Those ˹Angels˺ Stripping out ˹Souls˺
An-Nâzi'ât
النّازِعات
LEARNING POINTS
This surah confirms that **Judgment Day is coming for sure**.
Although the deniers are making fun of that Day now, when it actually arrives they will be **terrified and crying**. But it will be too late.
The Makkan deniers should learn a lesson from the **destruction of the mighty Pharaoh**.
It's not difficult for the One Who created the universe to **bring human beings back to life**.
No one knows the exact time of Judgment Day **except Allah**.
THERE IS LIFE AFTER DEATH
1By those 'angels' tearing out 'evil souls' Violently, 2and those pulling out 'good souls' gently, 3and those 'angels' travelling through the heavens' smoothly, 4and those taking the lead with energy, 5and those managing matters 'by Allah's orders!'. 6'Watch out for' the Day 'when' the shaking Blast will come to pass, 7followed by a second Blast. 8'The deniers' hearts on that Day will be beating so fast 'in horror', 9with eyes looking down in shame. 10'But now' they ask 'mockingly', "Will we really be restored to our former state, 11even after we have been turned into rotten bones?" 12Adding, "Then such a return would be a 'total' loss for us'!". 13But surely it will take only one mighty' Blast, 14and at once they will be above ground.
وَٱلنَّٰزِعَٰتِ غَرۡقٗا 1وَٱلنَّٰشِطَٰتِ نَشۡطٗا 2وَٱلسَّٰبِحَٰتِ سَبۡحٗا 3فَٱلسَّٰبِقَٰتِ سَبۡقٗا 4فَٱلۡمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمۡرٗا 5يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ 6تَتۡبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ 7قُلُوبٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَاجِفَةٌ 8أَبۡصَٰرُهَا خَٰشِعَةٞ 9يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرۡدُودُونَ فِي ٱلۡحَافِرَةِ 10أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَٰمٗا نَّخِرَةٗ 11قَالُواْ تِلۡكَ إِذٗا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٞ 12فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجۡرَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ 13فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ14
SIDE STORY
It was the first day of school in a small town, when a school bus picked up a grade 2 student named Noura. The driver had to go through a tunnel to get some students from the other side of the town. However, the bus got stuck inside the tunnel. The bus driver didn't know that the road was raised when the town had paved it a few days earlier. With the front half of the bus inside the tunnel, the supervisor and the assistant teacher told the driver to move forward or backward, but he couldn't. With no cellphones back in 1981, they didn't know what to do. In the meantime, Noura wanted to help, but no one wanted to listen, saying that she was too young with no experience in life. When they all gave up, the supervisor asked Noura, 'OK, what do you think we should do?' She said, 'My mom told me that an arrogant person with a big ego is like an inflated bus tire. If the ego is removed from that person, he or she will be humble.' The impatient supervisor asked, 'But how will this help with our situation?' She said, 'If you remove some air from the tires, the bus will be lowered, and we can get out of here.' When they removed some of the air from the tires, the bus was able to pass through the tunnel with ease.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Allah doesn't like those who are arrogant. According to the Quran, Shaytan was arrogant with Allah. He bragged (7:12), 'I am better than Adam because I was made from fire and he was made from mud.' Pharaoh was arrogant with Musa. He bragged (43:51), 'I am god, the most high. Look at all the water running throughout my land.' Qaroon (Korah) was arrogant with his people. He bragged (28:78), 'I have all this wealth because of my knowledge, not because of Allah.' Shaytan will be punished with the fire he bragged about. Pharaoh drowned in the water he bragged about. And Qaroon was destroyed with the wealth he bragged about.
We shouldn't be arrogant because of our money, health, or knowledge. This is because the One Who gave us all these things can easily take them away. The more knowledge, health, and wealth Allah gives us, the more humble we should be with everyone.
As a little boy in the village, I realized by looking at wheat fields that an ear full of grain bent low and almost touched the ground, while an empty ear stood straight and almost touched the sky. This taught me that those who are full of knowledge, like those ears full of grain, are humble and down to earth. And those who are empty of knowledge, like those empty ears of wheat, may act arrogantly and think they are higher than others.
Someone may ask, 'If Shaytan was created from fire, how can Allah punish him with fire?' Think about this: you were created from mud. If someone sprinkles your face with water or throws some dust at you, will this hurt you? Of course not. Now, let's say, they take the water and dust, turn them into mud, make a block out of it, then leave it to dry up in the sun. If they hit you with this block, it will hurt you for sure. We need to understand that Allah is able to do anything. He can put Shaytan in a temperature much hotter than the fire he was created from. Allah can even make him freeze in Hell. The Prophet said that Jahannam has extreme heat and extreme cold. (Recorded by Imam Al-Bukhari & Imam Muslim)
PHARAOH DESTROYED
15Did you 'O Prophet' hear the story of Musa? 16His Lord called him in the holy valley of Tuwa, 17'ordering, "Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly crossed all lines. 18And say, Would you 'be willing to purify yourself, 19and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be humble 'with Him'?" 20Then Musa showed him the great miracle' 21but he rejected say and disobeyed 'Allah', 22then turned his back, working hard 'against the truth'. 23Then he gathered his people' and called out, 24saying, "I am your lord, the most high!" 25So Allah took him, making him an example in this life and the Next. 26Surely this is a lesson for whoever is humble 'with Allah'.
هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ مُوسَىٰٓ 15إِذۡ نَادَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ بِٱلۡوَادِ ٱلۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى 16ٱذۡهَبۡ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ 17فَقُلۡ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ 18وَأَهۡدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشَىٰ 19فَأَرَىٰهُ ٱلۡأٓيَةَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ 20فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصَىٰ 21ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعَىٰ 22فَحَشَرَ فَنَادَىٰ 23فَقَالَ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ 24فَأَخَذَهُ ٱللَّهُ نَكَالَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَٱلۡأُولَىٰٓ 25إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةٗ لِّمَن يَخۡشَىٰٓ26
Verse 26: The miracle of the staff turning into a snake.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Allah usually talks about 2 types of ayat in the Quran:
1 .The visual signs that we can see in the universe (such as the galaxies, the sun, the moon, the mountains, the oceans, animals, birds, flowers, and so on), which prove that Allah is the only Creator and that He is able to bring everyone back to life. Allah challenges the idol-worshippers, saying (31:11): These are the amazing things that I have created. Now show Me what your false gods have created.
2. The written verses that we can read in the Quran, which prove that the Quran IS tie Word of Allah and that Muhammad is His Prophet. Allah challenges the deniers to produce something like the Quran (17:88)..
Humans are the babies of this planet because we were the last to arrive here. Allah put us in charge of the earth with a duty to maintain and protect it. However, the human race has done so much damage to the beautiful things that Allah has created. It is sad that many of the amazing species that exist today will die out before our children and their children could see them. According to National Geographic, half of the world's species will go extinct by 2100 because of human behaviour, including pollution, waste, overhunting, overfishing, and cutting down forests.
1 National Geographic: (https://on.natgeo.com/2Yhvawl). Website visited on Julv 22. 2019.
Plastic is one of the biggest problems affecting our planet. Plastic products (like bottles, cups, and straws) usually take hundreds of years to dissolve, and many of them end up in the ocean, choking and killing fish, birds, and turtles. If you want to help with this issue, avoid single-use plastics (such as straws and cups). Instead, try glass or china mugs, which can be used thousands of times.
Islam teaches us to take care of the environment-including plants, animals, birds, and water.
1 The Prophet said, If Judgment Day arrives and you have a small tree in your hand, still go ahead and plant it.(Recorded by Imam Ahmad} He also said, Don't waste water even if you live by a river {Recorded by Imam Ahmad} He prohibited pollut- ing water sources, and promised a reward in Jannah for planting trees to feed animals, birds, and humans. (Recorded by Imam Al-Bukhari}
2 He taught that a good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, while harming an animal is as evil as harming a human being. He prohibited the use of live birds and animals as a target for arrows. He prohibited killing animals for fun, slaughtering an animal in front of other animals, and forbade overworking ani- mals and underfeeding them. {Recorded by lmam Muslim & Imam At-Tabarani}
3 One time, he found out that a companion had taken little birds out of their nest., causing stress to their mom, so he ordered him to return them to the nest immedi- ately. (Recorded by Imam Abu Dawood
It's okay to keep pets (cats, birds, fish, and so on) as long as you take care of them. However, you shouldn't keep dogs as pets. The reason is that their saliva is not pure. In Islam, we can only keep a dog for a good reason-for example, a service dog, or as a guard, or for hunting, and so on. If this is the case, you should keep them away from the place where you pray. But make sure you feed them and keep them warm in the cold weather.
As a farmer who is very attached to nature, I believe that Allah didn't create animals, birds, and fish to be caged.
IT IS ALL EASY FOR ALLAH
27Which do you think' is harder to create: you or the sky? He built it, 28raising it high and forming it perfectly. 29He darkened its night, and brought forth its Daylight. 30As for the earth, He spread it out as well, 31bringing out its water and fields 32and setting the mountains firmly 'upon it'— 33'this is' all as support for you and your animals.
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُۚ بَنَىٰهَا 27رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا 28وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا 29وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ 30أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعَىٰهَا 31وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَىٰهَا 32مَتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَ لِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ33
HORRORS OF JUDGMENT DAY
34But, when the Supreme Disaster arrives— 35the Day every person will remember all 'their' efforts, 36and Hell will be displayed for all to see– 37then as for those who crossed all lines 38and preferred the 'short life of this world, 39Hell will definitely be 'their' home. 40And as for those who were worried about standing before their Lord and controlled their 'evil' desires, 41Jannah will definitely be 'their' home.
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ 34يَوۡمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ 35وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلۡجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ 36فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ 37وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا 38فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ 39وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ 40فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ41
MAKING FUN OF JUDGMENT
42They ask you O Prophet' about the Hour 'of Judgment, "When will it be?" 43But it is not for you to tell its time. 44No one has this knowledge except your Lord. 45Your duty is only to warn whoever is worried about it. 46On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed "in the world' no more than the evening or morning 'of a day'.
يَسَۡٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَا 42فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكۡرَىٰهَآ 43إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ 44إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخۡشَىٰهَا 45كَأَنَّهُمۡ يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَهَا لَمۡ يَلۡبَثُوٓاْ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوۡ ضُحَىٰهَا46