Wannan sūratu gajeriya ce, tana bayyana muhimman abubuwan imani da ginshiƙan akida, waɗanda suke da matuƙar muhimmanci. Tana jefa haske mai ƙarfi da zurfi kan waɗannan muhimman abubuwa, domin ta bayyana abin da ke bayan gaskiyar farko da aka faɗa a cikin rubutun. Kowace aya, wani lokaci ma kowace kalma, a cikin wannan sūrah, tana buɗe kamar taga da ke kallon duniya marar iyaka ta gaskiya.

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.

Babban jigon wannan sūrah shi ne lamarin ramin wuta, lokacin da wata al'umma ta muminai waɗanda suka rayu kafin zuwan Musulunci, wacce ake cewa Kiristoci masu imani da Allah ɗaya ce, suka fuskanci maƙiya marasa tausayi kuma azzalumai waɗanda suke neman tilasta su barin addinansu. Muminan suka ƙi. Sai azzaluman suka cinna wuta mai girma a cikin ramin da suka haƙa, suka jefa su a cikinsa. Haka muminan suka mutu da wuta a gaban manyan taron jama'a da suka taru domin shaida wannan mummunan aikin kisan kiyashi. Azzaluman suna zaune suna kallo, suna jin daɗin wahalar muminan: "Ba su ramawa a kansu ba sai dai don sun yi imani da Allah, Mai iko, Abin godiya."(Aya ta 8)

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)

Suratun ta fara da rantsuwa: "Ina rantsuwa da sama mai ɗauke da taurari, da rana alkawari, da mai shaida da abin da ake shaida, an la'ance mutanen ramin wuta." (Ayoyi 1-4)

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)

Ta haka surar ta haɗa sama da taurarinta masu girma, Ranar Sakamako da aka yi alkawarinta da manyan al'amuranta, taron mutane da suke shaida wannan rana da abubuwan da suke gani, tare da lamarin ramin nan da fushin Allah ga azzaluman da suka aikata shi. Sannan surar ta ci gaba da zana yanayin bala'in nan cikin ƴan walƙiya masu sauri, waɗanda ke nuna firgicin ba tare da yin dogon bayani kan cikakkun bayanai ba.

“Ta sama mai taurari masu yawa, da ranar alkawari, da mai shaida da abin da ake shaida.” (Ayoyi 1-3) Kafin yin wani ambato game da al'amarin ramin, surar ta fara da rantsuwa da sama mai cike da taurari. Kalmar Larabci, burūj, da aka yi amfani da ita don ‘taurari’ ana iya fahimtarta da ma'anar babban taro na duniyoyi wadanda suke kama da manyan hasumiyai ko fadoji da aka gina a sama. A wannan ma'ana ayar tana iya danganta da wasu ayoyi biyu: “Mun gina sama da ikonmu, kuma Muka ba ta fadi mai yawa.” (51: 47) da kuma, “Wane ne mafi karfin hali: ku ko sama da Ya gina?” (79: 27) Kalmar Larabci kuma za a iya fassara ta da ma'anar wuraren da duniyoyin ke tafiya tsakaninsu yayin da suke zagayawa a kewayensu. Wadannan su ne sararin da duniyoyin ke zama a cikinsa yayin motsinsu. Sai dai wannan ambaton taurari yana ba da ra'ayin halitta mai girma. Lallai wannan ita ce ma'anar da aka nufa tun daga farko.

“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.

"Ta rantsuwa da ranar alkawari." (Aya ta 2) Wannan ita ce ranar da ake yanke hukunci a kan dukan abubuwan da suka faru a wannan rayuwa, kuma lokacin da ake daidaita lissafin duniya. Ranar ce da God ya yi alkawarin zuwanta, kuma babbar rana ce da dukan halitta ke jira. "Ta rantsuwa da mai shaida da abin da ake shaida." (Aya ta 3) A wannan rana ana bayyana dukan ayyuka da halittu, a shaida su. Kowa ya zama mai shaida. Kowane abu zai zama sananne, domin babu wani abu da zai iya ɓoyewa daga idanu masu kallo.

“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.

"Waɗanda suke azabtar da muminai, maza da mata, kuma ba su tuba ba, to, suna da azabar Jahannama, kuma suna da azabar ƙuna. Amma waɗanda suka yi imani kuma suka aikata aiki nagari, to, suna da gonaki waɗanda koguna ke gudana a ƙarƙashinsu; wannan ita ce babbar nasara." (Ayoyi 10-11) Abin da ke faruwa a duniya a wannan rayuwar ta farko ba shi ne ƙarshen labari ba. Akwai sauran wani bangare da babu makawa zai biyo baya daga baya. Akwai rabon lada, wanda zai maido da daidaiton adalci, kuma ya ba da hukunci na ƙarshe kan abin da ya faru tsakanin muminai da azzalumai.

“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.

Tabbas zai faru kuma Allah ya tabbatar da hakan: "Waɗanda suka tsananta wa muminai, maza da mata," suka ci gaba da mugayen ayyukansu, ba su damu ba, ba su tuba ba, "to, za su sha azabar Jahannama, kuma za su sha azabar ƙonawa." An ambaci ƙonawa a fili, duk da cewa an riga an fahimce ta ta hanyar ambaton Jahannama kanta.

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.

Yana samun wannan ambaton ne domin ya zama kishiyar ƙonawar da ake yi a cikin rami. Duk da cewa ana amfani da kalma ɗaya wajen nuna aikin, ƙonawar nan da ƙonawar lahira sun bambanta da tsanani da kuma tsawon lokaci. Ƙonawar nan ta duniya da wuta da mutane suka kunna ne, yayin da ƙonawar lahira kuwa da wutar da Mahalicci ya kunna ne. A wannan duniya, ƙonawar tana ƙarewa cikin ƴan mintuna, amma a lahira tana ci gaba har tsawon zamanai da ba wanda ya san tsawonsu sai Allah. Muminai da ke shan ƙonawa a nan duniya suna samun yardar Allah ta hanyarta, kuma suna tabbatar da nasarar wannan kyakkyawan ra'ayin ɗan adam da aka ambata a baya. A lahira kuwa, ƙonawar tana tare da fushin Allah da wulaƙancin mutum ƙasƙantacce.

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.

"Tabbas azabar Ubangijinka tana da tsanani." (Aya ta 12) Wannan sharhi ya bambanta azabar Allah da hukuncin wulakanci da mugayen sarakuna ke aiwatarwa, wanda su da mutane gaba ɗaya ke ganin yana da ƙarfi sosai. Ƙarfin gaskiya shi ne wanda Mai Iko Duka ke da shi, wanda sammai da ƙasa nasa ne, ba wanda ƙananan mutane ke da shi ba, waɗanda ke mulkin wani ƙaramin yanki na ƙasa na ɗan lokaci kaɗan.

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.

Bayanin kuma yana jaddada dangantakar da ke tsakanin wanda ake magana da shi, watau Manzon Allah ﷺ, da mai magana, wanda shi ne Allah Maɗaukakin Sarki. Yana ce masa, "Lalle azabar Ubangijinka mai tsanani ce." Shi ne Ubangijinka, wanda kake yin imani da Ubangijintakarsa, kuma wanda kake dogara da taimakonsa. Wannan dangantaka tana da muhimmanci sosai a yanayin da muminai suke fuskantar azabtarwa daga azzalumai.

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.

"Shi ne Yake ƙagawa, sa'an nan yake mayar da shi zuwa rai." (Ayah ta 13) A faɗin ma'anarsu, ƙagawa da mayarwa suna nufin matakin farko da na biyu na kawo rai. Amma kalmomin nan biyu suna nuni ga al'amura guda biyu da ke faruwa koyaushe. A kowane lokaci akwai ƙagawa, haka nan kuma akwai mayar da abin da ya mutu kuma ya lalace. Dukkan duniya tana cikin yanayin sabuntawa da lalacewa ba ƙarewa. A cikin wannan zagayen da ake maimaitawa na ƙagawa da sake ƙagawa, dukkan al'amarin ramin da sakamakonsa da ake gani, a gaskiya, ba ya wuce farkon abin da za a iya ƙirƙira sabo, ko sake ƙirƙirar abin da aka riga aka ƙaga. Wani sashi ne na tsari mai ci gaba.

“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.