Surah al-Anbiya’ (The Prophets)

Meccan

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

“People’s reckoning has drawn near, while they turn away in heedlessness. No newly revealed reminder comes to them from their Lord but they listen to it in play, their hearts distracted. Those who do wrong conceal their private counsel, saying, ‘Is this anything but a human being like yourselves? Will you then submit to magic while you can see?’” (1–3)

Concerning His saying, “People’s reckoning has drawn near”: it has been said that the particle li carries the sense of min; that is, their reckoning has drawn near to mankind—the time when Allah will call them to account for their deeds, namely, the Day of Resurrection. This was revealed concerning those who deny the Resurrection. “While they turn away in heedlessness”: that is, they turn away from preparing for it.

“No newly revealed reminder comes to them from their Lord”: that is, whenever Allah newly sends down something from the Quran by which He reminds and admonishes them.

Muqatil said: “Allah brings about one matter [after another].” (1) It was also said: the newly revealed reminder refers to what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said and explained of the sunnahs and admonitions, apart from the Quran. It is attributed to the Lord, exalted is He, because he spoke by the command of his Lord. “But they listen to it in play”: that is, they listen to it playfully, taking neither heed nor admonition.

“Distracted”: that is, inattentive and heedless; “their hearts,” turned away from the remembrance of Allah. His saying, “distracted,” is an adjective placed before the noun, whereas an adjective should ordinarily follow the noun in inflection. When an adjective precedes the noun, there are two cases: separation.