In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. Aqil Ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Qiyamah.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Nay, I swear by the Day of Resurrection;” (75:1)
“Nay, I swear by the accusing soul (that this Scripture is true).” (75:2)
Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?
Yes, We are able to reconstruct his very fingertips.
Rather, man wishes to continue in his wickedness.
Allah swears by the Day of Resurrection,
And by the self-reproaching soul,
Which blames its owner for both good and evil,
And feels regret for what has passed.
Does the son of Adam think that We are unable to gather his bones after they have scattered?
Yes, We are capable of even more than that;
We are able to reconstruct his fingertips,
Meaning the fingers of his hands and feet.
Had We made them a single mass, like the hoof of a camel or a donkey,
He would not be able to take his food except with his mouth, like other beasts.
But He separated the fingers of his hands so he may take with them,
And grasp, hold, and release as he wishes.
Thus, He perfected his creation.
It is not that the son of Adam is ignorant that his Lord is able to gather his bones,
But he wishes to continue forward in his disobedience to Allah,
With nothing to deter him from it,
Never repenting, but constantly delaying his repentance.
“He asketh: When will be this Day of Resurrection?” (75:6)
So when the sight is dazzled,
And the moon is eclipsed,
And the sun and the moon are joined,
“On that day man will cry: Whither to flee!” (75:10)
No! There is no refuge.
“Unto thy Lord is the recourse that day.” (75:12)
“On that day man is told the tale of that which he hath sent before and left behind.” (75:13)
The son of Adam, who persists in his disobedience to Allah, asks,
"When is the Day of Resurrection?"
Seeking to delay his repentance.
But when he is terrified by death,
And the light of the moon vanishes,
And the sun and moon are joined in the loss of their light,
So that neither of them has any light left,
Man will say when he witnesses the horrors of the Day of Resurrection,
"Where is the escape from the terror that has descended?"
No! There is no escape here that will benefit its seeker,
For his flight will not save him,
Nor is there any fortress, mountain, or stronghold to which he can turn,
From the decree of Allah that has arrived.
To your Lord, O man, on that day is the final destination.
He is the One who settles all His creation in their final abode.
Man will be informed, on the day the sun and moon are joined and folded up,
Of everything he sent forth of good or evil during his life,
And what he left behind of a good or bad Sunnah.
“Oh, but man is a telling witness against himself,” (75:14)
Even if he presents his excuses.
Rather, man has observers within himself who watch his deeds,
And bear witness against him, even if he offers excuses.
“Stir not thy tongue herewith to hasten it.” (75:16)
Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation.
So when We have recited it, follow its recitation.
“Then lo! upon Us (resteth) the explanation thereof.” (75:19)
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Used to move his lips when the Qur'an was revealed to him.
So Allah said, "Do not move your tongue with the Qur'an, O Muhammad, to hasten it.
Indeed, upon Us is the collection of this Qur'an in your heart, O Muhammad,
So that We may fix it therein.
And its recitation, so that you may recite it after We have collected it in your heart.
So when it is recited to you, act upon it,
Regarding its commands and prohibitions,
And follow what you have been commanded."
“Nay, but ye do love the fleeting Now” (75:20)
And you neglect the Hereafter.
The matter is not as you say, O people,
That you will not be resurrected after your death,
And will not be recompensed for your deeds.
Rather, what prompted you to say that
Is your love for the fleeting worldly life,
And your preference for its desires over the eternal Hereafter and its bliss.
So you believe in the immediate and deny the ultimate.
Some faces, that Day, will be radiant,
Looking at their Lord.
And some faces, that Day, will be contorted.
“Thou wilt know that some great disaster is about to fall on them.” (75:25)
Faces on the Day of Resurrection will be beautiful and bright from the bliss,
And they will look at their Lord.
And other faces will be changed in color, blackened, and grim,
Knowing that a calamity is about to befall them.
“Nay, but when the life cometh up to the throat” (75:26)
And it is said, "Is there any enchanter?"
And he realizes that it is the separation,
And the leg is wound about the leg.
“Unto thy Lord that day will be the driving.” (75:30)
The matter is not as these polytheists think,
That they will not be punished for their shirk and their disobedience to their Lord.
Rather, when the soul of one of them reaches the collarbones,
At the time of his death, as he struggles to breathe,
His family says,
"Is there an enchanter who can heal him and cure him of what has befallen him?"
They seek doctors and healers for him,
But they cannot avail him anything against the decree of Allah that has arrived.
And the one who is dying becomes certain
That it is the separation from the world, family, wealth, and children.
And the leg of the world is joined with the leg of the Hereafter.
This is the intensity of the agony of death and the severity of the terror of what is to come.
To your Lord, O Muhammad, on the day the leg is joined with the leg, is the driving.
“For he neither trusted, nor prayed.” (75:31)
But he denied and turned away.
“Then went he to his folk with glee.” (75:33)
Woe to you, and woe!
“Again nearer unto thee and nearer (is the doom).” (75:35)
He did not believe in the Book of Allah,
Nor did he perform prayer for Him.
But he denied the Book of Allah,
And turned away, abandoning obedience to Allah.
Then he went to his family, walking with a swagger.
A warning from Allah upon a warning.
Does man think that he will be left neglected?
Had he not been a drop of emitted semen?
Then he was a clinging clot, and He created and fashioned him.
“And made of him a pair, the male and female.” (75:39)
“Is not He (Who doeth so) Able to bring the dead to life?” (75:40)
Does this human who denies Allah think he will be left aimlessly,
Meaning, neither commanded, nor forbidden, nor held accountable for his worship?
Was this denier not a small drop of fluid in the man's loins, from emitted semen?
Then he was a clot, and Allah created him as a human.
Then He fashioned him into a balanced human being.
So He made from this human, after He fashioned him into a balanced creation,
Is not the One who did that capable of bringing the dead to life?
So He brings them into existence just as they were before their death.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.