English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Mursalat Ayah 16-28
Warning the Disbelievers of the Evil End of Denying the Truth
77:16 Did We not destroy the ancients?
77:17 Then, We shall make the later ones follow them.
77:18 Thus, do We deal with the wicked.
77:19 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
77:20 Did We not create you from a fluid, contemptible?
77:21 Then, We make it stay in a secure place
77:22 until an appointed term.
77:23 Thus, We determined. How excellent We are determiners!
77:24 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
77:25 Have We not made the earth a receptacle
77:26 for the living and the dead,
77:27 and We have made therein firm lofty mountains, and We have given you to drink fresh water?
77:28 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Relationship with the Previous Part
The disbelievers are warned of the severe punishment of Allah on the Day of Judgment in the previous part. Then, the disbelievers are warned of the evil end of denying the truth by referring to the punishment that befell the former disbelieving nations. Allah, Exalted be He, has warned the disbelievers of the evil consequence of their ingratitude for His blessings on them. Moreover, this part mentions some proofs of the perfect ability of Allah. He created man in the best form and made the earth a comfortable place so that he could live on it easily.
Tafsir
77:16 Did We not destroy the ancients?
77:17 Then, We shall make the later ones follow them.
The interrogation in the ayah is for confirmation. The goal behind it is to elicit confession and acknowledgment from the disbelievers about the trueness of resurrection on the Day of Judgment. That is because the One, Who is able to destroy, is able to recreate.
Allah, Exalted be He, destroyed the ancient disbelievers, who disbelieved in their Messengers, such as the people of Noah, Aad, and Thamud. Allah is able to make the later generations follow them. He is able to destroy them if they insist on disbelieving in the Oneness of Allah and disbelieving in His Prophets and Messengers.
77:18 Thus, do We deal with the wicked.
Thus, Allah will deal with the wicked. He will destroy them if they insist on following the path of misguidance until they die.
77:19 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Humiliation and punishment will be to those who deny the Oneness of Allah on the Day of Judgment.
77:20 Did We not create you from a fluid, contemptible?
77:21 Then, We make it stay in a secure place
77:22 until an appointed term.
Allah, Exalted be He, reminds people of His blessings on them as He brought them to this life. He is able to resurrect them on the Day of Judgment for reckoning.
O people, did Allah not create you from a contemptible fluid? Then, He made the fluid stay in a secure place in the womb of the female until an appointed term, which only Allah knows. The embryo strays in the womb of his mother for the appointed term, namely, the pregnancy period.
77:23 Thus, We determined. How excellent We are determiners!
Allah, Exalted be He, praises Himself with all kinds of compliments that He deserves. Allah, Exalted be He, will make the embryo stay in the womb of the female until the term that He appointed. Allah determined this term accurately. He creates the embryo in stages in the womb of his mother and He will make it come therefrom at the time He appointed. How excellent Allah determines the creation! How excellent Allah created the creatures!
77:24 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Woe to the deniers on the Day of Judgment. Destruction and humiliation will be for the deniers on the Day of Judgment as they insist on following the path of misguidance until they die.
Allah, Exalted be He, mentions another proof confirming that the Day of Judgment will certainly take place.
77:25 Have We not made the earth a receptacle
77:26 for the living and the dead,
77:27 and We have made therein firm lofty mountains, and We have given you to drink fresh water?
Allah, Exalted be He, has made the earth a receptacle, wherein all creatures stay, the living and the dead. The living stay on the surface of the earth and the dead are buried under its surface. Allah, the Able, has also created firm lofty mountains on the earth. Moreover, Allah, the Generous, has given people fresh water to drink.
77:28 Woe on that Day to the deniers!
Woe to the deniers on the Day of Judgment. They will experience severe torment in the Hereafter for their disbelief in the Oneness of Allah.
Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Mursalat Ayah 16-28
• The Day of Judgment will certainly take place at the appointed term that Allah has set for its occurrence.
• On the Day of Judgment, Allah will justly decide the matter between people and He will recompense them according to their deeds, good or evil.
• Allah, the Able, destroyed the disbelievers among the ancient people. He will also destroy the disbelievers among the later generations if they insist on disbelieving His Oneness and following the path of misguidance.
• The disbelievers will suffer severe punishment and humiliation on the Day of Judgment.
• The blessings of Allah are countless. Those who deny His blessings on them and insist on disobeying His commands will reap the evil outcome of their denial.
• Allah, out of His mercy, created man in the best form in the womb of his mother, which is a secure place wherein the embryo stays until the appointed term that Allah has set for it.
• Some aspects of the perfect ability of Allah are creating the earth wherein all creatures stay, the living and the dead, and creating firm lofty mountains on the earth.
• Another aspect of the perfect ability of Allah is that He has given people fresh water to drink.
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