The surah's main features are quite distinct : it opens with a brief reference to the end of life on earth and the advent of the Day of Reckoning. It goes on to describe the three categories into which humankind will be divided in the hereafter: those who accepted the faith without question shall be the nearest to God, followed by the righteous who shall be to the right of God, and then the unbelievers who shall be to the left of God.
Being totally preoccupied with their day-to-day lives and worldly affairs, the majority of people cannot think beyond their material or physical existence. Many of them are, to say the least, skeptical about the resurrection and are quite adamant in their belief that death is the end of their existence.
By his very nature, man is argumentative, contentious and subborn. However, once this great cataclysmic event is suddenly set in motion, the curtain will fall and no human power will be able to stop it. The surah says: "When the inevitable event takes place, no one shall be able to deny it" (1-2 ). With the arrival of the Hour then, a huge earthquake will strike, bringing everything toppling to the ground. Solid rocks shall crumble into fine dust.
Those who, in this life, enjoyed reading and studying the Qur'an, shall derive even more enjoyment from doing so in the hereafter. Believers shall be fully and generously rewarded for their deeds and efforts in this life. They will be guests of their Lord in the auspicious company of angels and prophets. They will enjoy more than kings and emperors here on earth could ever dream of.
The wonders, blessings, and comforts of Paradise are beyond description or imagination. What we are told about it is very little indeed: no more than a taste of what it is really like. It is a place of total and complete devotion to God Almighty; devotion accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of happiness and contentment. It has reclining couches, studded with precious metal. "They recline on them face to face" (16). They socialise in an atmosphere of tranquility, facing one another. "They are waited upon by immortal youths (17 ), who serve them with milk, honey, water and wine that are pure and healthy and which cause them to suffer "no giddiness or intoxication(19).
Among the most famous features of Paradise are the virgin houris. These are said to be human beings, both men and women, of beguiling beauty, in the prime of eternal youth and freshness. In Paradise, humans undergo extensive biological and physiological changes for the better. Believers will be able to live together in bliss and happiness, as the Qur'an says:
They (the believers) are admitted into gardens of Eden, together with their righteous parents, spouses, and offspring. The angels come to them from every door and say, "Peace be upon you for your patience. Blessed is your final abode!"
The Qur'an, as a whole, gives glimpses of the rich rewards reserved for the believers in the hereafter. These are enough to inspire, reassure, and encourage people to long for those rewards and work hard to earn them.
This surah describes the rewards awaiting "those who are to the fore", and "those of the right," who are of greater number. There will be sidr (lotus) trees, which normally grow on water-rich land and have prickly thorns, that will be thorn-free. There will be clusters of banana trees, and expansive carpets of constant shade that never diminish with the heat of the sun, and continuously running water in the form of streams, springs, and fountains. Paradise has an abundance of fruit of all kinds available all the year round: "Neither governed by the seasons, nor forbidden." (33).
For those on the right, who are the mass of the Muslims after the first generation, there will be attractive and loving women, all of similar age.
The surah then turns to describe what awaits those "of the left," a reference to the mass of those who rejected God, opposed His messengers, denounced His message, and perpetrated corruption and injustice in the world. The surah talks of "scorching winds and seething water" (42), and of "shade of pitch-black smoke, neither cool nor refreshing" (43-44). Elsewhere in the Qur'an, God orders the unbelievers on the Day of Judgement to: "Go into the shadow that rises high in three columns, providing neither shade nor shelter from the flames. The people "of the left" earned all this misery for their negligence and their lack of faith in God and their relentless hankering after their carnal and worldly desires.
The skeptics and the unbelievers completely discard any belief in the hereafter, and this is a prevalent feature of modern civilization and the root of all the evil and destruction witnessed in the world today. This is what the surah refers to when it says:
For they had been self-indulgent and persisted in committing the supreme evil, saying, "When we are dead and turned to dust and bones, shall we raised to life again? And our forefathers, too?" Say, "Yes, those of old and those of the present age, shall be brought together for an appointed day." (45-50).
The surah goes on to elaborate on the punishment the unbelievers will face, saying: '"And then you, those who have gone astray and those who have rejected the truth, shall eat the fruit of zaqqum'" (51-52). It is a bitter and foul fruit which dehydrates the body, causing the victim to crave for water. Alas! The only water the sinners shall have will be boiling water. Th Qur'an asserts: "They are given scalding water to drink which will tear their bowels" (Muhammad: 15). The surah says: "Such will be their state on the Day of Judgement" (56).
These scenes and descriptions of punishment and reward in the hereafter are given as incentives and as a means of enlightenment and education. They are very effective for a proper appreciation of the dire consequences of man's actions in this life. They prove as effective today in a world where science, arts and the media all seem to enhance man's ignorance of God and accountability and encourage him to desert all religious and moral teachings. However, such an incentive alone might not be sufficient and would have to be augmented by a concerted effort to motivate the human mind to think and reflect more rationally about, and to believe in, God and His sovereignty and power over the whole world.
DAY OF RESURRECTION
The frequent references to the Day of Resurrection in the Qur'an are not meant, as understood by some ignorant people, as a threat to human civilization or to thwart human progress. Rather, they are aimed at breaking man's false pride and egotistic ambitions.
The need to remind humans of the Day of Judgement never ceases to exist. Such admonition helps control man's desires and moderate his arrogance. The normal human being, with enough common sense, and with a certain belief in the Resurrection, would never forfeit a life of eternal bliss or opt for short-term enjoyment in exchange for the rich rewards of the hereafter!
The surah is brought to a close with a chilling challenge: Is man able to stem the force of God's will? Do humans have the power to prevent death? The surah says:
When a man's soul reaches his throat and is about to leave him, and you are looking on, and We are closer to him than you, although you cannot see Us, why then, if you are not accountable, can you not bring the soul back, if you claim to be truthful? (83-87)
Death is inescapable and unpreventable; an inevitable event in every man's life that comes at a predestined moment, totally beyond human control. On the Day of Judgement, mankind will be sorted into groups according to their performance in this life.
"If he is of those favoured by God, he will enjoy tranquility and plenty and a garden of delight" (88-89). "If he is of the right, then he will be greeted with the words, "Peace be upon you" from those of the right" (90-91). It is a greeting from the angels to those of the right for their triumph over life's temptations, and a precursor to their happy encounter with God Almighty.
"But if he is of the erring disbeliever, his welcome will be scalding water, and he will burn in hell" (92-94). This is a reference to those who are doomed and condemnd to hell.
Thus the closing words of the surah reinforce its opening statements to give a complete, but concise, picture of what awaits mankind in the hereafter. Regardless of the outcome, the truth remains intact: "This is the indubitable truth. Praise, then, the name of your supreme Lord." (95-96).
You can find the following verses in the following pages:
Verses: 1-2, 16 - page 534
17, 19, 33, 42, 43-44, 45-50 - page 535
51-52, 56 - page 536
83-87, 88-89, 90-91, 92-94, 95-96 - page 537
Among the most famous features of Paradise are the virgin houris. These are said to be human beings, both men and women, of beguiling beauty, in the prime of eternal youth and freshness. In Paradise, humans undergo extensive biological and physiological changes for the better. Believers will be able to live together in bliss and happiness, as the Qur'an says:
They (the believers) are admitted into gardens of Eden, together with their righteous parents, spouses, and offspring. The angels come to them from every door and say, "Peace be upon you for your patience. Blessed is your final abode!"
The Qur'an, as a whole, gives glimpses of the rich rewards reserved for the believers in the hereafter. These are enough to inspire, reassure, and encourage people to long for those rewards and work hard to earn them.
This surah describes the rewards awaiting "those who are to the fore", and "those of the right," who are of greater number. There will be sidr (lotus) trees, which normally grow on water-rich land and have prickly thorns, that will be thorn-free. There will be clusters of banana trees, and expansive carpets of constant shade that never diminish with the heat of the sun, and continuously running water in the form of streams, springs, and fountains. Paradise has an abundance of fruit of all kinds available all the year round: "Neither governed by the seasons, nor forbidden." (33).
For those on the right, who are the mass of the Muslims after the first generation, there will be attractive and loving women, all of similar age.
The surah then turns to describe what awaits those "of the left," a reference to the mass of those who rejected God, opposed His messengers, denounced His message, and perpetrated corruption and injustice in the world. The surah talks of "scorching winds and seething water" (42), and of "shade of pitch-black smoke, neither cool nor refreshing" (43-44). Elsewhere in the Qur'an, God orders the unbelievers on the Day of Judgement to: "Go into the shadow that rises high in three columns, providing neither shade nor shelter from the flames. The people "of the left" earned all this misery for their negligence and their lack of faith in God and their relentless hankering after their carnal and worldly desires.
The skeptics and the unbelievers completely discard any belief in the hereafter, and this is a prevalent feature of modern civilization and the root of all the evil and destruction witnessed in the world today. This is what the surah refers to when it says:
For they had been self-indulgent and persisted in committing the supreme evil, saying, "When we are dead and turned to dust and bones, shall we raised to life again? And our forefathers, too?" Say, "Yes, those of old and those of the present age, shall be brought together for an appointed day." (45-50).
The surah goes on to elaborate on the punishment the unbelievers will face, saying: '"And then you, those who have gone astray and those who have rejected the truth, shall eat the fruit of zaqqum'" (51-52). It is a bitter and foul fruit which dehydrates the body, causing the victim to crave for water. Alas! The only water the sinners shall have will be boiling water. Th Qur'an asserts: "They are given scalding water to drink which will tear their bowels" (Muhammad: 15). The surah says: "Such will be their state on the Day of Judgement" (56).
These scenes and descriptions of punishment and reward in the hereafter are given as incentives and as a means of enlightenment and education. They are very effective for a proper appreciation of the dire consequences of man's actions in this life. They prove as effective today in a world where science, arts and the media all seem to enhance man's ignorance of God and accountability and encourage him to desert all religious and moral teachings. However, such an incentive alone might not be sufficient and would have to be augmented by a concerted effort to motivate the human mind to think and reflect more rationally about, and to believe in, God and His sovereignty and power over the whole world.
DAY OF RESURRECTION
The frequent references to the Day of Resurrection in the Qur'an are not meant, as understood by some ignorant people, as a threat to human civilization or to thwart human progress. Rather, they are aimed at breaking man's false pride and egotistic ambitions.
The need to remind humans of the Day of Judgement never ceases to exist. Such admonition helps control man's desires and moderate his arrogance. The normal human being, with enough common sense, and with a certain belief in the Resurrection, would never forfeit a life of eternal bliss or opt for short-term enjoyment in exchange for the rich rewards of the hereafter!
The surah is brought to a close with a chilling challenge: Is man able to stem the force of God's will? Do humans have the power to prevent death? The surah says:
When a man's soul reaches his throat and is about to leave him, and you are looking on, and We are closer to him than you, although you cannot see Us, why then, if you are not accountable, can you not bring the soul back, if you claim to be truthful? (83-87)
Death is inescapable and unpreventable; an inevitable event in every man's life that comes at a predestined moment, totally beyond human control. On the Day of Judgement, mankind will be sorted into groups according to their performance in this life.
"If he is of those favoured by God, he will enjoy tranquility and plenty and a garden of delight" (88-89). "If he is of the right, then he will be greeted with the words, "Peace be upon you" from those of the right" (90-91). It is a greeting from the angels to those of the right for their triumph over life's temptations, and a precursor to their happy encounter with God Almighty.
"But if he is of the erring disbeliever, his welcome will be scalding water, and he will burn in hell" (92-94). This is a reference to those who are doomed and condemnd to hell.
Thus the closing words of the surah reinforce its opening statements to give a complete, but concise, picture of what awaits mankind in the hereafter. Regardless of the outcome, the truth remains intact: "This is the indubitable truth. Praise, then, the name of your supreme Lord." (95-96).
You can find the following verses in the following pages:
Verses: 1-2, 16 - page 534
17, 19, 33, 42, 43-44, 45-50 - page 535
51-52, 56 - page 536
83-87, 88-89, 90-91, 92-94, 95-96 - page 537
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