Wannan sūrah tana da salo mai girma da ban tsoro, kamar dai muryar mai gargaɗi ce tsaye a wuri mai tsayi, yana ɗaga muryarsa yana bayyana ta da ƙarfi mai nauyi. Yana kiran mutane waɗanda suke barci, sun bugu, sun rikice. Suna gab da wani rami mai zurfi, idanunsu a rufe, zukatansu a sanyaye. Saboda haka mai gargaɗin yana ƙara ƙarfin muryarsa har iyakarsa: "Hankalinku yana shagaltuwa da hawan-hawan neman ƙari, har sai kun shiga kabarinku." (Ayoyi 1-2)
This sūrah has a rhythm that is both majestic and awe-inspiring; as if it were the voice of a warner standing on a high place, projecting his voice as it rings out in weighty emphasis. He calls out to people who are drowsy, drunken, confused. They approach a precipice with their eyes closed and their feelings numbed. So the warner increases the volume of his voice to the limit: “You are preoccupied by greed for more and more, until you go down to your graves.” (Verses 1-2)
Ku masu shaye-shaye da ruɗani! Ku da kuke jin daɗi da kuma yin gasa a kan dukiya, da 'ya'ya, da jin daɗin wannan rayuwa, wadda tabbas za ku bar ta! Ku da kuke shagaltuwa da abin da kuke da shi, ba ku sani ba abin da ke zuwa a bayan haka! Ku da za ku bar abin da ake gasa a kansa, da abin da kuke alfahari da shi, ku tafi zuwa wata rami matsattsiya inda babu gasa ko alfahari! Ku farka, ku duba kewayen ku, dukkanku! Lalle ne, "kuna shagaltuwa da hawan-hawan neman ƙari, har sai kun shiga kaburburanku." (Ayoyi 1-2)
You drunken and confused lot! You who take delight and indulge in rivalry for wealth, children and the pleasures of this life, from which you are sure to depart! You who are absorbed with what you have, unaware of what comes afterwards! You who will leave the object of this rivalry, and what you seek pride in, and go to a narrow hole where there is no rivalry or pride! Wake up and look around, all of you! For indeed, “you are preoccupied by greed for more and more, until you go down to your graves.” (Verses 1-2)
Sannan sūratu ta buga zukatansu da wata mummunar ƙarfi, da tsananin tsoron abin da ke jiransu bayan an bar su a cikin kaburburansu: "A'a, nan ba da daɗewa ba za ku sani." (Aya ta 3) Sa'an nan ta maimaita wannan magana iri ɗaya, da kalmomi iri ɗaya, da wannan ƙaƙƙarfan jituwa mai ban tsoro: "Sake dai, nan ba da daɗewa ba za ku sani!" (Aya ta 4) Sa'an nan ta ƙara zurfi da girma ga wannan tabbaci, kuma ta yi nuni ga wancan mummunan al'amari da ke bayan haka, wanda ainihin tsananinsa ba sa iya gane shi a cikin maye da gasa da suke yi don dukiyar duniya: "Kai! Da kun sani da tabbaci..." (Aya ta 5)
With a deep and grave rhythm the sūrah then strikes their hearts with the terror awaiting them after they are left in their graves: “Nay, in time you will come to know.” (Verse 3) Then it repeats the same note, employing the same words and the same firm and terrifying rhythm: “Again, in time you will come to know!” (Verse 4) Then it adds to the depth and awe of this assurance, and hints at the grave prospect that lies beyond, the terrifying essence of which they do not recognize in their flush of intoxication and rivalry for worldly riches: “Indeed, were you to know [the truth] with certainty...” (Verse 5)
Ba a kammala jumlar sharadi a cikin rubutun ba. Wannan karbabbiyar siga ce ta harshen Larabci da aka tsaftace, kuma tana ƙara jin girma da tsoron da surar ke haifarwa. Abin da ake nufi a nan shi ne: da a ce sun san abin da ya kamata su sani da tabbaci, da ba su shiga irin wannan gasa domin ƙaramin riba ba. Sannan surar ta bayyana abin tsoro da aka ɓoye: "Lallai za ku ga wutar Jahannama." (Aya ta 6)
The conditional sentence is not completed in the text. This is acceptable as a refined form of Arabic. It adds to the feeling of awe generated by the sūrah. The inference here is that had they known what they should know for certain, they would not have indulged in such rivalry for petty gain. The sūrah then discloses the fearful fact which has been withheld: “You would, most certainly, see the fire of hell.” (Verse 6)
Sannan ya jaddada wannan gaskiya kuma ya ƙara tasirinta a zukatan mutane: "Kuma lallai za ku gan ta da idanunku." (Aya ta 7)
It then emphasizes this fact and enhances its impact on people’s hearts: “Again, you will, most certainly, see it with your very eyes.” (Verse 7)
A ƙarshe, ayar ta zo da magana ta ƙarshe wadda ke sa mashayi ya farka, mai sanyin jiki ya zama mai hankali, wanda hankalinsa ya rabu ya zama mai nutsuwa, kuma mai bin son zuciya ya girgiza ya ji tsoro saboda yawan jin daɗinsa da kwanciyar hankali: "Sa'an nan a wannan rana lalle ne za a tambaye ku game da ni'imomi." (Aya ta 8)
Za a tambaye ku game da duk wannan: Ta yaya kuka samu ta? Ta yaya kuka yi amfani da ita? Shin an samo ta ne ta hanya halal, aka kuma yi amfani da ita bisa halal? Ko kuwa an same ta ta haramtacciyar hanya, aka yi amfani da ita cikin zunubi? Shin kun yabi Allah kuma kun gode masa saboda ita?
Finally, it puts the last statement which makes the drunkard sober, the lethargic conscious, the confused attentive and the self-indulgent tremble and feel apprehension at his indulgence in comfort and pleasure: “Then on that day you will certainly be questioned about your joys and comforts.” (Verse 8) You will be questioned concerning all this: How did you get it? How did you dispense with it? Was it obtained from a lawful source and dispensed with lawfully? Or was it gained unlawfully and used in a sinful manner? Have you praised and thanked God for it?
Shin kun bai wa talakawa haƙƙinsu? Shin kun ciyar da wani ɓangare nasa ga wasu? Ko kuwa kun mayar da shi duka naku kaɗai? "Za a tambaye ku" game da gasar da kuke yi wajen tara dukiya da tara ta, da kuma abin da kuke alfahari da shi. Nauyi ne da ku, a cikin shagalinku da jin daɗinku, ba ku damu da shi ba. Amma bayansa akwai nauyi mai girma.
Have you given the poor their due? Have you spent some of it on others? Or monopolized it all for your selves? “You will be questioned” about your rivalry in gathering and amassing wealth and about what you take pride in. It is a burden which you, in your preoccupation and enjoyment, think little of. But beyond it lie heavy responsibilities.
Wannan sūrah ce mai bayyana kanta. Tana barin tasiri a zukatanmu ta ma'anarta da kuma salonta na waƙa. Tana sa zuciya ta cika, ta yi nauyi da damuwar Lahira, ba ta damuwa da ƙananan abubuwan wannan rayuwar duniya da kuma ƙananan al'amuranta.
This is a self-expressing sūrah. It leaves its impact on us by its meaning and rhythm. It leaves the heart occupied, burdened with the problem of the hereafter, inattentive to the trivialities of this worldly life and its petty concerns.
Yana kwatanta rayuwar wannan duniya a matsayin kiftawar ido mai sauri cikin dogon zango na wanzuwa:
It portrays the life of this world as a fleeting wink in the long span of existence:
"Hankalinku ya shagaltu da tara abubuwa, har sai kun kai kabari." (Ayoyi 1-2) Kiftawar idon wannan rayuwa ta wuce, kuma ganyenta ƙarami ya juya. Bayan haka lokaci yana ci gaba da tafiya, nauyi kuma yana ƙara yawa. Salon wannan sūrah yana gabatar da wannan ma'ana, yana haɗa gaskiyar abin da ke faruwa da yadda ake bayyana ta, har su dace da juna.
“You are preoccupied by greed for more and more, until you go down to your graves.” (Verses 1-2) The wink of this life is over and its small leaf is turned. Thereafter time stretches on and the burdens become heavier. The style of the sūrah presents this inference, achieving harmony between the actual reality and its manner of expression.
Duk lokacin da muka karanta wannan sūrah mai ban mamaki da girma, muna jin rhythm ɗinta yana tafiya sama a sararin samaniya a farkon, sannan yana sauka zuwa zurfi, zurfi sosai a ƙarshen. Muna jin nauyin wannan ɗan kiftawar ido na rayuwa a kafaɗunmu yayin da muke tafiya a hankali cikin hanya. Sannan mu fara tambayar kanmu game da mafi ƙanƙanta kuma mafi ƙasƙanci cikin ayyukanmu.
Whenever we read this awe-inspiring and majestic sūrah, we feel its rhythm travelling upwards in space at the beginning and downwards to the deep, deep level at the end. We feel the burden of this wink of a life on our shoulders as we walk heavily along the road. Then we start questioning ourselves about the smallest and most trivial of our deeds.