Tafsir of Surah al Nazi'at - The Pluckers (Surah 79)

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Tafsir of Surah al Nazi'at - The Pluckers (Surah 79)
by 'Abdur-Rahmân ibn Nâsir as-Sa'dî Translated by Abû Rumaysah
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1) By those who wrench out from the very roots, 2) by those who tenderly draw out, 3) by those who glide along serenely, 4) by those who race along, speeding ahead, 5) and by those who arrange a matter.

The beginning of this chapter contains oaths taken by the noble angels and the actions that they do showing their complete subservience to the command of Allah and their rushing to implement His order. It is possible that the purpose of the oaths is to stress the Recompense and Resurrection as this is what is mentioned in the ensuing verses. It is also possible that the oath being taken and the purpose of the oath be one and the same: the oath is taken by the angels (and the purpose is to stress belief in them) because belief in the angels is one of the six pillars of faith. Their actions mentioned here; what they do before, during and after death also point to the Recompense.
“By those who wrench out from the very roots,” these are the angels who pluck out souls forcefully such that they be recompensed for their deeds, engrossed in their duty and diligently carrying it out. “By those who tenderly draw out,” these are also angels that draw out souls forcefully and vigorously, or these specifically draw out the souls of the believers whereas the wrenching is reserved for the souls of the disbelievers. “By those who glide along” frequently descending and ascending “serenely, by those who race along,” racing others “speeding ahead,” rushing to obey Allah and hence convey the revelation to the Messengers before the devils can steal a hearing, thereby outstripping them. “And by those who arrange a matter,” the angels whom Allah has appointed to regulate the affairs of this creation such as rain, plants, winds, oceans, foetuses, animals, Paradise, Hell and other such matters.

6) On the Day when the Blast thunders,* 7) following this, the [Blast] riding behind: 8) that Day hearts will be pounding, 9) their eyes downcast. 10) They say, ‘What! Will we be restored to how we were before?** 11) ...When we have become decayed bones?!’ 12) They say, ‘[Bah!] That, then, would be a ruinous turn of events.’ 13) There will be but one Cry, 14) and suddenly they will be above ground, wide awake!

“On the Day when the Blast” heralding the Last Hour “thunders, following this, the [Blast] riding behind,” another blast following the first. “That Day hearts will be pounding,” in terror at what they see and hear. “Their eyes downcast,” humbled and abased, their hearts overcome with fear, their very core stunned by the horror around them, regret overtaking them, anguish and loss hemming them in. “They” the disbelievers “say,” mockingly and arrogantly, “‘What! Will we be restored to how we were before?” Shall we return to our first form after having died? The question is asked incredulously, by way of rejection. They rejected the Resurrection and then persisted in their denial by saying “...When we have become decayed bones?!’” Are we to be given life again after we have become “bones, rotted away”[1] “They say, ‘[Bah!] That, then, would be a ruinous turn of events.’” They considered it extremely unlikely that such an event would occur, betraying their ignorance of the power of Allah and intrepidly displaying their insolence before Him. Allah responds by declaring how easy this is for Him, “There will be but one Cry,” a blast of the Trumpet “and suddenly they” all of creation “will be above ground,” on the surface of the earth “looking on,” “standing and looking on!”[2] Allah will gather them together and judge them with His perfect justice and then recompense them.

15) Has the story of Moses reached you? 16) When his Lord called out to him in the sacred valley, Tuwa, 17) “Go to Pharaoh, he has transgressed, 18) and ask him, ‘Are you [disposed] to purify yourself, 19) and have me guide you to your Lord so you may fear [Him]?’” 20) Then he showed him the Greatest Sign, 21) but he denied and disobeyed. 22) Then he turned his back, striving [to counter truth]. 23) Then he mustered [his people] and called out, 24) he said, ‘I am your lord most high.’ 25) So Allah seized him with an exemplary punishment in this world and the next. 26) There is a lesson in this for anyone who fears [Allah].

Allah says to His Prophet, Muhammad (SAW), “Has the story of Moses reached you?” The question is asked in order to highlight the magnitude of the incident and to show that it really happened. “When his Lord called out to him in the sacred valley, Tuwa,” the place where Allah spoke to him, conferred messengership upon him, commissioned him with the revelation and chose him. ““Go to Pharaoh, he has indeed transgressed,” forbid him from his transgression, shirk and disobedience with lenient, gentle words so that “hopefully he may pay heed or fear (Allah).”[3] “And ask” him, “‘Are you [disposed] to purify yourself,” do you have the resolve to take on fine traits and praiseworthy qualities the likes of which all intelligent folk would compete for? These are that you purify yourself and cleanse it of the stain of disbelief and transgression, and then progress into the light of faith and righteous action. “And have me guide you to your Lord,” I will direct you to Him and show you the ways and means of pleasing Him and differentiate these from the ways and means of earning His displeasure “so you may fear (Him),’”” however Pharaoh refused to accept the call of Musa, “then he showed him the Greatest Sign,” the genus of Great Signs, as such this verse does contradict the fact that there were a number of such signs, “but he denied” the truth “and disobeyed” His command. “Then he turned his back, striving,” expending his efforts in countering the truth and declaring war against it. “Then he mustered” his forces “and called out. He said,” to them “‘I am your Lord Most High!’” so submit to him and accept his falsehood and his looking down on them. “So Allah seized him with an exemplary punishment in this world and the next,” Allah made His punishment a proof and a warning, demonstrating the punishment that occurs in this life and the next. “There is a lesson in this for anyone who fears [Allah],” it is the person who fears Allah that truly benefits from the Signs and admonitions. Therefore when such-a-one sees the punishment of Pharaoh, he comes to know that a person who is exultant, arrogant, disobedient, and competes with Allah in His dominion will be punished in this life and the Hereafter. As for the person whose heart is devoid of the fear of Allah, even if every Sign comes to him, he will not believe.

27) Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He constructed it. 28) He raised its ceiling high and proportioned it. 29) He darkened its night and brought out its morning light. 30) After that He spread out the earth, 31) He brought forth its water and its pasture from it, 32) and the mountains He firmly anchored - 33) for you and your livestock to enjoy.

Allah then proceeds to mention a clear proof for those who reject the Resurrection, “Are you” man “a more difficult creation or the heaven?” of immense volume, great strength and dazzling height, “He constructed it. He raised its ceiling high” raising its size and form “and proportioned it,” with a precision and perfection that befuddles the mind and bewilders the intelligent. “He darkened its night,” such that the night spreads across the face of the earth, reaching every region “and brought out its morning light” with the light of the sun so that man goes out to fulfil what he needs for his religious and worldly life. “After that” the creation of the heaven “He spread out the earth,” placing in it its benefits which are explained as “He brought forth its water and its pasture from it, and the mountains He firmly anchored - for you and your livestock to enjoy.” Therefore the earth was spread after the creation of the heaven, however the actual creation of the earth occurred before the creation of the heaven as is proven by the verse, “Say, ‘Disbelieve you in Him who created the earth in two days, and ascribe rivals to Him?’ That (and none else) is the Lord of the Worlds! He placed therein firmly embedded mountains, towering above it, and blessed it and measured therein its sustenance in four days, alike for (all) who ask; then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and the earth, ‘Come both of you, willingly or unwillingly.’ They said, ‘We come in willing obedience.’ Then He ordained them seven heavens in two days and inspired in each heaven its mandate; and We adorned the celestial heaven with lamps, and guarded it.”[4]
Therefore the One who created the seven heavens in all their splendour and the lamps and celestial bodies they contain, and who created the earth and all it contains is definitely able to resurrect the creation and recompense those who are legally responsible (mukallaf) for their deeds. Whoever worked righteousness, for him lies in store great good, and whoever worked evil, he has none to blame but himself. It is for this reason that Allah proceeds to mention the Last Hour and the Recompense:

34) But when the Great Calamity comes to pass, 35) that Day man will remember what he strove for, 36) and the Blazing Furnace will be displayed for all who can see. 37) Then, as for him who transgressed 38) and preferred the life of this world, 39) the Blazing Furnace will be [his] shelter. 40) But as for him who feared the standing before his Lord and forbade the self its lust, 41) the Garden will be [his] shelter.

“But when the Great Calamity comes to pass,” the Great Judgement, the Severe Hardship – a hardship that renders all other hardships insignificant. It is at this time that a parent shall forget his child, a friend shall forget his friend, and a lover shall forget his beloved. “That Day man will remember what he strove for,” in this world of good and evil. He will hope for any increase in his good deeds, even an atoms weight, and any addition to his evil deeds, even an atoms weight, will cause him despair and misery. It is then that he will realise that the foundation of real profit and loss lay in what he strove for in this world. On that occasion every means and every tie that existed in this world will be severed; except for deeds. “And the Blazing Furnace will be displayed for all who can see,” prepared for its denizens, ready to seize them, waiting for the command of its Lord. “Then, as for him who transgressed” boldly committing major sins and not restricting himself to the limits set by Allah, “and preferred the life of this world,” over the Hereafter such that he strove for the world and devoted his time and efforts in running after it and its allures, forgetting the Hereafter and neglecting to work towards it, “the Blazing Furnace will be [his] shelter,” his home and final place. “But as for him who feared the standing before his Lord,” feared the time when he would stand before Him, and feared His just judgment to such an extent that it affected his heart, “and the self its lust,” that diverts it from the obedience of Allah and strove against desires and lusts such that his desires conformed to what Messenger (SAW) came with “The Garden,” containing every type of goodness, joy, and bliss “will be [his]” the one who has these characteristics “shelter.”

42) They ask you about the Hour, ‘When will it arrive?’*** 43) But how can you tell them? 44) Its coming to pass is your Lord’s affair. 45) You are merely a warner to those who fear it. 46) On the Day they see it, it will seem they had only lingered but an evening or the morning after.

“They” the obstinate deniers of the Resurrection “ask you about the Hour: ‘When will it arrive?’” Allah replies by saying, “But how can you tell them?” What is the benefit for you and for them in mentioning this and knowing when it will occur? There is no real point to this question. Now, because there is no benefit in the creation knowing the answer to this question, rather the benefit lies in them not knowing it, Allah kept the knowledge of it to Himself, “Its coming to pass is your Lord’s affair,” i.e. its knowledge belongs to Him alone. He says, “They ask you about the Hour, when will it arrive? Say, ‘Knowledge thereof is with my Lord only. He alone will manifest it at its proper time.’”[5] “You are merely a Warner to those who fear it,” your warning will only benefit those who fear its occurrence and dread the standing before Allah. The only concern of these people is preparation for that event and working towards it. As for the one who does not believe in it, he pays no attention to it and neither does he pay attention to his obstinacy. This is because his obstinacy arises because of denial and obduracy. When a person reaches such a state and then asks the question, to answer him is useless, and the Wisest of the Wise is free of him. “On the Day they see it, it will seem they had only lingered but an evening or the morning after.”
Endnotes
* lit: “On the Day when the Shuddering shudders,” which has also been interpreted to mean, “On the Day when the Quake shall convulse.”
** or: “What! Will be restored to [life] in holes in the ground?”
*** lit: “When will it drop anchor?” the analogy being to that of a ship set sail, which stops when the anchor is dropped.
1. Ya Sin (36): 682. al-Zumar (39): 783. Ta Ha (20): 444. Fussilat (41): 9-125. al-A`raf (7): 187