In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Allah the Exalted, in response to the rhetorical question about the Day of Judgement which the idolaters used to pose, says, "ABOUT WHAT ARE THEY ASKING ONE ANOTHER? ABOUT THE GREAT NEWS," meaning, what are they asking about? They are asking about the Day of Judgment, the great, terrifying news.
"THAT OVER WHICH THEY ARE IN DISAGREEMENT." people are divided about it; some believe in it and others do not.
"NO! THEY ARE GOING TO KNOW THEN, NO! THEY ARE GOING TO KNOW." This is a severe warning to the askers.
"HAVE WE NOT MADE THE EARTH A RESTING PLACE?" Allah made the earth a stable and suitable place for life.
"AND THE MOUNTAINS AS STAKES?" He made the mountain function like pegs to secure and stabilize the earth.
"AND WE CREATED YOU IN PAIRS."Allah created beings male and female.
"AND MADE YOUR SLEEP [a means for] REST" Sleep has been made as an ending to your movement during the day to attain some rest.
"AND [HE] MADE THE NIGHT AS CLOTHING." The night covers people with its darkness.
"AND [HE] MADE THE DAY FOR LIVELIHOOD." Allah illuminated the day so that people may manage their issues during it and move about trying to make a living.
"AND CONSTRUCTED ABOVE YOU SEVEN STRONG [HEAVENS]." The sky is constructed of seven vast, high, impregnable, and well-knit firmaments.
"AND MADE [THERE IN] A BURNING LAMP;" the sun which gives light to the world.
"AND SENT DOWN, FROM THE RAIN CLOUDS" al-musirat are the rain clouds.
"POURING WATER" means incessant heavy rain.
"THAT WE MAY BRING FORTH THEREBY GRAIN AND VEGETATION." HABBA refers to the grain preserved as food for humans and cattle and nabata means green vegetation that is eaten fresh.
"AND GARDENS OF ENTWINED GROWTH" the Arabic word Jannat means gardens containing various kinds of fruit. They are alfafa, meaning they are thick with foliage.
"INDEED THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT IS AN APPOINTED TIME," Allah stated that the Day of Resurrection is already fixed and will come at its appointed time. No one knows its exact time except Allah, the Exalted.
"THE DAY THE HORN IS BLOWN AND YOU WILL COME FORTH IN MULTITUDES." People will approach in crowds.
"AND THE HEAVEN IS OPENED AND WILL BECOME GATEWAYS," i.e,; doors and gateway for the angels to descend.
"AND THE MOUNTAINS ARE REMOVED AND WILL BE[BUT] A MIRAGE." The onlooker will think they are not and they will totally Vanish with no trace.
"INDEED, HELL HAS BEEN LYING IN WAIT." Hell is prepared for receiving the wrongdoers who met the messengers' calls with aversion.
"A PLACE OF RETURN," Ma'aba means a place of return, a destination and a place of residence.
"IN WHICH THEY WILL REMAIN FOR AGES [UNENDING]." Ahqaba is the plural of huqb, which means a period of time.
"THEY WILL NOT TASTE THEREIN [ANY] COOLNESS OR DRINK." In Hell they will not experience any coolness of heart, nor find a nourishing, thirst-quenching drink. That is why Allah says,
"EXCEPT SCALDING WATER AND PURULENCE," al-hamim is a kind of water whose heart has reached the maximum limit. Al-Ghassaq is a mixture of pus, sweat, tears and wounds of the dwellers of Hell-fire. It is intolerably cold with an unbearable odor.
"AN APPROPRIATE RECOMPENSE" means their punishment is well-deserved and is in proportion to their wicked deeds.
"INDEED, THEY ARE NOT EXPECTING AN ACCOUNT." They never believed that they would be brought to life after death and called to account for their actions.
"AND [THEY] DENIED OUR SIGNS." Thy used o reject the proofs Allah sent them through His messengers
"WITH [EMPHATIC] DENIAL." kidhaba is a verbal noun that is not formed after a verb.
"BUT ALL THINGS WE HAVE ENUMERATED IN WRITING." The means all the deeds of Allah's creation are known to Him and kept in records, and they will be, all creation will be brought back to their original form saying.
"ARE YOU" (oh people),
"A MORE DIFFICULT CREATION OR IS HEAVEN?" The creation of the heavens is harder than yours.
"ALLAH CONSTRUCTED IT." Allah explain how by saying,
"HE RAISED ITS CEILING AND PROPORTIONED IT" He made it lofty, limitless and of equal sides.
"AND HE DARKENED ITS NIGHT AND EXTRACTED ITS BRIGHTNESS" Allah made it entirely dark in the night and bright with light in the day.
"AND AFTER THAT HE SPREAD THE EARTH" The subsequent Ayah provides an explanation,
"HE EXTRACTED FROM IT ITS WATER AND IS PASTURE"
"AND THE MOUNTAIN HE SET FIRMLY" He made the mountains firm and well- established in their places.
"AS PROVISION FOR AND YOUR GRAZING LIVESTOCK." All these blessings are a benefit and a provision for his creation whether people or cattle.
"BUT WHEN THERE COMES THE GREATEST OVERWHELMING CALAMITY" The Arabic word at- Tammah refers to the Day of Resurrection. It was called so because it 'tatumm' or 'exceeds' every other calamity in immensity.
"THE DAY WHEN MAN WILL REMEMBER THAT FOR WHICH HE STROVE" When that Day comes, the sons of Adam will remember all that they have done, the good as well as the evil.
"AND HELLFIRE WILL BE EXPOSED FOR [ALL] THOSE WHO SEE" Hell will be placed in full view so that everyone will be able see it with their own two eyes.
"SO AS FOR HE WHO TRANSGRESSED" Those who repelled and persisted in his error.
"AND PREFERRED THE LIFE OF THE WORLD" He who would give the life precedence over the matters of his religion and the Hereafter.
"THEN INDEED, HELLFIRE WILL BE [HIS] REFUGE." His eternal abode will be hell.
"BUT AS FOR HE WHO FEARED THE POSITION OF HIS LORD AND PREVENTED THE SOUL FROM [UNLAWFUL] INCLINATION," He who fears standing before Allah, fears His judgment", quenches his whims and guides his soul to Allah's obedience.
"THEN INDEED, PARADISE WILL BE[HIS] REFUGE." his eternal abode will be the spacious paradise.
"THEY ASK YOU, [O MUHAMMAD], ABOUT THE HOUR; WHEN IS ITS ARRIVAL? IN WHAT [POSITION] ARE YOU THAT YOU SHOULD MENTION IT? TO YOUR LORD IS ITS FINALITY" the knowledge of the hour is neither with you nor with any other creature. It is with Allah and he alone knows the exact time of its occurrence.
"YOU ARE ONLY A WARNER FOR THOSE WHO FEAR IT" Your only duty is to warn the people of Allah's might and punishment.
"IT WILL BE, ON THE DAY THEY SEE IT, AS THOUGH THEY HAD NOT REMAINED[IN THE WORLD] EXPECT FOR AN AFTERNOON OR A MORNING THEREOF" When people rise up from their graves and head to the Gathering place, they will feel as though their lives were very short, as short as a forenoon or an afternoon.
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