﴿حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ﴾ (الآيتان ٩٩-١٠٠) هذا مشهد حضور الموت، حين يتيقّن الإنسان أنه على وشك الموت. وفي هذه اللحظة يتضرّع طالبًا العودة إلى الحياة ليُتاح له فرصة ثانية، فيفعل ما كان ينبغي أن يفعله من البداية. إنه يريد أن يُصلح ما يتعلق بأهله وما يتركه من أموال. وهذا المشهد مُعرَض كأنه يجري في الحاضر، والجميع يشهدونه. لكن الطلب يأتي بعد فوات الأوان؛ ولذلك لا يُجاب صاحبه، بل يُعلَن الجواب ليعلمه الجميع: ﴿كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا﴾ (الآية ١٠٠).
“When death approaches any of them, he says: My Lord! Let me return [to life], so that I may act righteously in whatever I have failed to do.” (Verses 99-100) This is the scene of approaching death, when the person is certain that he is about to die. At this moment, he appeals for a return to life so as to have a second chance to do what he should have done in the first place. He wants to set things right with regard to the family and assets he is leaving behind. This is shown as if it is happening at the present moment, witnessed by all. But the appeal is made too late. Hence, the answer is not given to the person concerned. It is declared for all to understand. “By no means! It is but a word he says.” (Verse 100)
إنها مجرد كلمة لا تحمل إلا القليل من المعنى أو لا تحمل شيئًا منه، فلا تستحق أن تُعتبر. بل إن المتكلم نفسه لا يستحق أي اهتمام. وهي لا تعبّر عن أي صدق، بل إنما تصدر عن إدراك متأخر لعظم المشقة المقبلة. إنها تعبّر عن الضغط الشديد الذي يجد المتكلم نفسه تحته، لكنها لا تستند إلى أي قناعة.
It is only a word that carries little or no significance. It does not deserve to be considered. Indeed the speaker does not merit any attention. It does not express any sincerity; rather, it is prompted by the dawning awareness of the great difficulty ahead. It expresses the great stress the speaker finds himself under, but it has no basis in conviction.
وهكذا ينتهي المشهد الذي يصوّر المتكلّم في لحظة الموت. وفجأة تُقام الحواجز بينه وبين بقيّة العالم، فقد حُسم الأمر، وانقطعت الصلات، وأُغلقت الأبواب، وأُسدل الستار: ﴿وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ﴾ (الآية 100). فهم لا ينتمون إلى أهل هذه الحياة الدنيا، ولا إلى أهل الآخرة، بل هم في المرحلة الفاصلة بينهما، وستستمر هذه المرحلة حتى يُبعث الناس جميعًا.
Thus ends the image of the speaker at the point of death. Suddenly, barriers are raised between him and the rest of the world. The matter is settled, contacts are severed, doors closed and the curtain dropped: “Behind them there stands a barrier till the day when all will be raised from the dead.” (Verse 100) They neither belong to the people of this life, nor to those of the hereafter. They are in the stage in between, which will continue until all are resurrected.
تتحدث السورة الآن عن ذلك اليوم، فترسم صورةً لما يحدث فيه، وتعرضه أمام الجميع. قال تعالى: {فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلَا أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَاءَلُونَ} (الآية 101). تنقطع كل الروابط، ولا يبقى لكل القيم التي يلتزم بها الناس في هذه الحياة أي اعتبار. ‹فَلَا أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ› إذن. فالجو المهيب يُسكت الجميع، فلا ينطق أحد بكلمة، فضلاً عن أن يسأل بعضهم بعضاً.
The sūrah now speaks about that day, giving an image of what happens then and raising it for all to see. “Then, when the Trumpet is sounded, there will be no ties of kinship between them on that day, nor will they ask about one another.” (Verse 101) All bonds come to an end, and all values people observe in this life are no longer of any consequence. ‘There will be no ties of kinship’ then. The awesome atmosphere makes them all silent, with no one uttering as much as a word, let alone enquiring about others.
يُصوَّر هذا الحساب وَوزنُ الأعمال وتقديرُها على أنه يجري بسرعة: ﴿فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ * وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ * تَلْفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ وَهُمْ فِيهَا كَالِحُونَ﴾ (الآيات ١٠٢-١٠٤). ويُعرَض هذا المشهد في صورة مادية، تجري فيها الحركة والفعل، على النمط المعهود الذي يسلكه القرآن الكريم. ومن ثَمَّ نتمثّل مشهد أولئك المشركين وقد لفحتهم النار، فتغيّرت ألوانهم، واسودّت، وظهرت عليهم الكآبة والعبوس. وهي صورة مروِّعة تكاد تنقل الألم.
The process of reckoning and weighing up deeds and actions is shown to proceed with speed: “Those whose weight [of good deeds] is heavy in the scales will be successful; but those whose weight is light will have lost their souls and will abide in hell. The fire will scorch their faces, and therein they will look gloomy.” (Verses 102-104) This process is shown in a material image, with action and movement taking place, in the standard pattern the Qur’ān employs. Hence we dread the scene of those idolaters being scorched by the fire, their faces changing colour, darkening and looking full of gloom. It is a terrible image that almost transmits pain.
أولئك الذين خفّت موازينهم قد خسروا كل شيء، حتى أنفسهم. فإذا خسر الإنسان نفسه، فماذا يملك بعد ذلك؟ وماذا يبقى له؟ لقد خسر الشيء الذي يجعل وجوده ذا معنى، أو الذي يمنحه شخصيته.
Those with light weight have lost everything, including themselves. When a man loses himself, what else can he own? What is left for him? He has lost the very thing that makes his existence meaningful, or that gives him personality.
في هذا الموضع تتغيّر أسلوب السورة، فقد كانت حتى الآن تستعمل أسلوب الإخبار والحكاية.
At this point the sūrah changes style. So far, it has employed a reporting format.
ثم تغيّر الخطاب فصار موجّهًا إلى الناس أنفسهم، كأنه يقع في تلك اللحظة، فيبدأ حوارًا طويلًا: ﴿أَلَمْ تَكُنْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنْتُمْ بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ﴾ (الآية ١٠٥). فإذا سمعوا هذا السؤال ظنّوا أنهم مأذونٌ لهم في الكلام والاعتذار، وتوهّموا أنهم إن أقرّوا بذنبهم قُبل منهم العذر: ﴿قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ. رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ﴾ (الآيتان ١٠٦-١٠٧).
Now it makes a direct address, speaking to the people themselves. This makes the physical punishment, terrible as it certainly is, much less painful than the humiliation that is now poured on them. This address is stated as if it were taking place at that very moment, starting a long dialogue: “Were not My revelations read out to you, and did you not consider them as lies?” (Verse 105) When they hear this question they imagine that they are allowed to speak and make a plea. They think that perhaps if they admit their guilt, their plea might be accepted: “They will reply: Our Lord! Our misfortune has overwhelmed us, and so we went astray. Our Lord. Bring us out of this [suffering]. If ever We relapse, then we shall be wrongdoers indeed.” (Verses 106-107)
ويُظهر اعترافُهم بذنوبهم المرارةَ التي يعيشونها، فهم حقًّا بائسون. لكنهم تجاوزوا الحدودَ المسموحَ لهم بها. وتجاوزُها سوءُ أدبٍ، وهم يُخاطَبون من لدن الله تعالى نفسه. فلا يُباح لهم إلا أن يُجيبوا عن السؤال الموجَّه إليهم. والسؤال نفسه ربما كان على سبيل التوبيخ، ولا يتطلب جوابًا. ولذلك فهم مُعنَّفون بشدة:
Their admission of guilt tells of the bitter feelings they experience. They are indeed miserable. But they have exceeded the limits they are allowed. To go beyond these is to be impolite when they are addressed by none other than God. They are only permitted to answer the question put to them. Indeed the question is perhaps made only by way of rebuke, and it requires no answer. Hence they are strongly censured:
قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ
Note: the verse is quoted from Surah Al-Mu'minun (23:108), and the translation above reflects the Arabic wording as it appears in the Qur'an.
“He will say: Away with you into this ignominy! And do not plead with Me.” (Verse 108)
يُقال لهم: اسكتوا واصمتوا، كما يليق بمن أُذلّوا وحُقّرت منزلتهم.
They are told to shut up and remain silent as only befits people held in ignominy.
إِنَّهُمْ يَسْتَحِقُّونَ كُلَّ الْعِقَابِ وَالشَّقَاءِ الَّذِي يُلاقُونَهُ.
Indeed they deserve all the punishment and the misery they are made to suffer.
{إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ، فَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُمْ سِخْرِيًّا حَتَّىٰ أَنسَوْكُمْ ذِكْرِي وَكُنتُم مِّنْهُمْ تَضْحَكُونَ}
Among My servants there were those who said: ‘Our Lord. We believe in You. Forgive us and have mercy on us; for You are the best of those who show mercy’ But you made them the target of your derision to the point where it made you forget all remembrance of Me; and you went on laughing at them. (Verses 109-110)
لم يكن جُرمهم مجرد أنهم كفروا واتخذوا الكفر لأنفسهم سبيلاً، وهو في ذاته ذنب عظيم، بل تجاوزوا ذلك كثيراً، إذ بلغت بهم حماقتهم الوقحة حدَّ السخرية من المؤمنين الذين يدعون الله طلباً للرحمة والمغفرة. وقد استهزؤوا بهم مراراً حتى صار هذا الاستهزاء شغلهم الشاغل، فصدّهم عن ذكر الله وتعظيمه، وعن التفكر في الآيات الكثيرة التي جعلها الله في الكون تدلهم على الإيمان. وهم الآن مدعوّون إلى أن يقارنوا مكانتهم بمكانة أولئك الذين كانوا يسخرون منهم.
The crime they perpetrated was not merely that they disbelieved and made their rejection of the faith a personal matter, which is in itself a grave offence. They went much further by allowing their stupid impudence to go as far as ridiculing the believers who pray to God for mercy and forgiveness. They derided them so often that such derision became their main preoccupation, stopping them from remembering God and glorifying Him, and from reflecting on the numerous signs God has placed in the world pointing them in the direction of faith. They are now called upon to compare their own station with that of the people they ridiculed.
﴿إِنِّي جَزَيْتُهُمُ الْيَوْمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا ۙ أَنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ﴾ (الآية 111)
“Today I have rewarded them for their patience in adversity. Indeed it is they who have achieved triumph.” (Verse 111)
تَلِي هَذِهِ الْمَرْحَلَةَ مِنَ السُّؤَالِ مَرْحَلَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ مِنَ الِاسْتِجْوَابِ، بَعْدَ هَذَا الرَّدِّ الصَّارِمِ الْمُذِلِّ وَالْأَسْبَابِ الَّتِي أَدَّتْ إِلَيْهِ: ﴿قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ﴾ (الْآيَةُ ١١٢)
A new phase of interrogation follows this stern, humiliating reply and the reasons that led to it: “And He will ask: How many years have you spent on earth?” (Verse 112)
والله أعلم بالجواب، ولكن السؤال يُوجَّه إليهم للتأكيد على تفاهة الحياة الدنيا وقصر مدتها. ومع ذلك فقد باعوا الحياة الأبدية في الآخرة بنصيبهم من الحياة الدنيا. والآن يشعرون أنها كانت تافهة تماماً. وفي يأسهم يتعجلون، ولا يأبهون بتلك الحياة ولا بعدد سنينها: ﴿قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَاسْأَلِ الْعَادِّينَ﴾ (الآية 113). إن الضيق والحزن واليأس يفيض من ردّهم.
God certainly knows the answer, but the question is put to them to emphasize the triviality of life on earth and to stress the shortness of its duration. Yet they bartered the eternal life of the hereafter for their portion of life on earth. Now they feel that it was totally insignificant. In their despair they are impatient, and cannot bother about that life or its number of years: “They will answer: We have spent there a day, or part of a day; but ask those who keep count.” (Verse 113) Stress, grief and despair ooze from their reply.
يُعطَوْنَ جوابًا يُبيِّن لهم أنّ حياتهم في الدنيا قصيرة جدًّا بالنسبة إلى ما ينتظرهم، وأنهم لا يحتاجون إلا إلى أن يكون لديهم المقدار الصحيح. ﴿قَالَ إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا لَّوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ (الآية 114). ويُوبَّخون مرة أخرى توبيخًا شديدًا على تكذيبهم بالحياة الآخرة. ويقترن ذلك ببيان موجز للحكمة من البعث. وقد بيَّن الله هذه الحكمة بوضوح منذ الخلق الأول: ﴿أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ﴾ (الآية 115).
They are given an answer that tells them that their life on earth is very short compared to what awaits them. They only need to have the right measure. “He will say: Brief indeed was your sojourn, if you but knew it.” (Verse 114) Again they are strongly rebuked for denying the life to come. This is coupled with an outline of the purpose behind resurrection. This purpose has been clearly stated ever since the first creation: “Did you think that We created you in mere idle play, and that to Us you would not have to return?” (Verse 115)
إنَّ الحكمةَ من البعث، بل الحكمةَ من الخلق، أمرٌ واحد؛ فكلُّ شيءٍ مُقدَّرٌ بميزان، ومُحكَمٌ بدقة.
Indeed the purpose, or rather the wisdom behind resurrection is part of the wisdom behind creation. It is all well measured and accurately designed.
البعثُ ليس إلا مرحلةً تُكمِلُ بها دورةُ الخلقِ تمامَها.
Resurrection is no more than a stage that brings the cycle of creation to its fullness.
لا يغفل عن ذلك إلا من يبقى أعمى، ولا يرغب في التأمل في حكمة الله التي تتجلى بوضوح في كل مكان من الكون من حولنا.
Only those who remain blind, unwilling to reflect on God’s purpose which is clearly evident everywhere in the universe around us, will not see it.