Commentary
'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'
Makkah [except for verses 81 and 82, which are Madinan]. Its verses are 96, and it is said 97 verses [revealed after Ta-Ha].
The event has occurred, as you say: it was something that happened, and the incident took place. The intended meaning is the Day of Resurrection. It is described as 'the occurrence' because it will certainly happen. It is as if it was said: when the one that must happen occurs. The occurrence of the matter means its descent.
It is said: what I was expecting has occurred, meaning: what I was awaiting has come down. If you say: what did it depend on for its position?
I say: on 'is not.' Like your saying: on Friday, I have no work. Or it could be understood as omitted, meaning: when it occurs, it was such and such: or by implying 'remember' as in 'a lying soul,' meaning: there will be no soul that lies about Allah and lies in denying the unseen when it occurs, because every soul then will be a believer, truthful, and affirming. Most souls today are like liars who deny, as Allah, the Exalted, said: 'So when they saw Our punishment, they said: We have believed in Allah alone.' They do not believe in Him until they see the painful punishment. And those who disbelieved will continue to be in doubt about it until the Hour comes to them suddenly. The 'lam' is like it in Allah's saying: 'Oh, if only I had sent forth for my life.' Or: there is no soul that denies it and says to it: you were not as many souls today deny it, saying to it: you will not be. Or it is from their saying: 'His soul lied to him in the matter,' greatly, if it encouraged him to undertake it and said to him: you can endure it and more, so expose yourself to it and do not care about it, meaning: it is an occurrence that cannot be endured due to its severity and horror. And no soul then will speak to its owner as it speaks to him in great matters and beautifies for him the possibility of enduring it, because they will be weaker and more humiliated than that on that day. Do you not see Allah's saying: 'Like scattered moths?' The moth is a metaphor for weakness. And it is said: 'lying' is a source like 'the consequence,' meaning denial, from your saying: he was struck on his horn, meaning: he did not become cowardly or discouraged. Its reality is: he did not lie to himself about what he informed it of. About his ability to endure it and his courage in facing it. Zuhair said:
............... .. If ... when the lion lied about his peers, truly [[A lion stumbles, hunting men; if ... when the lion lied about his peers, truly
For Zuhair praises a brave man, borrowing the name of the lion in a literal way, and hunting is a metaphor. And 'stumbles' is a place name, meaning brave in 'stumbles' who kills men if he lied, meaning the knight became cowardly and weak against his peers in battle, he was truthful and executed his resolve and killed his peer. In the verse, there is a contrast between truth and lies, which is a beautiful expression.]]
Meaning: when it occurs, there will be no return or retreat. 'Lowering, raising' means: it is lowering and raising, raising some people and putting down others: either describing it with severity, because great occurrences are like that:
In them, people are raised to ranks and others are lowered. Or because the wretched are brought down to the depths, and the happy are raised to the heights. Or that it shakes things and removes them from their places, lowering some and raising others:
As the sky falls in pieces, and the stars scatter and darken, and the mountains move as clouds pass through the sky. And it is recited: 'lowering, raising' in the accusative as a state. 'It was shaken' means it was shaken violently until everything above it, from mountains and buildings, collapses. 'And the mountains were crushed' and shattered [[The phrase 'and shattered until it becomes like flour' is from the expression of Al-Nasafi: and it was shattered. (A)]] until it becomes like flour, or it was driven from 'to drive' as in His saying: 'And the mountains were driven,' scattered and separated. And it is recited with the 'ta' meaning:
disconnected. And it is recited: 'it was shaken and crushed,' meaning: it was shaken and removed. In the words of the daughter of Al-Khas [[The phrase 'in the words of the daughter of Al-Khas' in the dictionaries: Al-Khas with the opening is a vegetable. Al-Khas with the damma is a man's name. From it:
Hind bint al-Khass. And 'Ayn Haja: meaning sunken. And al-Sala: what is to the right and left of the tail. And 'Fajjajt ma bayna rijlay afjuhuma': when I opened. It is said: he walks mufajja. (A)]]: Its eye is hagg, and its salat is raj. And she walks and tafajj. If you say: what did it stand upon when it moved? I say: it is a substitute for when it fell. And it may stand by a lowering that raises. Meaning: it lowers and raises at the time of the movement of the earth, and with the mountains because at that time what is high lowers and what is low raises in pairs, it is said for the types that are together or some of them are mentioned together: pairs.
Explore Other Scholars on This Verse
Compare different scholarly perspectives on Surah Al-Waqi'ah verse 5