Part of The Gentle Commentary (series completed)
· Lesson 33 of 117
The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surah Al-Infitar
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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The concise commentary
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on the book "Introductory Cards
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to the Surahs of the Noble Mus-haf"
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by Dr. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Umar Nasif,
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may Allah preserve him.
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Surah al-Infitar.
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
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We continue with our concise commentary on the introductory cards,
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and we have arrived at Surah al-Infitar.
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I have three reflections regarding it.
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The first reflection concerns what has been narrated regarding its virtues,
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which is the exact same virtue mentioned for Surah at-Takwir:
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"Whoever would be pleased to look at the Day of Resurrection as if seeing it with his own eyes..."
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This invites us to compare the two surahs
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and reflect more deeply on their differences and points of agreement.
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They share common elements, the most apparent of which is:
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"When" (idha),
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which denotes absolute certainty of occurrence.
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Another point of agreement between them is:
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"A soul will know..."
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Among the contrasting elements between them is:
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"A soul will know what it has put forth and kept back" here,
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and "what it has brought" there in at-Takwir.
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All of this calls for careful comparison
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and contemplation.
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As for the second reflection,
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it pertains to the chronological order of the surah's revelation.
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In reality, we do not possess any definitive evidence,
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as far as I know,
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regarding the precise time of this surah's revelation,
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except
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the report used merely for corroboration,
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though not with certainty,
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which is the narration of Jabir ibn Zayd,
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may Allah have mercy on him,
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in which he placed it as the eighty-first surah,
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whereas at-Takwir, which preceded it,
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was revealed early, as we noted,
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being the sixth.
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One can infer a subtle point from this:
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that this admonition
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is needed by Muslims at the beginning of the da'wah—
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like that surah—
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and is also needed by Muslims
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in the middle phase of the da'wah,
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toward the end of the Meccan period,
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which is midway in relation to the total span
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of his life, peace and blessings be upon him,
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and the descent of revelation upon him.
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Thus, admonition is not exclusively for
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new Muslims,
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nor is the reminder of the Hereafter reserved only
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for the recently practicing;
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rather, it is something we constantly need to remember.
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So one surah came in the early Meccan period
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and another surah came in the late Meccan period,
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and we will also come across some surahs
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from the Medinan period
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that address this same theme.
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For it is a matter from which
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no need can ever be detached
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by any Muslim.
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A third and final reflection
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concerns the main theme of the surah: he stated,
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"Urging to work for the Day of Judgment."
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Notice, my brothers,
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that our remembrance of the Day of Resurrection
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is not an invitation to mere fear;
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fear is only a means to action.
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The reality is that remembering
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the Hereafter
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and actively visualizing Paradise and Hellfire
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should serve
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to fuel a positive,
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proactive drive toward righteous deeds
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for the Day of Judgment.
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If you realize that when
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these cataclysmic events occur,
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a soul will know what it has put forth and kept back,
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then put forth goodness right now
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and be eager for it, so that you may rejoice
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on that Day:
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"Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure." O Allah,
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make us among them.
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I will suffice with this, and send peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah,
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and upon his family and Companions,
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and whoever follows his guidance.
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Praise be to Allah, first and last,
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outwardly and inwardly.