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Ayah
Word by Word
بَلِ
Nay!
ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ
[The] man
عَلَىٰ
against
نَفۡسِهِۦ
himself
بَصِيرَةٞ
(will be) a witness
بَلِ
Nay!
ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ
[The] man
عَلَىٰ
against
نَفۡسِهِۦ
himself
بَصِيرَةٞ
(will be) a witness
Translation
Nay, man will be evidence against himself,
Tafsir
Rather man has insight into his [own] soul, for his limbs will speak of his deeds (the haa' [sc. the taa' marboota in baseeratun] is for hyperbole), and so he must be requited,
Tafsir of Surah Al-Qiyamah
The Oath about the Final Return on the Day of Resurrection and the Refutation against the Plots of the Thinkers
It has been mentioned previously on more than one occasion that if the thing that is being sworn about is something that is being negated, then it is permissible to use the word La (Nay) before the oath to emphasize the negation.
Here, what is being sworn about is the affirmation of the final abode and the refutation against the claim of the ignorant that the resurrection of bodies will not occur. This is why Allah says,
لَاا أُقۡسِمُ بِيَوۡمِ الۡقِيَامَةِ
وَلَا أُقۡسِمُ بِالنَّفۡسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ
Nay! I swear by the Day of Resurrection.
And nay! I swear by An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah.
Qatadah said,
This means, I swear by both of these things.
This has also been reported from Ibn `Abbas and Sa`id bin Jubayr.
Concerning the Day of Judgement, it is well known what it is.
In reference to An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah, Qurrah bin Khalid reported from Al-Hasan Al-Basri that he said about this Ayah,
Verily, by Allah, we think that every believer blames himself. He says (questioning himself),
`What did I intend by my statement What did I intend by my eating?
What did I intend in what I said to myself?'
However, the sinner proceeds ahead and he does not blame himself.
Ibn Jarir recorded from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning Allah's statement,
وَلَا أُقۡسِمُ بِالنَّفۡسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ
(And nay! I swear by An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah)
He criticizes himself in good and bad.
Similar has been reported from `Ikrimah.
Ibn Abi Najih reported from Mujahid:
He is sorry for what he missed (of good deeds) and he blames himself for it.
Allah said;
أَيَحۡسَبُ الاِۡنسَانُ أَلَّن نَجۡمَعَ عِظَامَهُ
Does man think that We shall not assemble his bones?
meaning, `on the Day of Judgement does he think that We are not able to return his bones and gather them from their various places'
بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ
Yes, We are able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers.
meaning, `does man think that We will not gather his bones Surely, We will gather them and We are quite able to put together his fingertips.
This means Our power is suitable to gather (and recreate) them, and if We wished We could surely resurrect him with more than what he originally had. We could make his Banan, which are the tips of his fingers, all equal (in length).'
Concerning Allah's statement,
بَلۡ يُرِيدُ الاِۡنسَانُ لِيَفۡجُرَ أَمَامَهُ
Nay! Man desires to break out ahead of himself.
Sa`id reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said,
This means to proceed forward.
Mujahid said about,
لِيَفۡجُرَ أَمَامَهُ
(to break out ahead of himself).
This means that he wants to proceed ahead following his own whims.
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said,
This refers to the disbeliever who denies the Day of Reckoning.
Ibn Zayd said the same thing.
Thus, Allah says after this,
يَسۡأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوۡمُ الۡقِيَامَةِ
He asks:When will be this Day of Resurrection
meaning, he says when will the Day of Judgement be His question is only a question of denying its occurrence, and rejecting its existence.
This is as Allah says,
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَـذَا الۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـدِقِينَ قُل لَّكُم مِّيعَادُ يَوۡمٍ لاَّ تَسۡتَـَخِرُونَ عَنۡهُ سَاعَةً وَلَا تَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ
And they say:When is this promise if you are truthful
Say:
The appointment to you is for a Day, which you cannot put back for an hour nor put forward. (34:29-30)
Here Allah says,
فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الۡبَصَرُ
So, when Bariqa the sight.
Abu `Amr bin Al-`Ala' recited this Ayah as Bariqa with a Kasrah under the letter Ra, which means to be diminished. That which he (Abu `Amr) has said resembles the statement of Allah,
لَا يَرۡتَدُّ إِلَيۡهِمۡ طَرۡفُهُمۡ
Their gaze returning not towards them. (14:43)
meaning, they will be looking this way and that way in horror. Their gaze will not be able to rest upon anything due to the severity of the terror on that Day.
Others recited it as Baraqa with a Fathah over the letter Ra, and its meaning is close to the first recitation (Bariqa).
The intent here is that the eyes will be dazzled, humbled, diminished, and humiliated on the Day of Judgement due to the severity of the horrors and the greatness of the matters that they will witness on that Day.
Concerning Allah's statement,
وَخَسَفَ الۡقَمَرُ
And the moon will be eclipsed.
meaning, its light will go away.
وَجُمِعَ الشَّمۡسُ وَالۡقَمَرُ
And the sun and moon will be joined together.
Mujahid said, They will be rolled up.
In explaining this Ayah, Ibn Zayd recited the following Ayat,
إِذَا الشَّمۡسُ كُوِّرَتۡ
وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتۡ
When the sun is wound round and its light is lost and is overthrown, and when the stars fall. (81:1,2)
It has been reported from Ibn Mas`ud that he recited the Ayah as,
وَجُمِعَ بَيۡنَ الشَّمۡسُ وَالۡقَمَرُ
and the sun and the moon will be joined between each other.
Allah said,
يَقُولُ الاِۡنسَانُ يَوۡمَيِذٍ أَيۡنَ الۡمَفَرُّ
On that Day man will say:Where (is the refuge) to flee
meaning, the human will see these horrors on the Day of Judgement and he will want to flee. He will say, Where (is the place) to flee to This means, where is the escape or refuge?
Allah then says,
كَلَّ لَا وَزَرَ
إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ الۡمُسۡتَقَرُّ
No! There is no refuge! Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day.
Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr and several others of the Salaf said,
There will be no salvation.
This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement,
مَا لَكُمۡ مِّن مَّلۡجَأٍ يَوۡمَيِذٍ وَمَا لَكُمۡ مِّن نَّكِيرٍ
You will have no refuge on that Day nor there will be for you any denying. (42:47) meaning, `there will be no place for you to hide.'
This is like what Allah says here,
لَاا وَزَرَ
(There is no refuge).
meaning, `there will be no place for you to seek shelter.'
Thus, Allah says,
لَى رَبِّكَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ الۡمُسۡتَقَرُّ
(Unto your Lord will be the place of rest that Day).
meaning, the place of return and the final destination. The Deeds of Man will be placed before Him on the Day of Judgement
Then Allah says,
يُنَبَّأُ الاِۡنسَانُ يَوۡمَيِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ
On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind.
meaning, he will be informed of all of his deeds, the old of them and the recent of them, the first of them and the last of them, the small of them and the large of them.
This is as Allah says,
وَوَجَدُواۡ مَا عَمِلُواۡ حَاضِرًا وَلَا يَظۡلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا
And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice. (18:49)
Likewise, Allah says here,
بَلِ الاِۡنسَانُ عَلَى نَفۡسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ
وَلَوۡ أَلۡقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ
Nay! Man will be well informed about himself, though he may put forth his excuses.
meaning, he will be a witness against himself, knowing full well what he did, even though he will try to make excuses and deny it.
This is as Allah says,
اقۡرَأۡ كَتَـبَكَ كَفَى بِنَفۡسِكَ الۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكَ حَسِيبًا
(It will be said to him):Read your book. You are sufficient as a reckoner against yourself this Day. (17:14)
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,
بَلِ الاِۡنسَانُ عَلَى نَفۡسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ
Nay! Man will be well informed about himself.
His hearing, his sight, his two hands, his two legs and his limbs.
Qatadah said, This means he is a witness against himself.
In another narration from Qatadah he said,
By Allah! If you wish to see him, you would see him as someone who sees the shortcomings of the people and their sins, yet he is heedless of his own sins.
It used to be said,
Verily, it is written in the Injil:`O Son of Adam, do you see the small splinters in the eye of your brother and disregard the tree stump that is in your eye, so you do not see it'
Mujahid said,
وَلَوۡ أَلۡقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ
(Though he may put forth his excuses).)
This means, even though he argues in defense of it, he is a witness against it.
Qatadah said,
وَلَوۡ أَلۡقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ
(Though he may put forth his excuses).)
Even though he will try to make false excuses on that Day, they will not be accepted from him.
As-Suddi said,
وَلَوۡ أَلۡقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ
(Though he may put forth his excuses).)
This means his argument.
This is as Allah says,
ثُمَّ لَمۡ تَكُنۡ فِتۡنَتُهُمۡ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواۡ وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشۡرِكِينَ
There will then be no Fitnah for them but to say:By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah. (6:23)
Allah also says,
يَوۡمَ يَبۡعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحۡلِفُونَ لَهُ كَمَا يَحۡلِفُونَ لَكُمۡ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمۡ عَلَى شَىۡءٍ أَلَا إِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ الۡكَـذِبُونَ
On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together; then they will swear to Him as they swear to you (O Muslims). And they think that they have something. Verily, they are liars! (58:18)
Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas:
وَلَوۡ أَلۡقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ
(Though he may put forth his excuses).
This is apologizing. Haven't you heard that Allah said,
لَا يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعۡذِرَتُهُمۡ
The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to wrongdoers. (40:52)
and He says,
وَأَلۡقَوۡاۡ إِلَى اللَّهِ يَوۡمَيِذٍ السَّلَمَ
And they will offer submission to Allah on that Day. (16:87)
and He says,
فَأَلۡقَوُاۡ السَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ مِن سُوءٍ
Then they will (falsely) submit:We used not to do any evil. (16:28)
and their statement,
وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشۡرِكِينَ
By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah. (6:23)
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