INTRODUCTION:
This Surah consists of 26 verses, 92 sentences, 381 letters and 1 Ruku'.
The Sura takes its name from the word al-ghishiyah in the first verse.
The whole subject matter of the Surah indicates that this too is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed; but this was the period when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had started preaching his message publicly, and the people of Makkah were hearing it and ignoring it carelessly and thoughtlessly.
To understand the subject matter well one should keep in view the fact that in the initial stage the preaching of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) mostly centred around two points which he wanted to instil in the people's minds: Tauhid and the Hereafter: and the people of Makkah were repudiating both. Let us now consider the subject matter and the style of this Surah.
At the outset, in order to arouse the people from their heedlessness, they have been plainly asked:"Do you have any knowledge of the time when an overwhelming calamity will descend?" Immediately after this details of the impendirg calamity are given as to how the people will be divided into two separate groups and will meet separate ends. One group of the people will go to Hell and they will suffer punishment; the second group will go to the sublime Paradise and will be provided with blessings.
After thus arousing the people the theme suddenly changes and the question is asked: Do not these people, who frown and scorn the teaching of Tauhid and the news of the Hereafter being given by the Quran, observe the common things which they experience daily in their lives? Do they never consider how the camels, on whom their whole life activity in the Arabian desert depends, came into being, endowed precisely with the same characteristics as were required for the beast needed in their desert life? When they go on their journeys, they see the sky, the mountains, or the earth. Let them ponder over these three phenomena and consider as to how the sky was stretched above them, how the mountains were erected and how the earth was spread beneath them? Has all this come about without the skill and craftsmanship of an All-Powerful, All Wise Designer? If they acknowledge that a Creator has created all this with great wisdom and power and that no one else is an associate with Him in their creation, why then do they refuse to accept Him alone as their Lord and Sustainer? And if they acknowledge that that God had the power to create all this, then on what rational ground do they hesitate to acknowledge that that God also has the power to bring about Resurrection, to recreate man, and to make Hell and Heaven?
After making the truth plain by this concise and rational argument, the address turns from the disbelievers to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and he is told: "If these people do not acknowledge the truth, they may not; you have not been empowered to act with authority over them, so that you should coerce them into believing: your only task is to exhort, so exhort them. Ultimately they have to return to Us; then We shall call them to full account and shall inflict a heavy punishment on those who do not believe."
Maududi
Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi
88 : 1
1. Hal ataka hadeethu alghashiyati
Have there come to you tidings of the Overwhelming?
88 : 2
2. Wujoohun yawma-ithin khashiAAatun
Many a face on that Day will be bent from disgrace!
88 : 3
3. AAamilatun nasibatun
They toiling and fatigued -
88 : 4
4. Tasla naran hamiyatan
Burning in the fierce blaze, -
88 : 5
5. Tusqa min AAaynin aniyatin
Drinking from a boiling spring;
88 : 6
6. Laysa lahum taAAamun illa min dareeAAin
No food for them except piercing thorns, -
88 : 7
7. La yusminu wala yughnee min jooAAin
Neither giving them nourishment nor placating their hunger!
88 : 8
8. Wujoohun yawma-ithin naAAimatun
Many other faces on that Day will be blissful!
88 : 9
9. LisaAAyiha radiyatun
Content with their endeavours in the past, -
88 : 10
10. Fee jannatin AAaliyatin
In a lofty Garden, -
88 : 11
11. La tasmaAAu feeha laghiyatan
Wherein they hear not profanities;
88 : 12
12. Feeha AAaynun jariyatun
Wherein are fountains gushing;
88 : 13
13. Feeha sururun marfooAAatun
Wherein are coaches raised,
88 : 14
14. Waakwabun mawdooAAatun
And goblets within reach,
88 : 15
15. Wanamariqu masfoofatun
And cushions neatly arranged,
88 : 16
16. Wazarabiyyu mabthoothatun
And velvety carpets on floors!
88 : 17
17. Afala yanthuroona ila al-ibili kayfa khuliqat
Observe they not the camel, how innovatively it has been created?
88 : 18
18. Wa-ila alssama-i kayfa rufiAAat
And the heaven, how high it has been raised?
88 : 19
19. Wa-ila aljibali kayfa nusibat
And the mountains, how firmly they are set?
88 : 20
20. Wa-ila al-ardi kayfa sutihat
And the earth, how infinitely it is spread?
88 : 21
21. Fathakkir innama anta muthakkirun
So remind them, for your mission is to give them the Reminder!
88 : 22
22. Lasta AAalayhim bimusaytirin
You are not a taskmaster over them!
88 : 23
23. Illa man tawalla wakafara
However, those who turn their faces away and vituperate, -
88 : 24
24. FayuAAaththibuhu Allahu alAAathaba al-akbara
Allah will mete out to them a severe punishment!
88 : 25
25. Inna ilayna iyabahum
Verily to Us is their returning, -
88 : 26
26. Thumma inna AAalayna hisabahum
And verily in Our hands is their reckoning! (R)
1. Has there come to you the narration of the overwhelming (i.e. the Day of Resurrection);
2. Some faces, that Day, will be humiliated (in the Hell-fire, i.e. the faces of all disbelievers, Jews and Christians, etc.).[]
3. Labouring (hard in the worldly life by worshipping others besides Allāh), weary (in the Hereafter with humility and disgrace)[] .
4. They will enter in the hot blazing Fire,
5. They will be given to drink from a boiling spring,
6. No food will there be for them but a poisonous thorny plant,
7. Which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.
8. (Other) faces, that Day, will be joyful,
9. Glad with their endeavour (for their good deeds which they did in this world, along with the true Faith of Islāmic Monotheism).[]
10. In a lofty Paradise.
11. Where they shall neither hear harmful speech nor falsehood,
12. Therein will be a running spring,
13. Therein will be thrones raised high,
14. And cups set at hand.
15. And cushions set in rows,
16. And rich carpets (all) spread out.
17. Do they not look at the camels, how they are created?
18. And at the heaven, how it is raised?
19. And at the mountains, how they are rooted and fixed firm?
20. And at the earth, how it is spread out?
21. So remind them (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)), you are only a one who reminds.
22. You are not a dictator over them.
23. Save the one who turns away and disbelieves[]
24. Then Allāh will punish him with the greatest punishment.
25. Verily, to Us will be their return;
26. Then verily, for Us will be their reckoning.
088.001
YUSUFALI: Has the
story reached thee of the overwhelming (Event)?
PICKTHAL: Hath there
come unto thee tidings of the Overwhelming?
SHAKIR: Has not there
come to you the news of the overwhelming calamity?
088.002
YUSUFALI: Some faces,
that Day, will be humiliated,
PICKTHAL: On that day
(many) faces will be downcast,
SHAKIR: (Some) faces
on that day shall be downcast,
088.003
YUSUFALI: Labouring
(hard), weary,-
PICKTHAL: Toiling,
weary,
SHAKIR: Laboring,
toiling,
088.004
YUSUFALI: The while
they enter the Blazing Fire,-
PICKTHAL: Scorched by
burning fire,
SHAKIR: Entering into
burning fire,
088.005
YUSUFALI: The while
they are given, to drink, of a boiling hot spring,
PICKTHAL: Drinking
from a boiling spring,
SHAKIR: Made to drink
from a boiling spring.
088.006
YUSUFALI: No food will
there be for them but a bitter Dhari'
PICKTHAL: No food for
them save bitter thorn-fruit
SHAKIR: They shall
have no food but of thorns,
088.007
YUSUFALI: Which will
neither nourish nor satisfy hunger.
PICKTHAL: Which doth
not nourish nor release from hunger.
SHAKIR: Which will
neither fatten nor avail against hunger.
088.008
YUSUFALI: (Other)
faces that Day will be joyful,
PICKTHAL: In that day
other faces will be calm,
SHAKIR: (Other) faces
on that day shall be happy,
088.009
YUSUFALI: Pleased with
their striving,-
PICKTHAL: Glad for
their effort past,
SHAKIR: Well-pleased
because of their striving,
088.010
YUSUFALI: In a Garden
on high,
PICKTHAL: In a high
Garden
SHAKIR: In a lofty
garden,
088.011
YUSUFALI: Where they
shall hear no (word) of vanity:
PICKTHAL: Where they
hear no idle speech,
SHAKIR: Wherein you
shall not hear vain talk.
088.012
YUSUFALI: Therein will
be a bubbling spring:
PICKTHAL: Wherein is a
gushing spring,
SHAKIR: Therein is a
fountain flowing,
088.013
YUSUFALI: Therein will
be Thrones (of dignity), raised on high,
PICKTHAL: Wherein are
couches raised
SHAKIR: Therein are
thrones raised high,
088.014
YUSUFALI: Goblets
placed (ready),
PICKTHAL: And goblets
set at hand
SHAKIR: And
drinking-cups ready placed,
088.015
YUSUFALI: And cushions
set in rows,
PICKTHAL: And cushions
ranged
SHAKIR: And cushions
set in a row,
088.016
YUSUFALI: And rich
carpets (all) spread out.
PICKTHAL: And silken
carpets spread.
SHAKIR: And carpets
spread out.
088.017
YUSUFALI: Do they not
look at the Camels, how they are made?-
PICKTHAL: Will they
not regard the camels, how they are created?
SHAKIR: Will they not
then consider the camels, how they are created?
088.018
YUSUFALI: And at the
Sky, how it is raised high?-
PICKTHAL: And the
heaven, how it is raised?
SHAKIR: And the
heaven, how it is reared aloft,
088.019
YUSUFALI: And at the
Mountains, how they are fixed firm?-
PICKTHAL: And the
hills, how they are set up?
SHAKIR: And the
mountains, how they are firmly fixed,
088.020
YUSUFALI: And at the
Earth, how it is spread out?
PICKTHAL: And the
earth, how it is spread?
SHAKIR: And the earth,
how it is made a vast expanse?
088.021
YUSUFALI: Therefore do
thou give admonition, for thou art one to admonish.
PICKTHAL: Remind them,
for thou art but a remembrancer,
SHAKIR: Therefore do
remind, for you are only a reminder.
088.022
YUSUFALI: Thou art not
one to manage (men's) affairs.
PICKTHAL: Thou art not
at all a warder over them.
SHAKIR: You are not a
watcher over them;
088.023
YUSUFALI: But if any
turn away and reject Allah,-
PICKTHAL: But whoso is
averse and disbelieveth,
SHAKIR: But whoever
turns back and disbelieves,
088.024
YUSUFALI: Allah will
punish him with a mighty Punishment,
PICKTHAL: Allah will
punish him with direst punishment.
SHAKIR: Allah will
chastise him with the greatest chastisement.
088.025
YUSUFALI: For to Us
will be their return;
PICKTHAL: Lo! unto Us
is their return
SHAKIR: Surely to Us
is their turning back,
088.026
YUSUFALI: Then it will
be for Us to call them to account.
PICKTHAL: And Ours
their reckoning.
SHAKIR: Then surely
upon Us is the taking of their account.