CHAPTER 81: AT-TAKWIR (THE OVERTHROWING / THE WINDING UP)

It was revealed in the Mecca period. It consists of 29 verses. It takes its name from the first verse. Takwir means "the folding" or "the wrapping." (H. T. FEYIZLI, 1/585)

Hadith: "Whoever wishes to see the Day of Resurrection as if he were seeing it with his own eyes should read Surah At-Takwir, Surah Al-Infitar, and Surah Al-Inshiqaq. Because in these surahs, the mind-boggling and terrifying scenes of the resurrection are present with all their details." (From Tirmidhi; I. H. BURSEVI, 23/137)

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

81/1-14 WHEN THE SUN IS FOLDED AND WRAPPED

Translation

1-6- When the sun is wrapped [and its light is extinguished], 2- When the stars fall [and darken], 3- When the mountains are set in motion [and destroyed], 4- When the ten-month pregnant she-camels [which require meticulous care] are left untended [in terror], 5- When the wild beasts are gathered [in fear from all directions], 6- When the seas are set on fire [and turned into a blaze],

7-14- When the souls are paired with their bodies (or categorized with their own groups), 8-9- When the girl buried alive is asked: "For what sin was she killed?", 10- When the pages [of deeds] are spread open, 11- When the sky is stripped away [and folded], 12- When Hell is set ablaze even more, 13- When Paradise is brought near [to the believers], 14- [Then] every person will know what they have prepared [of good and evil].

Commentary

1. Events from the Beginning of the Resurrection Until the Time of Reckoning:

(1) ‘When the sun is wrapped up (and its light is extinguished).’ The wrapping of the sun may mean its cooling, the extinguishing of its flames, and the fading of its light and rays that it currently sends to the space around it and to beings thousands of miles away. (S. KUTUB, 10/382)

(..) The bond of the order and arrangement of this universe—with its beautiful harmony that we are used to, its measured movement, its unchanging proportions, and its solid structure built with power and mastery—yes, the bond of this universe with all these features will be untied. Its parts will be scattered around. Its current attributes and features that keep it standing will disappear. It will head toward its determined appointed time and end. All creatures will take another form there. The universe will be a different universe; life will be a different life. (S. KUTUB, 10/381, 382)

(2) ‘When the stars fall.’ The extinguishing of the sun's light indicates that other stars, which receive a portion of their brightness from the sun, will also be extinguished. Furthermore, it can be thought that when the cosmic system is disrupted with the breaking of the apocalypse, the stars will lose their current order and functions through developments such as colliding with each other, slipping from their orbits, and breaking free from gravity, and they will be scattered into the void of space. (Ibn Ashur; cf. Infitar 82/2; QUR’AN WAY, 5/561)

(3) ‘When the mountains are set in motion.’ This is the moment when the earth is shaken and erupted by earthquakes and tremors, the mountains are tossed like wool, and they are flung into the sky like clouds passing over heads and scattered as dust, eventually becoming like a mirage. (ELMALILI, 9/12)

When shaken by earthquakes, the mountains—which serve as stakes ensuring the balance of the earth (79/32, 15/19)—are lifted and crashed into each other (69/13-15), uprooted and blown away, scattered and dispersed (77/10), shattered, and become like carded colored wool (70/9, 101/5), a heap of sand (74/14, 56/4-6), and dust and smoke (56/4-6; cf. 20/105-107; I. KARAGOZ,8/424, 425).

(4) ‘When ten-month pregnant camels are left untended.’ The terror of the Resurrection will be so great that even if people had pregnant camels (highly valued property), they would leave them untended and wander aimlessly, falling into their own troubles. (I. H. BURSEVI, 23/107)

(5) ‘When the wild beasts are gathered together.’ Even these wild and timid animals are frightened and startled by the events taking place. They all come together and huddle next to each other. While they were scattered among mountains and valleys, they come together out of fear; they forget their fears originating from each other and lose their predatory characteristics. (S. KUTUB, 10/383)

(6) ‘When the seas are set on fire.’ This means the heating and boiling of sea waters by magma and lava masses erupting from volcanic eruptions and deep cracks that will occur on the earth as a result of violent tremors, or the mixing of the seas into a single sea as a natural result of the world being violently shaken and the mountains being shattered and destroyed. (Ibn Ashur; cf. Tur 52/6; Infitar 82/3; QUR’AN WAY, 5/562)

1. Events that will occur starting from the beginning of the Reckoning:

(7) ‘When the souls are brought together (with the bodies).’ The souls that left their bodies upon death will be reunited on the Day of Gathering with their newly created bodies. Or everyone will meet their deeds done in the world there, attain a structure accordingly, and receive a reward accordingly. Or every person will be annexed to a group suitable for their belief and deeds. That is, believers will be brought together with believers, and disbelievers with disbelievers. (cf. Waqi'a 56/7-11; O. CELIK, 5/376)

(8, 9) ‘When the girl buried alive is asked: 'For what sin was she killed?'‘ In the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (Jahiliyya)—though rarely—some Arabs buried their daughters alive because they felt shame (Nahl 16/58-59). Some did so because they feared the difficulty of raising and feeding them (cf. An'am 6/151; Isra 17/31). When the questioning begins in the hereafter, these murderers will be brought to court together with the girls they killed and will be held to account. (QUR’AN WAY, 5/563)

(10) ‘When the pages (scrolls) are opened and spread.’ When people die, their records of deeds are closed to be opened on the Day of Reckoning. When these scrolls are presented on the Day of Reckoning, everyone sees that whatever they have committed in the name of good and evil while in the world is written in their own record of deeds and remembers what they did. After the reckoning is settled, actions are taken regarding them according to their deeds. (Regarding record books cf. Haqqa 69/19-28; also cf. Isra 17/13-14; Kahf 18/49; QUR’AN WAY, 5/563)

When the record ‘pages are opened,’ because the scrolls of deeds are folded when a person dies and opened when the time of reckoning comes. In another expression; the scrolls are given to people clearly from their right and left sides. Thus, the person becomes aware of what is inside their scroll. All their deeds are counted and laid out for them. Thereupon, in the words of the Qur'an, the person says: "Woe to us! What a book is this! It leaves out nothing, small or great, but has counted it all." (Kahf 18/49). (I. H. BURSEVI, 23/113)

(11) ‘When the sky is stripped away,’ the sky will be stripped away, the obstacles before the human eye will be removed, and thus the hidden realities of the realm of the unseen (ghayb) will be revealed; the opportunity for people to see and recognize unseen beings such as Paradise, Hell, and angels with their true aspects will arise. (cf. Qaf 50/22; O. CELIK, 5/377)

(12) ‘When Hell is set ablaze even more,’ the kindling of Hell means that its already existing flame is made even more fierce. It does not mean that it was flameless until that time and started to be kindled at that moment. (I. H. BURSEVI, 23/114)

(13) ‘When Paradise is brought near (to the believers),’ Paradise is brought near to the believers who gained the pleasure of the Truth (Haqq) through faith, righteous deeds, sincerity (ikhlas), and excellence (ihsan) in the world. It is made ready for the believers to enter. A sweet excitement of entering there begins in the believers. (cf. Shu'ara 26/90; Qaf 50/31; O. CELIK, 5/377)

(14) ‘(Every) person will know what they have prepared.’ Whether good or evil? Whether right or wrong? They will know and understand with certain knowledge what they have done in the world and what they have prepared for that day. Because they will see that every deed they have done, even if it is an atom's weight of good or evil, is brought in their scroll, placed on their scale, and takes shape before them. (ELMALILI, 9/24)

81/15-24 YOUR COMPANION (MUHAMMAD) IS NOT MAD

Translation

15-16- (No! Again) I swear by the stars that recede, 16- That move and hide in their orbits.

17-18- And by the night as it closes in, 18- And by the morning when it begins to breathe [brighten] puff by puff,

19-21- Indeed, the Qur'an is the word [conveyed] by a noble messenger (Gabriel), who holds a high position [with Allah], the Lord of the Throne, 20- Possessor of power and high status with the Owner of the Throne, 21- Obeyed there [in the heavens by the angels] and trustworthy.

22- (O people of Mecca!) Your companion (Muhammad) is not mad [as the disbelievers claim].

23- And indeed, Muhammad saw Gabriel on the clear horizon.

24- And Muhammad is not a withholder [stingy] of the knowledge of the unseen [in reporting what is revealed].

Commentary

(15, 16) ‘(No! Again) I swear by the stars that appear (and set) and hide (during the day).’ (...) The entities sworn upon in the mentioned verse are the stars. This is because in the two verses following this one, the night and the day are sworn upon. Therefore, it may be a more logical approach that the stars—which appear at night but are not visible during the day due to the sun's light—are being sworn upon with the expression ‘al-jawari'l-kunnas’. Such an evaluation fits both the context of the relevant verse and the literal meaning of both words contained within it. In this regard, it seems more accurate to us to translate the verses ‘fa la uqsimu bi’l-hunnesi’l-jawari’l-kunnas’ as "No! No! I swear by the stars that rise and set, flowing in their orbits." (M. DEMIRCI, 3/509)

(17) ‘By the night as it closes in (turning dark),’ ‘And by the morning as it begins to breathe [brighten] puff by puff,’ (...) Here, it is highly probable that the end of the night—the time when the darkness deepens and the morning approaches, namely the time of sahar (dawn)—is being sworn upon. Indeed, immediately after, the "morning that begins to breathe" is sworn upon, which fits this meaning. For after the time of dawn, the morning begins to breathe, the day breaks, and it starts to show itself slowly. Here, the good news is given to our Prophet (pbuh) and the believers that the troubled days resembling dark nights will gradually disappear, and the bright days of Islam resembling bright mornings will arrive. (O. CELIK, 5/378)

(19, 20) ‘Let all these be an oath that 'It' (this Qur'an which informs of the terrifying events to come) 'is the word (brought by) a noble messenger'.’ That is, it is a word brought by a respected messenger worthy of honor in the sight of Almighty Allah. As also explained in Surah Al-Haqqah, the noble messenger intended here is the Trustworthy Spirit, Gabriel (as), who brought the Qur'an to the Prophet (pbuh). (ELMALILI, 9/34)

‘zi quwwatin: Very powerful’ He is not weak in fulfilling the mission of messengership he undertook or the command he received; he has an irresistible, indisputable great power, a strong messenger; so much so that he is: "Possessor of mighty powers, strong" (Necm 53/5-6; ELMALILI, 9/34).

(21) ‘Very prestigious in the sight of Allah’—that is, he has a great honor and reputation. So much so that ‘he is obeyed there,’ the angels close to Allah in the presence of the Almighty obey him and listen to his command. They take orders from him and consult him. ‘Trustworthy,’ he is extremely trustworthy in every aspect in conveying the revelation and in his messengership (...) he never exceeds the limits in the command he receives and fulfills his duty as required. A flaw, error, or treachery in the revelation he brought is unthinkable. (ELMALILI, 9/34)

(22) ‘Your companion (Muhammad) is not mad.’ (...) O those who want to slander the Prophet by saying he is possessed by jinn in order not to believe in that Qur'an and the news of prophethood! That Prophet (pbuh) is your companion. You have been in his company for years. You have tested the height of his intellect and character. You have consulted his views and thoughts, and you have spoken with him. You know that he is not crazy or mad. He is a person whose intellect and understanding are complete, whose superiority and virtue are accepted by everyone, and who wishes for your goodness. (ELMALILI, 9/34, 35)

(23) ‘I swear that (Muhammad) saw Gabriel on the clear horizon.’ Ibn Kathir says: "Muhammad (pbuh) saw Gabriel, who brought the message to him from Allah, in the form Allah created him, with 600 wings, 'on the clear horizon'. This is the first seeing that took place in the location called al-Batha." (S. HAWWA, 16/57)

(24) ‘He is not stingy (does not hide) regarding the unseen.’ Muhammad (pbuh) is not stingy with the revelation that comes to him. On the contrary, he offers it to everyone. He is not negligent in conveying the revelation and teaching it. He gives all the knowledge he possesses to others. (S. HAWWA, 16/58)

81/25-29 IT IS A REMINDER FOR EVERYONE

Translation

25- And the Qur'an is not the word of a regular expelled devil.

26- So [O pagans!] where are you going [by leaving the Qur'an]?

27- It is not except a reminder and a warning to the worlds [mankind and jinn],

28- To whoever among you wills to go straight.

29- And you do not will [anything] except that Allah wills—the Lord of the worlds.

Commentary

(25) ‘And the Qur'an is not the word of an expelled devil.’ That is, the Qur'an is not the word of certain devils who commit eavesdropping. We derive that the meaning of the word "devil" here is the "eavesdropping devil" from the word ‘rajim’. Because ‘rajim’ means the devil at whom celestial stones (meteors) are pelted. This sentence was expressed to reject the words of the disbelievers about our Master the Prophet, such as "he is a soothsayer and a sorcerer." Indeed, Allah emphasizes the same subject in another verse: "And the devils have not brought the Qur'an down." (Shu'ara 26/210). (I. H. BURSEVI, 23/133)

(26) ‘(Leaving the Qur'an) where are you going?’ Against these truths, which views and thoughts are you being caught up in by leaving the straight path? Into what great deviations are you falling? (ELMALILI, 9/37)

(27, 28) ‘The Qur'an is a reminder and a warning to all the worlds, for those among you who wish to act rightly.’ Nasafi says: "The Qur'an is a reminder for those who seek uprightness. That is, those who seek uprightness by entering the religion of Islam benefit from the dhikr (the Qur'an). Although it was given as a reminder to all people, it is as if those other than those who entered Islam have not taken heed from it." (S. HAWWA, 16/58)

(29) ‘And you cannot will (anything) unless Allah, the Lord of the worlds, wills.’ (...) Taking the principle of "freedom of religion and conscience" in Islam as a basis, it is now left to the free will of people to draw lessons from these and choose the right path. No one can be forced into a choice outside of their own will. However, the will and power of people are not from themselves, but from Allah; as a requirement of the test, Allah willed it to be so and gave people freedom of will. (cf. Insan 76/30; QUR’AN WAY, 5/566)

Everything is by the will of Allah Almighty. This being so does not contradict human will. (..) If Allah leads someone astray, He has treated them with His justice and led them astray because they deserved it. If He has guided someone to the right path, He has treated them with His grace. If everything were not by the will of Allah Almighty, then Allah Almighty would have been defeated by sin. However, this is impossible. Allah is not defeated by anything. Therefore, everything is by the will of Allah. This does not carry a meaning of compulsion. Allah knew and willed and brought it to light with His power. Knowing brings something out; it does not force it into anything. Allah knew what such-and-such a person would do, willed that act, and brought the work that person would do to light with His power. (S. HAWWA, 16/58, 59)