The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 367
General Remarks CHAPTER 75 AL-QIYAMAH (Revealed before Hijrah) This Surah takes its title, (the Resurrection), from the opening verse. It wholly deals with the Resurrection. The Surah is decidedly one of the earliest chapters which were revealed at Mecca, because the Meccan Surahs specifically deal with God's Unity, Resurrection and Revelation. Towards the end of the preceding Sūrah it was emphatically stated that those people who will accept the Quranic Message will rise to eminence and will find an honoured place among the comity of great and powerful nations. The present Surah opening with a discussion of the subject of Resurrection throws a broad hint that a great moral resurrection is going to be brought about among a morally degraded and degenerate people—the Arabs-through the ennobling teachings of the Quran and the purifying example of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad. Subject Matter The Surah opens with a solemn affirmation that the Resurrection undoubtedly will take place, and significantly enough adduces man's spiritual resurrection, as evidence in support of this affirmation. As a further proof, it swears by admi. e. the self-accusing spirit, which in action is the first stage of the process of spiritual regeneration. Then an oft-repeated objection of disbelievers is mentioned, viz. when they are dead and reduced to dust, how will they be raised again to life. The Surah effectively rebuts this objection by saying that in their heart of hearts they know that man's sins never go unpunished and, therefore, there must be a day when they will be called to account for what they had done in this life. Then the collection of the Quran and the Divine protection of its text are offered as further arguments in the same connection, since of all revealed Scriptures the Quran has laid the greatest emphasis on the inevitability of the Resurrection. Next, a brief but graphic description is given of the agony of death and man's intense desire to be spared of it. This shows that at the moment of death the fear that one will have to render an account of one's actions gnaws at one's heart. Towards the close of the Sūrah disbelievers are admonished that man has not been created without a purpose or without responsibility, and that he will have to account for his failure to discharge his duties to God and to his fellow beings. Disbelievers are further reminded that man's physical development from a sperm drop into a full-fledged human being, endowed with unique powers and faculties, constitutes an irrebuttable argument that his creation is intended to serve a sublime purpose and that his life will not end with the departure of the soul from its physical tabernacle. 3263