Its subject matter bears full evidence that it was revealed in the earliest period at Makkah. If this Surah is read together with the two Surahs preceding it, namely Al-Qiyamah and Ad-Dahr, and the two Surahs following it, namely An-Naba and An-Naziat, it becomes obvious that all these Surahs are the Revelations of the same period, and they deal with one and the same theme, which has been impressed on the people of Makkah in different ways.

Theme and Subject Matter

Its theme is to affirm the Resurrection and Hereafter and to warn the people of the consequences which will ultimately follow the denial and the affirmation of these truths.

In the first seven verses, the system of winds has been presented as an evidence of the truth that the Resurrection which is being foretold by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) must come to pass. The reasoning is that the power of All-Mighty Allah Who established this wonderful system on the earth, cannot be helpless in bringing about the Resurrection, and the express wisdom which underlies this system bears full evidence that the Hereafter must appear, for no act of an All-Wise Creator can be vain and purposeless, and if there was no Hereafter, it would mean that the whole of one's life was useless and absurd.

The people of Makkah repeatedly asked, "Bring about the Resurrection with which you threaten us; only then shall we believe in it."In vv. 8-l5, their demand has been answered, saying:"Resurrection is no sport or fun so that whenever a jester should ask for it, it should be brought forth immediately. It is indeed the Day of Judgment to settle the account of all mankind and of all its individuals. For it Allah has fixed a specific time it will take place at its own time, and when it takes place with all its dreads and horrors, it will confound those who are demanding it for fun today. Then their cases will be decided only on the evidence of those Messengers whom these deniers of the truth are repudiating with impunity. Then they will themselves realize how they themselves are responsible for their dooms

In vv. 16-28 arguments have been given continuously for the occurrence and necessity of the Resurrection and Hereafter. In these it has been stated that man's own history, his own birth, and the structure of the earth on which he lives, bear the testimony that the coming of Resurrection and the establishment of the Hereafter are possible as well as the demand of Allah Almighty's wisdom. History tells us that the nations which denied the Hereafter ultimately became corrupted and met with destruction. This means that the Hereafter is a truth which if denied and contradicted by a nation by its conduct and attitude, will cause it to meet the same doom, which is met by a blind man who bushes headlong into an approaching train. And it also means that in the kingdom of the universe only physical laws are not at work but a moral law also is working in it, under which in this very world the process of retribution is operating. But since in the present life of the world retribution is not taking place in its complete and perfect form, the moral law of the universe necessarily demands that there should come a time when it should take its full course and all those good works and evil deeds, which could not be rewarded here, or which escaped their due punishment should be fully rewarded and punished. For this it is inevitable that there should be a second life after death. If man only considers how he takes his birth in the world, his intellect, provided it is sound intellect, cannot deny that for the God Who began his creation from an insignificant sperm drop and developed him into a perfect man, it certainly possible to create the same man once again. After death the particles of man's body do not disappear but continue to exist on the same earth on which he lived his whole life. It is from the resources and treasures of this very earth that he is made and nourished and then into the same treasures of the earth he is deposited. The God who caused him to emerge from the treasures of the earth, in the first instance, can also cause him to re-emerge from the same treasures after he has been restored to them at death. If one only considers the powers of Allah, one cannot deny that He can do this; and if one considers the wisdom of Allah, one also cannot deny that it is certainly the very demand of His wisdom to call man to account for the right and wrong use of the powers that He has granted him on the earth; it would rather be against wisdom to let him off without rendering an account.

Then, in vv. 28-40, the fate of the deniers of the Hereafter has been depicted, and in vv. 41-45 of those who affirming faith in it in their worldly life, endeavored to improve their Hereafter, and abstained from the evils of disbelief and thought, morality and deed, conduct and character which might be helpful in man's worldly life, but are certainly ruinous for his life hereafter.

In the end, the deniers of the Hereafter and those who turn away from God-worship, have been warned as if to say: "Enjoy your short-lived worldly pleasure as you may, but your end will ultimately be disastrous." The discourse concludes with the assertion that the one who fails to obtain guidance from Book like the Qur'an, can have no ether source in the world to afford him Guidance.

Maududi: English

Al-Mursalat

Juz 29

سورة المرسلات

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا ‎﴿١﴾‏ فَالْعَاصِفَاتِ عَصْفًا ‎﴿٢﴾‏ وَالنَّاشِرَاتِ نَشْرًا ‎﴿٣﴾‏ فَالْفَارِقَاتِ فَرْقًا ‎﴿٤﴾‏ فَالْمُلْقِيَاتِ ذِكْرًا ‎﴿٥﴾‏ عُذْرًا أَوْ نُذْرًا ‎﴿٦﴾‏ إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَاقِعٌ ‎﴿٧﴾‏ فَإِذَا النُّجُومُ طُمِسَتْ ‎﴿٨﴾‏ وَإِذَا السَّمَاءُ فُرِجَتْ ‎﴿٩﴾‏ وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ نُسِفَتْ ‎﴿١٠﴾‏ وَإِذَا الرُّسُلُ أُقِّتَتْ ‎﴿١١﴾‏ لِأَيِّ يَوْمٍ أُجِّلَتْ ‎﴿١٢﴾‏ لِيَوْمِ الْفَصْلِ ‎﴿١٣﴾‏ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ ‎﴿١٤﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿١٥﴾‏ أَلَمْ نُهْلِكِ الْأَوَّلِينَ ‎﴿١٦﴾‏ ثُمَّ نُتْبِعُهُمُ الْآخِرِينَ ‎﴿١٧﴾‏ كَذَٰلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِالْمُجْرِمِينَ ‎﴿١٨﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿١٩﴾‏‏‏‏

By the (winds) sent forth in quick succession, (1) which then blow tempestuously (2) and raise (clouds) and scatter them around, (3) then winnow them thoroughly, (4) and then cast (Allah's) remembrance (in people's hearts), (5) to serve as an excuse or a warning. (6) Surely what you are promised shall come to pass. (7) So when the stars are extinguished, (8) and the sky is rent asunder, (9) and the mountains are blown away, (10) and the appointed time to bring the Messengers together arrives, (then shall the promised event come to pass). (11) To which Day has this task been deferred? (12) To the Day of Judgement. (13) What do you know what the Day of Judgement is? (14) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (15) Did We not destroy many a nation of the earlier times? (16) And We shall cause those of later times to follow them. (17) Thus do We deal with the guilty. (18) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (19)

Maududi: English

Al-Mursalat

Juz 29

أَلَمْ نَخْلُقكُّم مِّن مَّاءٍ مَّهِينٍ ‎﴿٢٠﴾‏ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ ‎﴿٢١﴾‏ إِلَىٰ قَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ ‎﴿٢٢﴾‏ فَقَدَرْنَا فَنِعْمَ الْقَادِرُونَ ‎﴿٢٣﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٢٤﴾‏ أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا ‎﴿٢٥﴾‏ أَحْيَاءً وَأَمْوَاتًا ‎﴿٢٦﴾‏ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ شَامِخَاتٍ وَأَسْقَيْنَاكُم مَّاءً فُرَاتًا ‎﴿٢٧﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٢٨﴾‏ انطَلِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَا كُنتُم بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ ‎﴿٢٩﴾‏ انطَلِقُوا إِلَىٰ ظِلٍّ ذِي ثَلَاثِ شُعَبٍ ‎﴿٣٠﴾‏ لَّا ظَلِيلٍ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنَ اللَّهَبِ ‎﴿٣١﴾‏ إِنَّهَا تَرْمِي بِشَرَرٍ كَالْقَصْرِ ‎﴿٣٢﴾‏ كَأَنَّهُ جِمَالَتٌ صُفْرٌ ‎﴿٣٣﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٣٤﴾‏ هَٰذَا يَوْمُ لَا يَنطِقُونَ ‎﴿٣٥﴾‏ وَلَا يُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ فَيَعْتَذِرُونَ ‎﴿٣٦﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٣٧﴾‏ هَٰذَا يَوْمُ الْفَصْلِ ۖ جَمَعْنَاكُمْ وَالْأَوَّلِينَ ‎﴿٣٨﴾‏ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ كَيْدٌ فَكِيدُونِ ‎﴿٣٩﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٤٠﴾‏ إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي ظِلَالٍ وَعُيُونٍ ‎﴿٤١﴾‏ وَفَوَاكِهَ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ‎﴿٤٢﴾‏ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ‎﴿٤٣﴾‏ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ‎﴿٤٤﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٤٥﴾‏ كُلُوا وَتَمَتَّعُوا قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُم مُّجْرِمُونَ ‎﴿٤٦﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٤٧﴾‏ وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ارْكَعُوا لَا يَرْكَعُونَ ‎﴿٤٨﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿٤٩﴾‏ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ ‎﴿٥٠﴾‏

Did We not create you of a mean fluid, (20) which We then placed in a secure repository (21) until an appointed time? (22) See that We had the power to do so. Great indeed is Our power to do what We will. (23) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (24) Did We not make the earth a receptacle, (25) for the living and the dead, (26) and did We not firmly fix towering mountains on it and give you sweet water to drink? (27) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (28) Proceed now towards that which you were wont to deny as false; (29) proceed towards the three-pronged shadow, (30) which neither provides (cooling) shade nor protection against the flames; (31) it indeed throws up sparks like castles, (32) which seem as though they are yellow-coloured camels. (33) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (34) That will be the Day on which they will not (be able to) utter a word, (35) nor will they be allowed to proffer excuses. (36) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (37) That is the Day of Judgement on which We have assembled you as well as all those who went before you. (38) So if you have any ploy, try it against Me! (39) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (40) Behold, today the God-fearing will be amidst shades and springs, (41) and the fruits that they desire (will be ready at hand). (42) Eat and drink and may every joy attend you as a reward for your deeds. (43) Thus do We reward those that do good. (44) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (45) Eat and enjoy yourselves for a while. Surely you are evil-doers. (46) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (47) When it is said to them: “Bow down (before Allah),” they do not bow down. (48) Woe on that Day to those that give the lie to the Truth! (49) In what discourse after this (Qur'an) will they, then, believe? (50)

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