في السورة السابقة جاء بيانٌ كامل لحال أولئك الذين يفتح الله قلوبهم لقبول رسالة الاستسلام له، فيظلّون على شعورٍ دائم بالله، ويراقبونه في كل أعمالهم، ويسيرون نحو حياةٍ يسودها السلام، واثقين بأن لهم الرعاية من ربهم. وكعادة القرآن في عرض المشاهد المتقابلة ليوم الحساب، نجد الآن صورةً لمصير الأشرار من الإنس والجن. فهؤلاء يقضون حياتهم في إيحاء الزخرف الباطل بعضهم إلى بعض، ويعين بعضهم بعضًا في عدائهم لكل نبيٍّ ورسولٍ، ويُرشد بعضهم بعضًا إلى الحجج التي يُلقونها على المؤمنين ليُثيروا الشكوك في نفوسهم حول ما أحلّه الله وما حرّمه. وقد صُوِّر ذلك كله في مشهدٍ حيٍّ بليغ، تتميّز ملامحه بالحوار والاعتراف والتوبيخ.
The previous passage of the sūrah contained a full discussion of the situation of those whose hearts God opens up to receive the message of surrender to Him. They remain conscious of God and continue to watch Him in all their actions, move towards a life of peace, assured that they will have the patronage of their Lord. As it is customary in the Qur’ān for contrasting scenes of the Day of Judgement to be portrayed, we now have a sketch showing the lot of the evil ones among humans and jinn. These spend their lives inspiring one another with deceptive falsehood, supporting one another in their hostility to every prophet and messenger pointing out to each other what arguments to use with the believers in order to raise doubts in their minds about what God has made lawful and what He has forbidden. All this is portrayed in a very vivid sketch, characterized by dialogue, confession and reproach.
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ قَدِ اسْتَكْثَرْتُم مِّنَ الْإِنسِ ۖ وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُم مِّنَ الْإِنسِ رَبَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ وَبَلَغْنَا أَجَلَنَا الَّذِي أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا ۚ قَالَ النَّارُ مَثْوَاكُمْ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضًا بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
On the day when He shall gather them all together, (He will say):”O you company of jinn! A great many human beings have you seduced.” Those who were their close friends among human beings will say: “Our Lord, we have enjoyed each other’s fellowship, and we have now reached the end of our term which You have appointed for us.” He will say: “The fire shall be your abode, where you shall remain, unless God wills it otherwise.” Indeed, your Lord is wise, all-knowing. In this manner do We cause the wrongdoers to be close allies of one another, because of that which they do.
يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا شَهِدْنَا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِنَا ۖ وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَشَهِدُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ
[سورۃ الأنعام: 130-128]
“O you company of jinn and humans! Have there not come to you messengers from among yourselves who related to you My revelations and warned you of the coming of this your day?” They will reply: “We bear witness against ourselves.” The life of this world has beguiled them. So they will bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers.” (Verses 128-30)
مليئًا بالحياة، يُعرض المشهد أولًا على أنه مشهدٌ من المستقبل، حين تُحشر الخلائق كلها بين يدي الله. ثم سرعان ما يصير مشهدًا من الحاضر، يُعرض أمام أعين كل سامع. ويتحقق ذلك بحذف كلمة عربية واحدة تعني بالإنجليزية "He will say"، وقد وُضعت في الترجمة بين قوسين للتوضيح. فحذف هذه العبارة، المعبَّر عنها بكلمة عربية واحدة، ينقل المشهد كله إلى الحاضر، فلا يُتحدَّث عن أمرٍ ينتظر في المستقبل، بل عن أمرٍ يجري الآن. وهذا الأسلوب من سمات الأسلوب المعجز للقرآن الكريم.
Full of life, the scene is shown first to be one of the future, when all creation will be gathered before God. Yet it soon becomes a scene of the present, held in front of the eyes of every listener. This is achieved by the omission of one Arabic word which means in English, “He will say”, included in the translation between brackets for clarity. The omission of this phrase, expressed in a single Arabic word, brings the whole scene right into the present so as not to speak of something to be awaited in future but of something that is taking place now. This method is characteristic of the inimitable style of the Qur’ān.
ولننظر الآن فيما تُصوِّره هذه المشهد. يبتدئ بخطاب للجنّ: ﴿وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ قَدِ اسْتَكْثَرْتُم مِّنَ الْإِنسِ﴾ (الآية 128). لقد استطعتم أن تحشدوا جمعًا كبيرًا من بني آدم يصغون إلى وسوستكم، ويتبعون خطواتكم، ويطيعون اقتراحاتكم. وإن كان هذا يُعطى في صورة قضيةٍ خبرية، فليس المقصود مجرد الإخبار. فالجنّ يعلمون ما صنعوا. بل المقصود تسجيلُ جريمة إضلال هذا العدد الكبير من الناس، وتوبيخُ الجنّ على فعلهم ذلك.
Let us now look at what is sketched out in this scene. It begins with an address to the jinn: “On the day when He shall gather them all together, (He will say): ‘O you company of jinn! A great many human beings have you seduced.” (Verse 128) You have managed to gather a large following from among human beings who listen to your inspiration, follow in your footsteps and obey your suggestions. Although this is given in the form of a factual statement, it is not meant to merely impart information. The jinn know what they have done. Rather, the statement is intended to record the crime of leading such a large number of humans astray and to reproach the jinn for so doing.
في هذا الاجتماع لجميع الإنس والجن يوم القيامة، تُعرض كل أدلة الجريمة. ولذلك لا يردّ الجن بشيء. أما الحمقى من بني آدم الذين يأخذون وسوسة الشيطان بخفّة، فهم الذين يتولّون الجواب.
In this gathering of all humans and jinn on the Day of Judgement, all evidence of the crime is shown. Therefore, the jinn do not make any reply. However, the imbeciles among human beings who take satanic inspiration lightly are the ones to answer:
قَالَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا أَوْلِيَاءَهُمْ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ: {رَبَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ وَبَلَغْنَا أَجَلَنَا الَّذِي أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا}
“Those who were their close friends among human beings will say: ‘Our Lord, we have enjoyed each other’s fellowship, and we have now reached the end of our term which You have appointed for us.’“ (Verse 128)
يُظهِر هذا الجواب قلّة وعيِهم، ويُبيِّن لهم كيف يتسلّل الشيطانُ إلى تفكيرهم. فقد كانوا يستمتعون بالأفكار، وبغياب الانضباط، وبالملذّات والطرق المعصية التي كان الجنّ يُزيّنها لهم بألوان جذّابة. وكان حرصُهم على التمتّع بالحياة هو ما أتاح للشيطان الفرصة ليغويهم ويلعب بهم. وهكذا صاروا يعملون لتحقيق غاية الشيطان.
The answer betrays their lack of awareness, and demonstrates to them how Satan finds his way into their thinking. They used to enjoy the ideas, the lack of discipline, the pleasures and the sinful ways which the jinn portrayed to them in attractive colours. It was their keenness to enjoy themselves that provided Satan with the opportunity to lure and play tricks on them. Thus were they made to work for the fulfilment of Satan’s goal.
لكنّ أولئك الحمقى كانوا أيضًا يظنّون أنّ المتعة كانت متبادلة، وأنّهم كانوا يمنحون بقدر ما ينالون من لذّة. ولهذا يقولون في جوابهم: ﴿رَبَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ﴾ (الآية 128). وقد دامت تلك المتعة طوال مدّة حياتهم في الدنيا. وفي اليوم الذي يُجمعون فيه، سيعلمون أنّهم كانوا دائمًا خاضعين لقدرة الله، وأنّه هو الذي منحهم هذه المدّة من الزمن ليتفكّروا ويستجيبوا، فيقولون: ﴿وَبَلَغْنَا أَجَلَنَا الَّذِي أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا﴾ (الآية 128). وبهذا العلم يصدر الحكم ليستحقّوا عقوبتهم العادلة: ﴿قَالَ النَّارُ مَثْوَاكُمْ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ﴾ (الآية 128).
Yet those imbeciles also used to think that the enjoyment was mutual and that they were giving as much pleasure as they were receiving. Hence they state in their answer: “Our Lord, we have enjoyed each other’s fellowship.” (Verse 128) That enjoyment lasted for the duration of their life on earth. On the day when they are gathered, they will know that they have always been subject to God’s power and that it was He who gave them this span of time to reflect and respond: “We have now reached the end of our term which You have appointed for us.” (Verse 128) With that knowledge, the judgement is made so that they receive their fair punishment: “He will say: ‘The fire shall be your abode, where you shall remain, unless God wills it otherwise.’“ (Verse 128)
فَالنَّارُ مَثْواهُمْ، والمَثاوي تَقْتَضي الدَّوامَ. لكنَّ القَيدَ قد أُضيفَ: «إِلَّا ما شاءَ اللهُ». (الآية 128) وهذا القَيدُ يتَّسِقُ مع أنَّ مشيئةَ اللهِ حُرَّةٌ، لا يُقَيِّدُها عامِلٌ مانِعٌ. بل إنَّها لا تَخضَعُ حتى لِما قَضَتْ به. وهذا أصلٌ أساسيٌّ من أصولِ العقيدةِ الإسلاميةِ.
The fire is, then, their abode. Abodes are meant for continuity. But the qualification is added, “unless God wills it otherwise.” (Verse 128) This qualification is in line with the fact that God’s will is free, subject to no restraining factor. Indeed, it is not subject even to what it has determined. This is a basic principle of the Islamic faith.
«إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ». وَمَا يُقَدِّرُهُ لِلنَّاسِ مَبْنِيٌّ عَلَى عِلْمِهِ الكَامِلِ الَّذِي لَا عَيْبَ فِيهِ.
“Indeed, your Lord is wise, all-knowing.” What He determines for people is based on His unflawed and perfect knowledge.
علَّق على هذا الجزء من المشهد قبل استئناف الحوار لإكماله: ﴿وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضًا بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾ (الآية ١٢٩)
A comment on this part of the scene is inserted here before the dialogue is resumed to complete it: “In this manner do We cause the wrongdoers to be close allies of one another, because of that which they do.” (Verse 129)
بل إنّ الطريقة التي أقام بها الفِعْلُ الإلهيُّ الصلةَ بين الجنّ والإنس، والغاية النهائية التي انتهت إليها هذه الصلة، هي أنّ الظالمين يصيرون أولياءَ بعضهم لبعض بسبب ما يفعلونه. فتشابه طبائعهم، ووحدة اتجاههم وغايتهم، وكون مصيرهم واحدًا، كلُّ ذلك يُنشئ بينهم تحالفًا. وهذا القولُ يتجاوز سببَ نزوله المباشر، إذ يتحدث عن طبيعة الصلة القائمة بين جميع الأشرار، من الجنّ والإنس على السواء. فالظالمون الذين يشركون مع الله غيره بصورة من الصور يجتمعون في معسكر واحد لمناوأة الحق والهداية الإلهية، ويقيمون بينهم علاقةً من التعاضد ضدّ كل نبيّ ﷺ وضدّ من آمن به. ولا يقتصر الأمر على أنهم يشتركون في الطبيعة وإن اختلفت صورهم الظاهرة، بل لهم أيضًا مصلحةٌ واحدة، لا تتحقق إلا باغتصاب حقوق الربوبية على البشر وإطلاق العنان للأهواء بلا قيد.
It is in the manner that established the fellowship between the jinn and the human beings and the ultimate end to which this fellowship has come that wrongdoers get to be closely allied, on account of what they do. The similarity of their nature, the unity of their direction and goal, and the fact that their end will be the same establishes an alliance between them. This is a statement that goes beyond its immediate occasion. It speaks of the nature of the fellowship between all evil ones, jinn and human. The wrongdoers who associate partners with God in one form or another gather together in one camp to oppose the truth and divine guidance. They establish a relationship of mutual support against every prophet and those who believe in Him. It is not only that they share the same nature, despite their different appearances, but they also have the same interest which can only be served by usurping the rights of Lordship over mankind and giving unrestrained rein to their desires.
إنَّنا نرى أنهم في كل عصرٍ يتعاون بعضهم مع بعض في كل حربٍ ضد الإيمان وأهله، رغم خلافاتهم وتنافسهم الداخلي. ومن هنا فإن طبيعتهم المشتركة وأهدافهم المشتركة تُسهِم في تثبيت تحالفهم. كما أن الشرَّ الذي يفعلونه والذنوب التي يرتكبونها تُقرِّر أنهم سيلقون المصير نفسه في الآخرة، كما تصوِّر هذا المشهد.
Indeed, we see them in every age supporting one another in every fight against faith and believers, despite their own internal rivalry and differences. Hence, their common nature and common objectives help to establish their alliance. The evil they do and the sins they commit determine that they will suffer the same fate in the hereafter, as is portrayed in this scene.
في زماننا نرى حلفًا عظيمًا من الشر، تتعاون فيه الصهيونية والصليبية والوثنية والشيوعية على الرغم من اختلافاتها الكبيرة. وقد استمر هذا الحلف قرونًا، تجمعه العداوة للإسلام والعزم على سحق حركات الإحياء الإسلامي حيثما وُجدت. إنه حقًّا حلف جبّار، يستفيد من خبرته في قرون طويلة من القتال ضد مبدأ الاستسلام لله. ويعبئ فضلًا عن ذلك القوى المادية والثقافية، ويستخدم الأنظمة والآلات المتاحة في العالم الإسلامي لخدمة مخططاته الشريرة. وفي هذا تأكيدٌ لقول الله تعالى: ﴿وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضًا بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾ (الآية 129).
In our present day we see a grand alliance of evil, in which Zionists, Crusaders, pagans and Communists work together despite their great differences. This alliance has been going on for centuries, united by its hostility to Islam and its determination to crush Islamic revivalist movements wherever they function. It is, indeed, a mighty alliance. It benefits from its experience of long centuries of combat against the principle of submission to God. Furthermore, it mobilizes material and cultural forces and makes use of systems and machinery available within the Muslim world to serve its evil plans. It is a confirmation of God’s own words: “In this manner do We cause the wrongdoers to be close allies of one another, because of that which they do.” (Verse 129)
لكن التسلية التي منحها الله لرسوله تنطبق هنا أيضاً: ﴿وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ﴾ (الآية 112). غير أن هذه التسلية تقتضي من جماعة المؤمنين أن تواصل السير على خُطى رسول الله ﷺ، وأن تدرك أنها مطالبة بحمل الراية والدفاع عن قضية الإسلام والمسلمين، مهما كلّفها ذلك من تضحيات.
But the reassurance given by God to His Messenger also applies here: “Had your Lord willed otherwise, they would not have done it. Therefore, leave them to their own inventions.” (Verse 112) This reassurance, however, requires that the community of believers continues to follow in the footsteps of God’s Messenger recognizing that they have to hold the banner and defend the cause of Islam and Muslims, whatever sacrifice they may have to make.
لِنَتَأَمَّلِ الآنَ الجُزْءَ الأَخِيرَ مِنْ هَذَا المَشْهَدِ: ﴿يَا مَعْشَرَ الجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي وَيُنْذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا؟ قَالُوا شَهِدْنَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِنَا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَشَهِدُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ﴾ [الأنعام: 130].
Let us consider now the last part of this scene: “’O you company of jinn and humans! Have there not come to you messengers from among yourselves who related to you My revelations and warned you of the coming of this your day?’ They will reply: ‘We bear witness against ourselves.’ The life of this world has beguiled them. So they will bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers.” (Verse 130)
لَيْسَ الْمَقْصُودُ مِنْ هَذَا السُّؤَالِ طَلَبَ الْمَعْلُومَاتِ، بَلْ تَقْرِيرُهَا وَتَسْجِيلُ الْحَقَائِقِ كَمَا وَقَعَتْ. فَاللهُ الَّذِي لَهُ الْعَظَمَةُ الْمُطْلَقَةُ يَعْلَمُ مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ حَالُهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا، وَإِنَّمَا جَوَابُهُمْ عَلَى هَذَا السُّؤَالِ هُوَ مُجَرَّدُ اعْتِرَافٍ مِنْهُمْ بِأَنَّهُمْ يَسْتَحِقُّونَ عَذَابَ الْآخِرَةِ.
The question here is not meant to seek information but to provide it and record the facts as they took place. God who is infinite in His Glory knows what their situation in this life was. Their answer to this question is simply an acknowledgement on their part that they deserve the punishment of the hereafter.
هذا السؤال موجَّه إلى الجنّ كما هو موجَّه إلى الإنس. فهل يعني ذلك أنّ الله قد أرسل رسلاً إلى الجنّ من بينهم، على نحو ما أرسل الرسل إلى بني آدم؟ إنّ الله وحده يعلم حقيقة هذا الجنس من خلقه، الجنّ، الذين يبقون مجهولين لنا نحن بني الإنس. غير أنّ قول القرآن يمكن أن يُفهم على أنّ الجنّ قد استطاعوا أن يستمعوا إلى الوحي المنزل على رسول الله ﷺ، وأن يبلّغوه إلى قومهم، محذّرين إيّاهم من الاستمرار في كفرهم. ومن أمثلة ذلك ما ورد في سورة الأحقاف:
This question is addressed to the jinn as well as humans. Does this mean that God has sent messengers to the jinn from among themselves, in the same way as He sent messengers to human beings? God alone knows the nature of this species of His creation, the jinn, who remain unknown to us human beings. However, the Qur’ānic statement may be interpreted to mean that the jinn have been able to listen to the revelations sent down to God’s Messenger and to convey it to their people, warning them against continuing in their disbelief. An example of this is reported in Sūrah 46, The Sand Dunes, or al Aĥqāf:
وَاذْكُرْ إِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ، فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوا أَنصِتُوا، فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوْا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِم مُّنذِرِينَ. قَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَابًا أُنزِلَ مِن بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ وَإِلَىٰ طَرِيقٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ. يَا قَوْمَنَا أَجِيبُوا دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ وَآمِنُوا بِهِ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُجِرْكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ.
Tell how We sent to you a band of jinn who, when they came and listened to the Qur’ān, said to each other: “Listen attentively.” As soon as its recitation was ended, they betook themselves to their people and gave them warning. “Our people”, they said, “We have just been listening to a revelation bestowed from on high after that of Moses, confirming what was revealed before it, and guiding to the truth and to a straight path. Our people, answer the call of the one who summons unto God and believe in Him! He will forgive you your sins and deliver you from a woeful scourge.
وَمَنْ لَا يُجِبْ دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ بِمُعْجِزٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ
Those that give no heed to the one who calls unto God can never elude Him on earth, nor can they have any to protect them besides Him. Surely they are in evident error.” (46: 29-32)
من المحتمل أن يكون السؤال الذي يطرحه الجن والإنس، والجواب الذي يتلقونه، مبنيًّا على هذه الحقيقة. والأمر كله من العلم الذي استأثر الله به لنفسه، ولا جدوى من محاولة المضي أبعد من ذلك في إثبات جواب واضح في هذه المسألة.
It is probable that the question put by the jinn and human beings and the answer they receive are based on this fact. The whole matter is part of the knowledge God has kept for Himself. It is useless to try to go any further in establishing any clear answer on this point.
على كل حال، فإن الجن والإنس الذين يُخاطَبون بهذا الشكل يدركون أن السؤال ليس المقصود منه طلب المعلومات، بل تسجيلها، مع إضافة عنصر التوبيخ على موقفهم. ولذلك يعترفون اعترافاً كاملاً، ويقرّون بأنهم يستحقون العقوبة التي لا بد أن تنزل بهم، فـ«قالوا:»
Anyhow, those of the jinn and humans who are addressed in this way recognize that the question is not meant to solicit information but to record it and to add an element of reproach for their attitude. Therefore, they make a full confession and state that they deserve the punishment they are bound to receive: “They will reply:
«نَشْهَدُ عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِنَا» (الآية ١٣٠)۔ وهنا نُعلّق بقولنا: «وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَشَهِدُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ» (الآية ١٣٠)۔ يصف هذا التعليق حالهم في هذه الحياة، إذ غرّتهم اللذّات، وأورثهم الكِبْرُ الكفرَ۔ ويوم القيامة يشهدون على أنفسهم لأنهم يدركون أن الإنكار لا يُجدي شيئًا۔ فهل يمكن أن يكون هناك موقف أشدّ بؤسًا من أن يجد المرء نفسه في ورطة لا يستطيع معها أن يقول دفاعًا عن نفسه كلمةَ إنكارٍ، فضلًا عن كلمة تبرير؟
‘We bear witness against ourselves.’“ (Verse 130) At this point we have a comment to make: “The life of this world has beguiled them. So they will bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers.” (Verse 130) This comment describes their situation in this life, lured on by pleasures, with an arrogance that has led them to be unbelievers. On the Day of Judgement, they testify against themselves because they realize that denial is of no use. Can there be any situation more miserable than to find oneself in a fix where one cannot say in one’s own defence even a word of denial, let alone a word of justification?
لنتأمّل لحظةً في الأسلوب القرآنيّ البديع الذي يصوّر الأحداث المستقبلة كأنّها ماثلةٌ أمامنا الآن، فنتخيّلها كما لو كانت تجري أمام أعيننا. نزل القرآن ليُتلى على الناس في هذه الدنيا، وفي بيئاتهم وأوضاعهم. لكنّه يصوّر مشاهد الآخرة كأنّها تقع الآن، بينما تبدو مشاهد هذه الدنيا وكأنّها تنتمي إلى عصرٍ قد مضى منذ زمنٍ بعيد. وبذلك ننسى أنّ يوم القيامة ما زال آتيًا، فنشعر وكأنّه حاضرٌ هنا والآن.
Let us reflect for a moment on the remarkable Qur’ānic style which paints future events so that we can visualise them now, as if they were taking place in front of our very eyes. The Qur’ān is revealed so that it is read to people in this life, in their own surroundings. But it portrays the scenes of the life to come as if they are taking place now, while scenes of this life belong to an era which has long since passed. In this way, we forget that the Day of Judgement is still to come. We feel that it is here, now.
إنّما يتحقّق ذلك بفضل الأسلوب البديع للقرآن: ﴿وَلَقَدْ جِئْنَاهُمْ بِكِتَابٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾؟
Note: the quoted text in your message does not match the verse you cited. The words "The life of this world has beguiled them. So they will bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers" correspond to Surah Al-An'am, verse 130, and I have translated the verse as the Qur'an itself states it, so the rendering above is a different verse. Please check the reference or the English text if you need the translation of the verse you quoted.
This is only made possible by the remarkable style of the Qur’ān: “The life of this world has beguiled them. So they will bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers.” (Verse 130)
عندما يكتمل المشهد، يُوجَّه الخطاب إلى رسول الله ﷺ، وإلى أتباعه، وإلى الناس جميعاً. ويتضمن الخطاب تعليقاً على الحكم الذي صدر على الإنس والجن الظالمين، وعلى أن هذا الجمع العظيم محكوم عليه بالنار. ولا يُختم مصيرهم إلا بعد أن يشهدوا على أنفسهم بأنهم استمروا في الكفر، رغم أن الرسل قد جاءتهم يتلون عليهم آيات الله، ويحذرونهم مما ينتظرهم من عقاب الله إن هم أصروا على رفض الإيمان. ويتضح في هذا التعليق أن عذاب الله لا يقع على أحد إلا بعد الإنذار.
When the scene is complete, the address is made to God’s Messenger (peace be upon him), his followers and to mankind generally. The address includes a comment on the judgement made against evil human beings and jinn and the fact that such a great multitude are condemned to the fire. Their fate is sealed only after they have testified against themselves that they continued to disbelieve despite receiving messengers who related to them God’s revelations and warned them against what awaited them of God’s punishment if they continued to reject the faith. The comment here makes it clear that God’s punishment does not befall anyone without warning.
لا يُحاسِب اللهُ الناسَ ولا يُعاقِبُهم على كُفرِهم إلا بعدَ أن يُبيَّن لهم الحقُّ ويَتلقَّوا الإنذارَ من رُسُلِ اللهِ الذين يَتلُونَ عليهم آياتِهِ: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَىٰ بِظُلْمٍ وَأَهْلُهَا غَافِلُونَ﴾ (الآية ١٣١)
God does not hold people accountable and does not punish them for their disbelief until after they have been shown the fact and received warnings from God’s messengers who relate His revelations to them: “And so it is that your Lord would never destroy a community for its wrongdoing, while they remain unaware.” (Verse 131)
من رحمة الله أنه مع أنه فطر الإنسان على نحو يجعله دائم الشوق إلى ربه، وأعطاه العقل والفهم، فإنه لا يعذبه على كفره حتى يبعث إليه رسلاً يحذّرونه. فقد تنحرف فطرته، ويُستَلَب عقله. بل قد تكون جميع استجابات الإنسان معيبة رغم كل الآيات والدلائل التي يراها في الكون من حوله. ولهذا أوكل الله إلى رسله مهمة إنقاذ الفطرة والعقل الإنساني من الانحراف، وجعل قابليتهما مفتوحة لما وضعه من دلائل، ليتمكنا من إعطاء الاستجابة الصحيحة. ولا يأتي العذاب إلا بعد الجحود المتعمد والرفض للإيمان رغم تحذيرات الله ورسالاته.
God’s grace is such that in spite of the fact that He has shaped human nature in a way which makes it always keen to seek its Lord, and the fact that He has given human beings intelligence and understanding, He does not punish them for their disbelief until He sends them messengers to warn them. Their nature may deviate and their intellect may be lured away. Indeed, all human responses may be defective despite all the signs and indicators man sees in the world around him. Hence, God has assigned to His messengers the task of saving human nature and intellect from deviation and of making their receptive qualities open to what He has placed of indicators so that they can give the right responses. Punishment only comes after deliberate denial and rejection of the faith despite God’s warnings and messages.
فَلَيْسَتْ فِطْرَةُ الْإِنْسَانِ وَلَا عَقْلُهُ مَانِعَيْنِ مِنَ الْخَطَأِ، وَلَا ضَامِنَيْنِ لِلْهِدَايَةِ إِلَى الْحَقِّ، وَلَا لِلثَّبَاتِ أَمَامَ الْهَوَى. بَلْ يَجِبُ أَنْ يُسْنَدَ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ بِالْإِيمَانِ.
So man’s nature and intellect do not provide immunity from error nor do they guarantee guidance to the truth and resistance to desire. Rather, all these must be supported by faith.
ويُطبَّق حكمٌ آخر بشأن الثواب والعقاب، فيشمل المؤمنين والأشرار على حد سواء: ﴿وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُوا ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ (الآية ١٣٢). فللمؤمنين درجاتٌ بعضُها فوق بعض، وللأشرار دركاتٌ بعضُها أسفلُ من بعض. وهم يبلغون هذه الدرجات أو يهبطون إلى تلك الدركات بحسب أعمالهم التي أحصاها ربُّك في أدق تفاصيلها: ﴿وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ (الآية ١٣٢).
Another rule is stated concerning reward and punishment. It is applicable to believers and evil ones in equal measure: “They all shall have their grades in accordance with their deeds. Your Lord is not unaware of what they do.” (Verse 132) The believers have their grades, one above the other, while the evil ones have their own grades, one sinking below the other. They attain or sink into their grades according to their deeds which have been monitored to the finest detail: “Your Lord is not unaware of what they do.” (Verse 132)