Ruku 177 ع
Section 177 of 556 • 7 Verses
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ ظَلَمَتْ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَٱفْتَدَتْ بِهِۦ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۖ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
39:48.
34:34.
Asarru may also mean, 'they will manifest or express their remorse.' The word has contrary meanings.
39:48.
34:34.
Important Words:
اسروا (they will conceal). اسرہ gives two contrary meanings: (1) he concealed it; (2) he manifested or revealed it, or he made it known (Lane).
Commentary:
Man is so made by nature that punishment has two different effects on him. It increases the obstinacy and refractoriness of some, while it renders others humble and docile. But the punishment inflicted by God is never such as to produce doubtful results. Its effect is straight and certain. It breaks the pride of the arrogant. The reason of the difference between the punishment inflicted by God and that inflicted by man is that the latter affects only the body, man having no power to inspire the heart with awe, while the former affects both the body and the heart. The verse purports to say that when God’s punishment overtakes men, it strikes awe into their hearts and they become prepared to save themselves by making every sacrifice in their power, and, as it always descends on the right person and on the right occasion, men realize its justice and therefore become repentant and begin to bring about a real change in their lives.
The verse may have another meaning also. God’s punishment descends only on those who oppose His teachings. Such people have no high ideals. They are mean and niggardly and it is only their base desires that prompt them to oppose the truth. Thus the verse purports to say that those on whom God’s punishment descends are incapable of manifesting any magnanimity of heart, and in time of trouble seek to save their skins by sacrificing anything, even their personal or national honour, which men of high ideals always try to save even at the cost of their lives. This, the verse hints, is evidence of their being in error; for if they had been in the right, they would not have stooped to such meanness. See Important Words.
The words اسروا الندامة (they will conceal their remorse) may also be rendered as, "they will manifest or express their remorse."
d
39:48.
e
34:34.
b
39:48.
c
34:34.
1330
Important Words:
اسروا (they will conceal). اسرہ gives two contrary meanings: (1) he concealed it; (2) he manifested or revealed it, or he made it known (Lane).
Commentary:
Man is so made by nature that punishment has two different effects on him. It increases the obstinacy and refractoriness of some, while it renders others humble and docile. But the punishment inflicted by God is never such as to produce doubtful results. Its effect is straight and certain. It breaks the pride of the arrogant. The reason of the difference between the punishment inflicted by God and that inflicted by man is that the latter affects only the body, man having no power to inspire the heart with awe, while the former affects both the body and the heart. The verse purports to say that when God’s punishment overtakes men, it strikes awe into their hearts and they become prepared to save themselves by making every sacrifice in their power, and, as it always descends on the right person and on the right occasion, men realize its justice and therefore become repentant and begin to bring about a real change in their lives.
The verse may have another meaning also. God’s punishment descends only on those who oppose His teachings. Such people have no high ideals. They are mean and niggardly and it is only their base desires that prompt them to oppose the truth. Thus the verse purports to say that those on whom God’s punishment descends are incapable of manifesting any magnanimity of heart, and in time of trouble seek to save their skins by sacrificing anything, even their personal or national honour, which men of high ideals always try to save even at the cost of their lives. This, the verse hints, is evidence of their being in error; for if they had been in the right, they would not have stooped to such meanness. See Important Words.
The words اسروا الندامة (they will conceal their remorse) may also be rendered as, "they will manifest or express their remorse."
d
39:48.
e
34:34.
1270
Asarru may also mean, 'they will manifest or express their remorse.' The word has contrary meanings.
أَلَآ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
2:285; 10:67; 31:27.
آیت میں دو جگہ اَ لَا کا لفظ آیا ہے جس کے معنے ہوشیار کرنے کے ہیں۔ ہم نے پہلے اَ لَا کا ترجمہ ’’سنو‘‘ کر دیا ہے اور دوسرے اَلاَ کا ترجمہ ’’اور‘‘ کرکے اس کے ساتھ ملا دیا ہے اور اردو درست ہوگئی ہے۔
2:285; 10:67; 31:27.
2:285; 10:67; 31:27.
Commentary:
The verse points to a great truth. As all that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah it is vain and foolish to try to please Him or His Messengers by offering them bribes (see the preceding verse). The Prophets of God cannot be prevented from carrying out their mission for the sake of bribes. The Meccans, desiring to stop the preaching of the Holy Prophet against idolatry, offered him every kind of bribe; but the only reply which all those bribes and temptations elicited from him was to the effect that even if they placed the sun on his right and the moon on his left, he would not give up his mission (Hisham & Zurqani).
The fact is that as kings and potentates need the things of this world, therefore bribes and ransoms please them, but God Himself being the Creator of all things, ransoms have no value for Him except that one should offer the sacrifice of one’s own self, which finds ready acceptance with Him, for such sacrifice is a means of self-purification.
f
2:285; 10:67; 31:27.
1
آیت میں دو جگہ اَ لَا کا لفظ آیا ہے جس کے معنے ہوشیار کرنے کے ہیں۔ ہم نے پہلے اَ لَا کا ترجمہ ’’سنو‘‘ کر دیا ہے اور دوسرے اَلاَ کا ترجمہ ’’اور‘‘ کرکے اس کے ساتھ ملا دیا ہے اور اردو درست ہوگئی ہے۔
a
2:285; 10:67; 31:27.
1331
Commentary:
The verse points to a great truth. As all that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah it is vain and foolish to try to please Him or His Messengers by offering them bribes (see the preceding verse). The Prophets of God cannot be prevented from carrying out their mission for the sake of bribes. The Meccans, desiring to stop the preaching of the Holy Prophet against idolatry, offered him every kind of bribe; but the only reply which all those bribes and temptations elicited from him was to the effect that even if they placed the sun on his right and the moon on his left, he would not give up his mission (Hisham & Zurqani).
The fact is that as kings and potentates need the things of this world, therefore bribes and ransoms please them, but God Himself being the Creator of all things, ransoms have no value for Him except that one should offer the sacrifice of one’s own self, which finds ready acceptance with Him, for such sacrifice is a means of self-purification.
a
2:285; 10:67; 31:27.
هُوَ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
3:157; 7:159; 44:9; 57:3.
3:157; 7:159; 44:9; 57:3.
3:157; 7:159; 44:9; 57:3.
Commentary:
Disbelievers wondered how an ordinary individual like the Prophet of Islam would triumph in the face of the united opposition of his numerous and powerful enemies. This verse is intended to set their doubts at rest by pointing to the rise and fall of nations and individuals in this world and draws their attention to the fact that it is inconceivable that a Messenger of the All-Powerful God Who gives life and causes death should not succeed.
g
3:157; 7:159; 44:9; 57:3.
a
3:157; 7:159; 44:9; 57:3.
1332
Commentary:
Disbelievers wondered how an ordinary individual like the Prophet of Islam would triumph in the face of the united opposition of his numerous and powerful enemies. This verse is intended to set their doubts at rest by pointing to the rise and fall of nations and individuals in this world and draws their attention to the fact that it is inconceivable that a Messenger of the All-Powerful God Who gives life and causes death should not succeed.
b
3:157; 7:159; 44:9; 57:3.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَآءٌ لِّمَا فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
12:112; 27:3.
12:112; 27:3.
The Qur’an is Mau‘izah, for, (a) it contains teachings which proceed from a genuine desire to impart good counsel; (b) its teaching is calculated deeply to affect and touch the human heart; and (c) it has set forth in a beautiful manner all those principles and rules of conduct which lead to moral reformation and success in life.
12:112; 27:3.
Important Words:
موعظة (an exhortation) is derived from وعظ. They say وعظه i.e. he reminded him of that which should soften his heart by the mention of reward or punishment; he exhorted or admonished or warned him; he gave him good advice or counsel; he reminded him of the results of affairs; he put him in fear. موعظة means, an exhortation or admonition or warning of the nature detailed above; sincere exhortation or warning; the exhortation which leads to repentance and reformation (Lane & Aqrab).
الصدور (the hearts) is the plural of الصدر which means, the breast, chest or bosom; the mind; the upper part of the front of a thing. Sometimes صدر is taken to signify the heart because it lies in the bosom (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse sheds some light on the secret of the Holy Prophet’s phenomenal success. It tells us that it was not due to vast armies, great riches or large numbers of followers, but to this excellent Book, the Quran, whose teaching cannot long be resisted and to which sooner or later man is bound to turn for guidance, for it is an "exhortation from your Lord" and a "cure for whatever disease there is in the hearts" as well as a "guidance and a mercy."
The Quran is موعظة (an exhortation), for: (a) it contains teachings which proceed from a genuine desire to impart good counsel, and when people see that the Prophet seeks no personal aggrandizement by promulgating these teachings but only their own good and their own welfare, they will not fail to be attracted to it; (b) the Quranic teaching is calculated to deeply affect and touch the human heart, and it lays so much stress on the love and fear of God that even the most hard-hearted man cannot remain unaffected by it; and (c) it has set forth in a beautiful manner all those principles and rules of conduct which lead to reformation and success.
The Quran, as the verse tells us, is also شفاء (cure) for all spiritual diseases and maladies. No matter how low a man may fall, there continues to arise in his mind a yearning for truth, a desire to know the reality of things; and it is when his mind is distracted by doubts and misgivings and he seeks satisfaction on questions concerning spiritual matters that the Quran comes to his rescue and dispels all his doubts, with the result that he becomes irresistibly drawn to it.
The Quran is also a "cure" for what is in the heart in the sense that it satisfies the cravings of the heart. It is in the nature of man that, when he reads about great spiritual men and learns how the great depths of religious teachings were disclosed to them, he is moved by the desire that what he believes in only as a matter of faith should become converted into a certainty and a matter of personal experience and that he should also realize what holy men in the past had realized. This is a desire which disquiets many a heart and those whose hearts are seized with this longing will find solace in this Book, and they will find therein the guidance which will lead them to God.
The Quran is also "a guidance and a mercy," which, besides other meanings, also signifies the means of rise and progress in the world. Some men are so dull of understanding that they cannot comprehend the value or depth or niceties of spiritual knowledge and the philosophy of religion. It is only the splendour of material progress that attracts their attention. For the satisfaction of such persons, God shows special material favours to those who believe in this Book.
The four points mentioned above led to the extraordinary success of Islam and, for that matter, to the success of all true religions. Those gifted with quick intelligence and true perception recognized the truth of Islam merely on finding that its teaching had the good of mankind as its only objective and that it had its basis in a sincere desire to see mankind directed to the right path. But those whose perceptive powers were less acute and less fine had their doubts satisfied by the rational arguments contained in the Quran. Those who were still slower to understand became convinced of the truth of Islam when they saw the great moral and spiritual change that its teaching brought about in the lives of its followers. And those possessed of the lowest or meanest understanding, whom riches and worldly progress alone could convince, saw the truth of Islam in the material glory and worldly grandeur that fell to the lot of its followers.
It may well be asked here what the Quran means by saying that it is a cure for whatever disease there is in the hearts, when it is the brain that is the source and fountain-head of all thoughts? In this respect it must be remembered that spiritual matters have a very deep and subtle connexion with the human heart. The experience of all spiritual men has established the fact that the heart is the seat of things pertaining to the spirit. But just as it is difficult to get a true knowledge of the soul and to ascertain the nature of its connexion with the body by material means, similarly, it is difficult to understand the connexion that exists between the soul and the human heart by the aid of physical laws. So in this matter we have naturally to rely on the testimony of those who have experience and their unanimous testimony is that the heart plays a great part in spiritual matters. This testimony is by no means inconsistent with the fact that the brain is the centre of thinking. It is quite possible that changes in the blood should have a bearing on the thoughts being good or bad, and as it is through the heart that the circulation of the blood is regulated, it is quite understandable that the heart should exercise a subtle influence on the thoughts of man. It is an admitted fact that food exercises a deep influence on man’s thoughts, and obviously this influence cannot be exercised except through the heart. In this sense, the heart may also be said to be the seat and source of thoughts. The Quran refers to this subject where it says: O ye Messengers, eat of the good and pure things and (as a result thereof) act righteously (23:52).
a
12:112; 27:3.
b
12:112; 27:3.
1333
Important Words:
موعظة (an exhortation) is derived from وعظ. They say وعظه i.e. he reminded him of that which should soften his heart by the mention of reward or punishment; he exhorted or admonished or warned him; he gave him good advice or counsel; he reminded him of the results of affairs; he put him in fear. موعظة means, an exhortation or admonition or warning of the nature detailed above; sincere exhortation or warning; the exhortation which leads to repentance and reformation (Lane & Aqrab).
الصدور (the hearts) is the plural of الصدر which means, the breast, chest or bosom; the mind; the upper part of the front of a thing. Sometimes صدر is taken to signify the heart because it lies in the bosom (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse sheds some light on the secret of the Holy Prophet’s phenomenal success. It tells us that it was not due to vast armies, great riches or large numbers of followers, but to this excellent Book, the Quran, whose teaching cannot long be resisted and to which sooner or later man is bound to turn for guidance, for it is an "exhortation from your Lord" and a "cure for whatever disease there is in the hearts" as well as a "guidance and a mercy."
The Quran is موعظة (an exhortation), for: (a) it contains teachings which proceed from a genuine desire to impart good counsel, and when people see that the Prophet seeks no personal aggrandizement by promulgating these teachings but only their own good and their own welfare, they will not fail to be attracted to it; (b) the Quranic teaching is calculated to deeply affect and touch the human heart, and it lays so much stress on the love and fear of God that even the most hard-hearted man cannot remain unaffected by it; and (c) it has set forth in a beautiful manner all those principles and rules of conduct which lead to reformation and success.
The Quran, as the verse tells us, is also شفاء (cure) for all spiritual diseases and maladies. No matter how low a man may fall, there continues to arise in his mind a yearning for truth, a desire to know the reality of things; and it is when his mind is distracted by doubts and misgivings and he seeks satisfaction on questions concerning spiritual matters that the Quran comes to his rescue and dispels all his doubts, with the result that he becomes irresistibly drawn to it.
The Quran is also a "cure" for what is in the heart in the sense that it satisfies the cravings of the heart. It is in the nature of man that, when he reads about great spiritual men and learns how the great depths of religious teachings were disclosed to them, he is moved by the desire that what he believes in only as a matter of faith should become converted into a certainty and a matter of personal experience and that he should also realize what holy men in the past had realized. This is a desire which disquiets many a heart and those whose hearts are seized with this longing will find solace in this Book, and they will find therein the guidance which will lead them to God.
The Quran is also "a guidance and a mercy," which, besides other meanings, also signifies the means of rise and progress in the world. Some men are so dull of understanding that they cannot comprehend the value or depth or niceties of spiritual knowledge and the philosophy of religion. It is only the splendour of material progress that attracts their attention. For the satisfaction of such persons, God shows special material favours to those who believe in this Book.
The four points mentioned above led to the extraordinary success of Islam and, for that matter, to the success of all true religions. Those gifted with quick intelligence and true perception recognized the truth of Islam merely on finding that its teaching had the good of mankind as its only objective and that it had its basis in a sincere desire to see mankind directed to the right path. But those whose perceptive powers were less acute and less fine had their doubts satisfied by the rational arguments contained in the Quran. Those who were still slower to understand became convinced of the truth of Islam when they saw the great moral and spiritual change that its teaching brought about in the lives of its followers. And those possessed of the lowest or meanest understanding, whom riches and worldly progress alone could convince, saw the truth of Islam in the material glory and worldly grandeur that fell to the lot of its followers.
It may well be asked here what the Quran means by saying that it is a cure for whatever disease there is in the hearts, when it is the brain that is the source and fountain-head of all thoughts? In this respect it must be remembered that spiritual matters have a very deep and subtle connexion with the human heart. The experience of all spiritual men has established the fact that the heart is the seat of things pertaining to the spirit. But just as it is difficult to get a true knowledge of the soul and to ascertain the nature of its connexion with the body by material means, similarly, it is difficult to understand the connexion that exists between the soul and the human heart by the aid of physical laws. So in this matter we have naturally to rely on the testimony of those who have experience and their unanimous testimony is that the heart plays a great part in spiritual matters. This testimony is by no means inconsistent with the fact that the brain is the centre of thinking. It is quite possible that changes in the blood should have a bearing on the thoughts being good or bad, and as it is through the heart that the circulation of the blood is regulated, it is quite understandable that the heart should exercise a subtle influence on the thoughts of man. It is an admitted fact that food exercises a deep influence on man’s thoughts, and obviously this influence cannot be exercised except through the heart. In this sense, the heart may also be said to be the seat and source of thoughts. The Quran refers to this subject where it says: O ye Messengers, eat of the good and pure things and (as a result thereof) act righteously (23:52).
c
12:112; 27:3.
1271
The Qur’an is Mau‘izah, for, (a) it contains teachings which proceed from a genuine desire to impart good counsel; (b) its teaching is calculated deeply to affect and touch the human heart; and (c) it has set forth in a beautiful manner all those principles and rules of conduct which lead to moral reformation and success in life.
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا۟ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
43:33.
43:33.
43:33.
Commentary:
This verse reminds us that the blessings mentioned in the preceding verse can be attained only through the grace and mercy of God, and therefore he who has faith in God should not feel proud of his material resources but should rejoice only in God’s grace and mercy.
The verse also hints that disbelievers foolishly feel proud of what they hoard, viz. their material resources, which are as nothing against God’s grace and mercy or against the great spiritual treasures of the Quran referred to in the preceding verse.
b
43:33.
a
43:33.
1334
Commentary:
This verse reminds us that the blessings mentioned in the preceding verse can be attained only through the grace and mercy of God, and therefore he who has faith in God should not feel proud of his material resources but should rejoice only in God’s grace and mercy.
The verse also hints that disbelievers foolishly feel proud of what they hoard, viz. their material resources, which are as nothing against God’s grace and mercy or against the great spiritual treasures of the Quran referred to in the preceding verse.
d
43:33.
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُم مِّنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلَٰلًا قُلْ ءَآللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ ۖ أَمْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَفْتَرُونَ
5:104.
Eating and drinking are the primary needs of man and it is the first duty of a religion to guide him in this respect. It stands to reason, however, that there should be some medical, moral or religious grounds for declaring some things as lawful and others as unlawful. Islam has provided necessary teachings in this regard.
5:104.
Commentary:
In v. 58, it was stated that the Holy Prophet has been given a Book which possesses the power to remove doubts and misgivings. In proof of this claim the Quran in the present verse refers to a rule of conduct which people before Islam observed with regard to eatables, merely because it came to them from their forefathers, though reason revolted against it. Eating and drinking is one of the primary needs of mankind and it is the first duty of a religion to guide men in this respect. Before the advent of Islam, however, the world possessed no right guidance on this subject. Men followed no fixed principle or law, declaring one thing lawful and another unlawful as they desired. It stands to reason, however, that there should be some medical, moral or religious grounds for the declaration of some things as lawful and others as unlawful. An arbitrary classification into clean and unclean things without valid reason is to belie God’s creation. There are sure to arise doubts in the minds of men with regard to such arbitrary classification, and only that religion can successfully remove such doubts which lays down and expounds definite laws and regulations with regard to eatables. Islam has clearly done that. So it excels other religions in this respect also that it has laid down definite laws and regulations according to which things belonging to a certain category are treated as lawful and clean and those belonging to another category as unlawful and unclean, and has not laid down its teachings in an arbitrary manner.
c
5:104.
596
吃和喝是人类首要的需要。在该方面引导他们, 是一门宗教最重要的责任。然后, 应该根据医学、道德或宗教上的一些情况来宣布有些东西是合法的而另外一些东西是非法的, 这也是合乎情理的。伊斯兰教在这方面规定了必要的教导。
b
5:104.
1335
Commentary:
In v. 58, it was stated that the Holy Prophet has been given a Book which possesses the power to remove doubts and misgivings. In proof of this claim the Quran in the present verse refers to a rule of conduct which people before Islam observed with regard to eatables, merely because it came to them from their forefathers, though reason revolted against it. Eating and drinking is one of the primary needs of mankind and it is the first duty of a religion to guide men in this respect. Before the advent of Islam, however, the world possessed no right guidance on this subject. Men followed no fixed principle or law, declaring one thing lawful and another unlawful as they desired. It stands to reason, however, that there should be some medical, moral or religious grounds for the declaration of some things as lawful and others as unlawful. An arbitrary classification into clean and unclean things without valid reason is to belie God’s creation. There are sure to arise doubts in the minds of men with regard to such arbitrary classification, and only that religion can successfully remove such doubts which lays down and expounds definite laws and regulations with regard to eatables. Islam has clearly done that. So it excels other religions in this respect also that it has laid down definite laws and regulations according to which things belonging to a certain category are treated as lawful and clean and those belonging to another category as unlawful and unclean, and has not laid down its teachings in an arbitrary manner.
e
5:104.
1272
Eating and drinking are the primary needs of man and it is the first duty of a religion to guide him in this respect. It stands to reason, however, that there should be some medical, moral or religious grounds for declaring some things as lawful and others as unlawful. Islam has provided necessary teachings in this regard.
وَمَا ظَنُّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
27:74; 40:62.
27:74; 40:62.
27:74; 40:62.
Important Words:
یوم القیامة (of the Day of Resurrection). In this expression the particle فی (of or about) is understood before the word یوم (Day).
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that no man can forge lies against God, if he has any faith left in Him. So matters like eatables should not be treated lightly. In fact, forging lies against God in such matters is, as the verse hints, a sign of loss of faith in the Day of Resurrection. People dismiss such matters as of no importance, because they have no faith in God-sent guidance and prefer their own conjectures to revealed teachings.
The verse may be interpreted as containing another argument of the fact that the religion of disbelievers is based on no sound reason. That argument lies in their denial of the Day of Resurrection. The verse points out that the very thought that on a certain day sinners will have to render an account of their deeds sends a shudder through them, and so they deny the very existence of such a day. But the denial of a thing cannot disprove its existence. It is foolish to deny the infliction of punishment on the basis of fear. Moreover, the Day of Resurrection is meant to serve as an incentive to spiritual progress, and not to frighten men. It is just like an examination, the object of which is not that students should fail but that they should work hard and make themselves deserving of promotion and prizes. But those who do not work hard must fail.
d
27:74; 40:62.
a
27:74; 40:62.
1336
Important Words:
یوم القیامة (of the Day of Resurrection). In this expression the particle فی (of or about) is understood before the word یوم (Day).
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that no man can forge lies against God, if he has any faith left in Him. So matters like eatables should not be treated lightly. In fact, forging lies against God in such matters is, as the verse hints, a sign of loss of faith in the Day of Resurrection. People dismiss such matters as of no importance, because they have no faith in God-sent guidance and prefer their own conjectures to revealed teachings.
The verse may be interpreted as containing another argument of the fact that the religion of disbelievers is based on no sound reason. That argument lies in their denial of the Day of Resurrection. The verse points out that the very thought that on a certain day sinners will have to render an account of their deeds sends a shudder through them, and so they deny the very existence of such a day. But the denial of a thing cannot disprove its existence. It is foolish to deny the infliction of punishment on the basis of fear. Moreover, the Day of Resurrection is meant to serve as an incentive to spiritual progress, and not to frighten men. It is just like an examination, the object of which is not that students should fail but that they should work hard and make themselves deserving of promotion and prizes. But those who do not work hard must fail.
a
27:74; 40:62.