85:12 Al-Burooj (The Constellations)

The Reward of the Righteous, and the Harsh Seizing of the Disbelieving Enemies of Allah

Allah informs about His believing servants that

لَهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ

(for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow.) This is the opposite of what he has prepared for His enemies of Fire and Hell. Thus, He says,

ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ

(That is the supreme success.) Then Allah says,

إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ

(Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful.) meaning, indeed His punishment and His vengeance upon His enemies, who have rejected His Messengers, and opposed His command, is severe, great and strong. For verily, He is the Owner of power, Most Strong. He is the One that whatever He wants, then it will be however He wants it to be, in the matter of a blinking of an eye, or even swifter. Thus, Allah says,

إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِىءُ وَيُعِيدُ

(Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats.) meaning, from His perfect strength and power is that He begins the creation, and He repeats it just as He began it, without opposition or resistance.

وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ

(And He is Oft-Forgiving, Al-Wadud.) meaning, He forgives the sin of whoever repents to Him and humbles himself before Him, no matter what the sin may be. Ibn `Abbas and others have said about the name Al-Wadud, "It means Al-Habib (the Loving)."

ذُو الْعَرْشِ

(Owner of the Throne,) meaning, the Owner of the Mighty Throne that is above all of the creation. Then He says,

الْمَجِيدِ

(Al-Majid (the Glorious).) This word has been recited in two different ways: either with a Dhammah over its last letter (Al-Majidu), which is an attribute of the Lord, or with a Kasrah under its last letter (Al-Majid), which is a description of the Throne. Nevertheless, both meanings are correct.

فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ

(Doer of what He intends.) meaning, whatever He wants He does it, and there is no one who can counter His ruling. He is not asked about what He does due to His greatness, His power, His wisdom and His justice. This is as we have related previously from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, that it was said to him during the illness of (his) death, "Has a doctor seen you" He replied, "Yes." They said, "What did he say to you" He replied, "He said, `I am the Doer of whatever I intend."' Concerning Allah's statement,

هَلُ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ - فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ

(Has the story reached you of the hosts. Of Fir`awn and Thamud) meaning, has the news reached you of what Allah caused to befall them of torment, and that He sent down upon them the punishment that no one was able to ward off from them This is the affirmation of His statement,

إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ

(Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful.) meaning, when He seizes the wrongdoer, He seizes him with a severe and painful punishment. It is the seizing punishment of One Most Mighty, and Most Powerful. Then Allah says,

بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فِى تَكْذِيبٍ

(Nay! The disbelievers (persisted) in denying.) meaning, they are in doubt, suspicion, disbelief and rebellion.

وَاللَّهُ مِن وَرَآئِهِمْ مُّحِيطٌ

(And Allah encompasses them from behind!) meaning, He has power over them, and is able to compel them. They cannot escape Him or evade Him.

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌ مَّجِيدٌ

(Nay! This is a Glorious Qur'an.) meaning, magnificent and noble.

فِى لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍ

(In Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz!) meaning, among the most high gathering, guarded from any increase, decrease, distortion, or change. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Buruj, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah.