The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 370
CH. 75 AL-QIYAMAH 4462 8. When the eye is dazzled, 4 9. And the eclipsed, 4463 moon is 10. And the sun and the moon are brought together,4 4464 11. On that day man will say, "Whither to flee"?" PT. 29 فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُة وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُة يَقُوْلُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَبِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّة "80:35. asked in derision or doubt. In fact, doubt about the Hereafter gives rise to a mocking attitude on the disbelievers' part. 4462. Important Words: (is dazzled) means, he feared so that he was astonished or amazed or stupefied at seeing the gleam of lightning; he was frightened, or he became perplexed or unable to see his right course. means, his eye became dazzled or it became weak. means, his feet became weak (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The metaphor "when the eye is dazzled," signifies, "when the 4464. Commentary: The expression, "the sun and the moon are brought together" may signify that the whole solar system will be completely disrupted. Or the words may signify the destruction of the political power of the Arabs and of the Iranian dynasty, the moon being the symbol of the political power of the former and the sun that of the latter. Or the reference may be to the lunar and solar eclipses- highly unusual phenomenon, which, according to a ḥadīth was to occur in the time of the Promised Mahdī. The ḥadīth is to the following effect: -a ان لمهدينا أيتين لم تكونا منذ خلق السموات و الارض الخ i. e. For our Mahdi there are two signs opponents of truth are completely which have never been witnessed confused and baffled". 4463. Commentary: "Moon" being a symbol of the political power of the Arabs, the verse may mean: when the power of the Arabs will break and their glory will depart. Or the darkening of the moon may mean the darkening of both the sun and the moon, as the moon borrows its light from the sun, so that when the moon is darkened it means that the sun also has become dark. since the time when the heavens and the earth were created, viz. that the moon will be eclipsed on the first night and the sun on the second day in the month of Ramadan (Baihaqī). This meant that the day of the final triumph of Islam and that of the defeat and destruction of the forces of evil will dawn with the Mahdi's appearance in the world. Strangely enough, both the sun and the moon were eclipsed in the month of Ramadan in 1894 after 3266