81. At-Takwirالتكوير

The Overthrowing · Meccan · 29 ayahs · 1 ruku

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ ۟اِذَا الشَّمۡسُ كُوِّرَتۡ

When the sun is folded up,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا النُّجُوْمُ انْكَدَرَتْ ۟وَاِذَا النُّجُوۡمُ انْكَدَرَتۡ

and when the stars lose their light,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُیِّرَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الۡجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتۡ

and when the mountains are moved,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الۡعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتۡ

when ten-month pregnant camels are left untended,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الْوُحُوْشُ حُشِرَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الۡوُحُوۡشُ حُشِرَتۡ

and when all beasts are gathered together,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الۡبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتۡ

and when the seas are set on fire,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا النُّفُوْسُ زُوِّجَتْ ۟وَاِذَا النُّفُوۡسُ زُوِّجَتۡ

when the souls are divided into different classes,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الْمَوْءٗدَةُ سُىِٕلَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الۡمَوۡءٗدَةُ سُئِلَتۡ

and when the female infant buried alive is asked

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

بِاَیِّ ذَنْۢبٍ قُتِلَتْ ۟ۚبِاَىِّ ذَنۡۢبٍ قُتِلَتۡ‌ۚ

for what sin she was killed,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتۡ

when the records of men’s deeds are laid open,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا السَّمَآءُ كُشِطَتْ ۟وَاِذَا السَّمَآءُ كُشِطَتۡ

when the sky is unveiled,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الْجَحِیْمُ سُعِّرَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الۡجَحِيۡمُ سُعِّرَتۡ

and when Hell is set ablaze,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاِذَا الْجَنَّةُ اُزْلِفَتْ ۟وَاِذَا الۡجَـنَّةُ اُزۡلِفَتۡ

when Paradise is brought close:

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّاۤ اَحْضَرَتْ ۟ؕعَلِمَتۡ نَفۡسٌ مَّاۤ اَحۡضَرَتۡؕ

[then] each soul shall know what it has put forward.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

Tafseer of 81:1–14

The scenes of Doomsday, or the Day of Judgement, have been described at various points in the Quran. When Doomsday arrives, the present balance of the world will break down, and man will feel himself helpless. On that Day, all things except good deeds will lose their value. Then the oppressed person will have the right to take his revenge upon his oppressor.

فَلَاۤ اُقْسِمُ بِالْخُنَّسِ ۟ۙفَلَاۤ اُقۡسِمُ بِالۡخُنَّسِ

I swear by the receding stars,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

الْجَوَارِ الْكُنَّسِ ۟ۙالۡجَوَارِ الۡكُنَّسِ

the planets that run their course and set,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَالَّیْلِ اِذَا عَسْعَسَ ۟ۙوَالَّيۡلِ اِذَا عَسۡعَسَ

and the night that falls,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَالصُّبْحِ اِذَا تَنَفَّسَ ۟ۙوَالصُّبۡحِ اِذَا تَنَفَّسَ

and the first breath of morning.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

Tafseer of 81:15–18

The occurrence of day and night on the earth and the change of position of the stars as observed by man are due to the rotation of the earth on its axis. In this context, the meaning of these verses is that the system of axial rotation of the earth is a witness to the fact that Muhammad is the prophet of God and that the Quran is the word of God which has been revealed to him through an angel.

The axial rotation of the earth is one of the truly remarkable phenomena of this universe. It is, so to say, a model which makes the matter of revelation understandable to us. When you imagine that the earth, while rotating on its axis, also revolves round the sun in the vastness of outer space, you will feel as if there is a powerful remote control system which directs its movements with the utmost precision. The establishment of contact between man and God through an angel is also on a parallel with this. The controlled movement of the earth symbolically helps us in understanding the miraculous nature of man’s contact with God through the angel.

اِنَّهٗ لَقَوْلُ رَسُوْلٍ كَرِیْمٍ ۟ۙاِنَّهٗ لَقَوۡلُ رَسُوۡلٍ كَرِيۡمٍ

Truly, this is the word brought by a noble messenger,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

ذِیْ قُوَّةٍ عِنْدَ ذِی الْعَرْشِ مَكِیْنٍ ۟ۙذِىۡ قُوَّةٍ عِنۡدَ ذِى الۡعَرۡشِ مَكِيۡنٍ

endowed with power and held in honour by the Lord of the Throne—

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ اَمِیْنٍ ۟ؕمُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ اَمِيۡنٍؕ

who is obeyed there and is worthy of trust.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَمَا صَاحِبُكُمْ بِمَجْنُوْنٍ ۟ۚوَ مَا صَاحِبُكُمۡ بِمَجۡنُوۡنٍ‌ۚ‏

Your companion is not one possessed:

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَلَقَدْ رَاٰهُ بِالْاُفُقِ الْمُبِیْنِ ۟ۚوَلَقَدۡ رَاٰهُ بِالۡاُفُقِ الۡمُبِيۡنِ‌ۚ

he truly beheld him [the angel] on the clear horizon.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَمَا هُوَ عَلَی الْغَیْبِ بِضَنِیْنٍ ۟ۚوَمَا هُوَ عَلَى الۡغَيۡبِ بِضَنِيۡنٍ‌ۚ

He is not avid of the Unseen.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَیْطٰنٍ رَّجِیْمٍ ۟ۙوَمَا هُوَ بِقَوۡلِ شَيۡطٰنٍ رَّجِيۡمٍ

Nor is this the word of an outcast devil.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

فَاَیْنَ تَذْهَبُوْنَ ۟ؕفَاَيۡنَ تَذۡهَبُوۡنَؕ

So where are you going?

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

اِنْ هُوَ اِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعٰلَمِیْنَ ۟ۙاِنۡ هُوَ اِلَّا ذِكۡرٌ لِّلۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ

This is merely a reminder to all mankind;

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

لِمَنْ شَآءَ مِنْكُمْ اَنْ یَّسْتَقِیْمَ ۟ؕلِمَنۡ شَآءَ مِنۡكُمۡ اَنۡ يَّسۡتَقِيۡمَؕ

to every one of you who wishes to tread the straight path.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَمَا تَشَآءُوْنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ یَّشَآءَ اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ ۟۠وَمَا تَشَآءُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ يَّشَآءَ اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ

But you cannot will it unless God, the Lord of the Universe, so wills it [to show you that way].

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

Tafseer of 81:19–29

Angel-messenger, who brings divine revelation to man.