Surah with Translation : https://quran.com/85
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Imagine living in a time in which you are oppressed;
persecuted; and tortured solely because you said 'There is no God but
Allah.' It was in a time like this when Allah revealed Surah Buruj. It
comforted the heart of the Prophet ﷺ and the believers.
وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡبُرُوجِ ١
By the sky containing
great stars(1)
In
the previous Surahs Allah spoke about the splitting and destruction of the sky on the Day of
Judgement. However, in
this Surah He talks about its current state - of the sky with great stars. This
not just refers to the position of the celestial bodies but it also refers to
the stations of the angels in the sky.
وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡمَوۡعُودِ ٢ وَشَاهِدٖ وَمَشۡهُودٖ ٣
And [by] the promised Day(2) And [by] the witness and what is witnessed,(3)
The promised day refers to the Day of judgement while
the ‘witness’ and the ‘one witnessed’ as mentioned in the 3rd ayah
can refer to a multiple things such as Allah, Friday, People, Earth being a
witness to the Day of Judgement, Day of Arafat, the Day of judgement and people
respectively.
But what’s amazing is the way in which Allah
has facilitated this ( I.e. ability to have multiple interpretation. In ayah 2,
Allah has used ٱلۡ which makes the day ma’rifa (definite). But
in the 3rd ayah the absence of ٱلۡ , makes the words ‘witness’
and ‘one witnessed’ nakira (indefinite) and hence it is open for a
multiple interpretation. Subhanallah!
After taking several
oaths to make one understand about the reality of the occurrence of the Day of
Judgement. Allah talks about a group of people which He described as ashabul
ukhdoodh.
قُتِلَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ
٤ ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡوَقُودِ ٥ إِذۡ هُمۡ
عَلَيۡهَا قُعُودٞ ٦
Cursed were the companions of the trench(4) [Containing] the fire full of
fuel,(5)When they were sitting near it(6)
The usage of the terms ashaab is
amazing because this single word covers multiple angles.
1. It shows us that these
criminals are always remembered by their crime.( Eg: You remember the holocaust
when you hear the word Nazi).
2. It shows their affiliation.
3.It gives an indication of
their state in aakhirah.
وَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَا
يَفۡعَلُونَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ شُهُودٞ ٧
And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses.(7)
The usage of the terms يَفۡعَلُونَ instead
of يَعْمَلُون shows that they did the action without even giving 2nd
thought about their evil act, (they had no hesitation).
وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ
إِلَّآ أَن يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ ٨
And
they resented them not except because they believed in Allah , the Exalted in
Might, the Praiseworthy,(8)
In this ayah, Allah tells us that the sole
reason as to why the believers were burnt down – because they believed in
Allah. But, it is interesting how Allah did not stop at بِٱللَّهِ , But He goes on
to add 2 of
His Attributes. Does this have any significance? Yes!
The usage of ٱلۡعَزِيزِ – The Always All Mighty
indicates that Allah has the Supreme authority over all Affairs and ٱلۡحَمِيدِ shows that Only Allah deserves All praise. It gives us an idea as to
how this 2 characteristics would have led to the opposition of the chiefs. For
accepting Allah as ٱلۡعَزِيزِ gives precedence to the Laws and Commands of
Allah more than theirs. No wonder the power greedy chiefs were
disturbed.
Another interesting fact is that, the 2 verbs present in
this ayah are in 2 different tenses. The word نَقَمُواْ - used to indicate their resentment is in past
tense( fe’l Madi) whereas the word يُؤۡمِنُواْ used to indicate the belief of the believers
is in present tense( fe’l Mudari’). This gives a vast meaning in a very
subtle way, it shows us about the steadfastness of the believers, the fact that
Allah used Present tense shows how they remained in state of Imaan till the end
of their lives, i.e. the
continuity of their faith.
ٱلَّذِي لَهُۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ شَهِيدٌ ٩
To
whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah , over all
things, is Witness.(9)
g Then Allah goes on to
say that He is the Owner and Regulator of the Heavens and the Earth and that He
is the Witness over all things. And the word Allah used – شَهِيدٌ has mubalaga
(intensity) in it. This shows us that Allah is the Ultimate and Greatest
Witness, thus He is aware of the torture faced by the believers and their pain,
as well as the persecution done by the disbelievers and their evil plots.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَتَنُواْ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ
وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَتُوبُواْ فَلَهُمۡ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمۡ
عَذَابُ ٱلۡحَرِيقِ ١٠
Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and
believing women and then have not repented will have the punishment of Hell,
and they will have the punishment of the Burning Fire.(10)
Here again, the usage of the nominal forms to
refer to the believers show that they were steadfast in their faith till the
end. And mention of believing men and women shows the intensity of the effects
of the persecution of the believers. Also, the fact that oppressing the
believing men also affects the believing women and vise versa.
And the word ثُمَّ indicates the
presence of a period of time, i.e they had sufficient time to repent and
reform
yet they did not turn back to Allah.
And the letter فَ in فَلَهُمۡ shows that the punishment of hell is as a
consequence of their evil deed, this is further proved by the word ٱلۡحَرِيقِ i.e.
the recompense fits the action, since they burnt the believers in the Dunya
they will be set on fire in the hereafter. The word ٱلۡحَرِيقِalso
shows how it will be them who will be set on fire (i.e. is different from
burning), I.e. they will be fueling the fire,
(the flame is going to go off
from their skins.) May Allah protect us! Aameen.
Also, the fact that Allah used the verbal form ( not nominal - indicates something constant/ perpetual) فَتَنُواْ to talk about the torture given to the believers indirectly gives the believer hope. For it subtly gives an idea that this is not going to be their perpetual state, rather it is only a period of test and trial that will pass.
In a nutshell, one should not belittle the
crime of causing fitnah to the believers, for as mentioned in this ayah it can
result in the oppressor being punished in hell.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ
وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَهُمۡ جَنَّٰتٞ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۚ
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡكَبِيرُ ١١
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have
gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment.(11)
Unlike the previous ayah , Allah does not say فَلَهُمۡ rather He says لَهُمۡ, This shows that it is not their
belief nor their good deeds that made them enter Paradise rather it is the
mercy of Allah.
إِنَّ بَطۡشَ رَبِّكَ
لَشَدِيدٌ ١٢ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ يُبۡدِئُ
وَيُعِيدُ ١٣ وَهُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلۡوَدُودُ
١٤ ذُو ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡمَجِيدُ ١٥ فَعَّالٞ
لِّمَا يُرِيدُ ١٦
Indeed, the vengeance of your Lord is severe.(12)
Indeed, it is He who originates [creation] and repeats.(13) And He is the
Forgiving, the Affectionate,(14) Honorable Owner of the Throne,(15) Effecter of
what He intends.(16)
Allah has laid extra emphasis in ayahs 12-15. In Ayah no:
12 : بَطۡشَ ; إِنَّ – nominal form ;رَبِّكَ – instead of بَطۡشَاللهِ ,
the word رَبِّ emphasizes on the fact that Allah is the Creator , Owner and
Regulator of affairs of the heavens and the Earth. Then the word لَشَدِيدٌ and the fact it has a لَ in
front.
13 : إِنَّ ; then
the structure of the sentence in itself, when translated word to word – Indeed He – He (is) – He originates – and He repeats, all this points out to the fact that
it is He alone who is able to
create; originate and resurrect.
And the attributes mentioned in ayah 14 can be seen in the perspective of the criminal and the believer
who is being tortured. As for the criminal this ayah fills him with hope, that Allah will forgive his wrongdoing. And above that, He will also love Him back, (unlike the human, who forgives yet doesn't forget most of the time). As for the believer, it comforts him with the thought that this trial is a means through which Allah expiates his sins and sometimes the nature of man makes him feel worried by the thought that Allah does not love him when he is tested. And as if Allah wants to dispel even the slightest doubt about his love for the believer, He immediately says ٱلۡوَدُودُ.
And وُدّ unlike حُبّ , (both words which are commonly translated as love;affection) is not restricted to the heart. Rather, it is the 2nd step, وُدّ is manifested in the limbs.
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ
ٱلۡجُنُودِ ١٧ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَثَمُودَ
١٨ بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِي تَكۡذِيبٖ
١٩ وَٱللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِم مُّحِيطُۢ ٢٠
Has
there reached you the story of the soldiers –(17) [Those of] Pharaoh and Thamud?(18) But they who disbelieve are in [persistent] denial,(19) While Allah encompasses them from behind.(20)
In the end Allah reminds
the Makkans ( who were persecuting the Muslims) about past nation that committed
the same mistake. Through this, Allah makes them realize no matter how strong
they think they are, in reality they are very weak compared to the past nations
like that of Pharaoh and Thamud. Pharoah and Thamud were known for the lofty
ruins which indicates the strength of their nation. Yet, they were destroyed. Then,
what is the matter with the Arabs living in the midst of a barren desert?
Also, it’s interesting to
note how ayah number 18 serves as a attention
catcher, especially for the Arabs who were always on look out for war(eg:Tribal
conflicts). So asking if they heard about the “new news’’
(حَدِيثُ) about
the (not just any army but a) strong amry ( as indicated by the word ٱلۡجُنُودِ)
captivates the attention of the listener. Subhanllah! It’s amazing to note
how Allah has addressed the Arabs, to the extent that even their psychology has
been taken into consideration. Having said this one may have the
question, why “new news” , it is because a forgotten matter is similar to a new
matter.
بَلۡ
هُوَ قُرۡءَانٞ مَّجِيدٞ ٢١ فِي لَوۡحٖ
مَّحۡفُوظِۢ ٢٢
But this is an honored Qur'an(21) [Inscribed]
in a Preserved Slate.(22)
In the end,
Allah emphasizes on the fact that the Qur’an is honored and protected.
Although, this Surah talks of persecuted believers, Allah does not say
the believers will be protected, rather He says the Qur’an is, this subtly
teaches us the lesson that the solution to all problems is in the Qur’an.
To listen to the recitation of this Surah, click here
ACTION POINTS
1. If you know a Muslim going through hardship in Allah's way, remind them to be patient.
2. Repent sincerely if you have harmed any believer.
3. Tell one person or more than indeed Allah is the Most Forgiving and the Most Affectionate.
