Surah ta fara da hotunan tashin-tashina na duniya, wadanda aka kawo cikakken bayaninsu a Surah 81, 82 da kuma a baya a Surah 78, Duhun Da Ya Rufe, Rabuwar Sama da Tashin Labari, bi da bi. Sai dai wadannan hotuna yanzu suna samun wani salo na musamman ta hanyar jaddada cikakkiyar mika wuya ga Allah da sama da kasa suka yi: "Idan sama ta tsage, tana mai biyayya ga Ubangijinta cikin cikakkiyar mika wuya; idan kasa aka miƙe ta, ta fitar da abin da ke cikinta, ta kuma zama fanko, tana mai biyayya ga Ubangijinta cikin cikakkiyar mika wuya." (Ayoyi 1-5)

The sūrah opens by sketching a few images of the universal upheaval portrayed in greater detail in Sūrahs 81, 82 and earlier in Sūrah 78, The Darkening, Cleaving Asunder and The Tiding, respectively. These scenes, however, are now given a special tone by means of the emphasis placed on the complete submission to God by both heaven and earth: “When the sky is rent asunder, obeying her Lord in true submission; when the earth is stretched out and casts forth all that is within her and becomes empty, obeying her Lord in true submission.” (Verses 1-5)

Wannan kyakkyawar farkon, tare da jaddada miƙa wuya ga Allah, shi ne gabatarwa ga jawabin da ke biye da shi wanda ke ƙarfafa mutum ya yi ƙasƙantar da kai a gaban Ubangijinsa. Ana tunatar da mutum matsayinsa da makomarsa ta ƙarshe idan ya koma wurin Allah: "Ya ɗan Adam! Kana ta gwagwarmaya zuwa ga Ubangijinka, kuma za ka haɗu da shi. Wanda aka ba shi littafin ayyukansa a hannun damansa, zai sami sauƙaƙƙen lissafi a lokacin, kuma zai koma wurin iyalansa yana murna. Amma wanda aka ba shi littafin ayyukansa a bayan bayansa, zai kira halaka a kan kansa a lokacin, kuma zai shiga wutar Jahannama. Ya rayu cikin farin ciki a tsakanin iyalansa. Lallai ya zaci ba zai taɓa komawa ba. I, haka ne; Ubangijinsa yana lura da shi."

This powerful opening, with its emphasis on submission to God, is a foreword to the subsequent address encouraging man towards humbleness before his Lord. Man is reminded of his position and his ultimate destiny when he returns to God: “O man! You have been toiling towards your Lord, and you shall meet Him. He who is given his record in his right hand will in time have a lenient reckoning, and return rejoicing to his people. But he who is given his record behind his back will in time call down destruction upon himself and will enter the fire of hell. He lived joyfully among his people. He surely thought he would never return. Yes, indeed; his Lord was watching over him.” (Verses 6-15)

Kashi na uku na wannan sūrah yana zana hoton rayuwa a duniya wanda mutum ya sani sosai. Irin waɗannan hotuna suna nuna tsarin Allah, wanda yake duka mai tsari dalla-dalla kuma marar lahani. An yi rantsuwa don tabbatar da cewa dole ne mutane su rayu ta matakai da aka tsara da gangan, waɗanda ba za su iya tserewa daga cikinsu ba: "Na rantse da faɗuwar rana, da dare da abin da yake lulluɓewa, da wata a cikakkiyar siffarsa, lallai za ku haye daga mataki zuwa mataki." (Ayoyi 16-19)

"Lokacin da sama za ta tsage, tana mai biyayya ga Ubangijinta cikin cikakkiyar mika wuya; lokacin da ƙasa za a miƙe ta kuma ta jefar da abin da ke cikinta ta zama fanko, tana mai biyayya ga Ubangijinta cikin cikakkiyar mika wuya." (Ayoyi 1-5) An riga an yi bayani game da tsagewar sama a cikin tafsirin wasu sūrori. Sabon abu a nan shi ne mika wuya da cikakkiyar biyayyar sama ga Ubangijinta: "tana mai biyayya ga Ubangijinta cikin cikakkiyar mika wuya." (Aya ta 2)

“When the sky is rent asunder, obeying her Lord in true submission; when the earth is stretched out and casts forth all that is within her and becomes empty, obeying her Lord in true submission.” (Verses 1-5) The splitting of the sky has been dwelt upon in the commentary on other sūrahs. One new element here is the submission and complete obedience of the sky to her Lord: “obeying her Lord in true submission.” (Verse 2)

Wani sabon abu kuma shi ne miƙewar ƙasa: "Idan aka miƙe ƙasa." (Aya ta 3) Wannan na iya nufin faɗaɗa girmanta ko siffarta sakamakon tawaya ga dokokin halitta da ke tafiyar da ita da kuma kiyaye ta a yanayin da take a yanzu. Yadda aka faɗi wannan kalma a cikin salon bayyana aikatau (passive) yana nuna cewa wannan zai faru ta hanyar shigar wani ƙarfi na waje. "Kuma tana fitar da abin da ke cikinta, ta zama fanko." (Aya ta 4) Wannan misali yana zana ƙasa a matsayin wani abu mai rai da ke jefar da abin da ke cikinta, tana kawar da shi.

Another new element is the stretching of the earth: “When the earth is stretched out.” (Verse 3) This means perhaps an expansion of her size or shape as a result of a disruption of the laws of nature which govern her and preserve her in her present shape. The statement, made in the passive, suggests that this will be carried out through the intervention of an outside force. “And casts forth all that is within her and becomes empty.” (Verse 4) This image portrays the earth as a living entity casting out what is within her and getting rid of it.

Akwai abubuwa da yawa sosai a cikin ƙasa, halittu marasa adadi waɗanda suka rayu, suka mutu, aka kuma binne su tsawon lokaci mai tsawo, wanda tsawonsa ba wanda ya sani sai Allah. Haka kuma ya haɗa da yalwar ma'adanai, ruwa da sauran asiri waɗanda ba wanda ya sani sai Mahalicci. Ƙasa tana ɗauke da wannan nauyi duk tsara bayan tsara, har zuwa wannan ranar ƙarshe da za ta fitar da duk abin da ke cikinta.

There are indeed a great many things within the earth, countless types of creation that have lived, died and been buried over a long period of time, the span of which is known to no one but God. It also includes an abundant resource of metals, water and other secrets unknown except to the Creator. The earth carries all this load one generation after another until that final day when it casts forth all that is within her.

A cikin irin wannan yanayi na biyayya da sanin abin da ake yi, ana kiran mutum daga sama: "Ya kai mutum! Kai mai wahala ne zuwa ga Ubangijinka, kuma za ka haɗu da Shi." (Aya ta 6) "Ya kai mutum!" Ubangijinka ya halicce ka a cikin kyakkyawar sura. Ya ba ka ɗan adam wanda ke bambanta ka da sauran halitta. Wannan ɗan adam da ka samu yana ba ka wasu halaye waɗanda ya kamata su sa ka fi sanin Ubangijinka, kuma ka fi yin biyayya da mika wuya gare Shi fiye da sama da ƙasa. Ya ba mutum daga Ruhunsa, ya kuma ba shi ikon yin magana da Shi, karɓar haskensa, da kuma ƙawata kansa da alherin Allah domin ya kai matsayi mafi girma na kamala da mutum zai iya kaiwa. Wannan ba ƙaramin bambanci ba ne.

In such an atmosphere of conscious obedience, man is addressed from on high: “O man! You have been toiling towards your Lord, and you shall meet Him.” (Verse 6) “O man!” your Lord has made you in a perfect way. He has given you your humanity which distinguishes you from the rest of creation. Your humanity endows you with certain characteristics which should have made you more conscious of your Lord, and more obedient and submissive to Him than both the sky and the earth. He has given man of His own spirit and endowed him with the ability to communicate with Him, receive His light, ennoble himself with God’s grace in order to achieve the highest degree of perfection attainable by man. This is no little distinction.

"Ya kai mutum! Kai dai kana ta gwagwarmaya zuwa ga Ubangijinka, kuma za ka haɗu da Shi." (Ayah ta 6)

“O man! You have been toiling towards your Lord and you shall meet Him.” (Verse 6)

Lallai mutum yana wahala sosai a wannan rayuwa, yana ɗaukar nauyin ayyukansa da kuma yin ƙoƙari. Duk wannan yana yi ne domin ya koma a ƙarshe, kamar sauran halittu duka, zuwa ga Allah. Mutum yana wahala ko da domin abin da yake morewa! Babu abin da ke zuwa cikin sauƙi ko ba tare da ƙoƙari ba a wannan rayuwa: idan wani lokaci ba a buƙatar aikin jiki, to lallai ana buƙatar ƙoƙarin tunani da na zuciya. A wannan batu mai arziki da talaka daidai suke, ko da yake ƙoƙarin da ake yi na iya bambanta da nau'i da hanya. Wannan jawabi yana tunatar da mutum cewa wahala ita ce rabon kowa a wannan rayuwa ta duniya. Amma idan muka haɗu da Ubangijinmu, za mu rabu zuwa rukuni biyu: wani rukuni zai sha wahala wadda ba ta misaltuwa da wadda aka sha a duniya; ɗayan rukunin kuwa, wato waɗanda suka nuna biyayyarsu da miƙa wuya ta gaskiya, za su more hutu wanda a cikinsa za a manta da wahalar wannan rayuwa.

Man certainly labours hard in this life, shouldering his responsibilities and exerting himself. All this he does in order to return, in the end, like all the rest of creation, to God. Man labours even for what he enjoys! Nothing in this life comes easily or without effort: if sometimes no physical labour is needed, then surely some mental and emotional effort is required. In this the rich and poor are alike, although the labour exerted may differ in kind and form. This address reminds man that labouring hard is the lot of all in this life on earth. But when we meet our Lord, we will fall into two groups: one will suffer hardship incomparable to that suffered on earth; and the other, consisting of those who have demonstrated their obedience and true submission, will enjoy a rest in which the suffering of this life will be forgotten.

Sūrah ɗin sannan tana ambaton wasu al'amuran duniya a takaice. Duk da haka, mutane suna ci gaba da yin watsi da shaidar da irin waɗannan al'amura suke bayarwa game da tsarin da aka yi da gangan wajen halittar wannan duniya. Hakika, wannan tsarin ya haɗa da halittar mutum da kansa, da matakansa da sauye-sauyensa a rayuwa: "Na rantse da faɗuwar rana, da dare da abin da yake lulluɓewa, da wata a cikakkiyar siffarsa, lallai za ku ci gaba da tafiya, mataki bayan mataki." (Ayoyi 16-19) Rantsuwar, wadda ba ta kai tsaye ba a cikin rubutun Larabci, tana aiki ne wajen jawo hankalin mutum zuwa ga waɗannan al'amuran duniya baki ɗaya. Ma'anonin da ke cikin wannan rantsuwa suna dacewa sosai da ma'anonin farkon sūrah da al'amuran da aka kwatanta a can. Faɗuwar rana tana nufin lokacin nutsuwa bayan faɗuwar rana, lokacin da rai yake cika da wani zurfin tsoro da girmamawa. A irin wannan lokaci, zuciya takan ji muhimmancin rabuwa da abokin ƙauna, da baƙin ciki mai natsuwa da damuwa mai zurfi da hakan ke kawowa. Haka kuma tana jin tsoron duhun da ke kusantowa.

The sūrah then refers briefly to some worldly scenes. People, however, continue to overlook the evidence such scenes provide of the deliberate planning that has gone into the making of this world. Indeed, this planning includes the creation of man himself, and his phases and transitions through life: “I swear by the twilight, and by the night and what it envelops, and by the moon in her full perfection, that you shall certainly move onward, stage after stage.” (Verses 16-19) The oath, which is indirect in the Arabic text, serves to draw man’s attention to these universal scenes. The connotations here are in perfect harmony with those of the opening of the sūrah and the scenes portrayed there. The twilight refers to that period of stillness after sunset when the soul is overwhelmed by a deep feeling of awe. The heart feels, at such a time, the significance of parting with a beloved companion, and the quiet sadness and deep melancholy this involves. It also experiences fear of the approaching darkness.

“Kuma da dare da abin da yake lulluɓewa.” (Aya ta 17) Abin da dare yake lulluɓewa an bar shi ba a bayyana ba, domin ƙara tasiri. Tunani zai iya yawo nesa-nesa yayin da mutum yake tunanin abubuwan da dare zai iya ɓoyewa na al'amura da ji. Amma yawon tunani ba zai iya ɗaukar dukkan hotunan da wannan ƙaramar aya ta Alƙur'ani take haifarwa ba, “Kuma da dare da abin da yake lulluɓewa.” Sai mu tsinci kanmu cikin wani yanayi mai cike da girmamawa wanda ya dace daidai da nutsuwa da girman da ke tare da lokacin faɗuwar rana.

“And by the night and what it envelops.” (Verse 17) What the night envelops is left unspecified to enhance the effect. Imagination can travel far and wide as one thinks of what the night may conceal of events and feelings. But the travels of the imagination cannot capture all the images generated by the short Qur’ānic verse, “And by the night and what it envelops.” We are left with an overwhelming feeling of reverence which is in perfect harmony with the stillness and awe associated with the twilight.

Daga nan sai aka bayyana mamaki ga waɗanda suke ci gaba da ƙin imani duk da cewa suna da waɗannan alamu da duk wannan hujja mai yawa a cikin kansu da kuma a duniya baki ɗaya, waɗanda ke nuna gaskiya: "To me ya sa ba sa yin imani?" Ko kuma, "idan aka karanta musu Alƙur'ani, ba sa faɗuwa sujjada?" (Ayoyi 20-21) Lallai, me ya sa ba sa karɓar imani? Akwai alamomi masu yawa a cikin sararin duniya da kuma cikin rai waɗanda ke nuna cewa hanyar imani ita ce hanya madaidaiciya. Suna da yawa, zurfafa kuma masu ƙarfi, don haka suna kewaye zuciya idan ta yi ƙoƙarin guduwa daga gare su. Amma idan wani ya saurare su, to suna magana da shi cikin abota da ƙauna.

There then follows an expression of wonder at those who persist in their denial of the faith when they have all these signs and all this abundant evidence within themselves and in the world at large which indicates the truth: “Why then do they not accept the faith?” Or, “when the Qur’ān is read to them, they do not fall down in prostration?” (Verses 20-21) Indeed, why do they not accept the faith? There are numerous indications in the universe and within the soul which point out that the path of faith is the right path. They are at once numerous, profound and powerful, so they besiege the heart if it tries to run away from them. But if someone listens to them, then they address him in a friendly and affectionate way.

Alƙur'ani yana magana da su cikin harshen fitrar ɗan adam tsantsa. Yana buɗe zuciya zuwa ga gaskiya, yana kuma nuna hujjojinta duka a cikin kansu da kuma bayan sararin sama. Yana tadar da tsoron Allah, tawali'u, biyayya da mika wuya ga Mahaliccin duniya a zukatan mutane. Furucin nan, "faɗuwa a sujjada," yana nufin waɗannan ji. Duniya tana da girma da burgewa: tana ba da alamu masu yawa, abubuwan da ke motsa hankali da lokuta na tsarki, waɗanda duk suna haɗuwa don tayar da amsa mai shiri da mika wuya da yardar rai a cikinmu. Alƙur'ani ma yana da kyau da burgewa; yana haɗa zuciyar ɗan adam da wannan duniya mai ban sha'awa, saboda haka kuma da Mahaliccin da ya halicce ta. Yana ba mu jin gaskiya game da duniya wanda kuma yana nuna gaskiyar halitta da Mahalicci. Saboda haka mamakin: "To me ya sa ba sa yin imani? Ko kuma idan an karanta musu Alƙur'ani, ba sa faɗuwa a sujjada?" (Ayoyi 20-21)

The Qur’ān addresses them in the language of pure human nature. It opens the heart to the truth and points out its evidence both within themselves and over the horizon. It kindles in people’s hearts God-consciousness, humbleness, obedience and submission to the Creator of the universe. The expression, “fall down in prostration,” refers to these feelings. The universe is splendid and inspiring: it offers a multitude of signs, mental stimuli and moments of purity which combine to arouse in us a ready response and a willing submission. The Qur’ān is also superb and inspiring; it links the human heart with the splendid universe and, consequently, with the Creator who made it. It gives us a feeling of truth about the universe which also demonstrates the truth of creation and the Creator. Hence the wonder: “Why then do they not accept the faith? Or, when the Qur’ān is read to them, they do not fall down in prostration?” (Verses 20-21)