يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِىٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ
78:39.
Important Words:
شقی (unfortunate) means, unprosperous, unfortunate, unhappy or miserable; or in a state of straitness, distress, adversity or difficulty. According to Ar-Raghib شقاوة (unprosperousness, etc.) is of two kinds: (a) اخرویة i.e. that relating to the world to come, and (b) دنیویة i.e. that relating to the present world; and the latter is of three kinds: (1) نفسیة i.e. relating to the soul; (2) بدنیة i.e. relating to the body and (3) خارجیة i.e. relating to external circumstances (Lane).
سعید (fortunate) means, prosperous, fortunate, happy or in a state of felicity. Ar-Raghib also divides سعادة (prosperity, etc.) as he describes شقاوة for which see note on شقی above (Lane).
Commentary:
The verse signifies that the day referred to in v. 104 above is the Day of Retribution when judgement will be set up and none will dare speak in his defence except by the command of God, because on that awful day everyone will have fully realized that any pleading or protesting before the Omniscient God is useless. But God, out of His great mercy, will Himself ask the guilty to adduce excuses calculated to mitigate their own offences or the offences of their companions and to bring their virtuous deeds into greater relief. This will result in clearer classification of the wicked and the virtuous.
78:39.