Tafsir of Surah An-Naba' - Verse 40

No one will dare to speak before Allah -- not even the Angels - without first receiving Permission

Allah informs of His magnificence and His majesty, and that He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is in them and between them. He explains that He is the Most Gracious, Whose mercy covers all things. Then He says,

لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَاباً

(With Whom they cannot dare to speak.) meaning, no one is able to begin addressing Him except by His permission. This is as Allah says,

مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ

(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission) (2:255) It is also similar to His statement,

يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ

(On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave.) (11:105)

يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ

(The Day that Ar-Ruh and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak) (78:38) The word Ruh here is referring to the angel Jibril. This has been said by Ash-Sha`bi, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak. This is as Allah says,

نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الاٌّمِينُ - عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ

(Which the trustworthy Ruh has brought down. Upon your heart that you may be of the warners.) (26:193-194) Muqatil bin Hayyan said, "The Ruh is the noblest of the angels, the closest of them to the Lord, and the one who delivers the revelation." Allah said;

إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ

(except him whom Ar-Rahman allows,) This is similar to Allah's statement,

يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ

(On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave.) (11:105) This is similar to what has been confirmed in the Sahih, that the Prophet said,

«وَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلَّا الرُّسُل»

(And none will speak on that Day except the Messengers.)" Allah said,

وَقَالَ صَوَاباً

(and he will speak what is right.) meaning, the truth. And from the truth is the fact that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah. This is as Abu Salih and `Ikrimah both said. In reference to Allah's statement,

ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الْحَقُّ

(That is the True Day.) meaning, it will come to pass and there is no avoiding it.

فَمَن شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ مَـَاباً

(So, whosoever wills, let him seek a place with His Lord!) meaning, a place of return, a path that leads to Him, and a way that he may pass by to get to Him.

The Day of Judgement is Near

Allah said,

إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَـكُمْ عَذَاباً قَرِيباً

(Verily, We have warned you of a near torment) meaning, the Day of Judgement. It is mentioned here to emphasize the fact that its occurrence has become close, because everything that is coming will certainly come to pass.

يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ

(the Day when man will see that which his hands have sent forth,) meaning, all of his deeds will be presented to him -- the good and bad, and the old and new. This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرًا

(And they will find all that they did, placed before them.) (18:49) t It is also similar to His statement,

يُنَبَّأُ الإِنسَـنُ يَوْمَئِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ

(On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind.) (75:13) Then Allah says,

وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَـلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَباً

(and the disbeliever will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!") meaning, the disbeliever on that Day will wish that he had only been dust in the worldly life.

He will wish that he had not been created and that he had never come into existence. This will be when he sees the torment of Allah and he looks at his wicked deeds that will be written down against him by the noble righteous scribes among angels. It has been said that he will only wish for that when Allah passes judgement between all of the animals that were in the worldly life. He will rectify matters between them with His just wisdom that does not wrong anyone. Even the hornless sheep will be allowed to avenge itself against the sheep with horns.

Then, when the judgement between them is finished, He (Allah) will say to them (the animals), "Be dust." So they will all become dust. Upon witnessing this the disbeliever will say,

يَـلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَباً

(Would that I were dust!) meaning, `I wish I was an animal so that I would be returned to dust.' Something of similar meaning to this has been reported in the well-known Hadith about the Sur. There are also narrations recorded from Abu Hurayrah, `Abdullah bin `Amr, and others concerning this. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat An-Naba'. And all praise and thanks are due to Allah. He is the Giver of success and protection from error.

يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ‌ الْمَرْ‌ءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ day when one will see what his hands have sent ahead....78:40) Apparently, this refers to the Day of Judgment. Every person will see his deeds with his own eyes in the Plane of Gathering. This might happen in one of two ways: [ 1] his ledger of deeds will be given in his hands and he will see it; or [ 2] his deeds will appear in the Plane of Gathering, epitomized in a visible shape, as certain narratives confirm this. Still a third possibility exists. The word 'day' may refer to 'the day of death'. And the words 'will see' means to see in the grave or barzakh, as explained by Mazhari.

وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ‌ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ تُرَ‌ابًا (and the disbeliever will say, "0 would that I had become dust...78:40) Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ reports that on the Day of Resurrection the entire earth will become a plane surface where all human beings, Jinn, domesticated animals and wild animals will be gathered. If one animal had wronged another animal in the world, it will be given the opportunity to take its revenge. If a goat with horns had wronged a goat without horns, it will be granted the opportunity to take its avenge. When this phase is over, all animals will be commanded to become dust. They will become dust. At that moment the disbelievers will wish that they were also animals and would become dust like them, so that they would have been spared the torment of reckoning and punishment of Hell. We seek refuge in Allah from it! Allah knows best!

Al-hamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah An-Naba'

Ends here

Every year we experience periods of calm weather followed by gales bringing clouds and rainstorms. Soon it is clearly visible that where the land was desolate, a new world has sprung up. This event of nature indicates the possibility of the Hereafter. This shows in symbolic fashion that the emergence of the Hereafter from the present world is just as possible as the emergence of lush green foliage from dry barren land.