سورة : AtTariq

Allah (swt) tells His Messenger to go easy on the disbelievers for a little while, because if Allah (swt) had willed he would have done it directly but Allah (swt) had willed to allow time for them to achieve testing, then those who have strong faith would be able to bear the difficulties.

And if we read history, we find this delay did not prolong, but it was to cultivate faith and to teach how to be patient towards adversity, and soon victory of Allah (swt) came and the conditions of the world changed with this Muhammadan mission, so the light spread throughout the land and falsehood has departed.

This style is called a verbal similarity in Arabic language. That is to use a word to refer to a meaning other than it really carries, but it is used as this word matches another similar one

They are the polytheists of Mekkah, who were plotting against the Messenger and Islam.

Sayyidna Ali bin Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying:

(“Allah’s book. In it is news for what happened before you, and information about what comes after you, and judgement for what happens between you. It is the Criterion (between right and wrong) without jest. Whoever among the oppressive abandons it, Allah crushes him, and whoever seeks guidance from other than it, then Allah leaves him to stray. It is the firm rope of Allah, it is the wise remembrance, it is the straight path, and it is the one that the desires can not distort, nor can the tongues twist it, nor can the scholars ever have enough of it, and it shall not become dull from reciting it much, and the amazement of it does not diminish.)[1]

بِالْهَزْلِ (Amusement): The Holy Qur’an is very serious, it is not a thing for amusement, completely true without any false. Due to this you have to respect it in your chest, to glorify it in your heart, only then its listener and reciter would be up-lifted by it.

[1] Shu’ab al-Iman, Hadith No. 1935.

Because it separates the truth from the false in all the matters.

The earth splits to bring forth plant growths. So Allah (swt) mentions another impregnation. First it was the fluid of the male man, which gushes forth that impregnates the woman. Now Allah (swt) mentions a fluid which comes from the sky, that impregnates the earth – giving life of the plants and the trees.

Verify, this life is but a set of harmonic regulations that are governed by one rule prevailed in all the existence; in the upper and down universe.

الرَّجْعِ (rain): Rain is a manifestation of the water cycle in the universe.  Starting from evaporation of the oceans and formation of the clouds in the sky that returns the rain over and over again. We do not benefit from water except when it descends and returns from the earth to the sky. Just in this case, water falls as fresh, valid for drinking and watering crops.

Allah (swt) Who has the power of returning the rain, has the power to re-create the man after death. Thus, when we read the following verses in Surah Adh-Dhariyat:

 {وَالذَّارِيَاتِ ذَرْوًا % فَالْحَامِلَاتِ وِقْرًا % فَالْجَارِيَاتِ يُسْرًا % فَالْمُقَسِّمَاتِ أَمْرًا % إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِقٌ % وَإِنَّ الدِّينَ لَوَاقِعٌ}

(By those [winds] scattering [dust] dispersing % And those [clouds] carrying a load [of water] % And those [ships] sailing with ease % And those [angels] apportioning [each] matter, % Indeed, what you are promised is true. % And indeed, the recompense is to occur) (Adh-Dhariyat: 1-6)

We find that Allah (swt) made the whole water cycle in the universe from the starting point till its end a proof of His saying:

 إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَصَادِقٌ

(Indeed, what you are promised is true.) (Adh-Dhariyat: 5)

That is, the resurrection is really true.

But, why the water cycle specifically? Scientists say that the water cycle is witnessed from all people from its starting point up to its end. So, the water that Allah (swt) has created in this universe does not increase nor decrease, rather, it is circulated.

In the Resurrection day This man will own no power, everything will abandon him; his money, wealth, friends and his authority. That is, he will not find any supporter, advocator or even a defender to protect him.

The Day when all the secrets will be examined and tested. Thus, the beliefs will be made open and that which is concealed will be well known.

This account will be done by the All-Knowing, the Hearing, Who is not unaware, neither absent from Him is an atom’s weight of our deeds. If the things that a person has hidden and concealed will be revealed, then what about the things he announced and publicize?

The speech here is about the Resurrection day. Allah (swt) proves His Mighty in creating humans from disdained liquid in utmost care but there has to be something in return.

This Surah contains the two edges of existence, the originate of the creation in this worldly life and the return in the hereafter. As such this worldly life is very short and very small in comparison with the whole time. Moreover, it is not the goal rather a means for the greatest and everlasting aim. Considering Allah’s (swt) care of us in this life, then how would it be in hereafter?

Consequently, speaking about the first creation led to the speech about the re-creation in the hereafter.

Allah (swt) has not created humans just to enjoy this life, rather, has created them to enjoy the relation with their creator Allah (swt) by following His methodology.

However, returning after death is absolutely possible. As re-creating of the dead in the judgement day is the same as the water is reproduced in the universe.

These facts have come in the Holy Qur’an about 1400 years ago, however, have been proved by the modern science. That is, man is created from a fluid, gushing forth, proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.

الصُّلْبِ (backbone): loins of the man.

التَّرَائِبِ (ribs): of the woman, which is referring to her chest.

Had Allah (swt) willed to create without any means of gushing fluid or the backbone of ribs, he would have done so. The proof is the first creation of Adam (PBUH) without father and mother, Isa (Jesus) (Peace be upon him) furthermore, was created with no father. All the other human beings are created from a father and mother, however, sometimes there is a couple of male and female but with no children.

Therefore, this issue is not connected with any means rather it is the ability and will of Allah (swt):

} لِّلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ إِنَاثًا وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ الذُّكُورَ % أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَانًا وَإِنَاثًا ۖ وَيَجْعَلُ مَن يَشَاءُ عَقِيمًا ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ قَدِيرٌ{

(To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what he wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males.

% Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.) (Ash-Shura: 49-50)

Many researchers have assumed that man’s water is like that of the woman. The truth is that a woman’s water has no role in the human formation because the human formation comes from the man’s sperm and the woman’s egg. Accordingly, some of the orientalists and researchers thought that there is a conflict between the Holy Qur’an and the noble Hadith, but it is very far for them to find a conflict between the texts of the Qur’an and the texts of the Sahih (true) Sunnah. They took the Hadith of the Prophet (saws):

“If the man’s discharge proceeds the woman’s discharge, the child attracts the similarity to the man and if the woman’s discharge proceeds the man’s, then the child attracts the similarity to the woma”.)[1]

Shallow thought towards this verse and Hadith may result to say there is a conflict between them and that the Hadith does not agree with the modern science which proved that the ovum has no role in determining the embryo’s sex rather it is the man’s fluid.

However, looking thoroughly into this Hadith, we find that the word (proceed) is the key of confuting this suspicion; this word indicates that there are two things starting form the same point and runs in the same direction which means that the masculinity and feminity water starts from the same source that is the man, otherwise if they are facing each other the word (proceed) would not be used. Thus, man’s sperm is the one that holds male or female sex whereas the ovum is just a receiver.

[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari: Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar), No. (3723)

Human’s creation is a definite fact, no doubt. Man is the distinguished master over other creations in the universe, therefore, Allah (swt) calls him to see, think and ponder upon the creation process. Just then he can reach the truth by his intellect that Allah (swt) has granted him.

مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ  (a fluid, gushing forth): This water comes out bursting forth by itself due to its nature. It is ejected without human’s choice and will and cannot be prevented

When the sperm of the man meets the ovum of the woman, the cell is created. This process is well known in the fetology. This cell which has no will, mind, or cognition divides miraculously. By the will of Allah (swt) it runs in its path very accurately. Some of these cells gather to form the bones, others form the muscles, others form the limbs and so on… This process cannot be done but through the will of The creator, The wise, The All Able.

 {قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ}

(He said, “Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it].”) (Taha: 50)

The humans have to look carefully an ponder upon his origin from which he was created.

What is the relation between the oath by the piercing star and this response?

The answer is: The word (protector) either has a meaning of giving love and care from the conservator to the conserved or it means the watcher who does not miss anything at all.

Considering the first meaning, Allah (swt) says:

{ لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ }

(For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah.) (Ar-Ra’d: 11)

This protection is by the command of Allah (swt) as that a human being may passes through various trials that he is incapable of avoiding or escaping of them. Thus, when he is saved of them, he would say that “These are divine matters and I have no power to face them but I was saved by the wills of Allah (swt)”.  This means that this man has been protected by something that is beyond his power by Allah’s (swt) wills.

On the other hand, the meaning of surveillance is derived from the is indeicated in this verse:

 {وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ % كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ % يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ }

(And indeed, [appointed] over you are keepers, %  Noble and recording; % They know whatever you do..) (Al-Infitar: 10-12)

لَمَّا (but): This Arabic word has many purposes. Of them, is to negate the past verb. But this negation is connected with the present with the possibility that this action may or expected to happen in the future as in this verse:

 {قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ }

(The bedouins say, “We have believed.” Say, “You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts…) (Al-Hujurat: 14)

This word is also used as an article to indicate the occurrence of something as a result of another one. Allah (swt) says:

{  فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّوْعُ وَجَاءَتْهُ الْبُشْرَىٰ يُجَادِلُنَا فِي قَوْمِ لُوطٍ}

(And when the fright had left Abraham and the good tidings had reached him, he began to argue with Us concerning the people of Lot.) (Hud: 74)

As we say for example: When someone such and such came, we made so and so food.

So, our making of food is up for the coming of someone such and such.

This third usage of this article is, as in our recent verse, to express an exception. In this case the meaning is: “No single soul but that it has over it a protector”.

Let’s ponder upon the accuracy of the Quranic expressions in generalizing the self-accounting; the word (soul) in this verse is general but the generalization is increased by the word (every) to emphasize that every soul is watched, first of all, from Allah (swt) then by the angels who take turns recording the deeds and following the humans’ actions.

Hence, the night comer is the piercing star. The star has been named “Tariq” (night comer) because its light pierces the darkness of night. This is one of the signs of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) shows His care about humans as for example He (swt) made the sun light to brighten the day:

 {هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا}

(It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light) (Yunus: 5)

And has created the stars to be guidance for the humans at night:

  {وَعَلَامَاتٍ ۚ وَبِالنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ}

(And landmarks. And by the stars they are [also] guided.) (An-Nahl: 16)

As well as, the beam that comes from the star is luminous, tearing that all-out darkness, making the movement during nighttime easier.

Meaning, (o, Mohammad) Has anyone given you a clue as to what AT-Tariq is?!

You do not have any knowledge of it except its effects, unless Allah (swt) explains it.

In this verse Allah (swt) swears by the sky and the star (At-Tariq).

Literally, in Arabic everything which is above you and gives you shade is considered a sky for you.

As for the sky we know, it is the heavens with the pillars that Allah (swt) has created as ceiling to this whole earth. As for the nearest one, it is above that, fixed and preserved. As Allah (swt) wills is to be as a very constructed building that we can never really comprehend exactly what it is. Had Allah (swt) willed to let us know about it, He would have informed us. But Allah (swt) willed to let it be hidden, undetermined by our senses and experiments.

However, it is sufficient for us to remember the reference of this word (sky) whenever mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.

الطَّارِق (The night comer): Allah (swt) gives us a picture of the effects and role in existence of something we do not know its essence nor its reality.

This word is derived from the verb “يطرق” meaning -in Arabic- to strike excessively causing a noise to happen. Additionally, there is a noun derived from it which is “طريق”, meaning a flattened road which people walk on a lot and their feet strike it a lot.

However, this word  “الطارق” is linguistically common to refer to someone who specifically walks at night time. Because night is silent, no noise or movement is heard, so that when he reaches a destination and knock on the door, he is an unexpected arriver, causing a lot of attention.