الآية رقم (20) - عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ

(20) - (Over them will be fire closed in. (20))

The doors of Hell fire will be sealed over them and there will be no way for them to avoid it, nor will they have any way out.

الآية رقم (19) - وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

(19) - (But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left. (19))

On the other hand, the disbelievers are the companions of the left, who are given their record by their left hand on the Day of Judgement, because they are the people of doom and sins, they are the ones who oppressed others, ruined societies and committed greater aggression by their disbelief.

الآية رقم (18) - أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

(18) - (Those are the companions of the right. (18))

The companions of the right are those who are given their records by their right hands on Judgement Day, they are the people of blessing and goodness.

الآية رقم (17) - ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

(17) - (And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion. (17))

The Truthful (swt) wants all those who walked in the way of good deeds -through the difficult path that prevented him from reaching the Paradise- not to stop at this limit, rather, to elevate himself by the faith steps, improve his Islamic attitudes and to be among the society of believers. This society which is distinguished from other societies by values, morals and advising with patience and compassion, as Allah (swt) says:

{وَالْعَصْرِ% إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ % إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ }

(By time, % Indeed, mankind is in loss, % Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.) (Al-Asr)

But here in our verse, Allah (swt) says: (and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion).

In regard to advising, one time you could be the advisor and another you could be the advised. When you do not have the weakness of changeable persons, then you can be advisor, but, when you are weak in faith, then you will be advised. That is how the supportive and collaborative community should be. Here in this Surah, there is an advice in patience then an advice in compassion, as if this Surah is completing what is in Surah Al-Asr, we should advise each other to patience in obeying Allah (swt) and patience over tirals and calamities that face us. Hence, patience is half of the faith.

بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ (compassion): It is the mercy among people. We have to be merciful upon each other. Abo Hurayrah (May allah be pleased with him) has narrated: I heard Abul-Qasim said:

“Mercy is not removed (from anyone) except from a wicked one.”[1]

The Messenger (saws) also said:

“The merciful people will be treated with mercy by the Most Merciful (Allah). Be merciful to those who are on the earth and He Who is above the heavens will be merciful to you.”[2]

Compassion to creation means giving the needy, teaching the ignorant, doing whatever others need, helping in living and religious affairs, in addition to that, spreading the essence of love, mercy and intimacy among people.

[1] Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Chapter on Righteousness and Maintaining Good Relations with Relatives, Hadith No:1923

[2] Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Chapter on Righteousness and Maintaining Good Relations with Relatives, Hadith No: 1924

الآية رقم (16) - أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

(16) - (Or a needy person in misery (16))

ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ (in misery): He who has no shelter but the earth, nothing other protects him.

Hence, Allah (swt) wants you to be effective influential in your society to break through difficult pass of sins by going through every path of good deeds.

الآية رقم (15) - يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

(15) - (An orphan of near relationship (15))

Allah (swt) starts with the relative orphan, fi there is not anyone, then any unrelated orphan.

الآية رقم (14) - أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ

(14) - (Or feeding on a day of severe hunger (14))

مَسْغَبَةٍ (severe hunger): A Day when food is scarce.

الآية رقم (13) - فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

(13) - (It is the freeing of a slave (13))

The Arabic language, the word رَقَبَةٍ (a neck) refers to the base of the neck, not the neck itself. So, this word is used because a person’s life is possessed from his neck and often is constrained by it.

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ (rescue someone from slavery): The devoted people can buy slaves to free them. This is the first manifestation of releasing slaves in history. Islam came to end slavery of Man to his brother Man gradually. Hence, Islam made the freeing a slave as an expiation for some sins, additionally, in Islam, one of the alms giving (Zakat) outlet is to free a slave. Allah (swt) in this verse describes freeing slaves as breaking through difficulties pass as a meaning of breaking through sins, which are as mountains, to be vanished and dissolved. Therefore, whoever sins, then, seeks Allah’s forgiveness and gives a charity, consequently, he is breaking through the sins and smashing them.

الآية رقم (12) - وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

(12) - (And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? (12))

This question is to glorify it and to show how great it is.

الآية رقم (11) - فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

(11) - (But he has not broken through the difficult pass. (11))

فَلَا (But): Meaning: Would he? It is for prompting.

الْعَقَبَةَ (difficult pass): It is the rugged path in the mountain, meaning, to struggle against one’s self to force it to go against its passions and desires.

الآية رقم (10) - وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

(10) - (And have shown him the two ways? (10))

When Allah (swt) created mankind, He (swt) guided them to the straight way. This guidance in general is for all people, to show the path of good.

النَّجْدَيْنِ (two ways): The Arabic word refers a high road which is raised above the earth. It is narrated that Abi Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

“The Prophet (saws) said: O’ people, hurry go Allah (swt), what is less and enough is better than what is more and distracting, O’ people , they are but two ways, the way of good and the way of bad, whoever makes the way of bad likeable to him than the way of good – meaning, he is doomed, O’ people, protect yourselves from fire even with just a half of date.”[1]

This Hadith means that, we showed you the two ways of good and bad, to avoid it.

[1] Musnad Ash-Shehab, Hadith No: 1263

الآية رقم (8-9) - أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ - وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

(8-9) - (Have We not made for him two eyes? (8) And a tongue and two lips? (9))

These are visible blessings from Allah (swt) that no one can deny. Allah (swt) mentions the eyes for the sight sense, the tongue and the lips for the talking sense, to say that He (swt) has made us, the humans, able to see and speak.

الآية رقم (7) - أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

(7) - (Does he think that no one has seen him?" (7))

The one who is self-conceited with his power and money, does he think that no one has seen him or that no one will see him while he is averting people from the way of Allah (swt), and spending his money in oppression and forbidden pleasure, or does he thinks that Allah (swt) did not see him and did not get acquainted with his deeds and how he is spending his money in averting people from Allah’s (swt) way?

الآية رقم (6) - يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

(6) - (He says, "I have wasted wealth in abundance." (6))

مَالًا (wealth): Does not only mean money, rather, it includes anything a person owns and can be estimated with cash; such as, land, house, garden and plants …

لُّبَدًا (abundance and accumulated): The Man says: I have destroyed plenty of accumulated money, to refer to its abundance.

الآية رقم (5) - أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

(5) - (Does he think that never will anyone overcome him? (5))

Meaning, O’ Mankind, since we have created you this way, honoured you, proportioned your creation to achieve your nobility among all our creatures, do you think that no one can overcome you?

The problem of Man is that he does not recognize his limitations and lives in illusion; he thinks that no one has power over him and that his wealth, tyranny and strength are capable to save him, he is arrogant with his power, proud with his authority and prestige, self-conceited.

الآية رقم (4) - لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

(4) - (We have certainly created man into hardship. (4))

Allah (swt) told us in many verses about the material creation of human. Allah (swt) says:

 وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ % ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ % ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ

(And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay. % Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging. % Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.) (Al-Muminoon: 12-14)

Also says:

{ وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ }

(And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud.) (Al-Hijr: 26)

And here in our verse, Allah (swt) talks about the nature of human’s mission on earth, as he endures the calamities and difficulties of life, so you find him always in hardship.

كَبَدٍ (hardship): The difficulties. As this worldly life is the home of difficulties, hard works and hardship while the Paradise is the home of rest and eternal pleasure.

الآية رقم (3) - وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

(3) - (And [by] the father and that which was born [of him], (3))

Allah (swt) swears by all the mankind since the creation of Adam (pbuh) and his descendants until time of Resurrection. Some scholars interpreted Allah’s saying (and which was born of him) that it refers to the barren sterile with no child. But we adopt the general meaning. The swearing by the father and that which was born of him, comes after swearing by the city, which became a city through Ibrahim (pbuh) supplication, then it became full of humans. As if the Truthful (swt) is considering His favour, upon the people of Makkah, that their city but became so by Ibrahim’s (pbuh)- the father- supplication.

الآية رقم (2) - وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ

(2) - (And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city - (2))

حِلٌّ (free of restriction): Resident in it and it also means lawful.

Allah (swt) is swearing by the sacred city being the Prophet (saws) is living in it, to show more of his merits and indicating that the honour of the place is due to the merits its people have.

الآية رقم (1) - لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ

(1) - (I do not swear by this city, (1))

Swearing comes in general to confirm the meaning, that is why one of the righteous people said: “who angered The Honorable so He swore?”.

Allah (swt) sometimes confirms the swearing by Himself or by some of His creation, sometimes the swearing comes in negative form . Strangely enough that Allah (swt) gives the answer to swearing saying:

  { لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ  }

(We have certainly created man into hardship. (4))

Someone may ask: How Allah (swt) says: “I do not swear by” then gives the answer to searing? Our clarification is: As if Allah (swt) here is saying: “I do not need to swear to you, and had I willed to swear, I would swear by the city.

(This city) refers to Makkah and what is around it. Makkah used to be a barren and deserted place, no crops, water, plants or people in it. Allah (swt) mentions Sayyidna Ibrahim’s (pbuh) words:

 { رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ}

(Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.)
(Ibrahim: 37)

It used to be a land, with no hope to be cultivated by humans’ effort, but Ibrahim (pbuh) supplicated his Lord (swt) saying:

 {إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ }

(And [mention] when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits -) (Al-Baqara: 126)

He (pbuh) requested two things from Allah (swt): To make this barren place a city and to make it safe. What differentiate a city from others are the homes, buildings and the availability of the essential needs for mankind. Here Allah (swt) swore by this city as a reminder for people about Makkah and how it used to be when Ibrahim (pbuh), Sayyidah Hajer and their baby Isma’el (pbuh) came to it.  It was not a city nor any place of value, so Allah (swt) is reminding them of this blessing, despite that, they disbelieve, lie and avert from Allah’s (swt) path.