88. Surah Al-Ghaashiya

الغاشيةThe Overwhelming · 26 ayahsتفہیم القرآن انگلش

Read Surah Al-Ghaashiya in the Quran reader
Ayah 88:1

هَلْ اَتٰىكَ حَدِیْثُ الْغَاشِیَةِؕ Open ayah 88:1 in the Quran reader

Has the news of the over-shadowing calamity (of Resurrection) reached you? 1

1 "The over-shadowing calamity": the Resurrection which will overshadow the whole world. One should know that here the Hereafter as a whole is being depicted, which comprehends aII the stages from the upsetting of the present system to the resurrection of all human beings and the dispensation of rewards and punishments from the Divine Court.
Ayahs 88:2–5

وُجُوْهٌ یَّوْمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَةٌۙ Open ayah 88:2 in the Quran reader

Some faces 2 on that Day shall be downcast,

عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌۙ Open ayah 88:3 in the Quran reader

labouring, hard, feeling weary,

تَصْلٰى نَارًا حَامِیَةًۙ Open ayah 88:4 in the Quran reader

scorching in the blazing fire.

تُسْقٰى مِنْ عَیْنٍ اٰنِیَةٍؕ Open ayah 88:5 in the Quran reader

They will be given to drink from a boiling fountain,

2 Some faces : some persons, so said for the face is the most conspicuous part of the human body by which man s personality is judged and which reflects the good or bad states through which man passes.
Ayahs 88:6–8

لَیْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ اِلَّا مِنْ ضَرِیْعٍۙ Open ayah 88:6 in the Quran reader

and their only food will be thorny, dry grass, 3

لَّا یُسْمِنُ وَ لَا یُغْنِیْ مِنْ جُوْعٍؕ Open ayah 88:7 in the Quran reader

which will neither fatten nor satisfy hunger.

وُجُوْهٌ یَّوْمَئِذٍ نَّاعِمَةٌۙ Open ayah 88:8 in the Quran reader

Some faces on that Day shall be joyful,

3 At some places in the Qur'an it has been stated that the dwellers of Hell will be given zaqqum to eat; at another place it has been said that they will have no other food but glhislin (washing from wounds) , and here that "their only food will he thorny, dry grass." There is, in fact, no contradiction between these statements. This may as welt mean that Hell will have many different compartment in which different categories of the criminals will be lodged according to their crimes, and subjected to different punishments. This may also mean that if they try to avoid zaqqum they will be given ghislin, and if they try to avoid even that, they will only get thorny grass. In short, they would get nothing to suit their taste.
Ayahs 88:9–10

لِّسَعْیِهَا رَاضِیَةٌۙ Open ayah 88:9 in the Quran reader

well-pleased with their endeavours, 4

فِیْ جَنَّةٍ عَالِیَةٍۙ Open ayah 88:10 in the Quran reader

in a lofty Garden;

4 That is. they will be overjoyed to see the best results in the Hereafter of their endeavours and deeds in the world; they will be satisfied to see that they had, in fact, made a profitable bargain in that they had adopted a life of faith, virtue and piety, by sacrificing the desires of the flesh, undergone hardships in carrying out their obligations, endured afflictions in obeying the Divine Commands, incurred losses and suffered deprivation of benefits and pleasures while trying to avoid sins and acts of disobedience.
Ayahs 88:11–13

لَّا تَسْمَعُ فِیْهَا لَاغِیَةًؕ Open ayah 88:11 in the Quran reader

there they shall hear no idle talk. 5

فِیْهَا عَیْنٌ جَارِیَةٌۘ Open ayah 88:12 in the Quran reader

In it there will be running springs;

فِیْهَا سُرُرٌ مَّرْفُوْعَةٌۙ Open ayah 88:13 in the Quran reader

in it there will be raised couches;

5 This thing has been mentioned at several places in the Qur'an as a major blessing of Paradise. (For explanation, see E.N. 38 of Maryam, E.N. 18 of At-Tur, E.N. 13 of Al-Wiiqi`ah, E.N. 21 of An-Naba) .
Ayahs 88:14–19

وَّ اَكْوَابٌ مَّوْضُوْعَةٌۙ Open ayah 88:14 in the Quran reader

and goblets laid out, 6

وَّ نَمَارِقُ مَصْفُوْفَةٌۙ Open ayah 88:15 in the Quran reader

cushions ranged in rows

وَّ زَرَابِیُّ مَبْثُوْثَةٌؕ Open ayah 88:16 in the Quran reader

and fine carpets spread out.

اَفَلَا یَنْظُرُوْنَ اِلَى الْاِبِلِ كَیْفَ خُلِقَتْٙ Open ayah 88:17 in the Quran reader

(They do not believe:) but, do they not look at the camels, how they were created?

وَ اِلَى السَّمَآءِ كَیْفَ رُفِعَتْٙ Open ayah 88:18 in the Quran reader

And at the heaven, how it was raised high?

وَ اِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَیْفَ نُصِبَتْٙ Open ayah 88:19 in the Quran reader

And at the mountains, how they were firmly set?

6 That is, filled goblets already supplied so that they do not have to ask for them.
Ayahs 88:20–21

وَ اِلَى الْاَرْضِ كَیْفَ سُطِحَتْٙ Open ayah 88:20 in the Quran reader

And at the earth, how it was spread out? 7

فَذَكِّرْ١ؕ۫ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌؕ Open ayah 88:21 in the Quran reader

Well, (O Prophet,) go on admonishing them,

7 That is, "If they deny the possibility of the Hereafter, have they never looked around themselves and considered how the camels were created, how the heaven was raised high, how the mountains were firmly set and how the earth was spread out? When aII these things could be created, and exist before them in their finished form, why can the Resurrection not take place? Why cannot a new world come about, and why cannot .Hell and Heaven be possible'? Only a foolish and thoughtless person would think that the coming into existing of only those things which he has found existing on opening his eyes in the world, is possible. bacause they already exist. As for the things, which he has not yet observed and experienced, he should thoughtlessly pass the judgement that their coming into being is impossible. If he has any common sense, he should think as to how he things which already exist, carne into being? How did the camel possessing precisely the same Characteristics as needed for the beast required by the desert dwellers of Arabia come into being'' How did the sky whose atmosphere is filled with air to breathe in, whose clouds bring rain, whose sun provides light and warmth in the day, whose moon and stars shine at night, come into being'' How did the earth spread out on which man lives and passes his life, whose products fulfil aII his needs and requirements on whose springs and wells his life depends? How did the mountains rise up from the surface of the earth, which stand fixed with earth and stones of different colours and a variety of minerals in them '? Has all this happened without the artistic skill of an AlI-Powerful, AI-Wise Designer No thinking and intellingent mind can answer this question in the negative. Unless it is stubborn and obstinate, it will have to acknowledge that each one of these things was impossible, had an Omnipotent; Wise Being not made it possible. And when an All-Powerful, Wise Being created these things, there is no reason why the Hereafter should be regarded as remote from reason and impossible."
Ayahs 88:22–26

لَسْتَ عَلَیْهِمْ بِمُصَۜیْطِرٍۙ Open ayah 88:22 in the Quran reader

for you are only an admonisher: you are not there to coerce them. 8

اِلَّا مَنْ تَوَلّٰى وَ كَفَرَۙ Open ayah 88:23 in the Quran reader

But on him who turns away and disbelieves,

فَیُعَذِّبُهُ اللّٰهُ الْعَذَابَ الْاَكْبَرَؕ Open ayah 88:24 in the Quran reader

AIlah will inflict a heavy punishment.

اِنَّ اِلَیْنَاۤ اِیَابَهُمْۙ Open ayah 88:25 in the Quran reader

To Us they have to return;

ثُمَّ اِنَّ عَلَیْنَا حِسَابَهُمْ۠ Open ayah 88:26 in the Quran reader

then it is for Us to call them to account.

8 That is, "If a person does not listen to reason, he may not. You have not been appointed to force the will of the deniers: your only task is to distinguish the right from the wrong for the people and warn them of the consequences of following the wrong way; so this is the task you should continue to perform."