quran 79:3
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:3] There are angels who traverse all frontiers of the universe to carry out divine commands. They never lag behind or leave anything undone while executing the will of Allah. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The first 3 verses refer to the preparatory work before any divine will takes effect which sets in motion that which is willed. Verses 4 and 5 refer to the administration or operation of the consequences of the divine will. The forces working in the universe operate in harmony under the laws made by the creator. There is no reason to restrict its application or reference to any particular agency. Refer to the commentary of Saffat: 1 to 3; Dhariyat: 1 to 4 and Mursalat: 1 to 5.
فَالسَّابِقَاتِ سَبْقًا
by those who, racing, take the lead,
Commentary on Quran 79:4
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:4] (see commentary for verse 3)
فَالْمُدَبِّرَاتِ أَمْرًا
by those who direct the affairs [of creatures]:
Commentary on Quran 79:5
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:5] (see commentary for verse 3)
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الرَّاجِفَةُ
the day when the Quaker quakes
Commentary on Quran 79:6
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:6] The whole world as we see it will be in a violent commotion at the dawn of the day of resurrection.
تَتْبَعُهَا الرَّادِفَةُ
and is followed by the Successor,
Commentary on Quran 79:7
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:7] The commotion referred to in verse 6 is a preliminary to its disappearance in order to make way for the new world that will then come into being.
قُلُوبٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاجِفَةٌ
hearts will be trembling on that day,
Commentary on Quran 79:8
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:8] All hearts will be in agitation and all eyes will be cast down: The hearts of the righteous to see the beginning of the fulfilment of their Lord's promise with their eyes cast down in humble modesty and obedience; the hearts of the beliers for fear of His just punishment in utter humiliation and shame for their past arrogance and insolence.
أَبْصَارُهَا خَاشِعَةٌ
bearing a humbled look.
Commentary on Quran 79:9
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:9] (see commentary for verse 8)
يَقُولُونَ أَإِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِي الْحَافِرَةِ
They will say, ‘Are we being returned to our earlier state?
Commentary on Quran 79:10
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:10] Refer to the commentary of Rad: 5. The beliers of the inevitable day of resurrection used to say that death was the end of an things and their rotten bones and limbs would never be restored again. On the day of resurrection they will indeed be in a terrible loss; indeed they will go to perdition.
أَإِذَا كُنَّا عِظَامًا نَّخِرَةً
What, even after we have been decayed bones?!’
Commentary on Quran 79:11
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:11] (see commentary for verse 10)
قَالُوا تِلْكَ إِذًا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌ
They will say, ‘This is, then, a ruinous return!’
Commentary on Quran 79:12
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:12] (see commentary for verse 10)
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ
Yet it will be only a single shout,
Commentary on Quran 79:13
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:13] (see commentary for verse 10)
فَإِذَا هُم بِالسَّاهِرَةِ
and behold, they will be awake.
Commentary on Quran 79:14
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:14] The Holy Prophet said: "People are asleep. They will awake when they die."
هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَى
Did you receive the story of Moses,
Commentary on Quran 79:15
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:15] Refer to the commentary of Ta Ha: 9 to 98.
إِذْ نَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
when his Lord called out to him in the holy valley of Tuwa?
Commentary on Quran 79:16
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:16] (see commentary for verse 15)
اذْهَبْ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى
[And said,] ‘Go to Pharaoh, for indeed he has rebelled,
Commentary on Quran 79:17
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:17] (see commentary for verse 15)
فَقُلْ هَل لَّكَ إِلَى أَن تَزَكَّى
and say, ‘‘Would you purify yourself?
Commentary on Quran 79:18
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:18] (see commentary for verse 15)
وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَى رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَى
I will guide you to your Lord, that you may fear [Him]?’’ ’
Commentary on Quran 79:19
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:19] (see commentary for verse 15)
فَأَرَاهُ الْآيَةَ الْكُبْرَى
Then he showed him the greatest sign.
Commentary on Quran 79:20
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:20] (see commentary for verse 15)
فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَى
But he denied, and disobeyed.
Commentary on Quran 79:21
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:21] (see commentary for verse 15)
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ يَسْعَى
Then he turned back, walking swiftly,
Commentary on Quran 79:22
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:22] (see commentary for verse 15)
فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَى
and gathered [the people] and proclaimed,
Commentary on Quran 79:23
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:23] (see commentary for verse 15)
فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَى
saying, ‘I am your exalted lord!’
Commentary on Quran 79:24
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:24] (see commentary for verse 15)
فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الْآخِرَةِ وَالْأُولَى
So Allah seized him with the punishment of this life and the Hereafter.
Commentary on Quran 79:25
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:25] (see commentary for verse 15)
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَى
There is indeed a moral in that for someone who fears!
Commentary on Quran 79:26
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:26] (see commentary for verse 15)
أَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ السَّمَاءُ بَنَاهَا
Is your creation more prodigious or that of the heaven He has built?
Commentary on Quran 79:27
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:27] This verse draws attention to the insignificance of pride and arrogance man displays in his ignorance and thoughtlessness. The whole universe which, willingly or unwillingly, submits to His will shall disappear at His command. So man has no ability whatsoever to avoid that which Allah wills.
رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا
He raised its vault and fashioned it,
Commentary on Quran 79:28
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:28] Refer to the commentary of Rahman: 5 and Jathiyah: 3 to 11.
وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَاهَا
and darkened its night, and brought forth its forenoon.
Commentary on Quran 79:29
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:29]
وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا
Thereafter He spread out the earth,
Commentary on Quran 79:30
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:30] Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Daha means further expansion of the earth. It may refer to the upper soil of the earth which grows food for all the created beings.
أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا
brought forth from it its water and pastures,
Commentary on Quran 79:31
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:31]
وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا
setting firm the mountains,
Commentary on Quran 79:32
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:32] Refer to the commentary of Nahl: 15.
مَتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ
as a [place of] sustenance for you and your livestock.
Commentary on Quran 79:33
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:33] By Allah's bountiful beneficence, everything on earth has been made available to man for his sustenance.
فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الطَّامَّةُ الْكُبْرَى
When the Greatest Catastrophe befalls
Commentary on Quran 79:34
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:34] As said in verse 14, on the day of judgement man will be fully aware of what he used to strive for in the life of the world. He will not only remember every detail of his deeds but also clearly see the fire of punishment. The eternal punishment will be given to those who had wilfully and persistently disobeyed Allah and transgressed all bounds. The punishment will not touch those who had repented and have been forgiven; and those who are guilty of minor sins through human frailty, their good deeds will be weighed in the balance against their bad deeds. Those who feared the punishment, paid heed to Allah's warnings and restrained their souls from lust, will dwell in paradise.
يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنسَانُ مَا سَعَى
—the day when man will remember his endeavours
Commentary on Quran 79:35
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:35] (see commentary for verse 34)
وَبُرِّزَتِ الْجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَى
and hell is brought into view for those who can see—
Commentary on Quran 79:36
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:36] (see commentary for verse 34)
فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَى
as for him who has been rebellious
Commentary on Quran 79:37
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:37] (see commentary for verse 34)
وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا
and preferred the life of this world,
Commentary on Quran 79:38
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:38] (see commentary for verse 34)
فَإِنَّ الْجَحِيمَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَى
his refuge will indeed be hell.
Commentary on Quran 79:39
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:39] (see commentary for verse 34)
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَى
But as for him who is awed to stand before his Lord and restrains his soul from [following] desires,
Commentary on Quran 79:40
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:40] (see commentary for verse 34)
فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَى
his refuge will indeed be paradise.
Commentary on Quran 79:41
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:41] (see commentary for verse 34)
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا
They ask you concerning the Hour, “When will it set in,
Commentary on Quran 79:42
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:42] Refer to the commentary of Araf: 187. The Holy Prophet announced the sure arrival of the day of resurrection as a warner. Its exact hour is known to Allah alone. Our time has no connection with timeless state in the spiritual world in which the final judgement win take place. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The whole system of universe is in motion and progress. It is Allah unto whom the motion shall terminate. In the awakening, referred to in verse 14, the conscious self shall be in a state free from the bounds of time and space. The whole system of four dimensions will appear to him even less than a part of an ordinary day of this world.
فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَاهَا
considering your frequent mention of it?”
Commentary on Quran 79:43
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:43] (see commentary for verse 42)
إِلَى رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَاهَا
Its outcome is with your Lord.
Commentary on Quran 79:44
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:44] (see commentary for verse 42)
إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخْشَاهَا
You are only a warner for those who are afraid it.
Commentary on Quran 79:45
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:45] (see commentary for verse 42)
كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوا إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَاهَا
The day they see it, it shall be as if they had not stayed [in the world] except for an evening or forenoon.
Commentary on Quran 79:46
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 79:46] (see commentary for verse 42)
