(16–25) “So I swear by the twilight glow * and by the night and all that it gathers * and by the moon when it becomes full * you will surely pass from stage to stage * So what is the matter with them that they do not believe * and, when the Quran is recited to them, do not prostrate? * Rather, those who disbelieve persist in denial * and Allah knows best what they harbor within * So give them tidings of a painful punishment * except those who believe and perform righteous deeds. Theirs will be a reward without end.”
Here Allah swears by the signs of the night. He swears by the twilight glow, which is the remnant of the sun’s light and marks the beginning of the night.
“And by the night and all that it gathers”—that is, all the animals and other things it encompasses. “And by the moon when it becomes full”—that is, when its light is complete as it reaches the full moon, which is when it is at its most beautiful and beneficial. The subject of the oath is His statement: “You will surely pass,” [that is,] O people, “from stage to stage”—through many stages and changing conditions: from a drop of fluid to a clinging clot, then to a lump of flesh, and then to the breathing of the soul into it. Thereafter, a person is born, becomes a child, and then reaches the age of discernment. The pen of religious accountability then applies to him, as do commands and prohibitions. After that, he dies, then is resurrected and recompensed for his deeds. These successive stages through which the servant passes demonstrate that Allah alone is the One to be worshipped and affirmed as One, and that He governs His servants with His wisdom and mercy. They also demonstrate that the servant is needy and powerless, subject to the governance of the Almighty, the Most Merciful. Despite this, many people do not believe.
“And, when the Quran is recited to them, do not prostrate”—that is, they do not humble themselves before the Quran or submit to its commands and prohibitions. “Rather, those who disbelieve persist in denial”—that is, they stubbornly resist the truth after it has become clear. Their failure to believe and submit to the Quran should therefore occasion no surprise, for there is no way to help one who stubbornly denies the truth. “And Allah knows best what they harbor within”—that is, the deeds they perform and the intentions they secretly entertain. Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal, and He will recompense them for their deeds. Hence He says: “So give them tidings of a painful punishment.” Tidings are so called because they leave their mark upon a person’s outward appearance, whether through joy or sorrow.
This is the condition of most people: they deny the Quran and do not believe [in it].
Yet among the people is a group whom Allah has guided. They believe in Allah and accept what the messengers have brought them; thus, they believe and perform righteous deeds.
They will have a reward without end—that is, one that will never ⦗918⦘ be cut off. Rather, it is an everlasting reward consisting of what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever conceived.
The commentary on this surah is complete. All praise belongs to Allah.