In the previous aayaat/verses, we spoke about the things which Allah calls our attentions to in the skies, then in ourselves, showing our weakness - where we can't even explore those things in totallity (i.e. the stars which are billions of years away, or the depths of our innerselves) - even if we wish.
Verse/Aayah 8 إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ
Then Allah says,
Inahu 'ala raj'ihee la qaadir, no doubt he is in complete control of returning it. What is this about?
Many scholars say; Returning the human being back to life after death.
But this is profound, because Allah talks about the fluid entering into the female, and out comes a child. So Allah talks about something dead (the fluid or sperms) entering, and coming out alive (a newborn baby).
Similarly, Allah causes the dead to enter the graves, and He causes them to come to life on Judgment Day. So surely, He can give life to the dead once again - in whatever state they might be (whether that's a fluid of sperm in the mothers womb, or a dead rotted body in the womb of the earth) - Inahu 'ala raj'ihee la qaadir (no doubt He is in complete control to return it to life again.)
Ina [Without doubt] - this word is used to address a people who won't even take this issue into consideration (I.e. They don't even want to think about the ressurection.)
hu [He] - Usually, the word 'he' is mentioned when the name of someone has been mentioned in the surah previously. But Allah hasn't been mentioned by name in this surah [like explained before - this is because Allah does not want to mention His name next to the arrogant deniers], but at the same time - it shows that the One who does the creation for the first time, is easily capable of doing it the 2nd time.
Now Allah says He is in complete control of returning it.
Like He said in the previous surah; Inahu huwa yubdi'u wa yu'eed (surah buruj) - Surely He is the one who originates it and brings it back.
So it's repeated in this surah; Inahu 'ala raj'ihee la qaadir. no doubt He is in complete control of returning it.
Aayah 9يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ
Yawma tuBla assara-ir -
On the day when hidden things shall be made manifest,
the day when the secrets will be Balaa = tested/left out [pulled out and exposed to everybody]
Saraa'ir - sareera [singular] ((sirr = secret (its plural is Israar).)
But Sareera = [VERY well guarded secret, and it's plural is Saraa'ir (which is used in the verse).] A secret which is guarded so well, but even that secret will be exposed on the Judgment Day like open access information.
This is important because the theme of the surah is secrecy, and the previous surah of Buruj - the disbelievers were torturing the believers while being witnesses (shuhood) over what they did with them (i.e. mass genocide.) But what happens when nations commit mass genocide - they hide and guard the evidence of what they've done. But even these well guarded secrets (saraa'ir) in this life will be Balaa (exposed/pulled out) and made public and apparent.
It began with night, the stars are at such a distance, then what's so hard to believe that someone is a witness/hafiz here too (of angels.)
Aayah 10
فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ
Fa maa la quwatin wa laa naasirin - (Man) will have no power, and no helper.
If we look back on the surahs/chapters before this, we see that the disbelievers and tyrants would have massive armies and equipment to harm the believers.
In the previous surah, Allah tells us;
Has there reached you the story of the soldiers - [Those of] Pharaoh and Thamud? (Buruj 85: 17-18)
Why are power and helpers so important - especially on Judgment Day - which the disbelievers won't have? It's because when your guarded secrets become public - you need a defense, and power is strength for defense. This defense includes supporters and helpers against the one who opposes you.
Or let's look at a simple example of someone being in a hospital, if there leg is uncovered - they will try to cover it using their body power. But what if they don't have the strength (Quwwa) to do so? They will ask someone for help (nasr) to cover it for them. On the Day of Judgment, the person will have no power or helper, except for those whom Allah wills.
Aayah 11
وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ
By the sky (samaa') which returns (raj' - to return something). So the sky returns something.
What does it return?
We learn in tafsir that the sky returns rain over and over again. When the rain comes, it penetrates the earth - it forms rivers and oceans. And these oceans soon dry out (evaporation) - causing the sky to return [raj'] the rain which was evaporated earlier.
Another implication; Shaykh Zanadani is a contemporary scholar in science, who says that radiation is sent down from the Ozone layer, and satellite signals are too - the signal is sent from the sky (samaa' - space above us) to recievers on the planet, and these signals send back a response to the satellite in space. Allah knows best.
Classically this is referring to the water cycle.
Aayah 12
وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ
Wal 'arddi dhaa tis-sad' -
And [by] the earth which cracks open,
This refers to:
cleaving open/ripping open - water coming from the sky, opening up the earth, water coming into contact with the seed - the seed is empowered - growing into a plant.
But if the earth refuses to tear open - there won't be any sun light that can enter to allow the plant to produce its own food and grow (photosynthesis).
So every plant/tree that grows - its a ripping of the earth ('arddi dhaa tis sad').
So Allah mentions another impregnation. First it was the fluid of the male man, which gushes forth that impregnates the woman.
Now Allah mentions a fluid which comes from the sky, that impregnates the earth - giving life of the plants and the trees.
In both cases, the dead are bought back to life.
So Allah parallels our creation, with the creation of the plant life - since we're all made from the same Creator.
After these oaths, there's a response [Jawab al Qasam] - What is the response?
Aayah 13
إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ
There's no doubt that it is truly a decisive word which is Fassl - decides between truth and falsehood.
Fassl - This literally means to
separate two things so far apart - that you can distinguish them from each other. (i.e. if two branches are intertwined, you separate them apart to see the difference from each one.)
Now how does this Jawab/response have any relation to the previous oaths mentioned?
When Allah sends down rain from the skies/samaa', He also sends down revelation/wahy (from above the skies). The rain pours onto the earth, penetrating it and giving life to the dead plants, the same way - Allah sends down revelation from the samaa' (from above the skies) to penetrate into the hearts of the people, giving life to the dead hearts.
Sahih Muslim Book 030 [kitab al fada'il [book of virtues]], Number 5668:Abu Musa reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying:
The similitude of that guidance and knowledge with which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth.
There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall (eagerly) and as a result of it there is grown in it herbage and grass abundantly.
Then there is a land hard and barren which retains water and the people derive benefit from it and they drink it and make the animals drink.
Then there is another land which is barren. Neither water is retained in it, nor is the grass grown in it. And that is the similitude of the first one who develops the understanding of the religion of Allah and it becomes a source of benefit to him with which Allah sent me. (The second one is that) who acquires the knowledge of religion and imparts it to others. (Then the other type is) one who does not pay attention to (the revealed knowledge) and thus does not accept guidance of Allah with which I have been sent.
http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/hadith/muslim/030.smt.html
So the example given of the
rain is also referring to the revelation and its effects on the people. So the revelation affects some people in a good way, like rain produces good beneficial plants. Whereas rain can sometimes produce plants which are harmful with thorns etc. and are of no use to mankind, but instead harmful for them.
We also get to see that there are different types of people with knowledge; the fuqahaa (derivers of Islamic law), the muhaditheen (narrators of hadeeth), and some who don't go to the knowledge at all. The fuqahaa extract rulings/fataawa from the knowledge, and the muhaditheen are the narrators of hadeeth (Prophetic sayings), they themselves might not have the knowledge to extract rulings - but they do pass on the knowledge to others.
Aayah 14
وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ
Wama huwa bilhazl
And it is not a thing for amusement.
It is not at all in any way Hazl.
Ma = strong negation
Hazl = being skinny or weak, therefore unable to do any work.
"kawlun hazl" = [speech which doesn't benefit although it might just be for useless entertainment.]
Allah is telling us that this Qur'an is not worthless speech, but it's something which produces beneficial results.
Fassl (mentioned earlier) - it also means that which leads to clear decisive action. So it's not intellectual entertainment which people refer to to just gain more knowledge of the world, but this Qur'an is Fassl - leads to real action based on knowledge.
This is also a threat to the disbelievers, that this is a decisive word which will not change - so your secrets will be exposed without you having any power or helpers on the Day of Judgment. So believe, or bear the consequences of your disbelief on Judgment Day.
We learn in the previous surah that Allah said;
بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ
But they who disbelieve are in [persistent] denial,
And one of the ways they belie it is by saying that it's "entertainment discourse" i.e. interesting talk, but that's all it is.
But Allah says;
وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ
Wama huwa bilhazl
And it is not a thing for amusement.
Aayah 15
إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا
Innahum yakeedoona kayda
As for them, they are but plotting a scheme,
Inahum -
No doubt that they... - i.e. don't be in doubt [
Ina], but they [
Hum] really are plotting against you. Be sure of it.
This has always been the case of the deniers wanting to get rid of the true message of Islam, since it is a threat to them. This included the assasination attempts against Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), by the Quraysh in Makkah, and the Jews in Medinah.
Yakeedoona -
Secret plot.
This is different from the word
Makr, which is also used to mean 'plotting' (Surah Ibraheem 14:46).
Makr =
misleading the opponent into thinking they're going to win, but making them lose in the end. It can be deceptive. But someone might question if Allah is really deceptive? The answer is that no, Allah is not deceptive. But Allah will Makr the disbelievers, when they Makr with the believers. So Allah avenges for the Muslims because of His love for them, and He is only giving the disbelievers what they themselves do against the believers.
So
Kayd (yaqeedoon) has in it the
element of secrecy, and Makr is about avenging using deceit.
Yakeedoona is mentioned in this surah instead of Makr because
Yaqeedoona is a secret plot, matching in with the theme of the surah of secrecy (i.e. of the night star's [Tariqs] arrival, and the inside of the body where the male sexual fluid is produced etc. )
Kaydan [maf'ool mutlaq] - they (many groups) are making their secret plans and executing them.
So there are many different groups trying to plot against you (Muslims), because they have different ideas about how we should be removed from the face of the earth.
...thou wouldst think they were united, but their hearts are divided: that is because they are a people devoid of wisdom. (Qur'an Hashr 59:14)
Aayah 16
وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًاWa akeedu kayda
And I (too) am planning a plan.
Allah doesn't mention Inna in this verse because, Inna hints at some sort of effort that's required.
Allah simply says - meaning, I have a plan (singular) which takes over all their plans.
We also notice that throughout the whole surah, Allah hasn't spoken directly to the disbelievers. He's simply spoken to Allah's Messenger, and then through him to the believers. By not talking to the deniers, He's humiliating them i.e. they're not even worth talking to.
Imagine a teacher is criticizing another student for his bad behaviour, but he's talking to the other pupils instead of him directly. This is going to make the bad student feel humiliated. The same is the case in this surah, and in other surahs like it too.
Aayah 17
فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا
Famahhili alkafireena amhilhum ruwayda
So give a respite to the disbelievers. Deal you gently with them for a while.
fa [so] - in response to their disbelief and oppression against you and My planning against them...
Mahal (tamheel [taf'eel/the process of - giving someone extra extensions in their deadline. (i.e. if someone is in debt and you do tamheel, you are extending their deadline to hand in the payment.)
Allah tells His Messenger to go easy on the disbelievers for a little while, and the irony is that this surah is a Makkan surah when it's Allah's Messenger whose actually going through the hardship!
Some scholars of tafsir/explanation mention that Allah means (to His Messenger); Don't get busy about avenging them, don't pray against them.
The irony; The Muslims are being oppressed, so Allah is telling His Messenger that He is encompassing the disbelievers (i.e. ready to punish them), but He tells us Messenger to be be relaxed on the disbelievers and give them abit of extra time - so you shouldn't make du'a against them (i.e. for their destruction like Prophet Nuh and Musa did). This equals to Allah's Messenger being in power, because if he prays against them - they will be destroyed.
We also learn the power of du'a in this surah.
Amhil (if'aal) [completion] - this is repeated for emphasis, and means 'let it go entirely', don't worry about it at all.
So when small things happen, let it go. Just let it go, because Allah has made His plot.
But Allah doesn't keep this permanent letting go a permanent thing, He says 'Ruwayda' at the end. Give them a 'little bit more time (the letter Ya between the Rawd signifies "little" i.e. Umayr is used for a 'little'
Umar)' . So give them a ' [ruwayd] 'little' extra time...
Because Allah has already designed the plan for Hijrah (migration to Medinah), and the battles of Badr, Uhud, Ahzab etc. in the future.
However weak you think you are, the truly believers are always in a situation of power.
The power of the du'a of Allah's Messenger would have been sufficient to wipe the Quraysh out, but Allah told His Messenger to be patient for a while because of His future planning.
End of Surahs Relation to Beginning of Surah
The surah began by addressing Allah's Messenger, and finishes by addressing Allah's Messenger alone (because these verses are always in the singular - so referring directly to Prophet Muhammad), and never talks to the deniers at all. This humilates the denier hearing this, and honours Prophet Muhammad (sal Allah alaihi wasalam) by giving him the attention.
It also mentions that
every nafs/self has a hafiz/protector (of man's deeds), and even in their worldly plans, humans only have limited control over their decisions (because even when they plot, Allah is planning against their schemes.)
This is the end of Surah Tariq, and all the praise is for Allah.
