Verses 11–20
32. As-Sajda · The Prostration
Makkan30 verses
۞ قُلْ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ
32:11Say, ‘You will be taken away by the angel of death, who has been charged with you. Then you will be brought back to your Lord.’
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُوا۟ رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَآ أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَٱرْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَٰلِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ
32:12Were you to see when the guilty hang their heads before their Lord [confessing], ‘Our Lord! We have seen and heard. Send us back so that we may act righteously. Indeed we are [now] convinced.’
وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَءَاتَيْنَا كُلَّ نَفْسٍ هُدَىٰهَا وَلَٰكِنْ حَقَّ ٱلْقَوْلُ مِنِّى لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
32:13Had We wished We would have given every soul its guidance, but My word became due [against the faithless]: ‘Surely I will fill hell with all the [guilty] jinn and humans.’1
فَذُوقُوا۟ بِمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَآ إِنَّا نَسِينَٰكُمْ ۖ وَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلْخُلْدِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
32:14So taste [the punishment] for your having forgotten the encounter of this day of yours. We [too] have forgotten you. Taste the everlasting punishment because of what you used to do.2
إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهَا خَرُّوا۟ سُجَّدًۭا وَسَبَّحُوا۟ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ۩
32:15Only those believe in Our signs who, when they are reminded of them, fall down in prostration and celebrate the praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant.3
تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًۭا وَطَمَعًۭا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
32:16Their sides vacate their beds to supplicate their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend out of what We have provided them.
فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌۭ مَّآ أُخْفِىَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍۢ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
32:17No one knows what delights have been kept hidden for them [in the Hereafter] as a reward for what they used to do.
أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤْمِنًۭا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقًۭا ۚ لَّا يَسْتَوُۥنَ
32:18Is someone who is faithful like someone who is a transgressor? They are not equal.
أَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فَلَهُمْ جَنَّٰتُ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ نُزُلًۢا بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
32:19As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, for them will be the gardens of the Abode—a hospitality for what they used to do.
وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فَسَقُوا۟ فَمَأْوَىٰهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ ۖ كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُوٓا۟ أَن يَخْرُجُوا۟ مِنْهَآ أُعِيدُوا۟ فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ
32:20As for those who have transgressed, their refuge will be the Fire. Whenever they seek to leave it, they will be turned back into it and told: ‘Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny.’
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 12
1.Spiritual chastisement is more severe than worldly chastisement. The guilty standing, hanging down his head before his Lord but entreaty or supplication does not profit him and his request is not worthy of acceptance by the most Merciful. Allah also says: We have degraded you and have decided to fill hell with the guilty at any cost. It is clear that chastisement of Hell is the next stage. This reply extinguishes and severes hope and the restrictions are most severe and painful in the chastisement of Hell.
Verse 18
2.Some commentators have mentioned that there was an argument between Ali (a.s.) and Walid bin Utba on some topic. Walid said my tongue is more eloquent and my spear is sharper than yours and my power of defense is greater. In reply to this arrogance Ali (a.s.) asked: Are you a believer or a transgressor? Then this blessed ayat was revealed that believers and transgressors couldn’t be equal. It means that it is the honour of believers to show hospitality and humility, and not pride. Pride and arrogance is only for transgressors and it suits them alone.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
The sinners will express the desire to return to the world and perform good deeds. This proves that the Hereafter is dependent upon good deeds otherwise they would have desired something else.
- 1
This Masheeyat implies the ‘Destined Mashiyat’. That if Allah bad wished He could have created everyone as believers. But this forced destiny was against the status of Allah.
- 2
‘Forgetfulness’ with regard to Allah is not in its actual meaning. Otherwise it is not possible to say that I have forgotten it. Because the one who has forgotten will not realize it himself. It is a kind of warning that we have overlooked you just as you have forgotten us.
- 3
Sajdah is wajib on this ayat and it is haraam to recite this ayat in the state of Haiz, Nifas and Janabat. The gist of this ayat is that the believers fall down in prostration when they hear or remember the ayats. Then they recite the thanks of Allah. They do not perform good deeds for obtaining worldly gains. An ayat of such purified meanings deserves that one recites it in a condition of ritual purity and that one performs sajdah for it so that ones true faith could be proved.
Benefit: The 15th ayat mentions the Midnight Prayer and its reward is mentioned in the 16th ayat. Nothing more than this could be imagined.