79: Those Who Yearn (An-Naziat)
Revealed at Makkah
This chapter is named after the word which occurs in the first verse as a description of the groups or parties of the faithful who were destined to bring about a transformation in the world. Their chief characteristics are mentioned in the first five verses as being those who yearned ardently after God, and who went forth cheerfully braving all opposition, then ran swiftly in the cause of Truth, and went ahead of all such communities who had a similar yearning in the past and regulated affairs. These verses are followed by predicting the great revolution which would be brought about by their exertions. It is a revelation of the early period at Makkah.
Section 1 (Verses 79:1–79:26): The Great Commotion
These verses give a description of the spiritual characteristics of the faithful. There was a vehement yearning in the hearts of the believers for their Maker (v. 1), and it was this ardent desire that made them go forth in the way of God cheerfully in spite of the severest opposition (v. 2); they ran swiftly (v. 3), so that they traversed eastern and western lands in an incredibly short time; they were thus ahead of all those who ever carried the message of Truth to their fellow-man (v. 4); and lastly, they regulated the affair of the spread of Truth in the world (v. 5), so that the farthest east (China) and farthest west (Morocco and Spain) were lit with the light of Islam within a hundred years. Compare 32:5. Taking the words in a general sense, they indicate the various stages through which an affair is brought to a successful issue. The first stage is that of an ardent desire or yearning for it; the second is that of going forth cheerfully to accomplish it; the third is that of running swiftly for its accomplishment; the fourth is that of going ahead of others; and the fifth that of regulating it in the best possible way.
The quaking of the earth is often spoken of as an indication of a great revolution. What is meant is therefore that the efforts of the faithful spoken of in the first five verses will bring about a great commotion or a great revolution in the world, indicating the transformation which was to be brought about through them.
The consequence of great commotions is the ultimate triumph of Truth. But the triumph of Truth is also the destruction of the opponents of Truth; hence the mention of palpitating hearts and downcast eyes in the next two verses.
79:10
یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ ءَاِنَّا لَمَرۡدُوۡدُوۡنَ فِی الۡحَافِرَۃِ ﴿ؕ۱۰﴾
They say: Shall we indeed be restored to (our) first state?
79:12
قَالُوۡا تِلۡکَ اِذًا کَرَّۃٌ خَاسِرَۃٌ ﴿ۘ۱۲﴾
They say: That would then be a return with loss.
The spiritual awakening — the great transformation to be brought about by the Prophet — is spoken of here in clear words. This awakening was first to be brought about in Arabia and then in the whole world.
79:16
اِذۡ نَادٰىہُ رَبُّہٗ بِالۡوَادِ الۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًی ﴿ۚ۱۶﴾
when his Lord called him in the holy valley, Tuwa?
79:19
وَ اَہۡدِیَکَ اِلٰی رَبِّکَ فَتَخۡشٰی ﴿ۚ۱۹﴾
And I will guide you to your Lord so that you fear (Him).
79:25
فَاَخَذَہُ اللّٰہُ نَکَالَ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ وَ الۡاُوۡلٰی ﴿ؕ۲۵﴾
So Allah seized him with the punishment of the Hereafter and of this life.
The nature of the punishment in store for the opponents is made clear by citing the example of Pharaoh.
79:26
اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَعِبۡرَۃً لِّمَنۡ یَّخۡشٰی ﴿ؕ٪۲۶﴾
Surely in this there is a lesson for him who fears.
Section 2 (Verses 79:27–79:46): The Great Calamity
79:27
ءَاَنۡتُمۡ اَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا اَمِ السَّمَآءُ ؕ بَنٰہَا ﴿ٝ۲۷﴾
Are you the stronger in creation or the heaven? He made it.
The raising high of the height is an allusion to its extremely great height. There is a reference here to the great distances of the heavenly bodies, which stagger human imagination.
79:29
وَ اَغۡطَشَ لَیۡلَہَا وَ اَخۡرَجَ ضُحٰہَا ﴿۪۲۹﴾
and He made dark its night and brought out its light.
Two things are made clear in this brief statement. (1) The earth was brought into existence after the heaven, or the starry creation; and (2) it was cast away, as a stone is cast away, from a bigger creation.
79:31
اَخۡرَجَ مِنۡہَا مَآءَہَا وَ مَرۡعٰہَا ﴿۪۳۱﴾
He brought forth from it its water and its pasture.
How the earth was made fit for living on is next made clear. Its water, which is the source of all its life, was brought forth from it, and water made possible the growth of vegetation. The mountains were raised so that they might serve as a provision for you and your cattle. The mountains are the sources of rivers and through these all living things on earth are provided with sustenance.
By the great calamity here is generally understood only the Resurrection, but the words of v. 25 make it clear that the reference is as much to the calamity of this life as to the Resurrection. The making of hell manifest to him who sees in v. 36 is a clear indication of the same; the hell of the next life is spoken of in v. 39.
79:35
یَوۡمَ یَتَذَکَّرُ الۡاِنۡسَانُ مَا سَعٰی ﴿ۙ۳۵﴾
the day when man remembers all that he strove for,
79:40
وَ اَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّہٖ وَ نَہَی النَّفۡسَ عَنِ الۡہَوٰی ﴿ۙ۴۰﴾
And as for him who fears to stand before his Lord and restrains himself from low desires,
Refraining from low desires is the chief source from which grows a paradise. This further shows that the description given in the first five verses is really a description of the spiritual advancement of the faithful.
79:42
یَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَکَ عَنِ السَّاعَۃِ اَیَّانَ مُرۡسٰہَا ﴿ؕ۴۲﴾
They ask you about the Hour, when will that take place,
The Hour is in itself a manifestation of Divine purpose. The destruction or punishment of the disbelievers is not an end in itself. The great goal of this punishment is the Lord — Rabb — Who brings everything to perfection, and the real goal of human life is thus the Lord or the meeting with the Lord.
79:46
کَاَنَّہُمۡ یَوۡمَ یَرَوۡنَہَا لَمۡ یَلۡبَثُوۡۤا اِلَّا عَشِیَّۃً اَوۡ ضُحٰہَا ﴿٪۴۶﴾
On the day when they see it, it will be as if they had remained (in this world) only for an evening or a morning.