53. Surah An-Najm

أَزِفَتِ الْآزِفَةُ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ كَاشِفَةٌ (The Imminent (Hour) has approached. [ 53:57] There is no one, beside Allah, to remove it...53:57-58). The verb ` azifa is used in the sense of qaruba which means to draw near. Azifah is the feminine active participle from the verb azifa and it refers to the Imminent Event. In other words, the Imminent Event has drawn near, referring to the Day of Resurrection. No one besides Allah can prevent it from happening, nor does anyone know when it will happen, except Him. The imminence of Resurrection is in relation to the age of the entire world. The Ummah of Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is right at the end of it near the Day of Judgment.

أَفَمِنْ هَـٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ (Do you then wonder at this discourse, and laugh [ at it ], and not weep....53:59-60). The phrase this discourse' refers to the Qur'an. That is, the Qur'an, the Divine Discourse, which is itself a miracle, has already come to them. They are surprised at it and laugh in jest and mock at it, and do not weep at their sins and shortcomings.

وَأَنتُمْ سَامِدُونَ (while you are engaged in vain play?....53:61). Samidun is the plural of "samid" from the root word sumud which literally denotes to be heedless. Samidun is used in the sense of ghafilun, meaning unmindful. Some of the Imams have interpreted the word sumud to mean to sing. That meaning can equally fit or apply in this context.

فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّـهِ وَاعْبُدُوا۩ ﴿62﴾ (Now, fall down in prostration and worship [ Allah ]... 53:62). It means that preceding verses have a lesson for everyone who considers them seriously that he should worship Allah and bow down before him in humbleness. It is recorded in Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited this verse he prostrated, and all those around him also prostrated along with him-Muslims, pagans, Jinns and mankind. Another report from ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ ، as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim, narrates that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ finished reciting the Surah before a mixed gathering of Muslims and disbelievers, and, along with his followers, he prostrated himself on the ground, the disbelievers too prostrated, except one old Quraishi man who took a handful of soil and, having applied it on his forehead said, 'This is enough for me.' ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ said that he saw this man later on killed as a disbeliever. Following the example of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the Muslims were expected to prostrate. As far as the idolaters are concerned, having been profoundly impressed with the solemnity of the occasion and being overawed by the august recitation of the Qur'anic words, as well as by the Divine Majesty and Glory, might also have fallen in prostration. However, since this prostration was performed in the state of disbelief, it did not carry any reward, but it did leave a deep impression on them; and as a result of this impact, they all later on embraced the Islamic faith, except one person who died in the state of kufr, because he arrogantly refrained from performing the sajdah. Sahihain record a report from Sayyidna Zaid Ibn Thabit ؓ to the effect that he recited the entire Surah An-Najm in the presence of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، but he [ the Holy Prophet ﷺ ] did not perform the sajdah. It does not necessarily follow from this that the sajdah is not obligatory or compulsory. It is possible that at that particular moment, he did not have his ablution or there must have been some other legitimate reason for not performing the sajdah. In such situations, it is not obligatory to perform the sajdah forthwith. It can be delayed until the reason has ceased. And Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best! Surah An-Najm, through the help and grace of Allah, the Pure, the exalted, ended on Friday night 1st Rabi`-uth-Thani 1391, in one week. Allah willing, this chapter will be followed by Surah Al-Qamar. Allah grants success! Al-hamdulillah The Commentary on Surah An-Najm Ends here