78:2 An-Naba (The Announcement)

ثم بين ما يتساءلون عنه فقال: { عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ]

يقول تعالى منكرا على المشركين في تساؤلهم عن يوم القيامة إنكارا لوقوعها "عم يتساءلون" أي عن أي شيء يتساءلون من أمر القيامة.

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Refutation against the Idolators' Denial of the Occurrence of the Day of Judgement

In rejection of the idolators' questioning about the Day of Judgement, due to their denial of its occurrence, Allah says,

عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ - عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ

(What are they asking about About the great news,) meaning, what are they asking about They are asking about the matter of the Day of Judgement, and it is the great news. Meaning the dreadful, horrifying, overwhelming information.

الَّذِى هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ

(About which they are in disagreement.) meaning, the people are divided into two ideas about it. There are those who believe in it and those who disbelieve in it. Then Allah threatens those who deny the Day of Judgement by saying,

كَلاَّ سَيَعْلَمُونَ - ثُمَّ كَلاَّ سَيَعْلَمُونَ

(Nay, they will come to know! Nay, again, they will come to know!) This is a severe threat and a direct warning.

Mentioning Allah's Power, and the Proof of His Ability to resurrect the Dead

Then, Allah begins to explain His great ability to create strange things and amazing matters. He brings this as a proof of His ability to do whatever He wishes concerning the matter of the Hereafter and other matters as well. He says,

أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الاٌّرْضَ مِهَـداً

(Have We not made the earth as a bed,) meaning, an established, firm and peaceful resting place that is subservient to them.

وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَاداً

(And the mountains as pegs) meaning, He made them as pegs for the earth to hold it in place, make it stable and firm. This is so that it may be suitable for dwelling and not quake with those who are in it. Then Allah says,

وَخَلَقْنَـكُمْ أَزْوَجاً

(And We have created you in pairs.) meaning, male and female, both of them enjoying each other, and by this means procreation is achieved. This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَمِنْ ءايَـتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَجاً لِّتَسْكُنُواْ إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً

(And among His signs is this that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.) (30:21)

وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتاً

(And We have made your sleep as a thing for rest.) meaning, a cessation of movement in order to attain rest from the frequent repetition and going about in search of livelihood during the day. A similar Ayah has been mentioned previously in Surat Al-Furqan.

وَجَعَلْنَا الَّيْلَ لِبَاساً

(And We have made the night as a covering,) meaning, its shade and darkness covers the people. This is as Allah says,

وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَـهَا

(By the night as it conceals it.) (91:4) Qatadah commented;

وَجَعَلْنَا الَّيْلَ لِبَاساً

(And We have made the night as a covering,) meaning, a tranquil residence. Concerning Allah's statement,

وَجَعَلْنَا النَّهَارَ مَعَاشاً

(And We have made the day for livelihood.) meaning, `We made it radiant, luminous, and shining so that the people would be able to move about in it.' By it they are able to come and go for their livelihood, earning, business dealings and other than that as well. In reference to Allah's statement,

وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعاً شِدَاداً

(And We have built above you seven strong,) meaning, the seven heavens in their vastness, loftiness, perfection, precision, and adornment with both stable and moving stars. Thus, Allah says,

وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجاً وَهَّاجاً

(And We have made (therein) a shining lamp.) meaning, the radiant sun that gives light to all of the world. Its light glows for all of the people of the earth. Allah then says,

وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَآءً ثَجَّاجاً

(And We have sent down from the Mu`sirat water Thajjaj.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "From the Mu`sirat means from the clouds." This was also stated by `Ikrimah, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ath-Thawri, and it is preferred by Ibn Jarir. Al-Farra' said, "They are the clouds that are filled with rain, but they do not bring rain. This is like the woman being called Mu`sir when (the time of) her menstrual cycle approaches, yet she does not menstruate." This is as Allah says,

اللَّهُ الَّذِى يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَـحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَاباً فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِى السَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفاً فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلاَلِهِ

(Allah is He Who sends the winds, so that they raise clouds, and spread them along the sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments, until you see rain drops come forth from their midst!) (30:48) meaning, from its midst. Concerning Allah's statement,

مَآءً ثَجَّاجاً

(water Thajjaj) Mujahid, Qatadah, and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas all said, "Thajjaj means poured out." At-Thawri said, "Continuous." Ibn Zayd said, "Abundant." In the Hadith of the woman with prolonged menstrual bleeding, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to her,

«أَنْعَتُ لَكِ الْكُرْسُف»

(I suggest you to make an absorbent cloth for yourself.)" Meaning, `dress the area with cotton.' The woman replied, "O Messenger of Allah! It (the bleeding) is too much for that. Verily, it flows in profusely (Thajja)." This contains an evidence for using the word Thajj to mean abundant, continuous and flowing. And Allah knows best. Allah said,

لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِ حَبّاً وَنَبَاتاً - وَجَنَّـتٍ أَلْفَافاً

(That We may produce therewith corn and vegetation, and gardens that are Alfaf.) meaning, `so that We may bring out great abundance, goodness, benefit, and blessing through this water.'

حَبّاً

(grains) This refers to that which is preserved for (the usage) of humans and cattle.

وَنَبَاتاً

(and vegetations) meaning, vegetables that are eaten fresh.

وَجَنَّـتٍ

(And gardens) meaning, gardens of various fruits, differing colors, and a wide variety of tastes and fragrances, even if it is ingathered at one location of the earth. This is why Allah says

وَجَنَّـتٍ أَلْفَافاً

(And gardens that are Alfaf.) Ibn `Abbas and other said, "Alfaf means gathered." This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـوِرَتٌ وَجَنَّـتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَنٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَنٍ يُسْقَى بِمَآءٍ وَحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

(And in the earth are neighboring tracts, and gardens of vines, and green crops, and date palms, growing into two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise, watered with the same water; yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Verily, in these things there are Ayat for the people who understand.) (13:4)

إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَـتاً - يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجاً - وَفُتِحَتِ السَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَباً - وَسُيِّرَتِ الْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَاباً - إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَاداً - لِّلطَّـغِينَ مَـَاباً - لَّـبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحْقَاباً - لاَّ يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْداً وَلاَ شَرَاباً - إِلاَّ حَمِيماً وَغَسَّاقاً - جَزَآءً وِفَـقاً - إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ لاَ يَرْجُونَ حِسَاباً - وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا كِذَّاباً

About the awesome tiding this is the explication of that ‘thing’; the interrogative is meant to emphasise its magnitude — this awesome tiding is the Qur’ān comprising news of the Resurrection and so on which the Prophet s brought —

عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ (About the Great Event in which they dispute!...78:2, 3). The word naba' means 'news' but not every news is naba'. It means a 'momentous news of a great event'. This refers to the news of the Day of Judgment. The verse purports to convey that the inhabitants of Makkah ask about the Day of Judgment in which they dispute [ while some of them believed in Resurrection, others did not.]

Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ reports that when the revelation of Qur'an started, the pagan Arabs used to form circles and discuss and criticise it, especially about the tremendous import of Resurrection and Judgment referred to in the Qur'an. The pagans thought this was impossible, and they used to have protracted discussion. The disbelievers persuade themselves to believe that the predicted event will never take place, though there were others who believed in the event. The Surah opens by shunning the enquirers and the enquiry, it wonders that anyone should raise any doubts about Resurrection and Judgment. Some of the commentators express the opinion that their enquiry was not a genuine one where they were keen to learn about the truth. So they ask half-mockingly and half in doubt, when that event, so loudly pronounced, will happen. Qur'an has responded by asserting one statement twice for emphasis, thus: