Quran Reflection Surah An Naba

Assalamu alaikum wrwb, as we mentioned last week we will have a Quran reflection every week In sha Allah, We would like to announce that we would do Quran Reflection of Juz Amma first. In sha Allah.

Read last week’s reflection: Note on surah Fatiha

You can follow all our reflection by Subscribing to email, or following us in Instagram/facebook/twitter.

Notes on Surah An Naba

The Surah derived its name from the word in the second verse. This is not only a name but also a title of its subject matter, for implies the news of Resurrection and Hereafter and the whole Surah is devoted to the same theme.

In it first of all, allusion has been made to the common talk and the doubts that were being expressed in every street of Makkah and in every assembly of the people of Makkah on hearing the news about Resurrection.

Then, the deniers have been asked:

• “Don’t you see this earth which We have spread as a carpet for you?
• Don’t you see the high mountains which we have so firmly placed in the earth?
• Don’t you consider your own selves how We have created you as pairs of men and women?
• Don’t you consider your sleep by which We make you seek a few hours rest after every few hours labour and toil so as to keep you fit for work in the world?
• Don’t you see the alternation of the night and day which We are so regularly perpetuating precisely according to your needs and requirements?
• Don’t you see the strongly fortified system of the heavens above you?
• Don’t you see the sun by means of which you are receiving your light and heat?
• Don’t you see the rains which fall from the clouds and help produce corns and vegetables and luxuriant gardens?
• Do these things only tell you that the power of the Almighty Being Who has created them, will be unable to bring about Resurrection and establish the Next World?

Then, from the supreme wisdom which is clearly working in this world around you, do you only understand this that although each part of it and each function of it is purposive, yet life is meaningless? Nothing could be more absurd and meaningless that after appointing man to the office of foreman and granting him vast powers of appropriation, in this workhouse, when he leaves the world after fulfilling his role, he should be let off without any accountability. He should neither be rewarded and granted pension on satisfactory work, nor subjected to any accountability and punishment on unsatisfactory performance of duty.

After giving these arguments it has been emphatically stated that the Day of Judgment shall certainly come to pass on its appointed time. No sooner is the Trumpet sounded than whatever is being foretold shall appear before the eyes, and whether you believe in it today, or not, at that time you will come out in your multitudes from wherever you would be lying dead and buried to render your account. Your denial cannot in any way avert this inevitable event.

Let us read it in detail:

عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ

What are they asking one another about?

About what are they asking each other?’ Allah Himself replies to the question when He says:

عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

About the momentous news,

ٱلَّذِى هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ

over which they disagree

Sayyidnä Ibn Abbäs (radi allahu anhu) reports that when the revelation of Quran started, the pagan Arabs used to form circles and discuss and criticise it,especially about the tremendous import of Resurrection and Judgement referred to in the Quran. The pagans thought this was impossible, and they used to have protracted discussion. The disbelievers persuade themselves to believe that the predicted event will never take place

كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ

But no! They will come to know

ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ

Again, no! They will come to know.

room for questions, disputation or denial. The Quran says that soon they will come to know about it [and this statement is repeated twice for emphasis]. In other words, when they die, they will discover the realities of the next world. They will see the horrors of the Hereafter with their eyes.

Then the Holy Quran has pointed to different demonstrations of His power to prove that it is not impossible for Allah to destroy this entire world and re-create it once again. Reference is made to the creation of earth, mountains, human beings, males and females and the creation of suitable conditions for human life, health and activities.

أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَـٰدًا

Have We not smoothed out the earth ˹like a bed˺,

وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا

and ˹made˺ the mountains as ˹its˺ pegs

وَخَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا

and created you in pairs,

وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا

and made your sleep for rest,

وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا

and made the night as a cover,

وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا

and made the day for livelihood,

Reference has been made to only one benefit out of countless benefits of the continuous alternation of night and day regularly on the earth to tell that all this is not happening without a purpose or accidentally, but there is supreme wisdom underlying it, which has a deep connection with your own immediate interests.

The darkness that was needed for the peace and rest of your body in view of its structure has been provided in the night and the light that was needed for earning livelihood has been provided in the day. This arrangement that has been made precisely in accordance with your needs by itself testifies that it could not be possible without the wisdom of a Wise Being.

وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًا شِدَادًا

and built above you seven mighty ˹heavens˺,

Strong, in the sense that their boundaries are so strongly fortified that no change whatever occurs in them, nor does any of the countless stars and planets in the heavens, violating these boundaries, collide with the other, nor falls down to the earth

وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا

and placed ˹in them˺ a shining lamp,

A bright, blazing lamp: the sun. The word وَهَّاجًا used for the sun means both intensely hot and intensely bright. Hence our rendering. In this brief sentence, allusion has been made to a most wonderful and glorious sign of Allah Almighty’s power and wisdom which the sun is. Its diameter is 109 times that of the earth’s and its size more than 333,000 times that of the earth’s. Its temperature is 14,000,000°C. In spite of shining 93,000,000 miles away from the earth, its light and brightness is dazzling, and man can look at it with the naked eye only at the risk of losing his eye-sight. As for its heat, temperature in some parts of the earth reaches 140°F because of its radiation. It is only Allah Who by His wisdom has placed the earth at the right distance from it, neither it is too hot for being close to it, nor too cold for being very far away from it. For this very reason life of man, animal and vegetable became possible on it. Measureless treasures of energy from it are reaching the earth and sustaining life. It helps ripen our crops to provide sustenance to every creature; its heat causes vapours to rise from the seas, which spread to different parts of the earth by means of the winds and fall as rain. In the sun Allah has kindled such a mighty furnace that has been constantly radiating light, heat and different kinds of rays throughout the entire solar system since millions and millions of years.

وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمُعْصِرَٰتِ مَآءً ثَجَّاجًا

and sent down from rainclouds pouring water,

لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا

producing by it grain and ˹various˺ plants,

وَجَنَّـٰتٍ أَلْفَافًا

and dense orchards?

After presenting a number of the signs and testimonies, one after the other, in these verses, the deniers of the Resurrection and Hereafter have been exhorted, so as to say: If you consider the earth and the mountains and your own creation, your sleep and wakefulness, and the system of the day and night intelligently, and consider the well-fortified system of the universe and the shining sun in the heavens, the rain falling from the clouds and the vegetables growing thereby, you will see two things very clearly:

First, that all this could neither come into existence without a mighty power, nor continue to exist and function so regularly;

Second, that in each of these great wisdom is working and nothing that happens here is purposeless. Now, only a foolish person could say that the Being Who by His power has brought these things into existence, does not have the power to destroy them and create them once again in some other form, and this also could be said only by an unreasonable person that the Wise Being Who has not done anything without purpose in this universe, has given to man in His world understanding and intelligence, discrimination between good and evil, freedom to obey or disobey, and powers of appropriation over countless of His creatures, without any purpose and design.

إِنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَـٰتًا

Indeed, the Day of Final Decision is an appointed time—

يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا

it is the Day the Trumpet will be blown, and you will ˹all˺ come forth in crowds.

وَفُتِحَتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَٰبًا

The sky will be ˹split˺ open, becoming ˹many˺ gates,

وَسُيِّرَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا

and the mountains will be blown away, becoming ˹like˺ a mirage.

The Day of Decision refers to the Day of Resurrection. It is a fixed appointment. Other verses indicate that the trumpet will be blown twice. When it is blown the first time, the entire world will come to an end.
When it is blown the second time, people of the entire world, the earlier generations as well as the latter generations, will be resurrected and come in multitudes and droves. Sayyidnä Abu Dharr Ghifäri reports that the Holy Prophet صَلَّى ٱللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. said: “On the Day of Resurrection, people will come in three different groups:

1. a group will come in the Plain of Gathering whose stomach will be full, wearing clothes and riding mounts;
2. another group will come to the Plain of Gathering bare feet; and
3. a third group will be brought on the Plain of Gathering being dragged on their faces.

“[Mazhari cites the following authorities: Nasai, Hakim and Baihaqi]”

If you like our articles kindly consider sharing them so more people can benefit In sha Allah.