Qur'an and Tafsir, Surah 32
السجدة
The Prostration
Two bowed heads. One chose it. One ran out of time.
30 ayat, Makkan, Awaiting scholar review
Makkah, the middle years
The Muslims are few, and in hiding.
Quraysh, the tribe that runs Makkah, has two replies. One: he made the Qur'an up.
The other: a body that has turned to soil stays soil.
Journey map
As-Sajdah 32:3Makkah's charge, quoted. Then the answer.
أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُۚ بَلۡ هُوَ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوۡمࣱا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرࣲ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُونَ ٣
3 Or do they say, "He invented it"? Rather, it is the truth from your Lord, [O Muḥammad], that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you [so] perhaps they will be guided.
A closer look
A few had. Zayd ibn 'Amr refused Makkah's idols years before the Prophet's mission. What Makkah had never had, says Ma'ariful Qur'an, was a messenger of its own.
As-Sajdah 32:7Then the surah says who is speaking.
ٱلَّذِيٓ أَحۡسَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقَهُۥۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلۡقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنِ مِن طِينࣲ ٧
7 Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay.
As-Sajdah 32:9Mid-sentence, "him" turns into "you".
ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَۚ قَلِيلࣱا مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ ٩
9 Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]; little are you grateful.
A closer look
The human being: clay, then a fluid nobody respects. The worth is in what was done with it: hearing, sight, a mind. The rest of the surah is about how those three get used.
As-Sajdah 32:10Makkah's second objection.
وَقَالُوٓاْ أَءِذَا ضَلَلۡنَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَءِنَّا لَفِي خَلۡقࣲ جَدِيدِۭۚ بَلۡ هُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّهِمۡ كَٰفِرُونَ ١٠
10 And they say, "When we are lost [i.e., disintegrated] within the earth, will we indeed be [recreated] in a new creation?" Rather, they are, in the meeting with their Lord, disbelievers.
As-Sajdah 32:11The reply does not argue about soil.
۞ قُلۡ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ ٱلَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١
11 Say, "The angel of death who has been entrusted with you will take you. Then to your Lord you will be returned."
The story behind it
The Qur'an gives the angel of death a job and no name. "'Izra'il" comes from reports, says Ibn Kathir. Mujahid pictured the earth before him like a tray he picks from.
The heart of the surah
A closer look
Hearing and sight: the two gifts the surah listed earlier. On the Day, for the deniers, they finally work. Wahiduddin Khan's point: accepting what is standing in front of you is not belief.
As-Sajdah 32:16The surah follows the believers home.
تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُمۡ خَوۡفࣱا وَطَمَعࣱا وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ ١٦
16 Their sides part [i.e., they arise] from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.
The story behind it
Mu'adh asked the Prophet ﷺ what deed leads to the Garden. Among the answers: a prayer in the depth of the night. Then he recited: their sides part from their beds.
As-Sajdah 32:17The promise is shaped like a secret.
فَلَا تَعۡلَمُ نَفۡسࣰ مَّآ أُخۡفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعۡيُنࣲ جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٧
17 And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes [i.e., satisfaction] as reward for what they used to do.
A closer look
A prayer at night has no audience. Al-Hasan al-Basri: they concealed their good deeds, so Allah concealed for them what no eye has seen.
As-Sajdah 32:21Back in this life, something comes first.
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢١
21 And We will surely let them taste the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will return [i.e., repent].
Ayah 21
Where scholars differ
No, says Ma'ariful Qur'an. For people in the wrong it is a warning. For prophets and those close to Allah it is a trial that raises them.
As-Sajdah 32:24A Book was sent before, to the people of Musa (Moses).
وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ أَئِمَّةࣱ يَهۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْۖ وَكَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ ٢٤
24 And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.
The word
Leaders rose from Musa's people. The Arabic is recited two ways: when they were patient, or because they were. Ibn Kathir adds: when they changed, they lost that place.
As-Sajdah 32:27The last evidence is outside the window.
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلۡمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلۡجُرُزِ فَنُخۡرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرۡعࣱا تَأۡكُلُ مِنۡهُ أَنۡعَٰمُهُمۡ وَأَنفُسُهُمۡۚ أَفَلَا يُبۡصِرُونَ ٢٧
27 Have they not seen that We drive water [in clouds] to barren land and bring forth thereby crops from which their livestock eat and [they] themselves? Then do they not see?
A closer look
The ayah says water is driven to dry land. Ma'ariful Qur'an thinks of Egypt: rain falls far away in Ethiopia, and the Nile carries it to fields under a dry sky.
Where scholars differ
Quraysh jeer: when is this fath? Some said the conquest of Makkah. Ibn Kathir says no: that day the Makkans' Islam was accepted. He reads it as judgment, in this world and the next.
As-Sajdah 32:30The surah's last line. Both sides are left waiting.
فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ وَٱنتَظِرۡ إِنَّهُم مُّنتَظِرُونَ ٣٠
30 So turn away from them and wait. Indeed, they are waiting.
Reflect, just for you
Virtue of the surah
The Prophet ﷺ would not sleep until he had recited Alif Lam Mim Tanzil (As-Sajdah) and Tabarak (Al-Mulk).
Tirmidhi 2892
Sahih (authentic)Authenticated by al-Hakim and adh-Dhahabi
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
Two bowed heads. One chose it. One ran out of time.