“And when Hellfire is kindled (12), and when Paradise is brought near (13), every soul will know what it has brought forth (14). So I swear by the retreating stars, those that move and disappear (15–16), by the night as it departs (17), and by the dawn as it breathes (18): indeed, this is the word conveyed by a noble messenger (19).”

“And when Hellfire is kindled”: the reciters of Madinah and Syria, and Hafs from ‘Asim, recited it with the consonant doubled, while the rest recited it without doubling—that is, it will be ignited for the enemies of Allah.

“And when Paradise is brought near”: it will be brought near to the close friends of Allah.

“Every soul will know,” at that time—that is, every soul—“what it has brought forth,” of good or evil. This is the answer to His saying, “When the sun is wound round,” and all that follows it.

His saying, “So I swear by the retreating stars”: the particle “no” is supplementary; its meaning is, “I swear by the retreating stars, those that move and disappear.” Qatadah said: “They are the stars: they appear at night and retreat by day, becoming hidden and no longer seen.”

It is also reported from ‘Ali that they are the heavenly bodies which retreat by day and are not seen, and which disappear—that is, they withdraw into their courses.

Others said: They are the five planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. They retreat in their courses—that is, they move back behind them—and they disappear: they conceal themselves at the time of their disappearance and setting, just as gazelles withdraw into their lairs.

Ibn Zayd said: The meaning of “the retreating ones” is that they retreat; that is, each year they fall behind their points of rising, delayed from the earlier occurrence of that rising, and thus retreat from it. “Those that disappear” ⦗186a⦘ means that they conceal themselves by day and are not seen. Al-A‘mash narrated from Ibrahim, from ‘Abdullah, that they are wild animals.

Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: They are gazelles. This is also the narration of al-‘Awfi from Ibn ‘Abbas.

The basic meaning of retreating is to move backward, while disappearing means withdrawing into their lairs—the places to which wild animals retreat.

“By the night as it departs”: al-Hasan said: “As it approaches with its darkness.” Others said: “As it departs.” The Arabs say that the night has departed when only a little of it remains.

“And by the dawn as it breathes”: that is, when it approaches and its first light appears. It was also said: when its light spreads and rises.

“Indeed, this”—meaning the Quran—“is the word conveyed by a noble messenger,” meaning Gabriel; that is, Gabriel brought it down from Allah Most High.