Verse 2
The Resurrection • makkah
View Aspects
La here may signify, 'It is not like what they think.' Sometimes it is used as an answer to some objection or in repudiation of what is said before (Lane).
Commentary:
For the nature, significance and philosophy of Quranic oaths see detailed notes on 91:2 and 37:2. One object of oaths, however, is to lay emphasis on the importance of the subject about which an oath is taken.
لا (nay) is used in different senses. Here it may signify, "it is not like what they think." Sometimes, it is used as an answer to some objection or in repudiation of what is said before. In this and the next verse it is used to refute the disbelievers’ assertion made in v. 4, about the impossibility of the Resurrection and also to emphasize the importance of the oath.
القیامة (the Resurrection) signifying a great and calamitous occurrence, may refer to three events: (a) The death of a person is called القیامة الصغریٰ i.e. the small resurrection. It is to this resurrection that reference is made in the famous hadith, viz. من مات فقد قامت قیامته i.e. he who dies, his resurrection has indeed taken place. (b) The moral death of a whole people or nation. This is called القامة الوسطی i.e. the Middle Resurrection. (c) The Final Resurrection. The word قیامة (resurrection) has been used in the Quran in all these three senses.
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Commentary:
For the nature, significance and philosophy of Quranic oaths see detailed notes on 91:2 and 37:2. One object of oaths, however, is to lay emphasis on the importance of the subject about which an oath is taken.
لا (nay) is used in different senses. Here it may signify, "it is not like what they think." Sometimes, it is used as an answer to some objection or in repudiation of what is said before. In this and the next verse it is used to refute the disbelievers’ assertion made in v. 4, about the impossibility of the Resurrection and also to emphasize the importance of the oath.
القیامة (the Resurrection) signifying a great and calamitous occurrence, may refer to three events: (a) The death of a person is called القیامة الصغریٰ i.e. the small resurrection. It is to this resurrection that reference is made in the famous hadith, viz. من مات فقد قامت قیامته i.e. he who dies, his resurrection has indeed taken place. (b) The moral death of a whole people or nation. This is called القامة الوسطی i.e. the Middle Resurrection. (c) The Final Resurrection. The word قیامة (resurrection) has been used in the Quran in all these three senses.
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La here may signify, 'It is not like what they think.' Sometimes it is used as an answer to some objection or in repudiation of what is said before (Lane).