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Ayah
Word by Word
أَفَلَمۡ
Then, do not
يَرَوۡاْ
they see
إِلَىٰ
towards
مَا
what
بَيۡنَ
(is) before them
أَيۡدِيهِمۡ
(is) before them
وَمَا
and what
خَلۡفَهُم
(is) behind them
مِّنَ
of
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
the heaven
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ
and the earth
إِن
If
نَّشَأۡ
We will
نَخۡسِفۡ
We (could) cause to swallow them
بِهِمُ
We (could) cause to swallow them
ٱلۡأَرۡضَ
the earth
أَوۡ
or
نُسۡقِطۡ
cause to fall
عَلَيۡهِمۡ
upon them
كِسَفٗا
fragments
مِّنَ
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ
the sky
إِنَّ
Indeed
فِي
in
ذَٰلِكَ
that
لَأٓيَةٗ
surely, is a Sign
لِّكُلِّ
for every
عَبۡدٖ
slave
مُّنِيبٖ
who turns (to Allah)
أَفَلَمۡ
Then, do not
يَرَوۡاْ
they see
إِلَىٰ
towards
مَا
what
بَيۡنَ
(is) before them
أَيۡدِيهِمۡ
(is) before them
وَمَا
and what
خَلۡفَهُم
(is) behind them
مِّنَ
of
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
the heaven
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ
and the earth
إِن
If
نَّشَأۡ
We will
نَخۡسِفۡ
We (could) cause to swallow them
بِهِمُ
We (could) cause to swallow them
ٱلۡأَرۡضَ
the earth
أَوۡ
or
نُسۡقِطۡ
cause to fall
عَلَيۡهِمۡ
upon them
كِسَفٗا
fragments
مِّنَ
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ
the sky
إِنَّ
Indeed
فِي
in
ذَٰلِكَ
that
لَأٓيَةٗ
surely, is a Sign
لِّكُلِّ
for every
عَبۡدٖ
slave
مُّنِيبٖ
who turns (to Allah)
Translation
Then, do they not look at what is before them and what is behind them of the heaven and earth? If We should will, We could cause the earth to swallow them or [could] let fall upon them fragments from the sky. Indeed in that is a sign for every servant turning back [to Allāh].
Tafsir
Have they not observed what is before them and what is behind them, in other words, what is above them and what is beneath them, of sky and earth? If We will [it], We can make the earth swallow them or let fall on them fragments (read kisfan or kisafan: 'large pieces') from the sky (a variant reading has the third person singular for all three verbs [sc. yashaa', 'He will', yakhsif, 'He makes to swallow', yusqit, 'He lets fall']). Surely in that, which is observed, there is a sign for every penitent servant, turning back to his Lord, [signs] indicating God's power to resurrect and to do what He will.
The Disbelievers' Denial of Life after Death, and the Refutation of Their View
Here Allah tells us how the disbelievers and heretics denied that the Hour will come, and mocked the Messenger for speaking of it.
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَلْ نَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى رَجُلٍ يُنَبِّيُكُمْ إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ
Those who disbelieve say:Shall we direct you to a man who will tell you (that) when you have become fully disintegrated into dust with full dispersion...
means, when your bodies have disintegrated into the earth and dispersed without a trace,
إِنَّكُمْ
then you (means, after this has happened),
لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ
will be created (again) anew.
means, you will be restored to life and will receive provision anew.
`By telling us this, he is doing one of two things:
- either he is deliberately fabricating something and saying that Allah has revealed it to him, or
- he is not doing it deliberately, but he is deluded as crazy and insane people are.'
They said
أَفْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَم بِهِ جِنَّةٌ
Has he invented a lie against Allah, or is there a madness in him!
Allah said, refuting their words:
بَلِ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِالاْخِرَةِ فِي الْعَذَابِ وَالضَّلَلِ الْبَعِيدِ
Nay, but those who disbelieve in the Hereafter are (themselves) in a torment, and in far error.
meaning, the matter is not as they claim or as they think; on the contrary, Muhammad is the one who is telling the truth, and is righteous and wise; he is the one who has brought the truth, and they are the foolish and ignorant liars.
فِي الْعَذَابِ
are (themselves) in a torment,
means, their disbelief, which will lead them to the torment of Allah.
..
وَالضَّلَالِ الْبَعِيدِ
and in far error.
i.e. far from the truth in this world.
Then Allah warns them of His power in the creation of heavens and earth, as He says
أَفَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَالاَْرْضِ
See they not what is before them and what is behind them, of the heaven and the earth!
meaning, wherever they go, in whatever direction, the heavens are above them and the earth is beneath them.
This is like the Ayah:
وَالسَّمَأءَ بَنَيْنَـهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ
وَالاٌّرْضَ فَرَشْنَـهَا فَنِعْمَ الْمَـهِدُونَ
With Hands did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the vastness of space thereof. And We have spread out the earth; how Excellent Spreader (thereof) are We! (51:47-48)
إِن نَّشَأْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ الاَْرْضَ أَوْ نُسْقِطْ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَاء
If We will, We shall sink the earth with them, or cause a piece of the heaven to fall upon them.
means, `if We wished, We could do that to them because of their wrongdoing and Our power over them, but We delay it because We are Patient and Forgiving.'
Then Allah says:
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَايَةً لِّكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُّنِيبٍ
Verily, in this is a sign for every Munib servant.
Ma`mar narrating from Qatadah, said that Al-Munib
means every one who repents.
Sufyan narrated from Qatadah, that Al-Munib
is the one who turns to Allah.
This means that in looking at the creation of the heavens and the earth, there is a sign for every servant who is intelligent and wise and who turns towards Allah. There is a sign of the Allah's ability to recreate bodies and bring about the Resurrection, because the One Who was able to create these heavens -- with their vast reaches of space, and this earth, as deep and vast as it is -- is able to recreate bodies and revive decayed bones.
This is like the Ayat:
أَوَلَـيْسَ الَذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَـوتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بِقَـدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُم بَلَى
Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, Able to create the like of them! Yes, indeed! (36:81)
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَكْـبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْـثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind; yet, most of mankind know not. (40:57)
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