Topic: Wars, Earthquakes

52:11; 78:21; 81:4.

Commentary:

Taking the word جبال in the sense of "chiefs", the verse purports to say that the prophecy about the complete destruction of the forces of evil—of Gog and Magog—mentioned in the few preceding verses will be fulfilled when great rulers and leaders of nations begin to fight among themselves, or in the words of the Bible when "nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines, and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places" (Matt. 24:7).

Taking the word الارض in the sense of "poor people" or "people belonging to the lower strata of society," the verse would mean that the world will become divided into two hostile camps, representing two distinct and conflicting ideologies i.e. between Capitalism and Communism, and a war to the finish will take place between these two camps.

The expression وحشرناھم means that they would be gathered in battle array, facing each other, and would fight to the bitter end. This is how God would punish them for their evil deeds.

Important Words:

زلزلة (earthquake) is derived from زلزل. They say زلزل اللّٰه الارض i.e. God shook the earth. زلزله means, he frightened him. زلزل الابل means, he drove the camels harshly. زلزلة means, a shaking of the earth; an earthquake; a calamity; a terrible visitation; زلازل (plural) i.e. calamities, miseries, trials, afflictions (Aqrab). The word also means: a war or the effects of war. The last two World Wars were called زلزلة (an earthquake) because they shook the foundation of human society and brought about new political and social changes and also a revolutionary change in the beliefs, ideas and ideals of men. The word has been used in the Quran in the sense of a calamity (2:215) and also in the sense of war or the effects of war (33:11, 12).

الساعة (Hour) is derived from ساع. They say ساع الشیء i.e. the thing was lost, it degraded. ساعت الابل means, the camels went away grazing without a driver. ساعة means, an hour; a part of time; a while or a little while; a space; a period; an indefinite time; a watch. الساعة means, the present time; now; just now; this moment. It also means, difficulty, distress or affliction; distance; remoteness. الساعة (Hour) or القیامة is used in three senses: (a) death of a great and famous person. It is called القیامة الصغری or الساعةالصغری i.e. the small resurrection; (b) a national calamity or the doom that overtakes a whole people on account of their evil deeds. It is called الساعة الوسطی i.e. the Middle Hour; (c) the Day of Judgement. It is called القیامة الکبری or الساعة الکبری i.e. the Great Hour (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The word الساعة has been used in the Quran in the last two senses mentioned under "Important Words" above. The context shows that in the verse under comment it has been used in the second sense, i.e. in the sense of a national calamity that shakes the very foundation of a people. It may have particular reference to the impending doom of the Arabs when Mecca, the citadel of their political power, would fall and their political power and whole social system would break and crumble or it may refer to a terrible calamity that would overtake mankind in the form of a global war and would bring calamitous changes in its wake. The present verse read along with 2:213 lends further support to the inference that the words الساعة (the Hour) or یوم القیامة (the Day of Judgement) used in the Quran generally signify a great national calamity that overtakes a people.

Important Words:

تذھل (forget) is derived from ذھل. They say ذھل عنه i.e. he forgot it or neglected it; he was or became unmindful of it; he neglected it intentionally or in consequence of his being diverted by something. ذھول is the neglecting of a thing, dismissing it from the mind; or the quitting of a thing with confusion or perplexity or alienation of mind such as arises from fear etc. or being diverted from one’s constant companion so as to forget him (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse has used three metaphors or similes to express the extreme severity of "the earthquake of the Hour," referred to in the preceding verse. Nothing is dearer to a mother than the babe to which she gives suck and there could be no terror more dreadful in its effects than the one that makes a woman cast down her burden and which drives men to frenzy and yet, the verse says, the suddenness and severity of the terror inspired by the dreadful event would be such that mothers would abandon the babes at their breasts and pregnant women would cast down their burdens and people would go mad with fright and like a drunken man would lose all control over their actions. The wording of the verse incidentally implies that the "Hour" referred to in the preceding verse is not the final Day of Judgement but, as stated in the preceding verse, is the destruction of the political power of Meccans in the form of the Fall of Mecca and other calamities that would overtake them, and the victory of Islam.

Important Words:

سنفرغ (We shall soon attend) is formed from فرغ. They say فرغ من العمل i.e. he was or became free from occupation; he became free or unoccupied. فرغ له و الیه means, he made him or it his exclusive object to which he directed himself (Lane & Aqrab).

الثقلان (two big groups). ثقل means, it was or became heavy, weighty or ponderous; it was or became heavy, weighty or preponderant ideally; it was or became onerous, oppressive or grievous; he was or became heavy, slow, lazy; wanting in activity, ability or intelligence; he became stupid. الثقلان meaning two weighty things, may signify "the men" and "the jinn"as the context shows, or it may signify the Arabs and the non-Arabs (Lane, Aqrab & Muhit). In the present political parlance, however, the word may signify the two main blocs—Russia and its satellites on one side and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The context seems to support this meaning. The word may also signify the capitalist and the labour classes.

Commentary:

The verse seems to hold a severe warning to the United States of America with its allies, and Communist Russia with its satellites. The whole world practically has become divided into these two main groups; every one of the so-called neutral countries is inclined to one or the other of them. From the way in which these two great powers are behaving, it seems that the world is perilously standing on the brink of an abyss. Any day they may be locked into mortal conflict, completely destroying man’s accumulated labours of centuries spent in developing arts and sciences, and inevitably rendering life on earth practically extinct.

Important Words:

الحاقة (the Inevitable) is derived from حق which means, it was or became suitable to the requirements of wisdom, justice or truth; it was or became established as a fact. حق الامر means, he established it as a fact. الحاقة being synonymous with حقیقةmeans, an inevitable event, reality or truth. See also 2:148, 181; 3:109; 23:63; 32:4. (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The word الحاقة having the sense of an established or inevitable fact, or a catastrophe which is sure to happen, or according to some authorities, the final overthrow of disbelief, the verse may refer to the Day of Judgement or to a calamitous event that would befall disbelievers. The calamitous event may particularly refer to the Fall of Mecca when Islam became firmly and finally established in Arabia and idol worship disappeared from the land for all time. The three brief opening verses of the Surah embodied a great prophecy that the overthrow of disbelievers was inevitable. The inevitability of their doom was declared at a time when Islam was yet in its infancy and was fighting for its very existence. The inevitable proved to be literally true, and thus set the seal on the inevitability of the Day of Judgement. See also 13:32.

13:32.

Important Words:

القارعة (the Great Calamity) is derived from قرع. They say قرع الباب i.e. he knocked at the door. قرعه أمر means, the affair came on him all of a sudden. قارعة means, a great and sudden calamity; the Day of Resurrection; an army marching forth and striking the enemy suddenly (Aqrab & Taj). See also 13:32.

Commentary:

The particle ال particularizes قارعة (calamity) and imparts to it a special significance. القارعة thus means, a great calamity; the Promised Calamity or the Day of Judgement.

Commentary:

Whereas the particle ال added to قارعة has particularized the calamity and heightened its dreadfulness, the addition of the particle ما (what) makes it still more severe and destructive.

Commentary:

The verse signifies that the calamity would be so catastrophic that it is impossible to conceive of its dreadfulness, much less to describe it in words. See also 69:2-5 where an identical expression to produce an analogous effect has been used. القارعة besides a great calamity, signifies punishment that suddenly comes upon disbelievers.

Commentary:

Because it is beyond human mind to conceive of the dreadfulness of the calamity, a few of its horrible effects have been pointed out. This and the next verse give some idea of the confusion and distress it will cause.

The terrific and cataclysmic happening will scatter the people like flakes of carded wool, not finding refuge anywhere.

7:9; 23:103.

Commentary:

When used in relation to an individual موازین means, his works, but when used in relation to a nation, it means, its material means and resources; and according to the present-day terminology of war, 'tonnage' seems to be an exact rendering of the word. In the latter sense of the word the verse would mean that a nation whose material resources or tonnage of steamships or aeroplanes is heavy will predominate over its adversaries and this fact will add to its prestige and power and consequently to its happiness.

7:10; 23:104.

Commentary:

أم primarily meaning, 'mother' has a variety of secondary significations such as source, origin; support; an abode, etc. (Lane & Aqrab).

The verse signifies that the connection of the sinful people with Hell will be like that of a baby with its mother. Just as the embryo goes through various stages of development in the womb till it is born as a full-fledged human being, so will the guilty people pass through different stages of spiritual torture, till their souls are completely cleansed of the taint of sin and they will thus receive a new birth. Thus the punishments of Hell are intended to make the wicked repent of their sins and so reform themselves. According to Islamic concept Hell is a penitentiary.

108:4.

Important Words:

یدان (two hands), is the dual form of ید which among other things means, power, influence; assistance, help, protection; troops, host, army; possession; wealth (Lane). See also 5:65, & 38:46.

تب (perish) means, he suffered loss; he became lost; he perished; he died. تباب , تبیب and تب (tabbun) are all infinitive nouns meaning, loss; death; destruction; perdition. They say تباله i.e. may he perish; may perdition be his lot. تبت یدہ also means, may he perish (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

ابولھب (Father of Flame) was the nick name of ‘Abdul-‘Uzza, the Holy Prophet’s uncle and his inveterate enemy and persecutor. He was so called either because his complexion and hair were ruddy or because he had a fiery temper. The Surah recalls an incident during the early preachings of the Holy Prophet. On being informed by God to call together his relatives and to deliver to them the Divine Message the Holy Prophet stood on the Mount Safa and called the different Meccan tribes by name—the tribes of Lawwi, Murra, Kilab and Qussayy, and his near relatives, and told them that he was God’s Messenger, and that if they did not accept his Message and did not give up their evil ways, Divine punishment would overtake them. The Holy Prophet had hardly finished his speech, when Abu Lahab stood up and said, تبالک ألھذا جمعتنا ھذا الیوم i.e. ruin seize thee, is it for this that thou hast called us together (Bukhari).

The sobriquet "Father of Flame" may either refer to the Holy Prophet’s uncle or to any hot tempered enemy of Islam or better still it may apply to the western powers of the latter days who own and control atomic and nuclear weapons—one group of them repudiating God altogether, and the other denying His Unity but both being equally opposed to Islam. In this sense "the two hands" would signify these two groups.

The verse purports to say that all endeavours and machinations of the enemies of Islam, particularly of the two groups of western powers and their satellites, would utterly fail and all their nefarious designs would recoil on their own heads; they would burn with rage at seeing Islam progressing, and their own wealth, power and possessions (أید) perishing before their very eyes.