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88: The Overwhelming Event (Al-Ghashiyah)

Revealed at Makkah

The Overwhelming Event, whose mention in the first verse supplies the name of this chapter, is the doom of the opponents in this life and their punishment in the Hereafter. The date of revelation is placed about the fourth year of the Holy Prophet’s mission.

88:1

ہَلۡ اَتٰىکَ حَدِیۡثُ الۡغَاشِیَۃِ ؕ﴿۱﴾

Has the news come to you of the Overwhelming Event?

The Overwhelming Event is no doubt the Resurrection, but the overwhelming event of this life is the doom of the opponents of Truth. The description of the two parties that follows applies to an utterly discomfited and disappointed enemy and to the faithful in the hour of their triumph.

88:2

وُجُوۡہٌ یَّوۡمَئِذٍ خَاشِعَۃٌ ۙ﴿۲﴾

Faces on that day will be downcast,

88:3

عَامِلَۃٌ نَّاصِبَۃٌ ۙ﴿۳﴾

labouring, toiling,

88:4

تَصۡلٰی نَارًا حَامِیَۃً ۙ﴿۴﴾

entering burning Fire,

88:5

تُسۡقٰی مِنۡ عَیۡنٍ اٰنِیَۃٍ ؕ﴿۵﴾

made to drink from a boiling spring.

88:6

لَیۡسَ لَہُمۡ طَعَامٌ اِلَّا مِنۡ ضَرِیۡعٍ ۙ﴿۶﴾

They will have no food but of thorns,

88:7

لَّا یُسۡمِنُ وَ لَا یُغۡنِیۡ مِنۡ جُوۡعٍ ؕ﴿۷﴾

neither nourishing nor satisfying hunger.

88:8

وُجُوۡہٌ یَّوۡمَئِذٍ نَّاعِمَۃٌ ۙ﴿۸﴾

Faces on that day will be happy,

88:9

لِّسَعۡیِہَا رَاضِیَۃٌ ۙ﴿۹﴾

glad for their striving,

88:10

فِیۡ جَنَّۃٍ عَالِیَۃٍ ﴿ۙ۱۰﴾

in a lofty Garden,

88:11

لَّا تَسۡمَعُ فِیۡہَا لَاغِیَۃً ﴿ؕ۱۱﴾

in which you will hear no vain talk.

88:12

فِیۡہَا عَیۡنٌ جَارِیَۃٌ ﴿ۘ۱۲﴾

In it there is a fountain flowing.

88:13

فِیۡہَا سُرُرٌ مَّرۡفُوۡعَۃٌ ﴿ۙ۱۳﴾

In it there are thrones raised high,

88:14

وَّ اَکۡوَابٌ مَّوۡضُوۡعَۃٌ ﴿ۙ۱۴﴾

and drinking-cups ready placed,

88:15

وَّ نَمَارِقُ مَصۡفُوۡفَۃٌ ﴿ۙ۱۵﴾

and cushions set in rows,

88:16

وَّ زَرَابِیُّ مَبۡثُوۡثَۃٌ ﴿ؕ۱۶﴾

and carpets spread out.

88:17

اَفَلَا یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَی الۡاِبِلِ کَیۡفَ خُلِقَتۡ ﴿ٝ۱۷﴾

Do they not see the clouds, how they are created?

Ibil also means clouds that bear the water for rain. This significance suits the context better than the usual rendering, the camels. The mention of the clouds along with the heavens, where they exist, and with mountains, which cool the vapours so that they pour down water, and the earth, which benefits by that water, is in accordance with what is said in many other places.

88:18

وَ اِلَی السَّمَآءِ کَیۡفَ رُفِعَتۡ ﴿ٝ۱۸﴾

And the heaven, how it is raised high?

88:19

وَ اِلَی الۡجِبَالِ کَیۡفَ نُصِبَتۡ ﴿ٝ۱۹﴾

And the mountains, how they are fixed?

88:20

وَ اِلَی الۡاَرۡضِ کَیۡفَ سُطِحَتۡ ﴿ٝ۲۰﴾

And the earth, how it is spread out?

88:21

فَذَکِّرۡ ۟ؕ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنۡتَ مُذَکِّرٌ ﴿ؕ۲۱﴾

So remind. You are one to remind only.

88:22

لَسۡتَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ بِمُصَۜیۡطِرٍ ﴿ۙ۲۲﴾

You are not a warder over them —

88:23

اِلَّا مَنۡ تَوَلّٰی وَ کَفَرَ ﴿ۙ۲۳﴾

but whoever turns back and disbelieves,

88:24

فَیُعَذِّبُہُ اللّٰہُ الۡعَذَابَ الۡاَکۡبَرَ ﴿ؕ۲۴﴾

Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment.

88:25

اِنَّ اِلَیۡنَاۤ اِیَابَہُمۡ ﴿ۙ۲۵﴾

Surely to Us is their return.

88:26

ثُمَّ اِنَّ عَلَیۡنَا حِسَابَہُمۡ ﴿٪۲۶﴾

Then it is for Us to call them to account.

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