Sura al-Nazi'at
This article is an introduction to the Sura al-Nazi'at; to read its text see text:Sura al-Nazi'at.| al-Naba' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sura Number | 79 |
| Juz' | 30 |
| Revelation | |
| Revelation Number | 81 |
| Makki/Madani | Makki |
| Information | |
| Verse Count | 46 |
| Word Count | 133 |
| Letter Count | 553\ |
Sūra al-Naziʿāt (Arabic: سورة النازعات) is the seventy ninth sura of the Qur'an. It is a Makki sura located in juz' thirty. This sura is called al-Nazi'at because it begins with God's oath upon al-nazi'at. "Al-nazi'at" refers to the angels which take the souls from the dead. Sura al-Nazi'at describes the Day of Judgment, its appalling scenes, the destinies of the righteous ones and wrongdoers on that day, the story of Prophet Moses (a) and the destiny of Pharaoh. Finally, it emphasizes on this fact that no one knows when the Day of Judgment would take place.
In Sura al-Nazi'at, Dahw al-Ard (expansion of the earth) has been mentioned. It is mentioned in hadiths that the earth expanded from the land of Mecca or the Ka'ba. About the merits of recitation of this sura, it is narrated from the Prophet (s) that whoever recites Sura al-Nazi'at, his waiting and reckoning of his deeds in the Day of Judgment will take as short as the time needed to perform one of the obligatory prayers.
Introduction
- Naming
This sura is called al-Nazi'at because it begins with God's oath upon al-nazi'at.[1] "Al-nazi'at" refers to the angels which take the souls of the dead.[2]
- Place and Order of Revelation
Sura al-Nazi'at is a Makki sura and the eighty first sura revealed to the Prophet (s). It is seventy ninth sura in the current order of the Qur'an located at the beginning of juz' thirty.[3]
- Number of Verses and Other Features
Sura al-Nazi'at has forty six verses, 133 words and 553 letters. Regarding volume, this sura is among Mufassalat (suras with short verses). It is among suras beginning with oath and has five consecutive oaths.[4]
Content
According to Tafsir-i nimuna, the content of the sura is summarized in six parts:
- Emphasis on the happening of the Day of Judgment using several swears.
- Mentioning the horrible and terrifying scenes of the Day of Judgment.
- A brief and short look at the story of the Prophet Moses (a) and the destiny of Pharaoh which is both a cause of relief for the Prophet (s) and the believers and a warning for polytheists as well as a hint that the human's rejection of the hereafter would taint him with such a sins.
- Mentioning examples of the signs of God's Power in the sky and on the earth which are the reasons for the possibility of the hereafter and the life after death.
- Explanation of some other events on the Day of Judgment and the destiny of the rebels against God and the reward of the righteous ones.
- Emphasis on the point that no one knows when the Day of Judgment will take place, but it is certain that it is near.[5]
| Answering the questions of unbelievers about the happening of the Judgment Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preface: verses 1-9 Certainty of the happening of the Judgment Day and humiliation of unbelievers | First question: verses 10-14 How decayed bones revive? | Second question: verses 15-26 How can powerful people like Pharaoh be punished? | Third question: verses 27-41 How is it possible that human beings will be recreated? | Fourth question: verses 42-46 When does the Judgement Day take place? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First point: verses 10-12 Rejection of the revival of decayed bones | First point: verses 15-20 Inviting Pharaoh to servitude of God by Moses (a) | First point: verses 27-33 Creation of human is not more difficult than the creation of the sky and the earth | First point: verses 42-45 Only God knows when the Judgement Day will take place | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second point: verses 13-14 revival of human being with one order | Second point: verses 21-24 Pharaoh's disobedience of the invitation of Moses (a) | Second point: verses 34-41 Upon the happening of the Judgement Day, punishment of unbelievers and the reward of believers is certain | Second point: verse 46 the Judgement Day will happen sooner than what unbelievers think | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second point: verses 21-24 Pharaoh's disobedience of the invitation of Moses (a) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Expansion of the Earth (Dahw al-Ard)
In verse thirty of Sura al-Nazi'at, the expansion of the earth (Dahw al-Ard) is mentioned.
| “ | Thereafter He spread out the earth, brought forth from it its water and pastures, (Q 79:30-31) | ” |
It refers to the appearance of the lands of the earth out of water.[7] According to some hadiths and old Islamic sources, all the lands of the earth were first under water, then they appeared out of water.[8] In some hadiths and historical books too, it is mentioned that the first place on the earth which appeared out of water was the land of Mecca or the Ka'ba.[9] According to hadiths and books of jurisprudence, Dahw al-Ard happened on Dhu l-Qa'da 25 and fasting in this day is recommended.[10]
Famous Verses
| “ | "As for him who has been rebellious, and preferred the life of this world, his refuge will indeed be hell. But as for him who is awed to stand before his Lord and restrains his soul from [following] desires his refuge will indeed be paradise" | ” |
| — Qur'an 79:37-41 | ||
In these verses, description and destiny of the inhabitants of the Paradise and the hell are mentioned. In the exegesis of these verses, it is mentioned that the preference of this world over the hereafter and following carnal desires are among the signs of rebellion against God and fighting with carnal desires is a sign of fear of God's status.[11]
It is also mentioned that the reason for human's disobedience of God is human's vanity which originates from lack of knowledge about God and His position. In contrast, knowing God leads to fear from His disobedience and having dominance over carnal desires.[12] In hadiths from Imam al-Sadiq (a), it is mentioned about the verse "him who is awed to stand before his Lord" (Qur'an 79:40), "a person who knows that God sees and hears what he says and does, it prevents him from doing bad deeds, and he is the person who awes the position of his Lord."[13]
Merits and Benefits
In hadiths, many merits are mentioned for recitation of Sura al-Nazi'at including the point that reckoning of such a reciter's deeds on the Day of Judgment will take as short as the time needed to perform one of the obligatory prayers, until he enters the paradise[14] and that he will not be alone in the grave and on the Day of Judgment; rather, this sura will be his companion until he enters the paradise.[15] He will pass from this world satisfied, will be resurrected satisfied and will enter the paradise satisfied.[16]
Also, in some hadiths, some benefits are mentioned for recitation of this sura such as remaining unnoticed in the enemy's sight upon his encounter, having security against the evils of vicious people and excretion of poison from his body.[17]
External Links
Notes
- ↑ Khurramshāhī, Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 1261.
- ↑ Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān, under the word «نزع».
- ↑ Maʿrifat, Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 166.
- ↑ Khurramshāhī, Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 1261.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 26, p. 71.
- ↑ Khamagar, Muhammad, Sakhtar-i suraha-yi Qur'an-i karim, Mu'assisa-yi Farhangi-yi Qur'an wa 'Itrat-i Nur al-Thaqalayn, Qom: Nashra, ed.1, 1392 Sh.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 26, p. 100-101.
- ↑ Marzūqī Iṣfahānī, Kitāb al-azminat wa l-amkina, p. 35.
- ↑ Ṣadūq, Man lā yaḥḍuruh al-faqīh, vol. 2, p. 241; Qazwīnī, Āthār al-bilād, p. 114; Furāt al-Kūfī, Tafsīr, p. 185.
- ↑ Ṭūsī, Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid, p. 669.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 20, p. 192.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 26, p. 126.
- ↑ Baḥrānī, al-Burhān, vol. 5, p. 578.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, p. 250.
- ↑ Nūrī, Mustadrak al-Wasāʾil, vol. 4, p. 35.
- ↑ Ṣadūq, Thawāb al-aʿmal, p. 121.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 365.
References
- Baḥrānī, Ḥāshim b. Sulaymān al-. Al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom: Muʾassisa-yi Biʿthat, 1415 AH.
- Furāt al-Kūfī. Tafsīr Furāt al-Kūfī. Edited by Muḥammad Kāẓim. Tehran: Wizārat-I Farhang wa Irshād-i Islāmī, 1410 AH.
- Khurramshāhī, Bahāʾ al-Dīn. Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān wa Qurʾān pazhūhī. Tehran: Dūstān-Nāhīd, 1377 Sh.
- Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1371 Sh.
- Maʿrifat, Muḥammad Hādī. Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān. Qom: Markaz-i Chāp wa Nashr-i Sāzmān-i Tablīghāt-i Islāmī, 1371 Sh.
- Marzūqī Iṣfahānī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. Kitāb al-azminat wa l-amkina. Edited by Khalīl ʿImrān Manṣūr. Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmīyya, 1417 AH.
- Nūrī, Mīrzā Ḥusayn al-. Mustadrak al-Wasāʾil. Beirut: Muʾassisat Āl al-Bayt li-Iḥyāʾ al-Turath, 1408 AH.
- Qazwīnī. Āthār al-bilād wa akhbār al-ʿibād. Beirut: Dār al-Ṣādir, 1998.
- Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-. Man lā yaḥḍuruh al-faqīh. Edited by ʿAlī Akbar Ghaffārī. Second edition. Qom: Daftar-i Nashr-i Islāmī, 1413 AH.
- Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-. Thawāb al-aʿmal wa ʿiqāb al-aʿmāl. Edited by Ṣādiq Ḥasanzāda. Tehran: Armaghān-i Ṭūbā, 1382 Sh.
- Ṭabāṭabāyī, Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Second edition. Beirut: Muʾassisat al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1390 AH.
- Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān. Translated to Farsi by Bīstūnī. Mashhad: Āstan-i Quds-i Raḍawī, 1390 Sh.
- Ṭabrisī, Ḥasan b. Faḍl al-. Makārim al-akhlāq. Fourth edition. Qom: al-Sharīf al-Raḍī, 1370 Sh.
- Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid. Beirut: Muʾassisat Fiqh al-Shīʿa, 1411 AH.