The Noble Quran: English Translation of Surah Al-Mursalat Ayah 1-15
77:1 By that sent forth successively.
77:2 And by that blow violently.
77:3 And by that spread far and wide.
77:4 And by that separate with a distinct separation.
77: 5 And by that deliver a reminder,
77:6 cutting off excuses or warnings.
77:7 Indeed, what you are promised shall come to pass.
77:8 When the stars shall be put out,
77:9 and heaven shall be split,
77:10 and the mountains shall be blown away.
77:11 And when the messengers’ time is set.
77:12 For what Day are they delayed?
77:13 For the Day of Decision.
77:14 And what shall make you know what the Day of Decision is?
77:15 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Tafsir
77:1 By that sent forth successively.
77:2 And by that blow violently.
77:3 And by that spread far and wide.
77:4 And by that separate with a distinct separation.
77: 5 And by that deliver a reminder,
77:6 cutting off excuses or warnings.
Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the winds when they blow successively, the winds that blow violently, and the angels responsible for the clouds as they drive them by the will of Allah to different places. He also swears by the angels that Allah sent with the revelation containing what distinguishes the truth from falsehood, and the angels that bring the revelation of Allah to His Prophets. By bringing the revelation of Allah to His Prophets, the excuses of people will be cut off and they will be warned of the evil consequences of following the path of misguidance.
77:1 By that sent forth successively.
The scholars of Tafsir mention the following meanings for [77:1 By that sent forth successively.]: 1) They are the winds when they blow successively. 2) They are the angels that Allah sends with His commands and prohibitions. 3) They are the messengers of Allah. 4) They are the angels and the winds.
After mentioning the opinions of the scholars, Imam Muhammad Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said, ‘The correct opinion is that Allah, Exalted be He, swears by that sent forth successively. The angels may be sent forth, and the winds may also be sent forth. No one of these meanings is intended to the exclusion of the other. Allah, Exalted be He, swears by all that is sent forth. Thus, all that have such a description are included in the oath whether an angel, wind, or a human Messenger sent by Allah.
As for the meaning of [77:2 And by that blow violently.], the majority of scholars say that they refer to the winds when they blow violently. However, some scholars maintain that they refer to the angels when they take the souls of the disbelievers violently.
The scholars of Tafsir mention the following meanings for [77:3 And by that spread far and wide.]: 1) They are the winds as they spread the clouds, which is the opinion of the majority of the scholars. 2) They are the angels as they spread the scriptures. 3) They are the records of the deeds of people as they are spread before Allah, Exalted be He. 4) It refers to the Day of Judgment when the souls of people shall be spread. 5) It refers to rain that causes plants to spread.
After mentioning the opinions of the scholars, Imam Muhammad Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said, ‘The correct opinion is that Allah, Exalted be He, swears by that spread far and wide. He, Exalted be He, has not specifically referred to a particular thing. The wind spreads the clouds, the rain spreads plants on the earth, and the angels spread the divine scriptures. No one of these meanings is intended to the exclusion of the other meanings. Thus, all that agree with this description are included in the oath.’
As for [77:4 And by that separate with a distinct separation.], the scholars have these four opinions about its meaning: 1) They are the angels that distinguish the truth from falsehood, which is the opinion of most scholars. 2) It refers to the Quran as it differentiates between the lawful and the unlawful. 3) It refers to the winds that separate the clouds. 4) It refers to the Messengers of Allah. Moreover, the scholars of Tafsir mention these two opinions about the meaning of [77: 5 And by that deliver a reminder,] 1) It refers to the angels as they convey the divine revelation to the Prophets of Allah, which is the opinion of the majority of the scholars. 2) It refers to the Messengers of Allah as they convey the divine revelation to people.
After mentioning the opinions of the scholars, Imam Muhammad Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said, ‘The correct opinion is that Allah, Exalted be He, swears by that separate with a distinct separation. They distinguish the truth from falsehood. Allah, exalted be He, has not specifically referred to a particular thing to the exclusion of other things. Thus, Allah swears by that separate the truth from falsehood whether an angel, the Quran, or other things.’
77:6 cutting off excuses or warnings.
The angels convey the divine revelation to the Prophets of Allah, who convey it to people, to remove any excuse that those who reject believing in the Oneness of Allah may use. They may say that no warner of the punishment of Allah has come to them. Allah, Exalted be He, has sent His Prophets and Messengers to give good news to the believers and warn the disbelievers of the painful punishment of Allah.
77:7 Indeed, what you are promised shall come to pass.
This is the answer statement for the abovementioned oaths. Indeed, by the winds sent to punish the disbelievers, by the angels whom Allah sent to convey the divine revelation to the Messengers of Allah and distinguish the truth from falsehood, you shall be resurrected for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. You shall certainly be recompensed for your deeds, good or evil. Indeed, the Day of Judgment will take place and there is no doubt in its occurrence.
77:8 When the stars shall be put out,
77:9 and heaven shall be split,
77:10 and the mountains shall be blown away.
The ayat mentions some signs of the Day of Judgment.
On the Day of Judgment, the stars shall put out and their lights shall disappear. Heaven will be split and become frail, and the mountains shall be blown away and become dust.
77:11 And when the messengers’ time is set.
77:12 For what Day are they delayed?
77:13 For the Day of Decision.
When the Messengers shall be gathered and an appointed time is set for them to give their testimonies and decide between them and their nations.
It will be said, ‘For what Day are the Messengers delayed? For what Day the Messengers’ time is set? When this Day will come?’ Then, the answer be given. They are delayed for the Day of Decision when Allah will gather all people for reckoning. On that Day, the oppressed will be given their rights from the oppressors, the good-doers will be rewarded for their righteous deeds, and the evil-doers will be punished for their evil deeds.
77:14 And what shall make you know what the Day of Decision is?
77:15 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
What shall make you know what the Day of Decision is? It is a great, horrifying day. No one can imagine its horrors. Only Allah knows the degree of its horrors. Woe on the Day of Judgment to the deniers, who deny the truth that the Messengers of Allah brought.
77:15 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
This ayah is repeated ten times in surah al-Mursalat to warn and threaten the deniers of the truth and emphasize that their punishment will be severe.
Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Mursalat Ayah 1-15
• Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the winds and the angels that the Day of Judgment will certainly take place.
• The purpose of the oath is to call attention to the importance of the matter about which the oath is.
• Surah al-Mursalat mentions some of the signs of the Day of Judgment, among which are the stars’ light will disappear, the mountains will be destroyed and become dust, and the Messengers shall be gathered on the appointed time for them, namely the Day of Judgment.
• Allah, Exalted be He, has set the Day of Judgment for gathering the Messengers and people to decide between them and their people.
• On the Day of Judgment, Allah, Exalted be He, will decide the matter between people according to their deeds whether they will enter Paradise or Hell.
• The deniers of the truth that the Messengers of Allah brought shall suffer severe punishment on the Day of Judgment.
Quran, Tafsir of Surah Al-Mursalat
Warning of the Horrors of the Day of Judgment
The Noble Quran Surah an-Nahl English Translation and Tafsir Kindle Edition
Introduction to English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Mursalat
