• The Wicked Who Will Be Punished

• The Creation Of The Various Things In The Universe Testifies The Supreme Power And The Authority Of God

Al-Waqiah Verses 39 - 74

ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ

“Numerous from among the first ones1“ (56:39)

وَثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ

“And numerous from among the later ones” (56:40)

وَأَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ

“And the people of the Left hand, Ah! What (a wretched state shall) the people of the Left hand (be in)!” (56:41)

فِي سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ

“In scorching2wind and scalding3water” (56:42)

وَظِلٍّ مِنْ يَحْمُومٍ

“And in the shadow of a black smoke” (56:43)

لَا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ

“Neither cool nor graceful” (56:44)

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتْرَفِينَ

“Verily they were ere that, of the extravagants (in ease and luxury)4“ (56:45)

وَكَانُوا يُصِرُّونَ عَلَى الْحِنْثِ الْعَظِيمِ

“And they used to persist in heinous sin5“ (56:46)

وَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَإِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ

“And they used to say: ‘What! when we die and become dust and bones, shall we even then indeed be again raised up?6’” (56:47)

أَوَآبَاؤُنَا الْأَوَّلُونَ

“Or our fathers of yore?” (56:48)

قُلْ إِنَّ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ

“Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!): ‘Verily the ancients and the later ones’” (56:49)

لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَىٰ مِيقَاتِ يَوْمٍ مَعْلُومٍ

“Certainly, shall be gathered together unto the tryst of the known Day7“ (56:50)

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ أَيُّهَا الضَّالُّونَ الْمُكَذِّبُونَ

“Then verily ye, O’ ye who are astray and belie it” (56:51)

لَآكِلُونَ مِنْ شَجَرٍ مِنْ زَقُّومٍ

“Certainly, shall ye eat of a tree of ‘Zaqqoom8’” (56:52).

فَمَالِئُونَ مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَ

“And fill with it (your) bellies” (56:53).

فَشَارِبُونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَمِيمِ

“And drink over it of boiling water” (56:54).

فَشَارِبُونَ شُرْبَ الْهِيمِ

“Then shall drink ye as drinketh the thirsty camel” (56:55)

هَٰذَا نُزُلُهُمْ يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

“This shall be their repast on the Day of Reckoning9“ (56:56)

نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ فَلَوْلَا تُصَدِّقُونَ

“It is We Who created you, why then do ye not admit the Truth?” (56:57)

أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تُمْنُونَ

“Have ye seen what ye emit (the life germ)?” (56:58)

أَأَنْتُمْ تَخْلُقُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْخَالِقُونَ

“Is it ye that create it or are We the Creators?” (56:59)

نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ الْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

“It is We Who have decreed death among you, and We are not to be frustrated10“ (56:60)

عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ أَمْثَالَكُمْ وَنُنْشِئَكُمْ فِي مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“To Our changing11your forms and raising you in that ye know not12“ (56:61)

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ النَّشْأَةَ الْأُولَىٰ فَلَوْلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“And indeed, know ye the first growth, why then ye reflect not?” (56:62)

أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَ

“Have ye seen what ye sow” (56:63)

أَأَنْتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ

“What! Is it ye13that grow it or are We the growers14?” (56:64)

لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَاهُ حُطَامًا فَظَلْتُمْ تَفَكَّهُونَ

“Had We willed, We could crumble it to dry bits, and ye would be left only to lament” (56:65)

إِنَّا لَمُغْرَمُونَ

“(Saying): ‘Verily we have been burdened with loss! 15’” (56:66)

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

‘Nay! We are deprived16(of the benefits!)’” (56:67)

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ الْمَاءَ الَّذِي تَشْرَبُونَ

“Have ye seen the water which ye drink?” (56:68)

أَأَنْتُمْ أَنْزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْزِلُونَ

“What! Is it ye that send it down from the heaven or are We the Senders?” (56:69)

لَوْ نَشَاءُ جَعَلْنَاهُ أُجَاجًا فَلَوْلَا تَشْكُرُونَ

“Had We willed, We would have made it saltish17, why then ye thank not?” (56:70)

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ النَّارَ الَّتِي تُورُونَ

“Have ye seen the fire which ye kindle (by friction)?’” (56:71)

أَأَنْتُمْ أَنْشَأْتُمْ شَجَرَتَهَا أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْشِئُونَ

“What! Is it ye who produce its tree? Or are We the producers18(of) it?” (56:72)

نَحْنُ جَعَلْنَاهَا تَذْكِرَةً وَمَتَاعًا لِلْمُقْوِينَ

“It is We Who have made it a reminder19and a provision (of comfort) for the needy ones20“ (56:73)

فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ

“So hallow thou the name of thy Lord, the Great” (56:74)

Commentary

Verse 56

The presentation of the reward and the punishment in the life hereafter and the terms of enjoyments and the tortures of a physical life, as it has already been pointed out in the previous notes on the topics, are figurative expressions and in the sense of presenting the unknown in the terms of the known but taking the non-material and metaphysical world as real and the material and the physical one as a mere phenomenon and the manifestation of the real one, it should be said that the enjoyments and the tortures of this life, are figurative expression of the real one21 (A.P.).

Verse 57

To prove the evolutionary process of the development of life from physical to the transcendental one Qur’an forwards the process of creation which is known to everyone, i.e., the development of a most complicated and perfect living being out of the most insignificant frivolous emitted life germ and the various forms it assumes in the embryo and after its birth till its death, the power which administered these processes, shall not fail to take this continuous change of germs into a further realm of creation unknown to us (A.P.).

Verse 60

The decreed respite, given to man in this world until his death which none can ever change or avoid.

Verse 61

If God wills, He can replace any people with any other. Or our soul and put into new forms not known to us - But this is not the transmigration in this world itself.

Verse 62

It is asserted that the process in the unknown realm is comparable to the process known.

Moreover, this verse proves that the life of man is capable of being remembered in the first development known to man. There is no such a thing as a previous development and previous birth, in other words this birth known to man, is the first birth22 (A.P.).

Verse 63

Note the arguments from verse 58 above to verse 73 below, proving the supreme and the exclusive authority of God over the universe, enumerating a few of the innumerable obvious bounties of nature which also are great marvels if studied intelligently - viz, the growing of the seed, the rain-water, coming down from heaven, the combustion or the quality of the fire etc.,

There are the other examples of growth, development and changes. In each case, it is to bring home to man that in both cases, though the action is attributed to man but the effect is always due to God’s administration (A.P.).

Verse 64

We only sow the seed. Who is it that makes it grow and yield in manifold quantities. Is it not a wonder, and none else but God does it.

Verse 67

Can anyone else, except God, cause the life-giving water to rain from heaven. It is not a proof positive of the existence of the One who does it?

Verse 69

This refers to the change of the clouds into fresh drinking water without any mixture (A.P.).

Verse 70

What could we have done, if the water we get from heaven upon which depends the life on earth, had been turned saltish. Is it not God’s grace for which we should remain grateful to Him?

Verse 71

Is not the burning quality endowed in fire, a great bounty of God? Could” we have caused it without His will? Or could we have lived without the heat it provides us with? Does it not, prove the existence of the One who does it and should we not remain grateful and obedient to Him?

Example of bringing out a deadening and destructive element (fire) from a living and growing being (tree) (A.P.).

Verses 72 - 73

Though fire as an essential provision for the human life on earth has many uses, the burning of it, serves also as the signal to the travellers in the desert at night, who make out the human habitation from a distance and they could direct their move on the right track, guided by it. Only those who have an experience of the travel through an extensive desert, particularly at night, know the aptness of this illustration.

“Reminder” may refer to the tree or to the fire. Refers two aspects - as a Reminder as well as a provision intellectual as well as physical advantages (A.P.).

• 1. Refer to Verse 56:14.
• 2. Hot.
• 3. Boiling.
• 4. Refer to Verses 34:34; 43:23.
• 5. The vindication of the great covenant taken at Ghadir Khumm.
• 6. Refer to Verses 37:16-18; 50:3
• 7. Refer to Verse 36:38.
• 8. Refer to Verses 37:64; 44:43-46.
• 9. Day of the Final Judgement.
• 10. Prevented.
• 11. Or substituting others like unto you in your place.
• 12. In a form or a state not known to you now.
• 13. Causers of the growth.
• 14. Cause it to grow.
• 15. We have wasted the money, effort and time and we are deprived of the result.
• 16. Suffered the loss.
• 17. Unfit to drink. Without which there can’t be life on earth.
• 18. Produce – grew. Refer to Verse 36:80.
• 19. It may refer to the tree or to the fire.
• 20. Or the wayfarers.
• 21. Refer to note to Verse 19:61.
• 22. Refer to Verse 7:172.