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Recitation: Sa'ad Al
Ghamdi
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Introduction and Summary
This
Surah also belongs to the early Makkan period, perhaps not far removed from the
last Surah.
Its subject matter is the protection afforded to every soul in the darkest
period of its spiritual history. The physical nature of man may be
insignificant, but the soul given to him by Allah must win a glorious Future in
the end.
C.266 (The running Commentary, in
Rhythmic Prose)
Through the darkest night comes
the penetrating light
Of a glorious Star. Such is the
power
Of Revelation: it projects and
guides the erring.
For what is man? But a creature of
flesh
And bones! But Allah by His Power
doth raise
Man's state to a Life
Beyond!---when lo!
All things hidden will be made
plain.
Man's help will then be but the
Word
Of Allah, which none can thwart.
So wait
With gentle patience---for His
Decision.
وَالسَّمَاء
...
1. By
the Sky...
C6067.
The appeal here is to single Sign, viz.: the Sky with its Night. Visitant; and
the substantive proposition is in verse 4:
"There is no soul but
has a protector over it".
In the
last Sura we considered the persecution of Allah's votaries, and how Allah
protects them. Here the same theme is presented in another aspect. In the
darkest sky shines out most brilliantly the light of the most brilliant star. So
in the night of spiritual darkness- whether through ignorance or distress shines
the glorious star of Allah's revelation. By the same token the man of Faith and
Truth has nothing to fear. Allah will protect His own.
... وَالطَّارِقِ
﴿١﴾
...and the Night-Visitant
(therein) --
C6068.
This is explained in verse 3 below. The "Star of piercing brightness" is
understood by some to be the Morning Star, by others to be the planet Saturn, by
others again to be Sirius, or the Pleiades or shooting stars.
I think it
is best to take the "Star" in the collective or generic sense, for stars shine
on every night in the year, and their piercing brightness is most noticeable on
the darkest night.
وَمَا
أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ
﴿٢﴾
2. And
what will explain to thee what the Night-Visitant is? --
النَّجْمُ
الثَّاقِبُ
﴿٣﴾
3. (It
is) the Star of
piercing brightness --
إِن كُلُّ
نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ
﴿٤﴾
4. There
is no soul but has a protector over it.
C6069. If
man has a true spiritual understanding, he has nothing to be afraid of. He is
protected by Allah in many ways that he does not even know. He may be an
insignificant creature as a mere animal, but his soul raises him to a dignity
above other creation. And all sorts of divine forces guard and protect him.
فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ
﴿٥﴾
5. Now
let man but think from what he is created!
خُلِقَ مِن
مَّاء دَافِقٍ
﴿٦﴾
6. He
is created from a drop emitted --
C6070. See
n. 5832 to 76:2.
See also
last note.
يَخْرُجُ
مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ
﴿٧﴾
7. Proceeding
from between the backbone and the ribs:
C6071.
A
man's seed is the quintessence of his body. It proceeds from his loins, i.e.,
from his back between the hip-bones and his ribs. His back-bone is the source
and symbol of his strength and personality. In the spinal cord and in the brain
is the directive energy of the central nervous system, and this directs all
action, organic and psychic. The spinal cord is continuous with the Medulla
Oblongata in the brain.
إِنَّهُ
عَلَى رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ
﴿٨﴾
8. Surely
(Allah)
is able to bring him back
(to life)!
C6072.
The
Creator who can mingle the forces of psychic and physical muscular action in the
creation of man, as explained in the last note, can surely give a new life after
physical death here, and restore man's personality in the new world that will
open out in the Hereafter.
يَوْمَ
تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ
﴿٩﴾
9.
The
Day that (all)
things secret will
be tested.
فَمَا لَهُ
مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ
﴿١٠﴾
10. (Man)
will have no power,
and no helper.
C6073. In
that new world, all our actions, motives, thoughts, and imaginings of this fife,
however secret, will be brought into the open, and tested by the standards of
absolute Truth, and not by false standards of custom, prejudice, or partiality.
In that severe test, any adventitious advantages of this life will have no
strength or force whatever, and cannot help in any way.
وَالسَّمَاء
...
11. By
the Firmament...
C6074. The
Firmament above is always the same, and yet it performs its diurnal round,
smoothly and punctually. So does Allah's Revelation show forth the Truth, which
like a circle is ever true to its centre,-which is ever the same, though it
revolves through the changing circumstances of our present life.
... ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ
﴿١١﴾
...which returns
(in its round)
--
وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ
﴿١٢﴾
12. And
by the Earth which opens out
(for the gushing of springs or the sprouting
of vegetation) --
C6075.
The
earth seems hard, but springs can gush forth and vegetables sprout through it
and make it green and soft. So is Truth: hard perhaps to mortals, but through
the fertilising agency of Revelation, it allows our inner personality to sprout
and blossom forth.
إِنَّهُ
لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ
﴿١٣﴾
13. Behold
this is the Word that distinguishes
(Good from Evil):
C6076.
See the last two notes.
Revelation-Allah's Truth-can pierce through the hardest crusts, and ever lead us
back to the centre and goal of our life: for it separates Good from Evil
definitely. It is not mere play or amusement, any more than the Sky or the Earth
is. It helps us in the highest issues of our life.
وَمَا هُوَ
بِالْهَزْلِ
﴿١٤﴾
14. It
is not a thing for amusement.
إِنَّهُمْ
...
15. As
for them,
C6077.
Though Allah in His Mercy has provided a piercing light to penetrate our
spiritual darkness, and made our beings responsive to the growth of spiritual
understanding, just as the hard earth is responsive to the sprouting of a seed
or the gushing of a stream, yet there are evil, unregenerate men who plot and
scheme against the beneficent purpose of Allah. But their plots will be of no
avail, and Allah's Purpose will prevail. It happened so with the Quraish who
wanted to thwart the growth of Islam. It will be so in all ages.
... يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا
﴿١٥﴾
they are but
plotting a scheme,
وَأَكِيدُ
كَيْدًا
﴿١٦﴾
16. And
I am planning a scheme,
C6078. Cf.
3:54.
فَمَهِّلِ
الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا
﴿١٧﴾
17.
Therefore grant a
delay to the unbelievers:
Give respite to
them gently (for
a while).
C6079.
Gentle forbearance with Evil shows our trust in Allah and Allah's Plan: for it
can never be frustrated. This does not mean that we should assist or compromise
with evil, or fail to put it down where we have the power. It means patience and
humility where we have no visible power to prevent Evil.
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