CHAPTER 85: AL-BURUJ (THE MANSIONS OF THE STARS / THE CONSTELLATIONS)

It was revealed in the Mecca period. It consists of 22 verses. Buruj, as mentioned in the first verse, means "towers" or "constellations." The surah takes its name from this same word in the first verse. (H. T. FEYIZLI, 1/589)

According to what Ahmed b. Hanbel narrated from Abu Hurairah, he said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to recite Surah Al-Buruj and Surah At-Tariq during the Isha prayer. (S. HAWWA, 16/129)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

85/1-9 THE FAITH OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE PIT (ASHAB-I UHDUD)

Translation

1- 3- By the sky containing great constellations, 2- And by the promised Day [the Day of Resurrection], 3- And by the witness and what is witnessed!

4- 5- Cursed [and destroyed] were the companions of the pit [the trench], 5- [Containing] the fire full of fuel,

6- 7- When they were sitting by it, 7- And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses.

8- 9- And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy, 9- To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, over all things, is Witness.

Commentary

(1)- ‘By the sky containing constellations, by the promised day (the Day of Resurrection), by the witness and what is witnessed!’ "The sky with constellations": These are either the stars themselves or the extraordinary "palaces" erected in the sky—the great constellations. As Allah Almighty says: "And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander" (Zariyat 51/47). In another verse: "Is your creation more difficult or the heaven? He constructed it" (Nazi'at 79/27). Alternatively, these are the stations that celestial bodies pass through during their movements. That is, they are the orbits and fields that stars follow in the sky without deviation. (S. KUTUB, 10/428)

Another point sworn upon is "the witness and what is witnessed". Allah Almighty is the One who knows the hidden and the manifest, being Himself a Witness to everything. All created beings are His "meshud"—the beings He sees, monitors, and follows. This is the clearest meaning to be understood from this expression. On the Day of Resurrection, people will come face to face with the reckoning and punishment of Allah the Almighty, whom they could not see with their eyes while in the world. It will not be possible for even the smallest thing to remain hidden from Him. However, among the creatures, there are also those who will witness and those who will be witnessed. Connecting this with the previous verse: the "witness" refers to those present on the Day of Resurrection, and "what is witnessed" refers to the terrifying scenes that will take place on that day. On the Day of Resurrection, Prophets will also testify about their nations, saying, "They followed me or they did not; they answered my call or they did not." (O. CELIK, 5/412, 413)

"By the witness and what is witnessed": On this day, when all deeds are displayed and all creatures are present, everything will be laid before the eyes. And everyone will witness them. Everything will be learned, and secrets will be revealed. Nothing will be able to hide or conceal them from hearts and eyes. (S. KUTUB, 10/428)

(4)- ‘Cursed were the companions of the pit, of the fire full of fuel.’ The term "uhdud" refers to the fire pit filled with much wood and kindling to be ignited. Its owners are called "Ashab-i Uhdud" (Companions of the Pit) because they dug such fire trenches to throw believers into them to make them renounce their faith. However, those who tried to burn the faith in hearts in this way did not succeed; on the contrary, they were cursed, defeated, crushed, and their names became synonymous with evil. (ELMALILI, 9/97, 98)

As Qatada stated, the primary aim here is to warn the Meccan pagans by reminding them of the terrible punishment that eventually befell the tyrants who oppressed people because of their beliefs and mercilessly threw them into the fire. This is because they too were torturing some poor and weak Muslims and slaves, such as Ammar, Yasir, and Suheyb, due to their religion. Therefore, through this story, Allah Almighty is saying to them: "O community of pagans! If you do not repent and give up these behaviors, your end will be just like the Ashab-i Uhdud." (M. DEMIRCI, 3/534)

(6, 7)- ‘When they were sitting by it (the fire), witnessing what they were doing to the believers.’ They were such hard-hearted disbelievers that they both threw the believers into the fire and took pleasure in sitting and watching that tragic situation. (ELMALILI, 9/98, 99)

(8, 9)- ‘And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.’ The oppression, intimidation, and torture inflicted upon the believers among the people of Uhdud continue in various forms and names by idolatrous, denier, and taghuti powers against believers who want to live according to Islam in different times and places. While this happens, those among the believers who remain insensitive and mere spectators cannot save themselves from the burden of sin. (H. T. FEYIZLI, 1/589)

‘To whom belongs the dominion and sovereignty of all the heavens and the earth,’ He carries out His affairs in all of them as He wills. It was precisely because those believers believed in the dominion, glory, and power of Allah, and that He is worthy of praise, and wanted to continue in this faith, that the Ashab-i Uhdud (the companions of the pit) were angry with them and did what they did. (ELMALILI, 9/99)

‘Allah is Witness over all things.’ This is a great threat for them. That is, Allah knows what they do and will give the recompense accordingly. (S. HAWWA, 16/124)

85/10-16 THE GRIP OF YOUR LORD IS TRULY SEVERE

Translation

10- Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women [to turn them away from their religion] and then have not repented! For them is the punishment of Hell, and for them is the punishment of the Burning Fire.

11- Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment and success.

12- [O My Prophet!] Indeed, the grip [seizure] of your Lord is very severe.

13- Indeed, it is He who originates [creation] and repeats [it after death].

14- 16- And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Full of Love [for His obedient servants]. 15- Owner of the Throne, the Glorious, 16- Effecter of what He intends [doing immediately what He wills].

Commentary

(10) ‘Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women, then have not repented! For them is the punishment of Hell, and for them is the burning punishment.’ The scorching of this world occurs through the fire lit by humans, while the scorching of the hereafter occurs through the fire lit by the Creator, Allah. The burning of this world lasts for a few seconds; it ends immediately. The burning of the hereafter is eternal; no one but Allah knows its duration. Along with the burning of this world, Allah was pleased with the believers and this noble cause attained victory. Along with the burning of the hereafter, there is the wrath of Allah. (S. KUTUB, 10/430)

Hasan al-Basri says regarding these verses: "Look at this kindness and generosity. They kill the friends of Allah, and He calls them to repentance and forgiveness." (S. HAWWA, 16/125)

(11) ‘As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow. This is the great success and bliss.’ Razi says: The story of the Ashab-i Uhdud and especially this verse shows that the most appropriate thing for a person forced into disbelief by the threat of being killed is to be patient against what they are threatened with. In that case, using the verse "Except for one who is forced while his heart is content with faith" (Nahl 16/106) as evidence to speak words of disbelief outwardly is like a permission (rukhsa). (ELMALILI, 9/100)

(12) ‘Indeed, the grip of your Lord is very severe.’ (..) Its being further described with the adjective "severe, harsh" is to explain the extraordinary degree of its unbreakability. The aim is to express the intensity of the power of Allah Almighty in questioning and punishing tyrants and oppressors. (ELMALILI, 9/100)

(13) ‘Indeed, it is He who originates creation, and it is He who will repeat creation.’ "He creates the creatures for the first time, and after turning them into dust, He resurrects them. This indicates that He performs the initial creation and the resurrection by His own power, and that His grip is very severe." (From Nasafi; S. HAWWA, 16/126)

(14-16) ‘He is the Forgiving’ Nasafi says: "He covers faults and forgives sins." ‘He is the Full of Love’ (..) This shows that even if a human being is oppressive, a denier, or ungrateful, if they regret what they have done and repent, Allah Almighty will treat them with love, compassion, and mercy, and will forgive their sins. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/593)

‘Zu'l-Arsh’: Owner, possessor of the Throne, or the possessor of the dominion and sovereignty of the entire universe. ‘Al-Majid’: He is great, grand in His essence and attributes, and His glory is sublime. Because His existence is necessary, He has gathered all names and attributes of perfection within Himself. (ELMALILI, 9/101)

‘He does what He intends.’ He does whatever He wants, however He wants. His will never fails. For this reason, there is absolutely no doubt that He will fulfill His promise and His threat. He definitely destroys those He wishes to destroy. And He definitely brings to salvation those He wishes to save. (ELMALILI, 9/101)

He places His friends in Paradise; no one can prevent this. He places His enemies in Hell; no one can help them in this matter. He gives respite to some rebels as long as He wishes. This respite lasts until He punishes them at the time He wills. To some, He gives their punishment immediately if He wills. He is the one who surely does what He wills. (I. H. BURSEVI, 23/254)

85/17-22 DID THE NEWS OF THE ARMIES REACH YOU?

Translation

17- 18- [O My Messenger!] Has the news of the armies reached you—[the armies of] Pharaoh and Thamud?

19- 20- [O My Prophet!] Rather, those who disbelieve are in [persistent] denial. 20- While Allah encompasses them from behind.

21- 22- [O My Prophet! Let them continue to deny] but this is a distinguished Qur'an, 22- [The original of which is] in a Preserved Tablet [Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz].

Commentary

(17) ‘[O My Messenger!] Has the news of the (destruction of) the armies of Pharaoh and Thamud reached you?’ Here, addressing the groups who think they are powerful and strong in the world, a warning is given to them: "Do you have no knowledge of what became of the groups before you who rebelled, thinking they were powerful and strong?" (MAWDUDI, 7/82)

(19) ‘Rather, those who disbelieve are in (persistent) denial.’ Ibn Kathir says: "They are in a state of doubt, suspicion, denial, and stubbornness." (S. HAWWA, 16/128)

(20) ‘While Allah encompasses them from behind.’ This expression is a metaphorical statement of the fact that they cannot escape Allah's punishment. (I. H. BURSEVI, 23/257)

(21, 22) That is, the disbelievers deny it, but ‘it’—the book that tells these things—is a ‘noble, glorious Qur'an.’ Among books, it is the one with the highest honor and glory; its style is more sublime than all; the meanings it encompasses are free from lies and suspicion, and therefore it is a book that must be read with belief and acted upon. ‘In a Preserved Tablet [Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz].’ It is fixed and under protection in a "tablet" protected from corruption and error through the protection of Allah. (ELMALILI, 9/102)