88:2 Al-Ghaashiya (The Overwhelming)

فأخبر عن وصف كلا الفريقين، فقال في [وصف] أهل النار: { وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ } أي: يوم القيامة { خَاشِعَة } من الذل، والفضيحة والخزي.

أي ذليلة قاله قتادة وقال ابن عباس تخشع ولا ينفعها عملها.

Which was revealed in Makkah

Reciting Surat Al-A`la and Al-Ghashiyah in the Friday Prayer

It has already been mentioned on the authority of An-Nu`man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite Surat Al-A`la (87) and Al-Ghashiyah in the `Id and Friday prayers. Imam Malik recorded that Ad-Dahhak bin Qays asked An-Nu`man bin Bashir, "What else did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite on Friday along with Surat Al-Jumu`ah" An-Nu`man replied, "Al-Ghashiyah (88)." This narration has been recorded by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, Muslim and Ibn Majah.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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

The Day of Judgement and what will happen to the People of the Fire during it Al-Ghashiyah is one of

This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. It has been called this because it will overwhelm the people and overcome them. Allah then says,

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَـشِعَةٌ

(Some faces that Day will be Khashi`ah.) meaning, humiliated. This was said by Qatadah. Ibn `Abbas said, "They will be humble but this action will be of no benefit to them." Then Allah says,

عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ

(Laboring, weary.) meaning, they did many deeds and became weary in their performance, yet they will be cast into a blazing Fire on the Day of Judgement. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Burqani narrated from Abu `Imran Al-Jawni that he said, " `Umar bin Al-Khattab passed by the monastery of a monk and he said: `O monk!' Then the monk came out, and `Umar looked at him and began to weep. Then it was said to him: `O Commander of the faithful! Why are you weeping' He replied: `I remembered the statement of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in His Book,

عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ - تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً

(Laboring, weary. They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah.) So that is what has made me cry. "' Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said,

عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ

(Laboring, weary.) "The Christians." It is narrated that `Ikrimah and As-Suddi both said, "Laboring in the worldly life with disobedience, and weariness in the Fire from torment and perdition." Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said,

تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً

(They will enter into Fire, Hamiyah) meaning, hot with intense heat.

تُسْقَى مِنْ عَيْنٍ ءَانِيَةٍ

(They will be given to drink from a boiling (Aniyah) spring.) meaning, its heat has reached its maximum limit and boiling point. This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi. Concerning Allah's statement,

لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ

(No food will there be for them but from Dari`,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "A tree from the Hellfire." Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Al-Jawza' and Qatadah, all said, "It is Ash-Shibriq (a type of plant)." Qatadah said, "The Quraysh called it Ash-Shabraq in the spring and Ad-Dari` in the summer." `Ikrimah said, "It is a thorny tree which reaches down to the ground." Al-Bukhari related that Mujahid said, "Ad-Dari` is a plant that is called Ash-Shibriq. The people of the Hijaz call it Ad-Dari` when it dries, and it is poisonous." Ma`mar narrated that Qatadah said,

لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ

(No food will there be for them but from Dari`,) "This is Ash-Shibriq. When it dries it is called Ad-Dari`." Sa`id narrated from Qatadah that he said,

لَّيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ مِن ضَرِيعٍ

(No food will there be for them but Dari`,) "This is of the worst, most disgusting and loathsome of foods." Concerning Allah's statement,

لاَّ يُسْمِنُ وَلاَ يُغْنِى مِن جُوعٍ

(Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.) This means that the intent in eating it will not be achieved, and nothing harmful will be repelled by it.

Some faces on that day — they faces are used to represent the individuals in both instances — will be humbled abject

Commentary

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ (Many faces on that day will be humbled, working hard, exhausted...88:3). On the Day of Judgment, there will be two separate groups of people, believers and unbelievers, and their faces will be different. This verse describes the faces of the unbelievers. They will be downcast. The word khashi` ah from the root word khusha' means to humble, humiliate, cast down'. This is the meaning of casting oneself down before Allah in prayer. People who did not cast themselves down before Allah in this world, their faces on the Day of Judgement will be downcast with humiliation and disgrace.

The other conditions of the unbelievers are amilah and nasibah. The word ` amilah from ` aural means 'to work hard' and ` amil or ` amilah in Arabic is used for 'a person who works continuously, so as to become completely tired'. The word nasibah is derived from nasab. This word also refers to 'one who toils unceasingly so as to become totally exhausted'. It seems that the latter two conditions of the unbelievers relate to this world, because Hereafter is not a realm in which one has to work to become so tired and exhausted. Therefore, Qurtubi and other commentators are of the view that the humbleness of their faces relates to the Hereafter, but their working hard and being exhausted refers to their work in this world. Given this interpretation, the sense is that many unbelievers exert themselves in their false rituals, and work hard in their presumed acts of worship in the world, as for instance the Hindu Yogis and many Christian monks do. They endure many difficulties in the devotional acts of worship sincerely in order to seek the good pleasure of Allah, but being on wrong and idolatrous ways, they are not acceptable to, or rewarded by, Allah. Thus their faces show signs of exhaustion in this world; and in the Hereafter they will show signs of disgrace and humiliation.

Sayyidna Hasan Basri رحمۃ علیہ reports that when Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ went to Syria, a Christian monk came to him. He was an old man, and on account of his religious exercises and great endeavours, his face was exhausted, his body was dry and his dressing was miserable. When Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ looked at him, he began to weep. People asked him about the cause of his weeping. He replied: "I pity the condition of this old man. This poor soul worked so hard and showed such readiness to lay down his life to achieve a particular purpose (that is, to gain the pleasure of Allah) but, alas! He could not achieve it”. Then he recited the following verse:

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌ . عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ

Many faces on that day will be humbled, 'working hard, exhausted. [ 88:2-3] '