77. Surah Al-Mursalaat

  

 Bismi Allahi arrahmani arraheem

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

tafseer

 Its theme is to affirm the Resurrection and Hereafter and to warn the people of the consequences which will ultimately follow the denial and the affirmation of these truths.

In the first seven verses, the system of winds has been presented as an evidence of the truth that the Resurrection which is being foretold by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) must come to pass. The reasoning is that the power of All-Mighty Allah Who established this wonderful system on the earth, cannot be helpless in bringing about the Resurrection, and the express wisdom which underlies this system bears full evidence that the Hereafter must appear, for no act of an All-Wise Creator can be vain and purposeless, and if there was no Hereafter, it would mean that the whole of one's life was useless and absurd.

The people of Makkah repeatedly asked, "Bring about the Resurrection with which you threaten us; only then shall we believe in it."In vv. 8-l5, their demand has been answered, saying:"Resurrection is no sport or fun so that whenever a jester should ask for it, it should be brought forth immediately. It is indeed the Day of Judgment to settle the account of all mankind and of all its individuals. For it Allah has fixed a specific time it will take place at its own time, and when it takes place with all its dreads and horrors, it will confound those who are demanding it for fun today. Then their cases will be decided only on the evidence of those Messengers whom these deniers of the truth are repudiating with impunity. Then they will themselves realize how they themselves are responsible for their dooms

In vv. 16-28 arguments have been given continuously for the occurrence and necessity of the Resurrection and Hereafter. In these it has been stated that man's own history, his own birth, and the structure of the earth on which he lives, bear the testimony that the coming of Resurrection and the establishment of the Hereafter are possible as well as the demand of Allah Almighty's wisdom. History tells us that the nations which denied the Hereafter ultimately became corrupted and met with destruction. This means that the Hereafter is a truth which if denied and contradicted by a nation by its conduct and attitude, will cause it to meet the same doom, which is met by a blind man who bushes headlong into an approaching train. And it also means that in the kingdom of the universe only physical laws are not at work but a moral law also is working in it

, under which in this very world the process of retribution is operating. But since in the present life of the world retribution is not taking place in its complete and perfect form, the moral law of the universe necessarily demands that there should come a time when it should take its full course and all those good works and evil deeds, which could not be rewarded here, or which escaped their due punishment should be fully rewarded and punished. For this it is inevitable that there should be a second life after death. If man only considers how he takes his birth in the world, his intellect, provided it is sound intellect, cannot deny that for the God Who began his creation from an insignificant sperm drop and developed him into a perfect man, it certainly possible to create the same man once again. After death the particles of man's body do not disappear but continue to exist on the same earth on which he lived his whole life. It is from the resources and treasures of this very earth that he is made and nourished and then into the same treasures of the earth he is deposited. 

The God who caused him to emerge from the treasures of the earth, in the first instance, can also cause him to re-emerge from the same treasures after he has been restored to them at death. If one only considers the powers of Allah, one cannot deny that He can do this; and if one considers the wisdom of Allah, one also cannot deny that it is certainly the very demand of His wisdom to call man to account for the right and wrong use of the powers that He has granted him on the earth; it would rather be against wisdom to let him off without rendering an account.

Then, in vv. 28-40, the fate of the deniers of the Hereafter has been depicted, and in vv. 41-45 of those who affirming faith in it in their worldly life, endeavored to improve their Hereafter, and abstained from the evils of disbelief and thought, morality and deed, conduct and character which might be helpful in man's worldly life, but are certainly ruinous for his life hereafter.

In the end, the deniers of the Hereafter and those who turn away from God-worship, have been warned as if to say: "Enjoy your short-lived worldly pleasure as you may, but your end will ultimately be disastrous." The discourse concludes with the assertion that the one who fails to obtain guidance from Book like the Qur'an, can have no ether source in the world to afford him Guidance.

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1That is, sometimes the failure of winds causes the people to be alarmed at the prospect of a famine, and they turn to Allah to repent of their sins: sometimes they bring a lot of rain and the people turn to Allah in gratitude; and sometimes their blowing violently causes dread in the hearts and the people turn to Allah from fear of destruction.

In these verses initially the order of rain-bringing winds has been stated, which is thus: first, winds start blowing in succession; then they assume the proportions of a storm; then they raise the clouds and spread them; then they split and separate them. After this, instead of making mention of the rainfall, it is said that the winds infuse the hearts with the remembrance of Allah, as an excuse or as a warning. That is, it is an occasion when either because of fear man is compelled to remember Allah, or else he confesses his errors and invokes Allah to protect and save him from ruin and bless him with rain. If it has not rained for a long time, and the people are thirsty for rain, even the most hardened disbeliever sometimes begins to remember God when he. sees the winds blowing and the clouds advancing. The drought's being mild and severe makes the difference. 

In case the drought is mild, the common man who is not far from Allah, will remember Him, but others will offer scientific explanations, saying that there was no cause for anxiety: it did not rain because of such and such a cause and it would be weak-mindedness to start praying to God on such an ordinary thing. However, if the drought is unusually prolonged, and the whole country is faced with a calamitous situation, even the confirmed disbelievers begin to remember God. If they feel shy to use their tongue, in their hearts they feel penitent on their wrongdoing and ingratitude and pray to God to cause rain throughout the country from the winds which are raising the clouds. This is infusion of God's remembrance in the hearts as an excuse. As for its infusion as a warning, it happens when the wind develops into a cyclone and destroys settlement after settlement or it rains so heavily as to cause a deluge, 

In such a state even a confirmed atheist starts imploring God out of awe for Him, and then all scientific explanations of the cyclone or deluge evaporate from his mind. Thus, after describing the blowing of winds in their succession to say that they infuse the hearts with Allah's remembrance as an excuse or as a warning, is meant to impress the truth that the system working in the world keeps on reminding man that everything on the earth has not been placed under his control but there is a Supreme Power above him, which rules his destiny. That Power is so supreme and mighty that it can use the elements for the sustenance and nourishment of man when it so wills and can use the same elements for his destruction when it so wills.

After this the same system of winds has been proffered as an argument to prove that the Resurrection which is being promised to man, must come to pass. Now, let us see how this system testifies to this truth.

Man generally is perplexed in the case of Resurrection and the Hereafter at two questions. First: is the occurrence of Resurrection possible? Second: what is its need and necessity? And then being perplexed at these questions, he starts entertaining doubts whether it will at all occur or not, or whether it was only a figment of the imagination. In this connection, the Qur'an has at some places reasoned out and proved its possibility, its necessity and occurrence from the system of the universe, and at others adopted another mode of reasoning: oaths have been sworn by some of the countless signs of God's Kingdom and it has been asserted that it shall surely come to pass. This mode of reasoning contains arguments for its possibility as well as arguments for its necessity and arguments for its occurrence.

Here, adopting the same mode of reasoning only the system of the circulation of winds and rainfall has been presented as a sign of the truth that it is a regular system, which has been established by the design of an All-Wise, All-Mighty Sovereign; it is not a chance occurrence, as a result of which a system might have been generated in the atmosphere of the earth that vapors should arise from the seas, winds should carry them and gather them into clouds, then split and separate them into pieces and transport them to different parts of the earth and then should cause them to fall as rain. This system has not been devised accidentally by some blind and deaf Nature, but it is a well-considered and well-designed plan, which is functioning regularly according to a law

. That is why it never so happens that the heat of the sun should produce ice on the surface of the sea instead of vapors, but the sun always raises only vapors from the sea. It never so happens that the monsoons should blow in the reverse order and suppress vapors into the sea but they always raise them up into the atmosphere. It never so happens that the formation of clouds should cease, or the winds should stop to carry them to dry lands or the falling of rain on the earth should discontinue. The same law has been at work since millions and millions of years under which this system is functioning. Had it not been so our coming into existence on the earth and survival here would not be possible.

In this system one fords a clear purpose and the working of regular law. One can clearly see that on the earth the life of man, animal and vegetation deeply relates to the winds and rainfall, and this arrangement testifies that water has been provided to bring animate life into existence and keep it alive precisely according to their requirements and a law. This purpose and regularity is not found only in this aspect but in the entire system of the universe, and man's whole scientific progress is based on it. About every thing man tries to find out what is its purpose and on what principle it works Then as he goes on gaining insight into the purposes of the creation of different things and the principles on which they work, he goes on devising new and ever new methods of their use and making new inventions for the progress of his civilization. Had there been no such concept in the mind of man naturally that the world is a meaningful world and everything in it is working on a principle, he would never have entertained the question about anything as to what was its purpose and how it could be put to use.

Now, when this world and everything in it has meaning, and if there is a law working in this world and in everything it contains, and if it has been functioning with the same purpose and regularity since millions and millions of years, then a stubborn person only could refuse to accept that an all-knowing, All-Mighty God has made it, and about that God it would be foolish to assume that although He could make and cause it to function but cannot break it, and after breaking it, cannot reconstruct it in any other form if He so wills, The concept about matter that it is imperishable was the chief support of the ignorant atheist of the past, but the progress of knowledge has proved it also false. Now it is an acknowledged scientific fact that matter can change into energy and energy into matter. Therefore, it is perfectly according to knowledge and reason that this material world will last only as long as the Living and Eternal God sustains it. As soon as He wills to change it into energy, He can change it by a simple Command and His one Command is enough to re-create it into any other material form and shape He wills.

This much then about the possibility of the Resurrection, which cannot now be rejected by any scientific and rational argument. As for the question that it must take place so that man is rewarded for his good works and punished for his evil deeds, the person who acknowledges man's moral responsibility and also believes that rewarding the good services and punishing the crimes is the necessary demand of this moral responsibility, cannot but admit that there must be the Hereafter. There is no law or government in the world, which can punish every crime and reward every good act. To say that the prick of the conscience is a sufficient punishment for the culprit and the satisfaction of the conscience is sufficient reward for the doer of good is no more than meaningless philosophizing.

 The question is: How and when did the conscience of the person who killed an innocent man and then himself died in an accident immediately after it reprove him? And when did the conscience of the man who went to fight for the sake of truth and justice and fell a victim to a bomb blast suddenly, have the satisfaction that he had laid down his life for a good cause? Thus, the truth is that the pretenses invented to avoid the belief in the Hereafter are all meaningless. Man's intellect wants, his nature requires, that there should be justice, but in the present life of the world it is not possible to have full and perfect justice. Justice can be had only in the Hereafter and only under the judgment and command of the All-Knowing, Omnipotent God. Denial of the necessity of the Hereafter is, in fact, denial of the necessity of justice.

Intellect can go only so far as to convince man that the Hereafter is possible and it should come about. As for the truth that it will surely come about, the "knowledge" of it can be obtained only through Revelation, and Revelation has given us the news that "that which you are being promised must happen". We cannot attain this knowledge by intellectual reasoning; however, we can attain the certainty of its being true on the basis that the thing of which we are being informed by Revelation is both possible and necessary.

2Another meaning can be; "That which you are being threatened with," i. e. the Resurrection and Hereafter.

3Here an oath has been sworn by five things on the inevitability of the Resurrection:
(1) "Those which are sent forth in succession, or for a good cause;"
(2) "those which blow violently and tempestuously
(3) "those which disperse and scatter;"
(4) "those which split and separate;" and

(5) "those which inspire the remembrance." As these words only describe the characteristics and it has not been specified what thing or things they qualify, this has given rise to a difference of opinion among the commentators as to whether these are the qualities of one particular thing or of different things and what the thing or things are. One group of them says that all the five qualify the winds; the second group says that all the five imply the angels; the third group says that the first three imply the winds and the remaining two the angels; the fourth says that the first two imply the winds and the other three the angels; another group has opined that the first quality implies the angels of mercy, the second the angels of punishment and the remaining three imply the verses of the Qur'an.

In our opinion, the first thing worthy of consideration is that when five characteristic have been mentioned continuously in one and the same context and there is no indication to show as to what has been qualified up to a certain point and where from has the qualification of another thing begun, it cannot be correct, on the basis of a baseless conjecture, to understand that in these verses oaths have been sworn by two or three different things. Rather in this case the continuity of the subject by itself requires that the whole passage be regarded as related to the characteristics of one and the same thing. Secondly, wherever in the Qur'an an oath bas been sworn by a certain thing or,

 things in order to convince the doubters or deniers of an unseen truth, there the oath stands for an argument or reasoning which is meant to tell that the thing or things point to the truth's being right and correct. For this purpose obviously it cannot be correct to present one imperceptible thing as an argument for another imperceptible thing; for, only a perceptible thing can be presented as an argument for an imperceptible thing. Hence in our opinion the correct explanation is that it implies the winds and the explanation of the people who interpret the five things to mean the angels cannot; be acceptable, for the angels are as imperceptible as is the occurrence of the Resurrection.

Now, let us consider as to how these different states of winds point to the occurrence of the Resurrection. One of the most important factor which has made animal and vegetable life possible on the earth is the air. The relationship its qualities bear with every kind of life testify that there is an all-powerful, All-Wise Creator, Who willed to create life on this earth and for this purpose created here a thing whose qualities exactly and precisely correspond to the requirements of the existence of living beings. Then, He did not only wrap up the earth in the air and left it alone, but by His power and wisdom characterized this air with countless different states, which are being regulated since millions and millions of years in such a way that they cause the change of seasons and weather sometimes it is close and sometimes a soft breeze blows sometimes it is hot and sometimes cold; sometimes it brings clouds and sometimes it drives away clouds; sometimes it causes pleasant gusts to blow and sometimes disastrous windstorms; sometimes it brings beneficial rains and sometimes there is drought; in short, there are different 'kinds of winds which blow in their own time, and every kind serves one or the other purpose

. This arrangement is the proof of a dominant Power, for which neither it can be impossible to bring life into existence, nor to obliterate it, nor to re-create it after having annihilated it. Likewise, this arrangement is also a proof of a supreme wisdom about which only a foolish man could think that all this was being done for fun, without any higher object in view. As against this wonderful system man is so helpless that he can neither cause a favorable wind to blow for himself, nor can prevent a disastrous cyclone from blowing on himself. However shameless, obstinate and stubborn he may be, the wind does at one time or another remind him that a Mighty Sovereign is ruling over him, Who can turn this principal means of his life into a cause of blessing for him or into a cause of ruin for him whenever He so likes, and man does not have the power to prevent or avert any of His decisions. (For further explanation, see E.N. 7 of Al-Jathiyah, E.N.'s 1 to 4 of Adh-Dhariyat).

1. Transliteration: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. 

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem 

1. Wal mursalaati'urfaa
2. Fal'aasifaati 'asfaa
3. Wannaashiraati nashraa
4. Falfaariqaati farqaa
5. Falmulqiyaati zikra
6. 'Uzran aw nuzraa
7. Innamaa too'adoona lawaaqi'
8. Fa izam nujoomu tumisat
9. Wa izas samaaa'u furijat
10. Wa izal jibaalu nusifat
11. Wa izar Rusulu uqqitat
12. Li ayyi yawmin ujjilat
13. Li yawmil Fasl
14. Wa maaa adraaka maa yawmul fasl
15. Wailuny yawma 'izillilmukazzibeen
16. Alam nuhlikil awwaleen
17. Summa nutbi'uhumul aakhireen
18. Kazzalika naf'alu bilmujrimeen
19. Wailunw yawma 'izil lil mukazzibeen
20. Alam nakhlukkum mimmaaa'im maheen
21. Faja'alnaahu fee qaraarim makeen
22. Illaa qadrim ma'loom
23. Faqadarnaa fani'mal qaadiroon
24. Wailuny yawma 'izil lilmukazzibeen
25. Alam naj'alil arda kifaataa
26. Ahyaaa'anw wa amwaataa
27. Wa ja'alnaa feehaa rawaasiya shaamikhaatinw wa asqainaakum maaa'an furaataa
28. Wailuny yawma 'izil lilmukazzibeen
29. Intaliqooo ilaa maa kuntum bihee tukazziboon
30. Intaliqooo ilaa zillin zee salaasi shu'ab
31. Laa zaleelinw wa laa yughnee minal lahab
32. Innahaa tarmee bishararin kalqasr
33. Ka annahoo jimaalatun sufr
34. Wailuny yawma 'izil lilmukazibeen
35. Haazaa yawmu laa yantiqoon
36. Wa laa yu'zanu lahum fa ya'taziroon
37. Wailunw yawma 'izil lilmukazzibeen
38. Haaza yawmul fasli jama 'naakum wal awwaleen
39. Fa in kaana lakum kaidun fakeedoon
40. Wailuny yawma'izil lilmukazzibeen
41. Innal muttaqeena fee zilaalinw wa 'uyoon
42. Wa fawaakiha mimmaa yashtahoon
43. Kuloo washraboo haneee 'am bimaa kuntum ta'maloon
44. Innaa kazaalika najzil muhsineen
45. Wailuny yawma 'izil lilmuzkazzibeen
46. Kuloo wa tamatta'oo qaleelan innakum mujrimoon
47. Wailunny yawma 'izil lilmukazzibeen
48. Wa izaa qeela lahumur ka'oo laa yarka'oon
49. Wailunny yawma 'izil lilmukazzibeen
50. Fabi ayyi hadeesim ba'dahoo yu'minoon (End Juz 29)

1. Transliteration: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. 
2. 
   

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. By the (Winds) sent forth one after another (to man´s profit);
2. Which then blow violently in tempestuous Gusts,
3. And scatter (things) far and wide;
4. Then separate them, one from another,
5. Then spread abroad a Message,
6. Whether of Justification or of Warning;-
7. Assuredly, what ye are promised must come to pass.
8. Then when the stars become dim;
9. When the heaven is cleft asunder;
10. When the mountains are scattered (to the winds) as dust;
11. And when the messengers are (all) appointed a time (to collect);-
12. For what Day are these (portents) deferred?
13. For the Day of Sorting out.
14. And what will explain to thee what is the Day of Sorting out?
15. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
16. Did We not destroy the men of old (for their evil)?
17. So shall We make later (generations) follow them.
18. Thus do We deal with men of sin.
19. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
20. Have We not created you from a fluid (held) despicable?-
21. The which We placed in a place of rest, firmly fixed,
22. For a period (of gestation), determined (according to need)?
23. For We do determine (according to need); for We are the best to determine (things).
24. Ah woe, that Day! to the Rejecters of Truth!
25. Have We not made the earth (as a place) to draw together.
26. The living and the dead,
27. And made therein mountains standing firm, lofty (in stature); and provided for you water sweet (and wholesome)?
28. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
29. (It will be said:) "Depart ye to that which ye used to reject as false!
30. "Depart ye to a Shadow (of smoke ascending) in three columns,
31. "(Which yields) no shade of coolness, and is of no use against the fierce Blaze.
32. "Indeed it throws about sparks (huge) as Forts,
33. "As if there were (a string of) yellow camels (marching swiftly)."
34. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
35. That will be a Day when they shall not be able to speak.
36. Nor will it be open to them to put forth pleas.
37. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
38. That will be a Day of Sorting out! We shall gather you together and those before (you)!
39. Now, if ye have a trick (or plot), use it against Me!
40. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
41. As to the Righteous, they shall be amidst (cool) shades and springs (of water).
42. And (they shall have) fruits,- all they desire.
43. "Eat ye and drink ye to your heart´s content: for that ye worked (Righteousness).
44. Thus do We certainly reward the Doers of Good.
45. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
46. (O ye unjust!) Eat ye and enjoy yourselves (but) a little while, for that ye are Sinners.
47. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
48. And when it is said to them, "Prostrate yourselves!" they do not so.
49. Ah woe, that Day, to the Rejecters of Truth!
50. Then what Message, after that, will they believe in?
51. 
    
52. Transliteration: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. 

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

1. وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا

2. فَالْعَاصِفَاتِ عَصْفًا

3. وَالنَّاشِرَاتِ نَشْرًا

4. فَالْفَارِقَاتِ فَرْقًا

5. فَالْمُلْقِيَاتِ ذِكْرًا

6. عُذْرًا أَوْ نُذْرًا

7. إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَاقِعٌ

8. فَإِذَا النُّجُومُ طُمِسَتْ

9. وَإِذَا السَّمَاءُ فُرِجَتْ

10. وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ نُسِفَتْ

11. وَإِذَا الرُّسُلُ أُقِّتَتْ

12. لِأَيِّ يَوْمٍ أُجِّلَتْ

13. لِيَوْمِ الْفَصْلِ

14. وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ

15. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

16. أَلَمْ نُهْلِكِ الْأَوَّلِينَ

17. ثُمَّ نُتْبِعُهُمُ الْآخِرِينَ

18. كَذَٰلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِالْمُجْرِمِينَ

19. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

20. أَلَمْ نَخْلُقْكُمْ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ

21. فَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ

22. إِلَىٰ قَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ

23. فَقَدَرْنَا فَنِعْمَ الْقَادِرُونَ

24. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

25. أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا

26. أَحْيَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا

27. وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ شَامِخَاتٍ وَأَسْقَيْنَاكُمْ مَاءً فُرَاتًا

28. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

29. انْطَلِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَا كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ

30. انْطَلِقُوا إِلَىٰ ظِلٍّ ذِي ثَلَاثِ شُعَبٍ

31. لَا ظَلِيلٍ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنَ اللَّهَبِ

32. إِنَّهَا تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ كَالْقَصْرِ

33. كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالَتٌ صُفْرٌ

34. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

35. هَٰذَا يَوْمُ لَا يَنْطِقُونَ

36. وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ

37. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

38. هَٰذَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ ۖ جَمَعْنَاكُمْ وَالْأَوَّلِينَ

39. فَإِنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ كَيْدٌ فَكِيدُونِ

40. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

41. إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي ظِلَالٍ وَعُيُونٍ

42. وَفَوَاكِهَ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ

43. كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

44. إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ

45. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

46. كُلُوا وَتَمَتَّعُوا قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُمْ مُجْرِمُونَ

47. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

48. وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ارْكَعُوا لَا يَرْكَعُونَ

49. وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

50. فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُ