Tafsir Surah At-Taghabun Ayah 8–10 Commanding Belief in the Oneness of Allah and Warning of the Horrors of the Day of Judgment

 

64:8 So, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Light which We have revealed. And Allah is well aware of what you do.

64:9 On the day that He will gather you for the Day of Gathering, that is the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain. And whoever believes in Allah and performs righteous deeds, He will absolve him of his sins and admit him into gardens underneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. That is the great success.

64:10 And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, those shall be the inhabitants of the Fire, to abide therein forever. And what an evil end!

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part sheds light on the proofs of the Oneness of Allah, divinity, and prophethood. It also refutes the claims of the deniers of resurrection on the Day of Judgment and refers to the punishment that befell them because of their disbelief in the Oneness of Allah and their refusal to believe in the Messengers of Allah. This part then invites people to believe in Allah alone, His Messenger Muhammad, the Quran, and resurrection on the Day of Judgment. It notes that acknowledging resurrection on the Day of Judgment is one of the requirements of belief in Allah and His Oneness. Furthermore, it warns of reckoning and recompense on the Day of Judgment and elaborates on some aspects of mutual loss and gain on that day. 

Tafsir

64:8 So, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Light which We have revealed. And Allah is well aware of what you do.

O disbelievers, truly, raising people from their graves on the Day of Judgment for reckoning and recompense is easy for Allah. Therefore, you should believe in the Oneness of Allah, His Messenger Muhammad, and the Quran. Allah revealed the Quran to His Messenger Muhammad as a light that guides people to attain happiness in this world and the Hereafter. It brings people out of the darkness of disbelief into the light of belief in the Oneness of Allah. Verily, Allah is well aware of all people's statements and deeds, and nothing is hidden from His perfect knowledge. Allah, Exalted be He, will justly recompense people for all their statements and deeds on the Day of Judgment.

64:9 On the day that He will gather you for the Day of Gathering, that is the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain. And whoever believes in Allah and performs righteous deeds, He will absolve him of his sins and admit him into gardens underneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. That is the great success.

The Ayah warns of the horrors of the Day of Gathering, namely, the Day of Judgment. It is called the Day of Gathering because Allah will gather all people on this day. It is also called the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain because the disbelievers will be the losers and the believers will be the gainers on this day.

O noble Messenger Muhammad, say to the deniers of the occurrence of the Day of Judgment: “You shall be raised from your graves for reckoning on the Day of Judgment, and you shall be informed of all your deeds and statements. On the Day of Gathering and Mutual Loss and Gain, Allah, Exalted be He, will gather all creatures for reckoning. The people of truth, the believers, shall be the gainers, as they will enter Paradise, where they shall enjoy lasting happiness. On the other hand, the people of falsehood, the disbelievers, shall be the losers, as they will enter Hell, where they shall suffer lasting and painful punishment.”

And whoever believes in Allah and performs righteous deeds, He will absolve him of his sins and admit him into gardens underneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. That is the great success.

Whoever believes in the Oneness of Allah and in what the Messengers of Allah brought, and performs righteous deeds by obeying the commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions, Allah will absolve him of his sins and admit him into Paradise, underneath which rivers flow, where he will abide forever. Indeed, that is the great success, beyond which there is no greater success.

64:10 And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs, those shall be the inhabitants of the Fire, to abide therein forever. And what an evil end!

Those who disbelieve in the Oneness of Allah and His Messengers and deny the signs that confirm His Oneness and perfect ability shall be the inhabitants of the Fire, where they will abide forever. Indeed, Hell is an evil end and abode.

The Learned Lessons from Surah At-Taghabun Ayah 8–10

• Allah commands people to believe in His Oneness, His Messenger Muhammad, and the Quran, which He revealed to guide people to the right path. If they disbelieve, a punishment similar to that which befell the former disbelieving nations will befall them.
• The Ayat warn people of the horrors of the Day of Judgment. On that day, Allah will gather all people for reckoning and recompense. The disbelievers will be the losers, and the believers will be the gainers.
• The believers in the Oneness of Allah will enter Paradise by the will and mercy of Allah, where they will enjoy lasting happiness. On the other hand, the disbelievers will enter Hell, where they will suffer severe punishment because of their disbelief in the Oneness of Allah.

 

Tafsir Surah At-Taghabun Ayah 5–7 The Disbelievers’ Denial of Resurrection on the Day of Judgment

 

64:5 Has there not come to you the news of those who disbelieved in the past? They tested the evil consequence of their conduct, and for them will be a painful punishment.

64:6 That is because their Messengers came to them with the clear proofs, and then they said, ‘Shall mere men guide us?’ So they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah was in no need of them. And Allah is All-Sufficient, All-Laudable.

64:7 Those who disbelieve claim that they shall never be raised. Say, ‘Yes, indeed, by my Lord, you shall certainly be raised, then shall be told what you did, and that is easy for Allah.’

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part refers to some signs denoting the existence and perfect ability of Allah and His signs in the universe. Then, Allah warns the disbelievers against disbelieving in His Oneness, the prophethood of Allah’s Prophets, and resurrection on the Day of Judgment. Their punishment will be severe torment in the Hereafter. Furthermore, the surah confirms that resurrection on the Day of Judgment will certainly take place and that people will be recompensed according to their deeds on the Day of Judgment.

Tafsir

64:5 Has there not come to you the news of those who disbelieved in the past? They tested the evil consequence of their conduct, and for them will be a painful punishment.

O disbelievers, has there not come to you the news of the disbelievers among the former nations, such as the people of Prophet Noah and the people of Thamud? Has there not come to you the news of the severe punishment that befell them because they disbelieved in the Messengers of Allah and refused to believe in the truth and divine guidance that they brought to them?

Allah’s Messengers invited those disbelievers among the former nations to believe in the Oneness of Allah and obey His commands; however, they insisted on following the path of misguidance and disbelieved in the Oneness of Allah. Thus, they tested the evil consequence of their misconduct and disbelief in the Oneness of Allah in the life of this world. They will also suffer severe punishment in the Hereafter in Hell.

The intended meaning is to warn the disbelievers of the evil consequence of their disbelief in the Oneness of Allah and their denial of the occurrence of the Day of Judgment.

64:6 That is because their Messengers came to them with the clear proofs, and then they said, ‘Shall mere men guide us?’ So they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah was in no need of them. And Allah is All-Sufficient, All-Laudable.

This Ayah mentions why the disbelievers of the former nations deserved severe punishment in the life of this world and the Hereafter.

The disbelievers of the former nations deserved severe punishment because their Messengers brought them clear proofs confirming the Oneness of Allah and invited them to follow the path of guidance leading to success in the life of this world and the Hereafter. However, those disbelievers turned away from accepting the invitation of the Messengers. Denying and ridiculing, they said, ‘Shall mere men guide us to the right path? Is it possible that men like us be Messengers of Allah?’ In other words, they thought that it was impossible for men like them to be Messengers of Allah. Thus, they disbelieved in their Messengers and turned away from following the right path. They did not even give themselves a chance to think about that matter carefully. Verily, Allah was in no need of their belief in His Oneness or their worship; therefore, He destroyed them. Indeed, Allah is All-Sufficient, All-Laudable.

64:7 Those who disbelieve claim that they shall never be raised. Say, ‘Yes, indeed, by my Lord, you shall certainly be raised, then shall be told what you did, and that is easy for Allah.’

This Ayah narrates an example of the claims of the disbelievers who deny resurrection and reckoning on the Day of Judgment. It also provides a response that puts an end to their baseless claim.

Those who disbelieve in the Oneness of Allah and His Messengers claim that they shall never be raised for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. Then, Allah, Exalted be He, commands His Messenger Muhammad to reply to their absurd claim and give them an answer that will put an end to such a claim.

O noble Messenger Muhammad, say to the disbelievers who deny resurrection on the Day of Judgment, ‘Yes, indeed, by my Lord, you shall certainly be raised for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. Then you shall be told what you did in the life of this world and be justly recompensed for all your deeds, whether good or evil. Indeed, that is easy for Allah, before Whose perfect will nothing can stand.’

The Learned Lessons from Surah At-Taghabun Ayah 5–7

• The disbelievers are warned against persisting in disbelief in the Oneness of Allah, which will make them deserve punishment like that which befell the former disbelieving nations in the life of this world. They will also suffer severe torment in the Hereafter if they die as disbelievers.
• The disbelievers of the former nations were punished because they disbelieved in the Oneness of Allah, rejected the Messengers of Allah despite the clear proofs they brought confirming that Allah had sent them, and denied resurrection and reckoning on the Day of Judgment.
• The disbelievers reject the idea that the Messengers of Allah are human beings, which leads them to disbelieve in Allah. They do not know that Allah does what He wills and sends whomever He wills among His slaves as His Messengers. They also do not know that Allah is All-Sufficient and All-Laudable. He is in no need of His slaves.
• The Day of Judgment will certainly take place, and people will be raised from their graves for reckoning and recompense on that Day. Verily, resurrecting people on the Day of Judgment is easy for Allah.    

 

Tafsir Surah At-Taghabun Ayat 1–4 Some Aspects of the Perfect Ability of Allah

 

64:1 Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorify Allah. To Him belongs the kingdom, and to Him belongs all praises, and He is able over all things.

64:2 He is Who created you; then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah sees well what you do.

64:3 He created the heavens and the earth with the truth, and He shaped you and perfected your shapes, and to Him is the return.

64:4 He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allah is well aware of what is in the breasts.

Tafsir

 64:1 Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorify Allah. To Him belongs the kingdom, and to Him belongs all praises, and He is able over all things.

Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies and praises Allah and affirms that He is free from every imperfection and defect. Allah is the Creator of all that is in the universe, and the kingdom belongs to Him alone. To Allah are due all praise and thanks, as He is the only One Who deserves them. Allah is praised for whatever He creates and preordains. Ownership and praise belong to Him alone, and He is able to do all things. Nothing in the heavens and the earth can stand before the perfect ability of Allah, Exalted be He.

Glorifying Allah can be with the tongue, as human beings do, or through an utterance and manner that human beings cannot understand.

The seven heavens, the earth, and all that is in them glorify Him. There is not a thing but glorifies Him, but you do not understand their glorification. Indeed, He is ever All-Forbearing, All-Forgiving. [Surah Al-Isra’: 44]

 64:2 He is Who created you; then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah sees well what you do.

Allah, Exalted be He, created mankind; then some people become disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, while others become believers in the Oneness of Allah. Allah sees and knows all the deeds of people, and nothing of their affairs is hidden from Him. Allah will justly recompense them for all their deeds, whether good or evil. Therefore, people must fear Allah and not disobey His commands lest His punishment befall them.

64:3 He created the heavens and the earth with the truth, and He shaped you and perfected your shapes, and to Him is the return.

Allah, Exalted be He, created the heavens and the earth with truth, justice, and perfect wisdom, producing beneficial results for people in their religion and worldly life. O people, Allah created you in the best form and shape, and you will return to Allah for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, you should obey His commands and avoid His prohibitions.

64:4 He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allah is well aware of what is in the breasts.

This Ayah demonstrates the perfect knowledge of Allah concerning all things.

Allah, Exalted be He, knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and nothing therein is hidden from Him. Furthermore, O people, Allah knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and nothing of your statements and deeds is hidden from Him. Indeed, Allah is well aware of what is in the breasts of people. Therefore, O people, beware lest you conceal what you do not reveal, or say and act contrary to what you hide within your souls. Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, and He will recompense you according to your deeds and statements.

The Learned Lessons from Surah At-Taghabun Ayat 1–4

• All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah, which indicates His perfection and self-sufficiency. This glorification is continual and constant, embracing every part of the universe.
• Allah, Exalted be He, is the Creator of mankind, and He knows who will be a believer and who will be a disbeliever even before their creation.
• Allah, Exalted be He, created the universe with truth, justice, and perfect wisdom. Moreover, He created mankind in the best form, and to Him they will return for reckoning on the Day of Judgment.
• Allah, Exalted be He, knows the seen and the unseen, and He knows what people conceal and what they reveal. Nothing is hidden from the perfect knowledge of Allah.