88. Sūrat al-Ghāshiyah

٨٨۔ سُورَةُ الغاشِيَة

88.2 Wonders of nature, admonition and accountability.

٨٨۔٢ مقطع في سُورَةُ الغاشِيَة

quran:88:17

Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created?  

Will they, the Meccan disbelievers, not consider, by way of reflection, the camels, how they are created?
القرآن:٨٨:١٧

أَفَلَا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ  

{أفلا ينظرون} أي كفار مكة نظر اعتبار {إلى الإبل كيف خُلقت}.
quran:88:18

And at the sky - how it is raised?  

And the heaven, how it was raised?
القرآن:٨٨:١٨

وَإِلَى السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ  

{وإلى السماء كيف رُفعت}.
quran:88:19

And at the mountains - how they are erected?  

And the mountains, how they were set?
القرآن:٨٨:١٩

وَإِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ  

{وإلى الجبال كيف نُصبت}.
quran:88:20

And at the earth - how it is spread out?  

And the earth, how it was laid out flat?, and thus infer from this the power of God, exalted be He, and His Oneness? The commencing with the ˹mention of˺ camels is because they are closer in contact with it ˹the earth˺ than any other ˹animal˺. As for His words sutihat, ‘laid out flat’, this on a literal reading suggests that the earth is flat, which is the opinion of most of the scholars of the ˹revealed˺ Law, and not a sphere as astronomers (ahl al-hay’a) have it, even if this ˹latter˺ does not contradict any of the pillars of the Law.
القرآن:٨٨:٢٠

وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ  

{وإلى الأرض كيف سُطحت} أي بسطت، فيستدلون بها على قدرة الله تعالى ووحدانيته، وصدرت بالإبل لأنهم أشد ملابسة لها من غيرها، وقوله: سُطحت ظاهر في الأرض سطح، وعليه علماء الشرع، لا كرة كما قاله أهل الهيئة وإن لم ينقض ركنا من أركان الشرع.
quran:88:21

So remind, ˹O Muhammad˺; you are only a reminder.  

So remind, them of God’s graces and the proofs affirming His Oneness. For you are only an admonisher;
القرآن:٨٨:٢١

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ  

{فذكر} ـهم نعم الله ودلائل توحيده {إنما أنت مذكر}.
quran:88:22

You are not over them a controller.  

you are not a taskmaster over them (a variant reading ˹for musaytir˺ has musaytir, that is to say, ˹not one who has been˺ given authority over them) — this was ˹revealed˺ before the command to struggle ˹against the disbelievers˺.
القرآن:٨٨:٢٢

لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُصَيْطِرٍ  

{لست عليهم بمصيطر} وفي قراءة بالسين بدل الصاد، أي بمسلط وهذا قبل الأمر بالجهاد.
quran:88:23

However, he who turns away and disbelieves -  

But he who turns away, ˹he who˺ rejects faith, and disbelieves, in the Qur’ān,
القرآن:٨٨:٢٣

إِلَّا مَنْ تَوَلَّىٰ وَكَفَرَ  

{إلا} لكن {من تولى} أعرض عن الإيمان {وكفر} بالقرآن.
quran:88:24

Then Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment.  

God will chastise him with the greater chastisement, the chastisement of the Hereafter, the lesser chastisement being that of this world, that of being killed or taken captive.
القرآن:٨٨:٢٤

فَيُعَذِّبُهُ اللَّهُ الْعَذَابَ الْأَكْبَرَ  

{فيعَذِّبه الله العذاب الأكبر} عذاب الآخرة والأصغر عذاب الدنيا بالقتل والأسر.
quran:88:25

Indeed, to Us is their return.  

Truly to Us will be their return, their coming back after death,
القرآن:٨٨:٢٥

إِنَّ إِلَيْنَا إِيَابَهُمْ  

{إن إلينا إيابهم} رجوعهم بعد الموت.
quran:88:26

Then indeed, upon Us is their account.  

then truly with Us will lie their reckoning, their requital, which We will never abandon. Meccan, consisting of 30 verses.
القرآن:٨٨:٢٦

ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُمْ  

{ثم إن علينا حسابهم} جزاءهم لا نتركه أبدا.