Part of The Gentle Commentary (series completed)
· Lesson 37 of 117
The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surat Al-Naba'
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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A brief commentary on the book *Profile Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*,
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by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nassif, may Allah preserve him.
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Surah an-Naba'.
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
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We continue with *Profile Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*, focusing on Surah an-Naba'.
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I have three reflections upon it.
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The first reflection is that this surah belongs to the medium-length chapters of the *Mufassal* section.
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This is the first surah we encounter from the beginning of the Qur'an that belongs to the medium *Mufassal*.
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The long *Mufassal* concluded with Surah al-Mursalat,
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and the medium *Mufassal* begins here, according to the opinion adopted in this book.
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The medium *Mufassal* holds a distinct significance.
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Based on the inductive analysis of jurists in the Hanbali school regarding the practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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it is part of the Sunnah to recite from the medium *Mufassal* during the 'Isha' prayer.
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In audible prayers, we recite the long *Mufassal* in Fajr,
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the short *Mufassal* in Maghrib,
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and the medium *Mufassal* in 'Isha'.
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This is the general norm,
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and it is an established Sunnah.
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Therefore, prayer leaders should give careful attention to this practice.
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This entails several benefits,
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among which is that the prayer does not become overly long.
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When recited from the medium *Mufassal*,
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the prayer remains well-balanced and moderate in length.
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The second benefit is that an entire, unified message is conveyed during the prayer.
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When you recite from the medium *Mufassal*, it is never too burdensome to finish a full surah.
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Its length is perfectly suited to reciting a complete surah in a single unit of prayer,
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or dividing it across two rak'ahs,
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thereby conveying a complete message,
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because every single surah contains an integral message from Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He.
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Thus, when an imam upholds this Sunnah,
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he conveys a clear message, allowing both the listener and the reciter to depart
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having grasped a complete, self-contained message,
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rather than only taking away a fragmented portion of one.
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This is what ought to be done,
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especially given the profound cohesion of this surah.
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When a surah is very long, it can be difficult to perceive the structural interconnections among its verses;
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but when a surah is of this moderate length,
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it is quite easy to discern its thematic links.
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Notice how the beginning of the surah addresses the denial or dismissal of the Resurrection:
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"The Tremendous Tiding."
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Even according to the view
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that "the Tremendous Tiding" refers to the Qur'an itself,
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the Qur'an inherently establishes the reality of the Resurrection;
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and upon it, within it, and concerning it,
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the discourse of the remainder of the surah proceeds.
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It presents the proofs for the Resurrection,
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followed by a detailed exposition of what will occur on the Day of Resurrection.
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Thus, the surah is exceptionally cohesive.
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For this reason, in contemplating it, it is best recited in a single rak'ah
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or in a single sitting,
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owing to its profound internal unity,
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where each verse naturally leads into the next.
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As for the third and final reflection,
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which is directly connected to the previous point,
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it concerns observing a motif that recurs at the beginning of the surah,
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in its middle, and at its conclusion—
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a feature that clearly demonstrates the remarkable thematic harmony of the surah.
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The surah opens with: "About what are they asking one another? About the Tremendous Tiding."
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Thus, they are speaking,
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and their speech is entirely falsehood.
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They question an undeniable reality,
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which is the Resurrection,
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or they question the Qur'an,
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despite it being manifest truth from Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He.
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We then observe this consistency throughout the rest of the surah.
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Regarding the fate of the transgressing disbelievers,
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He said: "And they persistently denied Our signs as false."
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The signs of Allah encompass both the verses of the Qur'an
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and the cosmic signs mentioned in this very surah:
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"Have We not made the earth a resting place, and the mountains as pegs?"
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and so forth.
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Thus, they persist in denial,
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which aligns with the denial and skepticism depicted at the beginning of the surah.
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Their disregard for clear truths
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and their mocking inquiries are an act of outright rejection,
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without any doubt.
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Then comes the reward of the believers:
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"They will hear therein no vain talk nor any falsehood."
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Thus, the offensive, mocking discourse of the deniers that once grieved the believers
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will be entirely removed from them, and they will hear none of it
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in the Gardens of Delight.
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You will also notice in the surah,
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toward its very end:
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"The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows,
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they will not speak,
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except for him whom the Most Merciful permits,
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and who speaks what is right." In this worldly life,
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there is room for speech and questioning—
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say whatever you wish;
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but in the Hereafter, no speech will be granted except to the people of faith,
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and none shall speak except those granted permission
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by our Lord, the Most Merciful.
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I will suffice with this,
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and I invoke blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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and upon his family and all his Companions.
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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.