Tadabbur Surah an- Nazi&#039;at [79]

1st Part (Ayat 1-9): Argument of the Judgement Day
1. In the beginning of the surah, Allah oaths/swears by things
  1. Scholars said: When Allah swears by something, it is something sacred or powerful or inspiring
    1. Allah swears by the Sun or moon or time
  2. On contrary opinion by Ibn Qayyim ra, just saying that the oaths are sacred isnt enough.
    1. Because in different surah, has different oaths. If it is all just sacred, we couldve just put this oath here in this surah and the other in another surah. What difference does it make?
    2. Instead, we should also look at how it connects to the surah.
    3. In daily lives, we use swears if people dont believe what we're saying.
      1. Even in courts, they have to swear to testify that they're telling the truth
2. Ayat 1: "I swear by those (angels) who pull out (the souls of the infidels) with extreme force,"
  1. Allah swears by something that pulls out
    1. Vast majority of mufassirun says this thing is angel.
    2. 2nd opinion is that these are stars- yanked out of the sky.
    3. We should know that Allah did not spell out what exactly is the thing. When they are many opinions, it shows that this is ambiguous.
  2. If referring to angels;
    1. Angels taking out soul harshly
  3. If referring to winds;
    1. Winds that are means of destruction
3. Ayat 2: "and by those (angels) who untie the knot (of the souls of the believers) smoothly,"
  1. If referring to angels;
    1. Angels taking out soul smoothly
  2. If referring to winds;
    1. smooth breeze, source of calm, peace, pleasure
4. Ayat 3: "and by those who float (in the atmosphere) swiftly,"
  1. If referring to angels;
    1. Angels as they dive in inside the body seamlessly
  2. If referring to winds;
    1. Clouds that are floating in the air or the winds that are pushing them
5. Ayat 4: "then proceed forward quickly,"
  1. sabq refers to race
6. Ayat 5: "then manage (to do) everything (they are ordered to do,)"
  1. If referring to angels;
    1. Angels are assigned tasks by Allah and they do diligent organized job
  2. If referring to winds;
    1. Winds distribute clouds, dust and pollen.
2nd Part (Ayat 10-14): Scepticism about the Judgement Day
1. Contrast with Surah an- Naba'
  1. An- Naba' talks about the sceptics first, the day of judgement later.
  2. An- Nazi'at talks about the day of judgement first, the sceptics later.
2. Ayat 6: "(you will be resurrected) on the Day when the shocking event (i.e. the first blowing of the trumpet) will shock (everything),"
  1. The land, mountain and earth will shake
  2. Rajifah means 'it is meant to shake'
    1. as if it is the purpose of the creation
    2. Rajif also means in a highly uncomfortable situation
3. Ayat 7: "followed by the next one (i.e. the second blowing of the trumpet.)"
  1. Radif means 'riding behind you', like on camels or in cars
  2. Ulama' agrees that the first time the trumpet will be blown twice
4. Ayat 8: "On that day, hearts (of people) will be throbbing,"
  1. "Wajifah"
    1. Most translations will say it's 'terrified/horrified', those associated with fear
    2. Fear mixed with discomfort
      1. Heart pounding so hard out of the fear
    3. In this ayat:
      1. When you strike your horse, it's heart starts pounding and it races forward.
      2. Made your horse move forward by making its heart race
      3. When that 2nd strike/ shaking will fall, some hearts on that day will be beating out of their chest.
    4. Other terms for fear in the Quran:
      1. Khauf: used when in perceived danger (more of a physical danger)
      2. Khashiya: used when you are afraid of a magnitude of something
      3. Khusyua: fear out of the hearts (like in solat)
      4. Taqwa: Fear the consequences of one's (your own) actions
      5. Hazr: Fear to escape something/ be very careful of something
      6. Ra'a: To startle someone
      7. Aujasa: Fear when you hear something
      8. Wajl: Fear that penetrates into your heart
      9. Ra'ab: Overwhelmed with intense fear
      10. Ashfaqa: Afraid that some harm might come to people you care
5. Ayat 9: "Their eyes humbled."
  1. Depicting the horror on the Judgement Day
  2. Highlighting the reaction to that day
  3. The vision is directly connected to the heart
    1. If you have imaan, what you see will be a reminder for you
      1. like when you see the Sun, trees etc, it will be a reminder for you
    2. If you dont have imaan, the same eyes will do nothing for you
    3. So on the Judgement Day, people will not see except from a believing heart
6. Ayat 10: "They (the infidels) say, “Are we going to be brought back to our former state (of Life)?"
  1. Mardud: radd- when you go somewhere and you dont accept that you're going to return
    1. In this ayat, it is a means of sarcasm
7. Ayat 11: "Even if we should be decayed bones?"
8. Ayat 12: "They say, “If so, that will be a harmful homecoming.”
  1. Some of them actually gave it some thought eventhough they said it in a sarcastic tone
9. Ayat 13: "In fact, it will be only a single harsh voice,"
  1. Allah ends the discourse. They will directly find out.
  2. Allah will scold them and it is enough
10. Ayat 14: "and in no time they will be (brought) into the plain (of Hashr)."
  1. Sahirah:
    1. literally means your sleep has disappeared. You cannot sleep anymore.
    2. When travelling in the desert, the travellers loses sleep because he is too exposed.
3rd Part (Ayat 15-26): Lesson from history (Moses and Firaun)
1. Firaun was given the power that nobody has ever been given
2. Ayat 15: "Has there come to you the narrative about Mūsā?"
  1. A complete shift of the subject. Allah turns His attention to Rasulullah.
    1. It is as if a teacher talking to A and then talks to B then C
    2. In this case, Allah's audience is the believer, disbeliever, the messenger
3. Ayat 16: "(Recall) when his Lord called to him in the blessed valley of Tuwā:"
4. Ayat 17: ""Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed."
  1. As if saying "Get started on your mission"
  2. Rebellion acts of Firaun:
    1. Declared himself as God
    2. Enslaved bani Israil
5. Ayat 18: "And say (to him,) ‘Would you like to purify yourself,"
  1. As if saying "is there any inclination at all that you want to cleanse your filth you are infested with?" or "is there any voice inside you that wants you to be a better person?"
  2. One's own desire to bring out the goodness, after all the failed da'wah to him.
6. Ayat 19: "and that I should guide you to your Lord, so that you fear (Him)?’”"
  1. As if saying "do you not see any inclination ever that I may guide you"
7. Ayat 20: "So, he (Mūsā) showed him the biggest sign."
  1. Musa as was given many signs but we know the one that terrifies Firaun most was stick turning into snake
8. Ayat 21: "But Pharaoh denied and disobeyed."
  1. He lied against Musa and his signs (calling it lies/ magic), and lies his own self
  2. What can we learn?
    1. Those who propagate lies against Rasulullah saw, they have no inclination of goodness in them
  3. a'sa: disobeying/ refusing something that you know is good for you
  4. Disobeyance in the Quran
    1. corruption
      1. abandon the path that is good, walked the good path but abandoned it
      2. someone who was good but then went the wrong way
    2. open about their obedience
9. Ayat 22: "Then he turned his back, striving."
  1. pacing (faster than walking, slower than running) back and forth
10. Ayat 23: "And he gathered [his people] and called out"
  1. Hasyara: to gather them forcefully, like herding cows and sheeps
  2. People are hearing about the news at their homes, thinking about it. So he gathered all these people and reiterate the belief they're supposed to have
11. Ayat 24: "and said, “I am your supreme lord.”
  1. the thing is, the claim is supposedly known.
    1. He knows that Musa's dakwah was getting too strong that he felt the need to gather people and then remind them
  2. The word 'supreme' is as if saying that there is know a competition between lords and Firaun said that he is the higher one
12. Ayat 25: "So, Allah seized him for an exemplary punishment in the Hereafter and the present world."
  1. Nakal: bracelet used to tie at the wall so you cant move
13. Ayat 26: "Indeed, there is a lesson for him who fears (Allah)."
  1. Ibrah -> Ubur, to cross water
    1. There is enough evidence for you to cross the water from falsehood to truth
  2. Lima yakhsha
    1. The only people able to cross this is people who feel sadness and realized that they have been at the wrong side of things are people who have fear inside of them
4th Part (Ayat 27-33): World around you and Allah's creative power
1. From this part, you can realise that the rhyme scheme changes, indicating that this is a different story.
2. Ayat 27: "Is your creation more difficult or that of the sky? He has built it,"
  1. Are yours tougher to build or the sky?
3. Ayat 28: "He has raised its height, then made it proper,"
  1. We can usually see how tall is a building by looking at the highest point of it
4. Ayat 29: "and darkened its night, and brought forth its daylight,"
  1. Dhuha is the time of the morning that is the brightest, easiest to see
  2. Allah contrasts 2 things:
    1. He made the night so dark that you couldnt tell truth from falsehood (figuratively)
    2. And then he brought the day where there's absolute clarity of one thing from the other. There's no confusion left
    3. This is in between the lines the reference of revelation
      1. We are all in confusion of which God people are talking about is the truth
      2. and then after we die we were brought up the clearest of that day
5. Ayat 30: "and, after that, He spread out the earth."
  1. Reminder to the kafis that they will end up in that flat clear land
6. Ayat 31: "He extracted from it its water and its pasture,"
7. Ayat 32: "and firmly fixed the mountains,"
  1. Allah puts mountains as if they are anchored to the ground
8. Ayat 33: "(all this) as a benefit to you and your cattle."
  1. After speaking about the Earth and sky, Allah says this is all for you and your produce to use
    1. Allah wants you to use dunya but not for you to indulge yourself in it. There is higher purpose for you to be created
5th Part (Ayat 34-41): Description of Judgement Day
1. Ayat 34: "But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity -"
  1. so overwhelming that there is no escape from it, completely full of trouble any direction you went to
2. Ayat 35: "on the day when man will recall what he did,"
  1. he will remember thoroughly every single thing
3. Ayat 36: "and the Hell will be exposed for all who see,"
  1. Hellfire will be brought out and put infront of the one who wants to see
    1. because of the complaints of the sceptics
4. Ayat 37: "then for the one who had rebelled,"
  1. Whoever engages in rebellion (can also refer to Firaun's rebellion)
5. Ayat 38: "and preferred the worldly life (to the Hereafter),"
  1. The source of rebellion is mentioned here: this person gives preference to the inferior/ worldly life
    1. That person is not even not believing in the akhirah. The problem is that we gave more preference to the world
6. Ayat 39: "the Hell will be the abode,"
7. Ayat 40: "whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his self from the (evil) desire,"
  1. he fear that place and time
    1. consequence of that fear: it prevented the nafs
    2. he thought that nafs inside him, but it is not him. Think of it as another entity that is trying to pull you towards hell
8. Ayat 41: "the Paradise will be the abode."
  1. that is his place of getting away from danger
6th Part (Ayat 42-46): Questioning the Judgement Day
1. Ayat 42: "They ask you (O Prophet,) about the Hour (the Day of Judgment) as to when it will take place."
  1. they're saying it sarcastically
2. Ayat 43: "In which capacity are you to tell this?"
  1. Allah quotes them to have the audacity to turn to the Messenger and ask him this
  2. Rasulullah talks about the hour but with a capacity
    1. not in the capacity of asking when
  3. Allah is reminding the messenger and those who asked
3. Ayat 44: "With your Lord is the final word about it."
  1. It is not in the posession of anyone else but Allah
4. Ayat 45: "You are only a warner for anyone who fears it."
  1. The recurring theme in this surah is khashiya (fear)
5. Ayat 46: "The day they will see it, it will seem to them as if they did not live (in the world) but only for one afternoon or for the morning thereof"
  1. They will remember this world as only in a small portion of time
Notes
1. Nazi'at means to pull
  1. In Surah Maryam, Allah says that He will pull anybody who is rebellious
2. Timeline of the surah
  1. Future (Part 1 & 2)
  2. Past (Part 3)
  3. Present (Part 4)
  4. Future (Part 5 & 6)
3. How the beginning and end of the surah connects
  1. In the beginning and end, Allah talks about the Judgement Day
4. Sources
  1. Surah An-Naziat - Day 2 - Ramadan with the Quran - Nouman Ali Khan
  2. Surah An Naziat (79) Tafseer By Nouman Ali Khan (Ayah 1-18)
  3. Surah An Naziat (79) Tafseer By Nouman Ali Khan (Ayah 19-46)