Sura al-Naba': Difference between revisions

This [[sura]] 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 sura 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' is a [[Makki]] sura of the Qur'an. It is the 80th sura which was revealed to the [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]]. It was revealed after [[Qur'an 70]] (Sura al-Ma'arij) and before [[Qur'an 79]] (Sura al-Nazi'at). In its traditional order of compilation, it is the 78th sura of the Qur'an.

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

Sura al-Naba' talks about a great event or news, that is, the [[resurrection]], arguing for its truth and indubitability. The sura begins by saying that people ask each other about the news of resurrection. It is followed by the warning that they will soon know about it.

The sura goes on to prove the truth of the resurrection. The world with its intelligent design is the best evidence for there being an [[Afterlife]] after this mortal world, which is the day of [[reward]] and [[Divine Reward and Punishment|punishment]], rather than action. Then the events of the resurrection are characterized in this sura: all people will be present there and transgressors will endure a painful punishment and the pious will be rewarded with a permanent blessing.

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 sura ("for the [[pious people]] is achievement") refers to [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]].

 

:"For the [[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 sura, 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.

==Merits and Characteristics: Visiting the Ka'ba and Easy Scrutiny==

There is a [[hadith]] from the Prophet (s) about the [[recitation]] of Sura al-Naba' according to which if someone recites Sura 'Amma yatasa'alun, God will saturate him with a cold and tasty drink of the [[Heaven]] after the [[resurrection]]. There is also a hadith from [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] according to which if someone recites Sura 'Amma yatasa'alun, the year will not end until he visits the [[Ka'ba]].

There is another hadith from the Prophet (s) according to which if someone recites and memorize this sura, 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 Qura'nic suras that have whitened the Prophet's (s) hair.

* The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[[:fa:سوره نبأ|سوره نبأ]]}} in Farsi WikiShia.

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