Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 1

This surah is among the early surahs revealed in Makkah. Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said regarding Surah Bani Isra’il, Kahf, Maryam, Ta-Ha, and Surah Anbiya: [ هُنَّ مِنَ الْعِتَاقِ الْأُوَلِ وَهُنَّ مِنْ تَلاَدِيْ ] “These are among the first ancient surahs and they are from my ancient treasures.” [ بخاري، التفسیر، سورۃ الأنبیاء : ۴۷۳۹ ]

(Ayah 1) ➊ { اِقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ : ’’ اِقْتَرَبَ ‘‘ ’’ قَرِبَ يَقْرَبُ ‘‘} (ʿ, k) is the past tense of the verb from the form iftiʿāl. By adding letters, the meaning is intensified, so it is translated as “has drawn very near.” In {’’ غَفْلَةٍ ‘‘}, the tanween is for magnification, so it is translated as “heavy heedlessness.”

➋ The word { ’’ اَلنَّاسُ‘‘ } is general, meaning the reckoning of all people has drawn very near, yet they have no concern for it; rather, they are immersed in heavy heedlessness, that is, absorbed in worldly interests. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) interpreted {’’ فِيْ غَفْلَةٍ‘‘} as {’’ غَفْلَةُ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا ‘‘} (the heedlessness of the people of the world). [ بخاري : ۴۷۳۰ ] See Surah Maryam (39).

➌ In the word {حِسَابُهُمْ : }, reckoning includes both the reckoning of this world and the Hereafter. The reckoning in this world, as happened to the disbelievers of Quraysh in the form of Badr and the conquest of Makkah, and every person faces it once or twice a year, as Allah the Exalted said: «{ اَوَ لَا يَرَوْنَ اَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُوْنَ فِيْ كُلِّ عَامٍ مَّرَّةً اَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوْبُوْنَ وَ لَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُوْنَ }» [ التوبۃ : ۱۲۶ ] “And do they not see that they are tried once or twice every year? Yet they neither repent nor do they take heed.” Immediately after the reckoning of this world, reckoning will occur in the form of death, when the angels will be extracting the souls of the disbelievers, saying: «{ اَخْرِجُوْۤا اَنْفُسَكُمْ اَلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُوْنِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَقُوْلُوْنَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَ كُنْتُمْ عَنْ اٰيٰتِهٖ تَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ}» [ الأنعام : ۹۳ ] “Bring out your souls; today you will be awarded the punishment of humiliation for what you used to say against Allah without right and for your arrogance regarding His signs.” After death, reckoning will occur in the form of questioning in the grave, and finally, on the Day of Resurrection, there will be the reckoning. All these reckonings are included in the word “reckoning,” but the Day of Reckoning is famous as the Day of Resurrection, so most commentators have mentioned only that here. The reality is that all these stages of reckoning are very near. Some forms of reckoning occur daily in life, and no one doubts the nearness of death. As for the Resurrection, although it seems distant to people, every coming thing is near, no matter how long the wait, as Allah the Exalted said: «{ اِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهٗ بَعِيْدًا (6) وَ نَرٰىهُ قَرِيْبًا }» [ المعارج : ۶، ۷ ] “Indeed, they see it as distant, but We see it as near.” Also see Surah Nahl (1), Hajj (47), and Qamar (1). In this respect, too, the Day of Reckoning has drawn very near, as most of the duration of the world has passed. Now, after the coming of the last Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), no other prophet will come; rather, the Resurrection will come. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ بُعِثْتُ أَنَا وَالسَّاعَةُ كَهَاتَيْنِ يَعْنِيْ إِصْبَعَيْنِ ] “I and the Hour have been sent like these two fingers (close together).” [ بخاري، الرقاق، باب قول النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : بعثت أنا والساعۃ کھاتین : ۶۵۰۵، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ ]

➍ { مُعْرِضُوْنَ :} That is, the condition of the people is such that, despite their reckoning having drawn very near, they are in such heavy heedlessness that they turn away from every reminder. With the word {’’اَلنَّاسُ‘‘}, all people are warned about the nearness of the reckoning, but in the following verses, the heedlessness and aversion of the disbelievers and polytheists is highlighted even more. What doubt is there in the heedlessness and aversion of a person who, even knowing, does not take heed that he will certainly die, only because the day of death or Resurrection has not been specified for him? His example is like that of a lazy student who knows that the exam will certainly take place, but is unconcerned only because the date of the exam has not yet been announced. Ibn Kathir has quoted here a verse of poetry by Abu al-ʿAtahiyah:

{اَلنَّاسُ فِيْ غَفَلاَتِهِمْ ¤ وَ رَحَي الْمَنِيَّةِ تَطْحَنُ}

“People are absorbed in their heedlessness, while the mill of death continues to grind.”