As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is from Surah 70, Al-Ma‘ãrij or the Ways of Ascent, verses 1-18. This selection discusses the length of the Day of Judgment and how the sinners will so wish they could save themselves that they would sell out their own kin, to no avail.
Tafseer for this selection concerns the analysis of Sin in verses 17-18.
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Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.A questioner asked you about the punishment which is bound to happen.[1] It is for the disbelievers and there is none to avert it.[2] It will come from Allah, the Owner of the Ways of Ascent.[3] The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a Day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.[4] Therefore, endure with graceful patience.[5] They see it (Day of Judgment) to be far-off:[6] but We see it quite near.[7] On that Day, the sky shall become like molten brass[8] and the mountains like tufts of wool;[9] even a close friend will not ask of his friend,[10] though they will see each other. To save himself from the punishment of that Day, the culprit (disbeliever) will wish to give his children,[11] his wife, his brother,[12] his relatives – who gave him shelter – [13] and all that is in the earth, in ransom to save himself.[14] By no means! It will be the fire of hell,[15] eager to pluck out his skull,[16] it will be calling all those who try to escape and turn their back,[17] who collected wealth and withheld it.[18] 70:[1-18]
Ameen.
Tafseer
Concerning the analysis of sin in verses 17-18:
The analysis of sin is given in four masterstrokes, of which the first two refer to the will or psychology of the sinner, and the last two refer to the use he makes of the good things of this life.
1) Sin begins with turning your back to the Right, refusing to face it squarely, running away from it whether from cowardice or indifference.
2) But Conscience and the sense of Right will try to prevent the flight; the Grace of Allah will meet the winner at all corners and try to reclaim him; the hardened sinner will deliberately turn away his face from it, insult it, and reject it.
3) The result of this psychology will be that he will abandon himself to greed, to the collection of riches, and the acquisition of material advantages to which he is no entitled; this may involve hypocrisy, fraud, and crime.
4) Having acquired the material advantages, the next step will be to keep others out of them, to prevent hoarded wealth from fructifying by circulation, to conceal it out of envy or spite. This is the spiritual Rake’s Progress.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.