A. Arabic
عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ (١) عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ (٢) ٱلَّذِى هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ (٣) كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (٤) ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (٥) أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَـٰدًا (٦) وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا (٧) وَخَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا (٨) وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا (٩) وَجَعَلْنَا ٱللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا (١٠) وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا (١١) وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًا شِدَادًا (١٢) وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا (١٣) وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمُعْصِرَٰتِ مَآءً ثَجَّاجًا (١٤) لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا (١٥) وَجَنَّـٰتٍ أَلْفَافًا (١٦) إِنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَـٰتًا (١٧) يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا (١٨) وَفُتِحَتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَٰبًا (١٩) وَسُيِّرَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا (٢٠) إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًا (٢١) لِّلطَّـٰغِينَ مَـَٔابًا (٢٢) لَّـٰبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحْقَابًا (٢٣) لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًا وَلَا شَرَابًا (٢٤) إِلَّا حَمِيمًا وَغَسَّاقًا (٢٥) جَزَآءً وِفَاقًا (٢٦) إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًا (٢٧) وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا كِذَّابًا (٢٨) وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَـٰهُ كِتَـٰبًا (٢٩) فَذُوقُوا۟ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا (٣٠) إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا (٣١) حَدَآئِقَ وَأَعْنَـٰبًا (٣٢) وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا (٣٣) وَكَأْسًا دِهَاقًا (٣٤) لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا كِذَّـٰبًا (٣٥) جَزَآءً مِّن رَّبِّكَ عَطَآءً حِسَابًا (٣٦) رَّبِّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَابًا (٣٧) يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا (٣٨) ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ مَـَٔابًا (٣٩) إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَـٰكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَٰبًۢا (٤٠)
B. Transliteration
‘আম্মা ইয়াতাসাআ’লূন (১) ‘আনিন-নাবাইল ‘আযীম (২) আল্লাযী হুম ফীহি মুখতালিফূন (৩) কাল্লা সাইয়া‘লামূন (৪) ছুম্মা কাল্লা সাইয়া‘লামূন (৫) আলাম নাজ‘আলিল আরদা মিহা-দা (৬) ওয়াল জিবা-লা আওতা-দা (৭) ওয়া খালাক্বনা-কুম আঝওয়া-জা (৮) ওয়া জা‘আলনা নাওমাকুম সুবা-তা (৯) ওয়া জা‘আলনাল্লাইলা লিবা-সা (১০) ওয়া জা‘আলনান্নাহা-রা মা‘আ-শা (১১) ওয়া বানাইনা ফাওক্বাকুম সাব‘আন শিদা-দা (১২) ওয়া জা‘আলনা সিরা-জাও ওয়াহহা-জা (১৩) ওয়া আনঝালনা মিনাল মু‘সিরা-তি মাআন ছাজ্জা-জা (১৪) লিনুখরিজা বিহী হাব্বাও ওয়া নাবা-তা (১৫) ওয়া জান্না-তিন আলফা-ফা (১৬) ইন্না ইয়াওমাল ফাসলি কা-না মীক্ব-তা (১৭) ইয়াওমা ইউনফাখু ফিসসূরি ফাতা’তূনা আফওয়া-জা (১৮) ওয়া ফুতিহাতিস সামা-উ ফাকা-নাত আবওয়া-বা (১৯) ওয়া স্যুয়্যিরাতিল জিবা-লু ফাকা-নাত সারা-বা (২০) ইন্না জাহান্নামা কা-নাত মিরসা-দা (২১) লিত্ত্বা-গীনা মাআ-বা (২২) লা-বিছীনা ফীহা আহক্বা-বা (২৩) লা ইয়াযূক্বূনা ফীহা বারদাও ওয়ালা শারা-বা (২৪) ইল্লা হামীমাও ওয়া গাসসা-ক্বা (২৫) জাঝা-আও উইফা-ক্বা (২৬) ইন্নাহুম কা-নূ লা ইয়ারজূনা হিসা-বা (২৭) ওয়া কায্যাবূ বিআ-য়া-তিনা কিয্যা-বা (২৮) ওয়া কুল্লা শাইয়িন আহসাইনা-হু কিতা-বা (২৯) ফাযূক্বূ ফালান নাঝীদাকুম ইল্লা ‘আযা-বা (৩০) ইন্না লিলমুত্তাক্বীনা মাফা-ঝা (৩১) হাদা-ইক্বা ওয়া আ‘না-বা (৩২) ওয়া কাওয়া-‘ইবা আত্বরা-বা (৩৩) ওয়া কা’সান দিহা-ক্বা (৩৪) লা ইয়াসমা‘ঊনা ফীহা লাগওয়াও ওয়ালা কিয্যা-বা (৩৫) জাঝা-আম মির রাব্বিকা ‘আত্বা-আন হিসা-বা (৩৬) রাব্বিস সামা-ওয়া-তি ওয়াল আরদি ওয়ামা বাইনাহুমার রাহমা-নি লা ইয়ামলিকূনা মিনহু খিত্বা-বা (৩৭) ইয়াওমা ইয়াক্বূমুর রূহু ওয়ালমালা-ইকাতু সাফফাল লা ইয়াতাকাল্লামূনা ইল্লা মান আযিনা লাহুর রাহমা-নু ওয়া ক্ব-লা সাওয়া-বা (৩৮) যা-লিকাল ইয়াওমুল হাক্কু ফামান শা-আত্তাখাযা ইলা রাব্বিহী মাআ-বা (৩৯) ইন্না আনযারনা-কুম ‘আযা-বান ক্বারীবাই ইয়াওমা ইয়ানযুরুল মারউ মা ক্বাদ্দামাত ইয়াদা-হু ওয়া ইয়াক্বূলুল কা-ফিরু ইয়া-লাইতানী কুনতু তুরা-বা (৪০)
TRANSLATION:
Of what do they question one another?¹ Of the great tiding,² about which they are in disagreement.³ No, they will surely know.⁴ Then again, no, they will surely know.⁵
Have We not made the earth a cradle,⁶ and the mountains as pegs?⁷ We created you in pairs,⁸ made your sleep for repose,⁹ made the night a covering,¹⁰ and made the day for livelihood.¹¹ We built above you seven strong heavens,¹² and placed therein a blazing lamp.¹³ And from the rain-laden clouds We sent down water pouring abundantly,¹⁴ that We may bring forth with it grain and vegetation,¹⁵ and lush, dense gardens.¹⁶
Indeed, the Day of Decision is an appointed time,¹⁷ a day the trumpet is blown and you will come forth in droves,¹⁸ and the sky is opened, becoming as gates,¹⁹ and the mountains are set in motion, becoming a mirage.²⁰ Truly, Hell lies in ambush,²¹ a destination for the transgressors,²² where they will remain for ages on end.²³ They will taste no coolness in it, nor any drink,²⁴ except boiling water and a putrid fluid,²⁵ a fitting recompense.²⁶ Indeed, they did not expect a reckoning,²⁷ and they vehemently denied Our signs.²⁸ And every single thing We have enumerated in a record.²⁹ So taste this! We will only increase you in torment.³⁰
Indeed, for the God-conscious is a place of triumph:³¹ gardens and vineyards,³² and full-bosomed companions of like age,³³ and a cup brimming full.³⁴ They will hear no vain talk there, nor any falsehood³⁵—a reward from your Lord, a gift given in full measure.³⁶ He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the All-Merciful; none will have the power to address Him.³⁷ On the Day when the Spirit and the angels stand in rows, they will not speak, except those to whom the All-Merciful gives permission and who say what is right.³⁸ That is the True Day. So whoever wills, let him take a path back to his Lord.³⁹ We have indeed warned you of a punishment near at hand—the Day when a man will see what his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish I were dust!"⁴⁰
LINGUISTIC TRANSLATION
1 عَمَّ About what (ʿan mā √ع-ن-ن ‘about’ + √م-و ‘what’) يَتَسَآءَلُونَ do they question one another? (tasāʾala, Form VI √س-ء-ل ‘to ask, question’)
2 عَنِ About ٱلنَّبَإِ the tiding (nabaʾ √ن-ب-ء ‘news, announcement’) ٱلْعَظِيمِ the great (ʿaẓīm, faʿīl pattern √ع-ظ-م ‘to be great’).
3 ٱلَّذِى Which هُمْ they فِيهِ concerning it مُخْتَلِفُونَ ⟨are⟩ disagreeing (mukhtalifūn, ptcp. Form VIII √خ-ل-ف ‘to differ’).
4 كَلَّا No, indeed! سَيَعْلَمُونَ They will know (sa- [future marker] + yaʿlamūna √ع-ل-م ‘to know’).
5 ثُمَّ Then, كَلَّا no, indeed! سَيَعْلَمُونَ They will know (sa- [future marker] + yaʿlamūna √ع-ل-м ‘to know’).
6 أَلَمْ Have [interrogative + negative] نَجْعَلِ We not made (jaʿala √ج-ع-ل ‘to make, place’) ٱلْأَرْضَ the earth (arḍ √ء-ر-ض ‘earth’) مِهَـٰدًا a level expanse (mihād √م-ه-د ‘to spread out’)?
7 وَٱلْجِبَالَ And the mountains (jibāl, pl. of jabal √ج-ب-ل ‘mountain’) أَوْتَادًا ⟨as⟩ pegs (awtād, pl. of watad √و-ت-د ‘peg, stake’)?
8 وَخَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ And We created you (khalaqa √خ-ل-ق ‘to create’) أَزْوَٰجًا ⟨in⟩ pairs (azwāj, pl. of zawj √ز-و-ج ‘pair, spouse’).
9 وَجَعَلْنَا And We made (jaʿala √ج-ع-ل ‘to make, place’) نَوْمَكُمْ your sleep (nawm √ن-و-م ‘sleep’) سُبَاتًا a repose (subāt √س-ب-ت ‘to cut off, rest’).
10 وَجَعَلْنَا And We made (jaʿala √ج-ع-ل ‘to make, place’) ٱللَّيْلَ the night (layl √ل-ي-ل ‘night’) لِبَاسًا a covering (libās √ل-ب-س ‘to wear, clothe’).
11 وَجَعَلْنَا And We made (jaʿala √ج-ع-ل ‘to make, place’) ٱلنَّهَارَ the day (nahār √ن-ه-ر ‘daytime’) مَعَاشًا ⟨a time for⟩ livelihood (maʿāsh, mafʿal pattern √ع-ي-ش ‘to live’).
12 وَبَنَيْنَا And We built (banā √ب-ن-ي ‘to build’) فَوْقَكُمْ above you سَبْعًا seven شِدَادًا strong ones (shidād, pl. of shadīd √ش-د-د ‘to be strong’).
13 وَجَعَلْنَا And We placed (jaʿala √ج-ع-ل ‘to make, place’) سِرَاجًا a lamp (sirāj √س-ر-ج ‘lamp’) وَهَّاجًا blazing (wahhāj, faʿʿāl pattern √و-ه-ج ‘to blaze, glow’).
14 وَأَنزَلْنَا And We sent down (anzala, Form IV √ن-ز-ل ‘to descend’) مِنَ from ٱلْمُعْصِرَٰتِ the rain-bearers (muʿṣirāt, ptcp. Form IV √ع-ص-ر ‘to press, squeeze’) مَآءً water (māʾ √م-و-ه ‘water’) ثَجَّاجًا pouring abundantly (thajjāj, faʿʿāl pattern √ث-ج-ج ‘to flow, pour’),
15 لِّـ so that نُخْرِجَ We may bring forth (akhraja, Form IV √خ-ر-ج ‘to bring out’) بِهِۦ with it [the water] حَبًّا grain (ḥabb √ح-ب-ب ‘seed, grain’) وَنَبَاتًا and vegetation (nabāt √ن-ب-ت ‘to grow’),
16 وَجَنَّـٰتٍ and gardens (jannāt, pl. of janna √ج-ن-ن ‘to conceal’) أَلْفَافًا densely wound (alfāf, pl. of lafīf √ل-ف-ف ‘to wrap, fold’).
17 إِنَّ Indeed, يَوْمَ the Day ٱلْفَصْلِ of Separation (faṣl √ف-ص-ل ‘to separate, decide’) كَانَ has been مِيقَـٰتًا an appointed time (mīqāt, mifʿāl pattern √و-ق-ت ‘time’).
18 يَوْمَ The Day يُنفَخُ ⟨it⟩ is blown [passive] (yunfakhu √ن-ف-خ ‘to blow’) فِى in ٱلصُّورِ the Trumpet (ṣūr √ص-و-ر ‘trumpet, horn’), فَـ then تَأْتُونَ you will come (atā √ء-ت-ي ‘to come’) أَفْوَاجًا in throngs (afwāj, pl. of fawj √ف-و-ج ‘group’).
19 وَفُتِحَتِ And is opened [passive] (futiḥat √ف-ت-ح ‘to open’) ٱلسَّمَآءُ the heaven (samāʾ √س-م-و ‘to be high’), فَكَانَتْ and it becomes أَبْوَٰبًا gates (abwāb, pl. of bāb √ب-و-ب ‘gate’).
20 وَسُيِّرَتِ And are set in motion [passive, Form II] (suyyirat √س-ي-ر ‘to travel’) ٱلْجِبَالُ the mountains, فَكَانَتْ and they become سَرَابًا a mirage (sarāb √س-ر-ب ‘to be a mirage’).
21 إِنَّ Indeed, جَهَنَّمَ Hell كَانَتْ has been مِرْصَادًا a place of ambush (mirṣād, mifʿāl pattern √ر-ص-د ‘to watch for’),
22 لِّلطَّـٰغِينَ for the transgressors (ṭāghīn, ptcp. √ط-غ-ي ‘to transgress’) مَـَٔابًا a place of return (maʾāb, mafʿal pattern √ء-و-ب ‘to return’).
23 لَّـٰبِثِينَ Abiding (lābithīn, ptcp. √ل-ب-ث ‘to remain’) فِيهَآ in it [Hell] أَحْقَابًا for ages (aḥqāb, pl. of ḥuqb √ح-ق-ب ‘long period of time’).
24 لَّا يَذُوقُونَ They will not taste (dhāqa √ذ-و-ق ‘to taste’) فِيهَا in it بَرْدًا coolness (bard √ب-ر-د ‘to be cold’) وَلَا and not شَرَابًا any drink (sharāb √ش-ر-ب ‘to drink’),
25 إِلَّا except حَمِيمًا boiling water (ḥamīm, faʿīl pattern √ح-م-م ‘to be hot’) وَغَسَّاقًا and a putrid fluid (ghassāq √غ-س-ق ‘to be dark; to flow with pus’).
26 جَزَآءً A recompense (jazāʾ √ج-ز-ي ‘to requite’) وِفَاقًا fitting (wifāq √و-ف-ق ‘to be suitable’).
27 إِنَّهُمْ Indeed they كَانُوا۟ were لَا يَرْجُونَ not expecting (rajā √ر-ج-و ‘to hope, expect’) حِسَابًا a reckoning (ḥisāb √ح-س-ب ‘to reckon’).
28 وَكَذَّبُوا۟ And they denied (kadhdhaba, Form II √ك-ذ-ب ‘to lie, deny’) بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا Our signs (āyāt, pl. of āya √ء-ي-ي ‘sign’) كِذَّابًا ⟨with vehement⟩ denial [cognate accusative for emphasis] (kidhāb √ك-ذ-ب).
29 وَكُلَّ And every شَىْءٍ thing (shayʾ √ش-ي-ء ‘thing’) أَحْصَيْنَـٰهُ We have enumerated it (aḥṣā, Form IV √ح-ص-ي ‘to count, record’) كِتَـٰبًا ⟨in⟩ a record (kitāb √ك-ت-ب ‘to write’).
30 فَذُوقُوا۟ So taste! (dhāqa √ذ-و-ق ‘to taste’) فَلَن for never نَّزِيدَكُمْ will We increase you (zāda √ز-ي-د ‘to increase’) إِلَّا except عَذَابًا ⟨in⟩ torment (ʿadhāb √ع-ذ-ب ‘punishment’).
31 إِنَّ Indeed, لِلْمُتَّقِينَ for the God-conscious (muttaqīn, ptcp. Form VIII √و-ق-ي ‘to be pious’) مَفَازًا ⟨is⟩ a place of triumph (mafāz, mafʿal pattern √ف-و-ز ‘to succeed’):
32 حَدَآئِقَ gardens (ḥadāʾiq, pl. of ḥadīqa √ح-د-ق ‘to encircle’) وَأَعْنَـٰبًا and vineyards (aʿnāb, pl. of ʿinab √ع-ن-ب ‘grape’),
33 وَكَوَاعِبَ and full-bosomed maidens (kawāʿib, pl. of kāʿib √ك-ع-ب ‘to be full-breasted’) أَتْرَابًا of like age (atrāb, pl. of tirb √ت-ر-ب ‘of same age’),
34 وَكَأْسًا and a cup (kaʾs √ك-ء-س ‘cup’) دِهَاقًا brimming (dihāq √د-ه-ق ‘to fill’).
35 لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ They will not hear (samiʿa √س-م-ع ‘to hear’) فِيهَا in it [Paradise] لَغْوًا idle talk (laghw √ل-غ-و ‘vain talk’) وَلَا and not كِذَّـٰبًا falsehood (kidhāb √ك-ذ-ب ‘to lie, deny’).
36 جَزَآءً A recompense (jazāʾ √ج-ز-ي ‘to requite’) مِّن from رَّبِّكَ your Lord—عَطَآءً a gift (ʿaṭāʾ √ع-ط-و ‘to give’) حِسَابًا sufficient (ḥisāb √ح-س-ب ‘to reckon, suffice’).
37 رَّبِّ Lord (rabb √ر-ب-ب ‘lord, sustainer’) ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ of the heavens وَٱلْأَرْضِ and the earth وَمَا and what بَيْنَهُمَا ⟨is⟩ between them, ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ the All-Merciful (raḥmān √ر-ح-م ‘to have mercy’). لَا يَمْلِكُونَ They do not possess (malaka √م-ل-ك ‘to possess’) مِنْهُ from Him خِطَابًا ⟨the power of⟩ address (khiṭāb √خ-ط-ب ‘to address’).
38 يَوْمَ The Day يَقُومُ stands (qāma √ق-و-م ‘to stand’) ٱلرُّوحُ the Spirit (rūḥ √ر-و-ح ‘spirit’) وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ and the angels (malāʾika √ل-ء-ك ‘to send as messenger’) صَفًّا in a row (ṣaff √ص-ف-ف ‘to arrange in a row’); لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ they do not speak (takallama, Form V √ك-ل-م ‘to speak’) إِلَّا except مَنْ he whom أَذِنَ permits (adhina √ء-ذ-ن ‘to permit’) لَهُ to him ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ the All-Merciful وَقَالَ and he speaks (qāla √ق-و-ل ‘to speak’) صَوَابًا what is right (ṣawāb √ص-و-ب ‘to be correct’).
39 ذَٰلِكَ That ٱلْيَوْمُ ⟨is⟩ the Day, ٱلْحَقُّ the True (ḥaqq √ح-ق-ق ‘truth, reality’). فَـ So مَن whoever شَآءَ wills (shāʾa √ش-ي-ء ‘to will’), ٱتَّخَذَ let him take (ittakhadha, Form VIII √ء-خ-ذ ‘to take’) إِلَىٰ to رَبِّهِۦ his Lord مَـَٔابًا a way of return (maʾāb, mafʿal pattern √ء-و-ب ‘to return’).
40 إِنَّآ Indeed We أَنذَرْنَـٰكُمْ have warned you (andhara, Form IV √ن-ذ-ر ‘to warn’) عَذَابًا ⟨of⟩ a torment قَرِيبًا near (qarīb √ق-ر-ب ‘to be near’). يَوْمَ The Day يَنظُرُ will see (naẓara √ن-ظ-ر ‘to see, look’) ٱلْمَرْءُ the man (marʾ √م-ر-ء ‘man’) مَا what قَدَّمَتْ have sent forth (qaddama, Form II √ق-د-م ‘to send forth’) يَدَاهُ his two hands, وَيَقُولُ and will say (qāla √ق-و-ل ‘to say’) ٱلْكَافِرُ the disbeliever (kāfir, ptcp. √ك-ف-ر ‘to disbelieve’), يَـٰلَيْتَنِى "Oh, would that I" كُنتُ were تُرَٰبًۢا dust (turāb √ت-ر-ب ‘dust, earth’).
Sūrah an-Nabaʾ (The Tidings) opens by addressing the disputes and doubts of Meccan polytheists regarding the "Great Tiding"—the message of resurrection and a final Day of Judgment. It issues a stark, repeated warning that their denial is temporary and will be replaced by an inevitable and catastrophic realization of the truth. As proof of God's power to bring about this reality, the sūrah presents a teleological argument, pointing to the perfect order in creation. It cites the earth made stable as a cradle with mountains as pegs; the creation of humanity in pairs; and the balanced cycles of day for livelihood and night for rest. This evidence extends to the cosmos, with the seven heavens, the sun as a blazing lamp, and the life-giving rain that produces grains, plants, and dense gardens. Interpreters note how this deliberate pairing in creation rhetorically mirrors the final eschatological pairing of reward and punishment. The chapter then pivots to a dramatic depiction of the "Day of Separation" (Yawm al-Faṣl). This appointed time will be heralded by a trumpet blast, summoning humanity in throngs as the universe itself is rent asunder—the heavens will split open like gates and the mountains will dissolve into a mirage. On this Day, two distinct fates unfold. For the transgressors who denied the reckoning, Hell lies in ambush. They will dwell there for ages, tasting no coolness but only scalding water and a foul, putrid discharge—a "fitting reward" for their disbelief. Conversely, the righteous are promised the triumph of Paradise, with lush gardens, vineyards, youthful companions, and a "full cup" in a realm where no falsehood or idle talk is heard, all bestowed as a precisely "calculated gift" from God. The sūrah culminates in a scene depicting God's absolute majesty. Before the Lord of all creation, the Spirit and the angels will stand in silent, reverent rows. None will speak except by His permission, and only to say what is right. Declaring that "this is the True Day," the text offers a final invitation to find a path to God while warning of an imminent punishment. This Day will see every soul confront its deeds, leading to the disbeliever's ultimate cry of regret: "Oh, I wish I were dust!" As a foundational Early Meccan text, the sūrah's rhythmic, potent language aims to deconstruct denial by linking observable cosmic order to an inescapable eschatological order. Its themes resonate with broader religious and philosophical traditions, while its powerful imagery continues to be a subject of theological, psychological, and scientific interpretation.
NOTES
Intertextual Parallels:
The concluding cry of the disbeliever, “Would that I were dust!” (yā laytanī kuntu turābā), finds a conceptual parallel in biblical literature, such as in Ecclesiastes 3:19-20, which reflects on the shared mortal fate of humans and animals returning to dust, though the Qur'anic context here is one of eschatological regret rather than terrestrial observation. The cosmological signs (verses 6-16) are a common theme in the Psalter (e.g., Psalm 104), which similarly lists features of the natural world as proof of God's power and providence.
Historical Setting (asbāb al-nuzūl):
This sūrah is unanimously classified as Meccan. Its primary theme addresses the core dispute between the Prophet Muhammad and the pagan Quraysh of Mecca: the reality of the Resurrection and Final Judgment (al-baʿth). According to commentators like al-Wāḥidī in his Asbāb al-Nuzūl, the opening question, “About what are they asking?” refers to the mocking and doubtful conversations the Meccans had amongst themselves regarding the Prophet's message about life after death, which they considered an impossible "tiding" (nabaʾ). The sūrah thus serves as a direct and forceful response to their skepticism.
Genre & Register:
The sūrah is a powerful example of early Meccan prophetic proclamation, characterized by its potent rhetoric, dramatic imagery, and extensive use of rhyming prose (sajʿ). The dominant rhyme throughout the text is the sonorous -ā sound (e.g., mihādā, awtādā, azwājā, subātā), creating a powerful, incantatory effect that drives the argument forward. The structure is tripartite:
An introductory challenge to the deniers (vv. 1-5).
A detailed argument from design, citing God's creative power in the cosmos and human life as evidence of His ability to resurrect (vv. 6-16).
A vivid, parallel depiction of the Day of Judgment, contrasting the fates of the damned (vv. 17-30) and the blessed (vv. 31-37), followed by a final, solemn warning (vv. 38-40).
Footnote on "the Spirit" (al-rūḥ):
The identity of "the Spirit" (al-rūḥ) in verse 38 is a subject of extensive classical commentary. Major opinions recorded by al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, and others include:
(a) The archangel Gabriel (Jibrīl), who is elsewhere in the Qur'an designated by this title. This is the most widely held view.
(b) A colossal angel, greater in size than all other angels combined.
(c) The collective souls (arwāḥ) of humankind.
(d) A special, non-angelic creation of God.
The ambiguity is preserved in the translation, reflecting the awesome and undefined majesty of the figure who stands before God on the Day of Judgment.
Inline Thematic Translation
Sūrah an-Nabaʾ (The Tidings)
This sūrah, named after the "great tiding" mentioned in its opening verses, powerfully contrasts the disbelievers' doubts about the Resurrection with vivid depictions of Allah's creative power, the terrifying reality of the Day of Judgment, and the ultimate fates of the righteous and the rebellious.
Section 1: The Disputed News
This opening section introduces the central theme: the Resurrection, referred to as "the great news" about which the polytheists of Makkah disputed, and issues a stern warning that its reality will soon become undeniable.
[1] عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ‘Amma yatasā’alūn? (আম্মা ইয়াতাসাআলুন?) About what are they asking one another? [2] عَنِ ٱلنَّبَإِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ‘Ani n-naba’i l-‘aẓīm. (আনিন নাবাইল আযীম।) About the Great Tiding (an-naba’i l-‘aẓīm, আন-নাবাইল আযীম, root: n-b-ʾ / ন-ব-আ – momentous news or announcement; root: ‘-ẓ-m / আ-য-ম – great, mighty), [3] ٱلَّذِى هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ Alladhī hum fīhi mukhtalifūn. (আল্লাযী হুম ফীহি মুখতালিফুন।) the very one about which they are in disagreement (mukhtalifūn, মুখতালিফুন, root: kh-l-f / খ-ল-ফ – basic sense: to be behind, hence to differ, succeed, or be in opposition). [4] كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ Kallā sa-ya‘lamūn. (কাল্লা সায়া'লামুন।) No, indeed! They will soon come to know (sa-ya‘lamūn, সায়া'লামুন, root: ‘-l-m / আ-ল-ম – to know, with the prefix sa- indicating the near future). [5] ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ Thumma kallā sa-ya‘lamūn. (সুম্মা কাল্লা সায়া'লামুন।) Again, no, indeed! They will soon come to know.
Section 2: Manifestations of Divine Power
The sūrah shifts to a series of rhetorical questions, drawing attention to the intricate and magnificent design of the natural world. These signs of Allah’s power in creation serve as evidence for His ability to bring about the far greater event of the Resurrection.
[6] أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَـٰدًۭا Alam naj‘ali l-arḍa mihādā? (আলাম নাজ'আলিল আরদা মিহাদা?) Have We not made the earth a vast expanse (mihādā, মিহাদা, root: m-h-d / ম-হ-দ – a cradle, a smoothed and leveled place for rest)? [7] وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًۭا Wa-l-jibāla awtādā? (ওয়াল জিবালা আওতাদা?) And the mountains as pegs (awtādā, আওতাদা, root: w-t-d / ও-ত-দ – stakes or pegs, implying a function of stabilizing and anchoring)? [8] وَخَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا Wa-khalaqnākum azwājā? (ওয়া খালাকনাকুম আযওয়াজা?) And We created you in pairs (azwājā, আযওয়াজা, root: z-w-j / য-ও-জ – a mate, a pair, a kind, encompassing male and female and other dualities). [9] وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًۭا Wa-ja‘alnā nawmakum subātā? (ওয়া জা'আলনা নাওমাকুম সুবাতা?) And made your sleep a deep rest (subātā, সুবাতা, root: s-b-t / স-ব-ত – cessation, a cutting off from activity, profound repose)? [10] وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًۭا Wa-ja‘alnā l-layla libāsā? (ওয়া জা'আলনাল লাইলা লিবাসাঁ?) And made the night a covering (libāsā, লিবাসাঁ, root: l-b-s / ল-ব-স – garment, covering, that which envelops and conceals)? [11] وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشًۭا Wa-ja‘alnā n-nahāra ma‘āshā? (ওয়া জা'আলনান নাহারা মা'আশা?) And made the day for livelihood (ma‘āshā, মা'আশা, root: ‘-y-sh / আ-য়-শ – time and means of seeking sustenance and living)? [12] وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًۭا شِدَادًۭا Wa-banaynā fawqakum sab‘an shidādā? (ওয়া বানাইনা ফাওক্বাকুম সাব'আন শিদাদা?) And built above you seven strong [heavens] (shidādā, শিদাদা, root: sh-d-d / শ-দ-দ – strong, firm, mighty, intensely constructed)? [13] وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًۭا وَهَّاجًۭا Wa-ja‘alnā sirājan wahhājā? (ওয়া জা'আলনা সিরাজাঁও ওয়াহ্হাজা?) And placed therein a blazing lamp (sirājan wahhājā, সিরাজাঁও ওয়াহ্হাজা, root: s-r-j / স-র-জ – lamp, luminary; root: w-h-j / ও-হ-জ – glowing with intense light and heat)? [14] وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمُعْصِرَٰتِ مَآءًۭ ثَجَّاجًۭا Wa-anzalnā mina l-mu‘ṣirāti mā’an thajjājā? (ওয়া আনযালনা মিনাল মু'সিরাতি মাআন সাজ্জাজা?) And sent down from the rain-laden clouds (al-mu‘ṣirāt, আল-মু'সিরাত, root: ‘-ṣ-r / আ-স-র – to press or squeeze, hence clouds pressed to yield rain) water pouring in abundance (thajjājā, সাজ্জাজা, root: th-j-j / স-জ-জ – gushing, pouring forth copiously)? [15] لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِۦ حَبًّۭا وَنَبَاتًۭا Li-nukhrija bihī ḥabban wa-nabātā, (লিনুখরিজা বিহী হাব্বাঁও ওয়া নাবাতা) That We may bring forth with it grain and vegetation, [16] وَجَنَّـٰتٍ أَلْفَافًا wa-jannātin alfāfā. (ওয়া জান্নাতিন আলফাফা।) And gardens of dense foliage (alfāfā, আলফাফা, root: l-f-f / ল-ফ-ফ – intertwined, luxuriant, thickly clustered).
Section 3: The Day of Decision and the Fate of Transgressors
The sūrah transitions from the signs in the cosmos to the cataclysmic events of the Day of Judgment, detailing the terrifying end for those who transgressed divine limits and denied the Hereafter.
[17] إِنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَـٰتًۭا Inna yawma l-faṣli kāna mīqātā. (ইন্না ইয়াওমাল ফাসলি কানা মীক্বাতা।) Indeed, the Day of Separation (yawma l-faṣl, ইয়াওমাল ফাসলি, root: f-ṣ-l / ফ-স-ল – to divide, distinguish, decide) is an appointed time (mīqātā, মীক্বাতা, root: w-q-t / ও-ক-ত – a fixed and designated time and place). [18] يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًۭا Yawma yunfakhu fi ṣ-ṣūri fa-ta’tūna afwājā. (ইয়াওমা ইউনফাখু ফিস সুরি ফাতা'তুনা আফওয়াজা।) The Day the Trumpet (aṣ-ṣūr, আস-সূর, root: ṣ-w-r / স-ও-র – horn, trumpet) is blown, you will come forth in multitudes (afwājā, আফওয়াজা, root: f-w-j / ফ-ও-জ – troops, groups, crowds). [19] وَفُتِحَتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَٰبًۭا Wa-futiḥati s-samā’u fa-kānat abwābā. (ওয়া ফুতিহাতিস সামায়ু ফাকানাত আবওয়াবা।) And the sky will be opened, becoming as gateways (abwābā, আবওয়াবা, root: b-w-b / ব-ও-ব – doors, gates). [20] وَسُيِّرَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا Wa-suyyirati l-jibālu fa-kānat sarābā. (ওয়া সায়্যিরাতিল জিবালু ফাকানাত সারাবা।) And the mountains will be set in motion, becoming like a mirage (sarābā, সারাবা, root: s-r-b / স-র-ব – a mirage, an illusion that vanishes). [21] إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًۭا Inna jahannama kānat mirṣādā, (ইন্না জাহান্নামা কানাত মিরসাদা।) Truly, Hell lies in ambush (mirṣādā, মিরসাদা, root: r-ṣ-d / র-স-দ – a place of waiting and watching, an ambush), [22] لِّلطَّـٰغِينَ مَـَٔابًۭا liṭ-ṭāghīna ma’ābā. (লিত ত্বাগীনা মাআবা।) A destination (ma’ābā, মাআবা, root: ʾ-w-b / আ-ও-ব – a place of return, final abode) for the rebellious transgressors (aṭ-ṭāghīn, আত-ত্বাগীন, root: ṭ-gh-y / ত-গ-য় – to exceed all bounds, to be arrogant and tyrannical). [23] لَّـٰبِثِينَ فِيهَآ أَحْقَابًۭا Lābithīna fīhā aḥqābā. (লাবিসীনা ফীহা আহক্বাবা।) They will remain in it for endless ages (aḥqābā, আহক্বাবা, root: ḥ-q-b / হ-ক-ব – long, successive periods of time, eons). [24] لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًۭا وَلَا شَرَابًا Lā yadhūqūna fīhā bardan wa-lā sharābā, (লা ইয়াযূকূনা ফীহা বারদাঁও ওয়ালা শারাবা।) They will taste neither coolness (bardan, বারদান, root: b-r-d / ব-র-দ – coolness, relief from heat) nor any drink therein, [25] إِلَّا حَمِيمًۭا وَغَسَّاقًۭا illā ḥamīman wa-ghassāqā. (ইল্লা হামীমাও ওয়া গাসসাক্বা।) except for boiling water (ḥamīman, হামীমা, root: ḥ-m-m / হ-ম-ম – scalding fluid) and a putrid liquid (ghassāqā, গাসসাক্বা, root: gh-s-q / গ-স-ক – a dark, intensely cold, foul-smelling discharge like pus). [26] جَزَآءًۭ وِفَاقًا Jazā’an wifāqā. (জাযাআও উইফাক্বা।) A fitting recompense (wifāqā, উইফাক্বা, root: w-f-q / ও-ফ-ক – suitable, corresponding, justly appropriate). [27] إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًۭا Innahum kānū lā yarjūna ḥisābā. (ইন্নাহুম কানু লা ইয়ারজুনা হিসাবা।) For they never expected a reckoning (ḥisābā, হিসাবা, root: ḥ-s-b / হ-স-ব – an accounting, calculation, reckoning). [28] وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا كِذَّابًۭا Wa-kadhdhabū bi-’āyātinā kidhdhābā. (ওয়া কাযযাবু বিআয়াাতিনা কিযযাবা।) And they denied Our signs with utter denial (kadhdhabū...kidhdhābā, কাযযাবু...কিযযাবা, root: k-dh-b / ক-য-ব – using the verb and its intensified verbal noun for maximum emphasis on the act of denial). [29] وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَـٰهُ كِتَـٰبًۭا Wa-kulla shay’in aḥṣaynāhu kitābā. (ওয়া কুল্লা শাই'ইন আহসাইনাহু কিতাবা।) And everything We have recorded in a Book (aḥṣaynāhu, আহসাইনাহু, root: ḥ-ṣ-y / হ-স-য় – to count, enumerate, record precisely). [30] فَذُوقُوا۟ فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا Fa-dhūqū fa-lan nazīdakum illā ‘adhābā. (ফাযূকূ ফালান নাযীদাকুম ইল্লা আযাবা।) “So taste [this]! We will not increase you in anything except torment (‘adhābā, আযাবা, root: ‘-dh-b / আ-য-ব – punishment, suffering, torment).”
Section 4: The Reward of the Reverent
In stark contrast to the fate of the wicked, this section describes the blissful rewards awaiting the righteous—those who lived with conscious reverence (taqwā) of God.
[31] إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا Inna li-l-muttaqīna mafāzā, (ইন্না লিলমুত্তাক্বীনা মাফাযা।) Indeed, for the consciously reverent (al-muttaqīn, আল-মুত্তাক্বীন, root: w-q-y / ও-ক-য় – to protect oneself, to be pious and God-conscious), there is ultimate success (mafāzā, মাফাযা, root: f-w-z / ফ-ও-য – a place of triumph, victory, and salvation)— [32] حَدَآئِقَ وَأَعْنَـٰبًۭا ḥadā’iqa wa-a‘nābā, (হাদায়িক্বা ওয়া আ'নাৰা।) lush gardens (ḥadā’iq, হাদায়িক্ব, root: ḥ-d-q / হ-দ-ক – to encircle, hence a walled, enclosed garden) and grapevines, [33] وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًۭا wa-kawā‘iba atrābā, (ওয়া কাওয়া'ইবা আতরাবা।) and youthful companions of equal age (kawā‘ib, কাওয়া'ইব, root: k-‘-b / ক-আ-ব – full-bosomed, signifying peak youth; atrāb, আতরাব, root: t-r-b / ত-র-ব – peers of the same age), [34] وَكَأْسًۭا دِهَاقًۭا wa-ka’san dihāqā. (ওয়া কা'সান দিহাক্বা।) And a cup filled to the brim (dihāqā, দিহাক্বা, root: d-h-q / দ-হ-ক – overflowing, brimful). [35] لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًۭا وَلَا كِذَّٰبًۭا Lā yasma‘ūna fīhā laghwan wa-lā kidhdhābā. (লা ইয়াসমা'ঊনা ফীহা লাগওয়াওঁ ওয়ালা কিযযাবা।) They will hear no vain talk (laghwan, লাগওয়া, root: l-gh-w / ল-গ-ও – idle, nonsensical, or evil speech) nor any falsehood. [36] جَزَآءًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ عَطَآءً حِسَابًۭا Jazā’an min rabbika ‘aṭā’an ḥisābā. (জাযাআম মির রাব্বিকা আত্বাআন হিসাবা।) A reward from your Lord—a gift graciously calculated (‘aṭā’an ḥisābā, আত্বাআন হিসাবা, root: ‘-ṭ-w / আ-ত-ও – a gift; root: ḥ-s-b / হ-স-ব – sufficient, generously reckoned).
Section 5: The Majesty of the Final Day and a Concluding Warning
The sūrah culminates with a portrayal of the awesome majesty of the Day of Judgment. The absolute authority of Allah is affirmed, where not even angels can speak without permission. It closes with a final, poignant warning and a call to return to God before it is too late.
[37] رَّبِّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَابًۭا Rabbi s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi wa-mā baynahumā r-Raḥmāni lā yamlikūna minhu khiṭābā. (রাব্বিস সামাওয়াতি ওয়াল আরদি ওয়ামা বাইনাহুমার রাহমানি লা ইয়ামলিকূনা মিনহু খিত্বাবা।) Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the Entirely Merciful (ar-Raḥmān, আর-রাহমান, root: r-ḥ-m / র-হ-ম – womb-like, all-encompassing mercy); none will have the power to address Him (khiṭābā, খিত্বাবা, root: kh-ṭ-b / খ-ত-ব – speech, discourse, address). [38] يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ صَفًّۭا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًۭا Yawma yaqūmu r-rūḥu wa-l-malā’ikatu ṣaffan lā yatakallamūna illā man adhina lahu r-Raḥmānu wa-qāla ṣawābā. (ইয়াওমা ইয়াক্বূমুর রূহু ওয়াল মালাইকাতু সাফফান লা ইয়াতাকাল্লামূনা ইল্লা মান আযিনা লাহুর রাহমানু ওয়া ক্বালা সাওয়াবা।) On the Day the Spirit (ar-rūḥ, আর-রূহ, root: r-w-ḥ / র-ও-হ – spirit, soul, divine inspiration, often identified as Angel Gabriel) and the angels stand in ranks (ṣaffā, সাফ্ফা, root: ṣ-f-f / স-ফ-ফ – arranged in a row), they will not speak, except the one to whom the Entirely Merciful gives permission and who speaks what is right (ṣawābā, সাওয়াবা, root: ṣ-w-b / স-ও-ব – correct, true, hitting the mark). [39] ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ مَـَٔابًا Dhālika l-yawmu l-ḥaqq, fa-man shā’a-ttakhadha ilā rabbihī ma’ābā. (যালিকাল ইয়াওমুল হাক্কু ফামান শাআত্তাখাযা ইলা রাব্বিহী মাআবা।) That is the True Day (al-ḥaqq, আল-হাক্কু, root: ḥ-q-q / হ-ক-ক – truth, reality, that which is established and due). So whoever wills, let them take a path of return to their Lord. [40] إِنَّآ أَنذَرْنَـٰكُمْ عَذَابًۭا قَرِيبًۭا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ تُرَٰبًۢا Innā andharnākum ‘adhāban qarīban yawma yanẓuru l-mar’u mā qaddamat yadāhu wa-yaqūlu l-kāfiru yā laytanī kuntu turābā. (ইন্না আনযারনাকুম আযাবান ক্বারীবাইঁ ইয়াওমা ইয়ানযুরুল মারউ মা ক্বাদ্দামাত ইয়াদাহু ওয়া ইয়াক্বূলুল কাফিরু ইয়া লাইতানী কুনতু তুরাবা।) We have indeed warned you (andharnākum, আনযারনাকুম, root: n-dh-r / ন-য-র – to warn) of a near punishment on the Day a person will see what their own hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever (al-kāfir, আল-কাফির, root: k-f-r / ক-ফ-র – to cover, conceal truth, to be ungrateful) will cry, “Oh, how I wish I were dust (turābā, তুরাবা, root: t-r-b / ত-র-ব – earth, soil, dust)!”
Notes:
1 QURANIC TEXT
A. Arabic (Uthmānic)
عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ (١) عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ (٢) الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ (٣) كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (٤) ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ (٥)
B. Bengali-script transliteration
১. আম্মা ইয়াতাসাআলূন।
২. আনিন নাবাইল ‘আযীম।
৩. আল্লাযী হুম ফীহি মুখতালিফূন।
৪. কাল্লা সাইয়া‘লামূন।
৫. ছুম্মা কাল্লা সাইয়া‘লামূন।
C. Literal EN gloss
About what do they question one another? About the Great Tiding, concerning which they are in disagreement. No! They will come to know. Then again, no! They will come to know.
2 CLASSICAL TAFSĪR SNAPSHOT
Primary exegetical focus is the identity of "the Great Tiding" ().
Early: Muqātil b. Sulaymān and al-Ṭabarī report majority consensus on the Tiding as Resurrection () and Judgment Day, which Meccan polytheists denied (Muqātil, Tafsīr, 4:579). Minority views identify it as the Qurʾān itself or Muḥammad’s prophethood. Al-Ṭabarī privileges Resurrection due to sūrah context (Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ, 24:155–8).
Medieval: Al-Zamakhsharī highlights the rhetorical shock of the opening interrogative (
ʿamma), implying the topic's gravity transcends petty dispute (Al-Kashshāf, 4:682). Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī marshals philosophical proofs for the possibility of resurrection against materialist objectors (Mafātīḥ, 30:238).Modern: Sayyid Quṭb interprets the verses as a dramatic tableau, capturing the chaos of denial against the stark, singular reality of the Tiding. The emphatic, repeated threat (
kallā sa-yaʿlamūn) is a psychological jolt intended to shatter complacency (Fī ẓilāl, 6:3794).
3 INTERTEXTUAL & HISTORICAL MATRIX
A. Intra-Qurʾānic links (Thematic Parallels)
Q 50:2-3: "...the disbelievers say, 'This is a strange thing! When we have died and become dust...?'"
Q 36:78: "He strikes for Us a similitude and forgets his own creation. He says: 'Who will give life to bones when they are rotten?'"
Q 37:16: "'When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we then be resurrected?'"
Q 23:82: "They say: 'What! When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we then be resurrected?'"
Q 45:24: "And they say: 'There is naught but our life of the world; we die and we live, and nothing destroys us but time (dahr).'"
B. Ḥadīth/Āthār
No canonical marfūʿ ḥadīth details the sabab for these specific verses.
Mawqūf reports (from Companions) dominate. Ibn ʿAbbās reportedly identified the "Great Tiding" with both the Qurʾān and the Resurrection. Qatādah and Mujāhid specified it was the "Resurrection after death" () that the polytheists disputed (Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ, 24:156). The chains of transmission for these reports are often sound, anchoring the classical interpretation.
C. Asbāb al-Nuzūl (Context of Revelation)
Multiple reports suggest the verses address the Quraysh's mutual questioning and mockery regarding Muḥammad's message, especially the afterlife. Al-Wāḥidī cites a report: as revelations came, the Quraysh would ask each other about this "tiding," some labeling it poetry, others sorcery, others legends (Asbāb, 258).
Critique: The accounts are general and likely represent the broader Meccan context of polemics rather than a single, punctiliar event. The theme is archetypal of the Early Meccan period.
D. Chronological thematic trajectory
Classified as an Early Meccan sūrah (Nöldeke Group I).
Displays characteristic features of this period: short, poetic, emphatic verses; strong eschatological focus (Resurrection, Paradise, Hell); arguments from natural phenomena for God's power.
The tone is confrontational, designed to shock a skeptical audience out of its inherited worldview. This contrasts with later Medinan legislative and community-building focus.
4 COMPARATIVE PARALLELS
A. Biblical OT/NT + Jewish & Christian Exegesis
| Theme | Qurʾān 78:1-5 | Biblical / Post-Biblical |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Great Tiding | Al−nabaʾal−ʿaẓıˉm: Resurrection/Revelation. | NT Kerygma (Proclamation): Jesus's resurrection as the central "good news" (euangelion) (1 Cor. 15:3-4). |
| Dispute/Mockery| "they...are in disagreement" | Paul mocked in Athens for preaching resurrection (Acts 17:32). Rabbinic texts record debates with skeptics (minim). |
| Future Knowing| "they will come to know" | Daniel 12:2: "Multitudes who sleep in the dust...will awake." Jesus in John 8:28: "...then you will know that I am." |
| Resurrection Belief | Bodily resurrection central & contested. | Developed late in OT (Is. 26:19; Dan. 12:2). Foundational to NT theology. Affirmed in Rabbinic Judaism (Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1) as a core tenet. |
B. ANE / Greco-Roman / Arabian / Indian Texts
ANE: Zoroastrianism offers the closest parallel with its doctrine of Frashokereti, a final renovation of the world involving the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment. This contrasts with Mesopotamian/Egyptian afterlives, which were typically shadowy underworlds without a full-scale resurrection.
Pre-Islamic Arabia: The prevailing worldview among many tribes was Dahr (Time/Fate), a fatalistic materialism where death is final. Pre-Islamic poetry frequently laments mortality with no recourse to an afterlife. Qurʾān 78 directly confronts this entrenched skepticism.
Greco-Roman Philosophy: The concept of bodily resurrection was largely alien and repugnant. Platonism affirmed the soul's immortality but saw the body as a prison (soˉmaseˉma) to be escaped. Epicureanism denied survival entirely. Stoicism proposed cosmic conflagration and rebirth (palingenesis), but not of the individual in a recognizable sense.
C. Philosophical Resonances
Epistemology: The verses posit a form of eschatological verificationism. The truth-claim of the "Great Tiding" is not presented as demonstrable through current empirical data or pure reason, but as a future certainty (
sa-yaʿlamūn). Knowledge transitions from a state of human dispute (mukhtalifūn) to one of divine, experiential confirmation (Hick, Faith and Knowledge).Metaphysics: The passage stages a clash between two rival metaphysical systems: a materialist/nihilist framework where existence terminates at death, and a theistic framework positing divine power capable of re-creation ex nihilo and moral accountability.
5 PSYCHOLOGICAL LENSES
Cognitive: The polytheists' "disagreement" exemplifies cognitive dissonance reduction. Faced with a worldview-shattering claim (Resurrection), they engage in dismissal and dispute to preserve their existing cognitive equilibrium.
Freudian: Denial of a final judgment can be read as the Id’s rebellion against the moral authority of a cosmic Superego. The threat "they will come to know" functions to reinstate this repressed authority.
Jungian: The "Great Tiding" represents an archetypal call to individuation—a confrontation with the ultimate realities of life, death, and meaning. The collective "disagreement" is the persona's resistance to integrating the Shadow aspects of mortality and accountability.
Modern Clinical (TMT): The verses induce mortality salience. The denial is a "worldview defense" mechanism to manage the terror of death. The Qurʾānic message offers an alternative anxiety-buffering system through the promise of a just and meaningful afterlife (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon).
Ancient psyché models: The passage contrasts unstable opinion (
doxa), which is plural and conflicting (mukhtalifūn), with certain knowledge (epistēmē), which is singular and future-guaranteed (sa-yaʿlamūn).
Synthesis: These verses depict the psychological resistance to a profound existential truth-claim, where denial serves as a buffer against mortality-induced anxiety, a resistance the text aims to overcome via a threat of imminent, unavoidable gnosis.
Probing Question: Can a threat of future knowledge (sa-yaʿlamūn) ever philosophically compel present belief, or does it function purely as a non-rational, emotional deterrent?
6 SCIENTIFIC INTERFACES
The core claim—bodily resurrection—stands outside the domain of scientific inquiry, which operates via methodological naturalism.
The verses' premise clashes with the scientific understanding of biological decomposition and the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics (entropy). There is no known natural mechanism for the reversal of this process on a macro scale.
The debate is not scientific but metaphysical. It posits a supernatural intervention by a creator unbound by the laws of the created universe. Modern concordist readings (
iʿjāz ʿilmī) are generally not applied here; the conflict is acknowledged as one of different magisteria (Gould): faith/metaphysics vs. empirical science.
7 SYNTHESIS
These verses establish a foundational polemic of the Qurʾān: the certainty of eschatological reckoning against human skepticism. The "Great Tiding" serves as a synecdoche for the entire prophetic message—revelation, monotheism, and resurrection—whose truth is presented as not debatable but imminently verifiable.
Convergences: The theme aligns powerfully with the Christian kerygma and Zoroastrian eschatology, forming a stark counterpoint to the materialist fatalism of its immediate Arabian and broader Greco-Roman intellectual milieus.
Tensions: The primary hermeneutical tension lies in the precise referent of
al-nabaʾ al-ʿaẓīm(Resurrection vs. Qurʾān), though most exegetes see them as inextricably linked. The rhetorical strategy relies on threatening future knowledge rather than presenting present-tense evidence, a point of philosophical and psychological significance.Lacunae: Historical data on the specific forms of Meccan eschatological skepticism beyond the stylized accounts in tafsīr remains a field for further investigation, particularly through comparative Semitic and ANE studies.