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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
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 Surah At-Takwir 81:1-6 [1/1]
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
إِذَاWhen
ٱلشَّمْسُthe sun
كُوِّرَتْis wrapped up,
﴿١﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
ٱلنُّجُومُthe stars
ٱنكَدَرَتْfall, losing their luster
﴿٢﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
ٱلْجِبَالُthe mountains
سُيِّرَتْare moved away,
﴿٣﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
ٱلْعِشَارُthe full-term she-camels
عُطِّلَتْ(are) left untended;
﴿٤﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
ٱلْوُحُوشُthe wild beasts
حُشِرَتْare gathered,
﴿٥﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
ٱلْبِحَارُthe seas
سُجِّرَتْare made to overflow,
﴿٦﴾


بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ اِذَا الشَّمۡسُ كُوِّرَتۡۙ‏  وَاِذَا النُّجُوۡمُ انْكَدَرَتۡۙ‏  وَاِذَا الۡجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتۡۙ‏  وَاِذَا الۡعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتۡۙ‏  وَاِذَا الۡوُحُوۡشُ حُشِرَتۡۙ‏  وَاِذَا الۡبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتۡۙ‏ 

Translation
(81:1) When the sun shall be folded up,1 (81:2) when the stars shall scatter away,2 (81:3) when the mountains shall be set in motion,3 (81:4) when the ten-months pregnant camels shall be abandoned,4 (81:5) when the savage beasts shall be brought together,5 (81:6) when the seas shall be set boiling,6

Commentary

1. This is a matchless metaphor for causing the sun to lose its light. Takwir means to fold up; hence takwir al-amamah is used for folding up the turban on the head. Here, the light which radiates from the sun and spreads throughout the solar system has been likened to the turban and it has been said that on the Resurrection Day the turban will be folded up about the sun and its radiation will fade.

2. That is, when the force which is keeping them in their orbits and positions is loosened and all the stars and planets will scatter in the universe. The word inkidar also indicates that they will not only scatter away but will also grow dark.

3. In other words, the earth will also lose its force of gravity because of which the mountains have weight and are firmly set in the earth. Thus, when there is no more gravity the mountains will be uprooted from their places and becoming weightless will start moving and flying as the clouds move in the atmosphere.

4. This was by far the best way of giving an idea of the severities and horrors of Resurrection to the Arabs. Before the buses and trucks of the present day there was nothing more precious for the Arabs than the she-camel just about to give birth to her young. In this state she was most sedulously looked after and cared for, so that she is not lost, stolen, or harmed in any way. The people’s becoming heedless of such she-camels, in fact, meant that at that time they would be so stunned as to become unmindful of their most precious possessions.

5. When a general calamity befalls the world, all kinds of beasts and animals gather together in one place, then neither the snake bites, nor the tiger kills and devours.

6. The word sujjirat as used in the original in passive voice from tasjir in the past tense. Tasjir means to kindle fire in the oven. Apparently it seems strange that on the Resurrection Day fire would blaze up in the oceans. But if the truth about water is kept in view, nothing would seem strange. It is a miracle of God that He combined oxygen and hydrogen, one of which helps kindle the fire and the other gets kindled of itself and by the combination of both He created a substance like water which is used to put out fire. A simple manifestation of Allah’s power is enough to change this composition of water so that the two gases are separated and begin to burn and help cause a blaze, which is their basic characteristic.