Sura al-Naba': Difference between revisions

'''Sūra al-Naba’''' (Arabic: سورة النبأ) or '''Sūra 'Amma''' (Arabic: سورة عمَّ) or '''Sūra al-Tasā'ul''' (Arabic: سورة التسائل) is the 78th [[Sura]] or chapter of the [[Qur'an]]. It is a [[Makki]] chapter. It is a relatively short Quranic chapter. It is the first chapter in the 30th [[juz']] of the Qur'an. This is why this juz' is called “'Amma juz'”. “Naba'” means news.

Sura al-Naba' is concerned with the [[resurrection]] and its events, and the condition of sinners and good people on that day. Its well-known verses are verses 31 onwards concerning the story of [[taqwa|pious]] people after the resurrection. Some [[hadiths]] take the “pious” in these verses to refer to [[Amir al-Mu'minin (a)]].

There is a hadith according to which if someone recites Sura al-Naba' every day, the year will not end until he visits the [[Ka'ba]].

This chapter is called “Sura al-Naba'” because its second verse talks about “al-Naba' al-'Azim” (the great news, which refers to the [[resurrection]]). “Naba'” literally means news or useful news. The chapter is also known as “'Amma” (about what?) and “Tasa'ul” (asking each other), because it begins with the phrase, “'amma yatasa'alun” (about what are they asking each other?).

Sura al-Naba' has 40 verses, 174 words, and 797 letters. It is one of the [[Mufassalat]] chapters (the ones with short and numerous verses). It is a relatively short chapter which occurs at the beginning of the 30th [[juz']] of the [[Qur'an]]. Thus, it is known as “'Amma juz'”.

There are 10 [[hadiths]] in ''[[Tafsir al-burhan]]'' under the first and the second verses of Sura al-Naba' according to which the “Great News” is [[Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a)]] or his [[Wilaya]]. Also in his book, ''[[Ihqaq al-haqq]]'', [[Qadi Nur Allah al-Shushtari]] quotes [[al-Hakim al-Haskani]] (a [[Sunni]] scholar) as saying that the pious in the verse 31 of the chapter (“for the [[taqwa|pious]] people is achievement”) refers to [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]].

* “For the [[taqwa|pious]] people is achievement. Gardens and vineyards”.

[[Al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] writes in his exegesis of the Qur'an, ''[[al-Tibyan]]'': with respect to the occasion of the revelation of this chapter, it is said that [[the Prophet (s)]] talked to the [[Quraysh]] about the news of earlier peoples and preached them, but they mocked at him. Thus, God forbade the Prophet (s) from talking to them. One day, the Prophet (s) was talking to his [[Sahaba]] when one of the [[polytheists]] went to him and the Prophet (s) stopped talking. Then polytheists gathered and told him, “O Muhammad! Your talks are strange. We like to hear it”. But the Prophet (s) said: “God has forbidden me from talking with you”. Then the verse, “about what are they asking each other? About a great news”, was revealed.

There is another hadith from the Prophet (s) according to which if someone recites and memorize this chapter, his actions will be scrutinized after the resurrection so quickly that it will be like saying one [[prayer]]. There are also hadiths according to which the Prophet (s) has taken Sura al-Naba' as one of the Quranic chapters that have whitened the Prophet’s (s) hair.