سُوْرَةُ الْقَلَمِ
Surah Al-Qalam (68) — Ayah 42
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ﴿42﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate themselves (to Allâh), but they (hypocrites) shall not be able to do so.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَوْمَ
yawma
(The) Day
يُكْشَفُ
yuk'shafu
will be uncovered
عَن
ʿan
from
سَاقٍۢ
sāqin
the shin
وَيُدْعَوْنَ
wayud'ʿawna
and they will be called
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلسُّجُودِ
l-sujūdi
prostrate
فَلَا
falā
but not
يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
yastaṭīʿūna
they will be able
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
42. 1. Some have interpreted "kashf saaq" as referring to the terrors of the Day of Resurrection [ ا۔ ی ], but an authentic hadith explains its interpretation as follows: On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will uncover His shin (in a manner befitting His majesty), and every believing man and woman will prostrate before Him. However, those who used to prostrate for show and fame will remain; they will want to prostrate, but the vertebrae of their spine will become a single bone like a plank, due to which it will be impossible for them to bow down (Sahih Bukhari). What will Allah's shin be like? How will He uncover it? We neither know nor can describe this reality. Therefore, just as we believe without asking how and without doubt in His eyes, ears, hands, etc., similarly, the mention of the shin is in the Quran and hadith, and it is necessary to believe in it without asking how. This is the way of the Salaf and the hadith scholars.
