Tafsir Surah Qaf ayah 21 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Reminding Mankind of the Stupor of Death, the Blast of the Trumpet and the Day of Gathering

Allah the Exalted and Most High said,

وَجَاءتۡ سَكۡرَةُ الۡمَوۡتِ بِالۡحَقِّ ذَلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنۡهُ تَحِيدُ

And the stupor of death will come in truth:

This is what you have been avoiding!

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored says, `O mankind! This is the stupor of death that has come in truth; now, I have brought forth to you the certainty that you were disputing,'

ذَلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنۡهُ تَحِيدُ

This is what you have been avoiding!,

means, `this is the end that you were trying to escape; it has come to you! Therefore, you will have neither a shelter nor a refuge nor a sanctuary nor an asylum from it.'

In the Sahih, the Prophet said, while wiping sweat from his face when the stupor of death overcame him,

سُبۡحَانَ اللهِ إِنَّ لِلۡمَوۡتِ لَسَكَرَات

Glory be to Allah! Verily, death has its stupor.

The Ayah,

ذَلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنۡهُ تَحِيدُ

(This is what you have been avoiding!) has two possible meanings. One of them is this:

- `what you have been trying to avert, escape and flee from has come to you and resided in your home!'

- The second meaning is, `you had no way of escaping or averting this end.

At-Tabarani collected a Hadith in Al-Mu`jam Al-Kabir from Samurah who said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَفِرُّ مِنَ الۡمَوۡتِ مَثَلُ الثَّعۡلَبِ تَطۡلُبُهُ الاَۡرۡضُ بِدَيۡن فَجَاءَ يَسۡعَى حَتۡى إِذَا أُعۡيِيَ وَأُسۡهِرَ دَخَلَ جُحۡرَهُ وَقَالَتۡ لَهُ الاَۡرۡضُ يَا ثَعۡلَبُ دَيۡنِي فَخَرَجَ وَلَهُ حُصَاصٌ فَلَمۡ يَزَلۡ كَذلِكَ حَتَّى تَقَطَّعَتۡ عُنُقُهُ وَمَات

The parable of whoever tries to avoid death is that of a fox that had a debt to pay to the earth. The fox went away and when he became tired and the time to sleep overtook him, he entered his den. The earth said to him, `O fox! Pay my debt!'

The fox went out howling and continued until his neck was cutoff, (i.e.,) he died.

This parable indicates that just as the fox had no way of escaping or avoiding the earth, likewise, man has no way of avoiding death.

Allah the Exalted the Blessed said,

وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ ذَلِكَ يَوۡمُ الۡوَعِيدِ

And the Trumpet will be blown -- that will be the Day of the threat.

Earlier we discussed the information about the blowing of the Trumpet, the fear that follows it, the death of everything and then resurrection, all this will occur on the Day of Resurrection. We also mentioned that the Messenger of Allah said in a Hadith,

كَيۡفَ أَنۡعَمُ وَصَاحِبُ الۡقَرۡنِ قَدِ الۡتَقَمَ الۡقَرۡنَ وَحَنَى جَبۡهَتَهُ وَانۡتَظَرَ أَنۡ يُوۡذَنَ لَه

How can I feel comfort while the angel responsible for the Trumpet has placed the Trumpet to his mouth and lowered his forehead awaiting when he will be commanded (by Allah to blow in it).

They said, O Allah's Messenger, what should we say?

He said,

قُولُوا

حَسۡبُنَا اللهُ وَنِعۡمَ الۡوَكِيل

Say,

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.

The Companions repeated this invocation, saying,

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs (for us).

Allah said,

وَجَاءتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ مَّعَهَا سَايِقٌ وَشَهِيدٌ

And every person will come forth along with a Sa'iq and a Shahid.

meaning, an angel to drive him to the gathering place and an angel to bear witness against him with regards to his deeds.

This is the apparent meaning of this honorable Ayah and it is the meaning that Ibn Jarir preferred.

It was narrated from Yahya bin Rafi`, the freed servant of Thaqif, that he heard Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, giving a speech in which he recited this Ayah,

وَجَاءتۡ كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ مَّعَهَا سَايِقٌ وَشَهِيدٌ

(And every person will come forth along with a Sa'iq and a Shahid), and then said,

A Sa'iq to drive every person to Allah the Exalted, and

a Shahid to witness against him what he has done.

The statement of Allah the Exalted,

لَقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةٍ مِّنۡ هَذَا فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٌ

Indeed you were heedless of this. Now We have removed from you, your covering, and sharp is your sight this Day!

is directed at humanity.

Allah said,

لَقَدۡ كُنتَ فِي غَفۡلَةٍ مِّنۡ هَذَا

(Indeed you were heedless of this), i.e. of this Day,

فَكَشَفۡنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الۡيَوۡمَ حَدِيدٌ

(Now We have removed from you, your covering, and sharp is your sight this Day!) `your sight is now clear and strong.'

Everyone, including the disbelievers, will have clear sight on the Day of Resurrection. However, having sight will not be helpful to the disbelievers on that Day, for Allah the Exalted said,

أَسۡمِعۡ بِهِمۡ وَأَبۡصِرۡ يَوۡمَ يَأۡتُونَنَا

How clearly will they (disbelievers) see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us! (19:38),

and,

وَلَوۡ تَرَى إِذِ الۡمُجۡرِمُونَ نَاكِسُواۡ رُءُوسِهِمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ رَبَّنَأ أَبۡصَرۡنَا وَسَمِعۡنَا فَارۡجِعۡنَا نَعۡمَلۡ صَـلِحاً إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ

And if you only could see when the criminals hang their heads before their Lord (saying):

Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send us back (to the world), that we will do righteous good deeds. Verily, we now believe with certainty. (32:12)

The Angel will bear Witness; Allah commands that the Disbeliever be thrown into the Fire

Allah the Exalted says,

وَقَالَ قَرِينُهُ

And his companion (angel) will say:

Allah the Exalted states that the scribe angel, who is entrusted with recording the deeds of mankind, will testify against him or her about the deeds he or she did on the Day of Resurrection. He will say,

هَذَا مَا لَدَيَّ عَتِيدٌ

Here is (his record) ready with me!,

here it is prepared and completed without addition or deletion. This is when Allah the Exalted will judge the creation with fairness, saying,

أَلۡقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ

Both of you throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever.

It appears that Allah will say these words to the Sa'iq and Shahid angels; the Sa'iq drove him to the grounds where Reckoning is held and the Shahid testified. Allah the Exalted will order them to throw him in the fire of Jahannam, and worse it is as a destination,

أَلۡقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ

Both of you throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever.

meaning, whose disbelief and denial of truth was horrendous, who used to stubbornly reject the truth, knowingly contradicting it with falsehood

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ

Hinderer of good,

meaning for he did not fulfill the duties he was ordered, nor was he dutiful, keeping ties to kith and kin nor giving charity,

مُعۡتَدٍ

transgressor,

meaning, he transgresses the limits in spending.

Qatadah commented,

He is a transgressor in his speech, behavior and affairs.

Allah said,

مُّرِيبٍ

doubter,

meaning, he doubts and raises doubts in those who scrutinize his behavior

الَّذِي جَعَلَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا اخَرَ

who set up another god with Allah.

meaning, he associated others with Allah and worshipped others besides Him,

فَأَلۡقِيَاهُ فِي الۡعَذَابِ الشَّدِيدِ

Then both of you cast him in the severe torment.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Prophet said,

يَخۡرُجُ عُنُقٌ مِنَ النَّارِ يَتَكَلَّمُ يَقُولُ وُكِّلۡتُ الۡيَوۡمَ بِثَلَثَةٍ

بِكُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ

وَمَنۡ جَعَلَ مَعَ اللهِ إِلهًا اخَرَ

وَمَنۡ قَتَلَ نَفۡسًا بِغَيۡرِ نَفۡسٍ

فَتَنۡطَوِي عَلَيۡهِمۡ فَتَقۡذِفُهُمۡ فِي غَمَرَاتِ جَهَنَّم

A neck from the Fire will appear and will speak saying,

Today, I have been entrusted with three:

Every obstinate tyrant,

everyone who ascribed another god with Allah, and

he who took a life without right.

The neck will then close in on them and throw them in the midst of Jahannam.

Man and Devil dispute before Allah

Allah's saying

قَالَ قَرِينُهُ

His companion will say,

refers to the devil who is entrusted to every man, according to Abdullah bin Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and several othes. He will say,

رَبَّنَا مَا أَطۡغَيۡتُهُ

Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression,

meaning, the devil will say this about the human who came on the Day of Resurrection as a disbeliever. The devil will disown him, saying,

رَبَّنَا مَا أَطۡغَيۡتُهُ

(Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression) meaning, I did not lead him astray,

وَلَكِن كَانَ فِي ضَلَلٍ بَعِيدٍ

but he was himself in error far astray.

meaning, he himself was misguided, accepting falsehood and stubborn to the truth.

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said in another Ayah,

وَقَالَ الشَّيۡطَـنُ لَمَّا قُضِىَ الاٌّمۡرُ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمۡ وَعۡدَ الۡحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمۡ فَأَخۡلَفۡتُكُمۡ وَمَا كَانَ لِىَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مِّن سُلۡطَـنٍ إِلاَّ أَن دَعَوۡتُكُمۡ فَاسۡتَجَبۡتُمۡ لِى فَلَ تَلُومُونِى وَلُومُواۡ أَنفُسَكُمۡ مَّأ أَنَاۡ بِمُصۡرِخِكُمۡ وَمَأ أَنتُمۡ بِمُصۡرِخِىَّ إِنِّى كَفَرۡتُ بِمَأ أَشۡرَكۡتُمُونِ مِن قَبۡلُ

إِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

And Shaytan will say when the matter has been decided:

Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me as a partner with Allah.

Verily, there is a painful torment for the wrongdoers. (14:22)

Allah the Exalted said

قَالَ لَاا تَخۡتَصِمُوا لَدَيَّ

وَقَدۡ قَدَّمۡتُ إِلَيۡكُم بِالۡوَعِيدِ

(Allah) will say:Dispute not in front of Me.

The Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored will say this to the man and his devil companion, who will be disputing before Him.

The man will say, O, Lord! This devil has misguided me away from the Remembrance after it came to me, while the devil will declare,

رَبَّنَا مَا أَطۡغَيۡتُهُ وَلَكِن كَانَ فِي ضَلَلٍ بَعِيدٍ

(Our Lord! I did not push him to transgression, but he was himself in error far astray). from the path of truth.

The Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored will say to them,

لَاا تَخۡتَصِمُوا لَدَيَّ

(Dispute not in front of Me), or `before Me,'

وَقَدۡ قَدَّمۡتُ إِلَيۡكُم بِالۡوَعِيدِ

(I had already in advance sent you the threat).

`I have given you sufficient proof by the words of the Messengers, and I have sent down the Divine Books; the evidences, signs and proofs have thus been established against you,

مَا يُبَدَّلُ الۡقَوۡلُ لَدَيَّ

The Sentence that comes from Me cannot be changed,

I have made My decision, according to the explanation of Mujahid,

وَمَا أَنَا بِظَلَّمٍ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ

And I am not unjust to the servants.

`I will not punish anyone, except on account of their sins after the proof has been established against them.

Qaf: 21

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Qaf: 21