This short sūrah outlines the essentials of faith and the basics of belief as matters of great importance. It sheds a powerful and searching light over these essentials in order to reveal what lies beyond the elementary facts expressed in the text. Every verse, and sometimes every word, in this sūrah virtually opens a window overlooking a limitless world of truth.

The immediate theme of the sūrah is the pit incident, when a community of believers who lived before the advent of Islam, said to be unitarian Christians, were faced by ruthless and tyrannical enemies who sought to force them away from their faith. The believers refused. The tyrants then lit a great fire in a pit they had dug, and threw them into it. The believers were thus burnt to death in front of large crowds that had gathered to witness this ghastly act of extermination. The tyrants sat by, amused by the believers’ sufferings: “They took vengeance on them for no reason other than that they believed in God, the Almighty, to whom all praise is due.” (Verse 8)

The sūrah starts with an oath: “By the heaven with its constellations, by the promised day, by the witness and that which is witnessed, slain be the people of the pit.” (Verses 1-4)

In this way the sūrah links heaven and its magnificent constellations, the promised Day of Judgement and its great events, the multitudes which witness that day and the events they witness with the pit incident and God’s anger with the aggressors responsible for it. The sūrah then proceeds to portray the tragic scene in a few, quick flashes which demonstrate the horror without dwelling on detail.

It includes a reference to the greatness of faith which exalted itself over the tyrants’ atrocious cruelty and triumphed over the fire, attaining a level of sublimity which is an honour to all mankind. It also refers to the heinous crime and the evil and injustice it involves in comparison with the sublimity, innocence and purity of the believers: “Slain be the people of the pit of the fire abounding in fuel, when they sat around it, watching what they did to the believers.” (Verses 4-7)

Then follows a series of short comments stating a number of principles which are highly important to the Islamic faith, its outlook and advocacy. We have firstly a reference to the fact that all the heavens and earth are part of God’s kingdom and to His witnessing of all that takes place in them. He is the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth, who witnesses all.

Secondly, we have a reference to the burning in hell which awaits the tyrants, and a reference to the perfect heavenly bliss which awaits the believers who choose faith over life and exalt themselves despite their persecution. The believers’ action is referred to as the great triumph: “Those who persecute the believers, men and women, and do not repent shall suffer the punishment of hell, and suffer the punishment of burning. But those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have gardens through which running waters flow; that is the supreme triumph.” (Verses 10-11)

A further reference is made to the power with which God smites His enemies and to the fact that He creates and brings back to life after death: “Stern indeed is your Lord’s vengeance. It is He who brings into being, and then restores to life.” (Verses 12-13)

This relates directly to the lives blotted out in the pit incident.

The sūrah then mentions some of the divine attributes, each of which has a specific relevance to the subject matter of the sūrah: “He is All-Forgiving, Compassionate.” (Verse 14) He forgives those who repent regardless of the enormity and horror of their sins. He also loves His servants who choose Him. His love is the soothing balsam which heals whatever injuries they may have suffered. “Lord of the Throne, Glorious, He does whatever He wills.” (Verses 15-16) These attributes portray God’s absolute will, dominance and power, all of which are relevant to the event discussed in the sūrah.

Then follows a reference to examples of God’s punishment of tyrants even though they were heavily armed. “Have you heard the story of the hosts, of Pharaoh and Thamūd?” (Verses 17-18) These were two very different instances of God’s punishment with widely different effects. Along with the pit horror, they carry numerous implications.

Finally, the sūrah explains the situation of the unbelievers and that God surrounds them though they may be unaware of the fact. “Yet the unbelievers persist in their denial [of the truth]. But God surrounds them all.” (Verses 19-20) It concludes with a statement of the truth of the Qur’ān and its blessed origin: “This is indeed a glorious Qur’ān, inscribed on an imperishable tablet.”(Verses 21-22)

“By the heaven with its constellations, by the promised day, by the witness and that which is witnessed.” (Verses 1-3) Before making any reference to the pit event, the sūrah opens with an oath by a heaven full of constellations. The Arabic term, burūj, used for ‘constellations’ may be taken to mean the huge mass of planets which resemble great towers or palaces built in the sky. In this sense the verse can be related to two other verses: “We built heaven with Our might, and gave it a wide expanse.” (51: 47) and, “Which is stronger in constitution: you or the heaven He has built?” (79: 27) The Arabic term may, alternatively, be interpreted as meaning the positions between which these planets move as they go round in orbit. These constitute the spheres within which the planets remain as they move. This reference to the constellations however, gives an impression of a huge creation. This is, indeed, the connotation intended at the outset.

“By the promised day.” (Verse 2) That is the day when judgement is passed on all the events of this life and when the accounts of this world are settled. It is a day God has promised will come, and is a great day awaited by all creation. “By the witness and that which is witnessed.” (Verse 3) On that day all deeds and creatures are exposed and witnessed. Everybody becomes a witness. Everything becomes known as there is no cover to hide anything from beholding eyes.

References to the heaven and the constellations, the promised day, the witness and what is witnessed all combine to impart an aura of seriousness, concern, attention and momentum to the manner in which the pit event is related. They also provide the framework in which the event is viewed, judged and settled on the basis of its true nature. It is a framework stretching far beyond the limits of this short life.

Having thus provided the desired atmosphere, the sūrah then refers to the event in just a few brief strokes. “Slain be the people of the pit of the fire abounding in fuel, when they sat around it, watching what they did to the believers. They took vengeance on them for no reason other than that they believed in God, the Almighty, to whom all praise is due, to whom the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs. But God is witness of all things.” (Verses 4-9)

Reference to the event starts with a declaration of anger with the tyrants: “Slain be the people of the pit.” (Verse 4) It also gives an impression of the enormity of the crime which has invoked the displeasure and anger of God, the All-Clement, and which makes Him threaten the perpetrators. We then have a description of the pit: “The fire abounding in fuel.” (Verse 5) The literal meaning of ‘pit’ is a hole in the ground, but the sūrah defines it as ‘the fire’ instead of using the term ‘trench’ or ‘hole’ in order to give an impression that the whole pit was turned into a blazing furnace.

“Those who persecute the believers, men and women, and do not repent shall suffer the punishment of hell, and suffer the punishment of burning. But those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have gardens through which running waters flow; that is the supreme triumph.” (Verses 10-11) What happens on earth in this first life is not the end of the story. There remains an inevitable part which will follow later. There remains the allocation of awards, which will restore the balance of justice and provide the final settlement of what took place between the believers and the tyrants.

That it will come is certain and confirmed by God: “Those who persecute the believers, men and women” and persist with their evil ways, careless, unrepentant, “and do not repent shall suffer the punishment of hell, and suffer the punishment of burning.” Burning is specified although it is also implied by the very mention of hell.

It earns its specific mention in order to serve as a counterpart to the burning in the pit. Although the same word signifying the action is used, the two types of burning are dissimilar in intensity and duration. The burning here is by fire lit by human beings while the burning in the hereafter is by fire lit by the Creator. In this present world, the burning is over in a few minutes while in the hereafter it goes on for ages unknown except to God. The believers who suffer the burning here earn with it God’s pleasure, and ensure the triumph of that noble human concept referred to earlier. In the hereafter the burning is attended by God’s anger and man’s abject degradation.

Paradise symbolizes God’s pleasure with righteous believers and His reward to them. “But those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have gardens through which running waters flow; that is the supreme triumph.” (Verse 11) The Arabic term, fawz, used here for triumph also connotes escape and success. To escape the punishment of the hereafter is to achieve success. How to describe, then, the reward of gardens with running waters! With this conclusion justice is restored and the whole question is finally resolved.

What has taken place on earth is no more than one part; the matter remains unfinished here. This is the fact emphasized by this initial comment on the pit event, so that it may be fully comprehended by the few believers who have accepted the faith in Makkah, and by every group of believers subjected to trial and tyranny during any period of history.

Further comments follow: “Stern indeed is your Lord’s vengeance.” (Verse 12) This comment suitably contrasts God’s punishment with the petty and trifling vengeance exacted by tyrants, and thought by them and by people generally to be very powerful. The real power is that levelled by the Almighty, to whom belongs the heavens and the earth, not that levelled by insignificant people who impose their rule over a limited piece of land for a limited period of time.

The statement also emphasizes the relationship between the addressee, namely, God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) and the speaker, who is God Almighty. He says to him, “stern indeed is your Lord’s vengeance.” He is your Lord, in whose Godhead you believe, and on whose assistance you rely. This relationship is very significant in situations where believers are afflicted by tyrants.

“It is He who brings into being, and then restores to life.” (Verse 13) In their wider connotations, origination and restoration refer to the first and second processes of bringing into life. The two terms, however, signify two events which constantly take place. In every moment there is origination as well as restoration of what has died and decayed. The whole universe is in a state of continuous renovation, and constant decay. Within the context of this ever-repeated cycle of origination and re-origination the whole affair of the pit and its apparent results seem to be, in reality, no more than a beginning of what can be created anew, or a re-creation of what has already been originated. It is part of a continuous process.

“He is All-Forgiving, Compassionate.” (Verse 14) Forgiveness relates to the earlier statement: “and do not repent”. Forgiveness is part of God’s mercy and grace which have no limits or restrictions. It is an open door which is never closed in the face of anyone who repents, no matter how grave his sins are. Compassion, however, relates to the believers’ attitude who choose their Lord in preference to all things. It is a generous touch of divine benevolence. God elevates His servants who love and choose Him to a grade which one would hesitate to describe except for the fact that God, out of His blessing, bestows it. It is the grade of friendship between Lord and servant. It is a tie of love which exists between God and His favoured servants. How insignificant the transitory life they have sacrificed and the momentary affliction they have suffered appear when compared to only a small part of this splendid and tender love. Some of those who live in servitude to another human being take fatal risks in order to win a word of encouragement or receive a sign of pleasure from their master. They do this although both master and servant are God’s slaves. What, then, should be the attitude of God’s servants who receive that compassionate love and benevolence from the “Lord of the Throne, the Glorious”, the All- Powerful, the Sublime. So petty becomes life, so paltry becomes all suffering, and so trifling becomes every treasured object when the pleasure of the loving Lord of the Throne is at stake.