The Soorah starts with a description of the attributes, authority, power and might of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala so that people can form the right views about Him.

1 The source of all blessings and magnificently exalted is He: In Whose hands is Dominion; and He has power and capability to do everything;
2 Who created death and life to test which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving; and
3 Who created the seven heavens in layers, one above another; you do not see any inconsistency in the Most Gracious One’s creation; have a look again, do you see any flaw?
4 Then look back again and again, your sight will return to you humbled while it is fatigued.

The first word of the Soorah “Tabaaraka” is a superlative and emphatic form of “barakah” which connotes greatness, grandeur, abundance, goodness, growth, blessing and permanence. Thus “Tabaaraka” means He Who is infinitely superior and great, magnificently exalted over everything else, from Whom emanates abundant goodness, growth and blessing on a constant and permanent basis.

“In His hands” is a proverbial expression indicating ownership and control. Dominion (Mulk) implies sovereignty over the entire universe. He is fully capable of and has absolute might to take care of the universe on an ongoing basis. He is not merely the Cause who caused the creation of the universe and then retired. Rather, He is watching over the operations of the universe like a sovereign king looking after His kingdom.

In “Who created both death and life”, the mention of death before life is worth noting. When people think about these matters, they usually think that death follows life. What people forget is that there was nothing before our life was created. Our starting point was “death” (non-existence) , and then Allaah gave us life. But this is a temporary life, which ends with our death. Then, we will be raised for an eternal life on the Day of Judgment. Thus, the eternal life of the Hereafter is also preceded by death.

The current life was made temporary as a test so that everyone can demonstrate his or her best performance. It is this performance that will determine the quality of life in the eternal Hereafter. Thus, the life of this world being a test from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala automatically implies that:

§ This life is not without purpose;

§ Death merely signifies the end of the test, it is not the end of the story;

§ It is Allaah as the examiner who determines what is the right behaviour, not people who are being tested; and

§ There will be reward and punishment because without any consequences of actions, the test is illogical and meaningless.

People should keep His two attributes in mind in this respect: Firstly, He has all the power and might to hold everyone accountable so that none can evade His judgment or accountability. Secondly, although He is able to hold everyone accountable for every action a person performs in his or her life, He is also very forgiving. He is Kind to let people off the hook if their overall performance is adequate, instead of holding them accountable for everything. Furthermore, if people repent and seek His forgiveness for their past mistakes, He forgives them.

“Seven heavens” refers to some sort of division of the universe into seven layers which people can interpret and understand according to their level of cosmic knowledge. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has not explained such concepts precisely because the Qur-aan is for people of all levels of knowledge and intellect for all periods of time. The exact nature of this cosmic reality would have been beyond the level of comprehension of most people, most of the time. Hence Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala just alludes to them so that people can reflect on them according to their own capacity. Everyone, therefore, gets the desired benefit from the reflection according to his or her knowledge and sophistication, from ordinary folks to advanced research scientists. This is one of the miracles of the Qur-aan that statements made by the Qur-aan are never contradicted by scientific facts. The more advanced the research that establishes a scientific fact, the more impressive the description of that fact in the Qur-aan proves to be.

When we ponder over the functioning of the universe, we see that from an atom to the greatest cosmos, every part of the universe is functioning consistently according to the laws of nature promulgated by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. In addition, the functioning of the whole universe is so coordinated and congruent to sustain life that some scientists conclude that from Big Bang onwards, everything was designed to enable creation of life and its sustenance.

As is evident from the above notes, the first four verses of this Soorah inculcate the fundamentals of Islamic faith in a concise manner.

The mention of heavens provides an opportunity for the next verse to use the sights of the visible heaven to correct another misunderstanding many Arabs used to have about soothsayers or fortune-tellers as well as to transition human attention towards the punishment of those who go against the pleasure of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.

5 We have decorated the nearest sky with lamps, using them as missiles to be thrown at devils for whom We have prepared the punishment of blazing fire.

Those who have observed the night sky on a clear night know the stunning beauty the stars present. In addition to the beauty, they were also a source of guidance in the desert to know the directions and to find the way. The night sky also presents the view of shooting stars and meteorites burning brightly on their entry into the atmosphere of earth. The abundance of meteorites in the space around Earth and their frequent entry into the atmosphere presents an insurmountable hazard for any evil Jinns (Shayaŧeen) who dare to venture beyond the confines of earth. Mention of this hazard is to correct the views of Arabs who used to think that Jinn devils can go up the heavens and bring news of future events and inform the fortune tellers of their discoveries. They are being told that this is not possible. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has designed the universe in such a way that devils are precluded from going beyond the confines of the earth. Hence whatever the fortune-tellers or soothsayers say is baseless and fabricated. The mention of Jinn devils necessitated the mention of Fire that has been prepared for their punishment, which served as a segue into the description of punishment of all disbelievers, who do not believe in the realities propounded by the Islamic faith.

6 Actually, for all those who disbelieve in their Lord, there will be punishment of Hell – a wretched destination. 7 As they are thrown into it, they will hear its roaring while it boils up, 8 almost bursting with rage. Every time a group is thrown into it, its keepers will ask them, “Did no warner come to you?” 9 They will respond, “Yes indeed; a Warner did come to us, but we rejected him and said, ‘Allaah never sent down anything, you are but grossly misguided.’” 10 They will further say: “Had we listened or used our intelligence to understand, we would not be among the inmates of the Blazing Fire!” 11 Thus they will admit their fault, so, away with the inmates of the Blazing Fire!

“Disbelieving in their Lord” does not necessarily mean denying the existence of Allaah. People may believe in the existence of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, but they will still be considered disbelievers if they do not believe in Him in the right way with the correct views about all of His attributes including such matters as His exclusive right to give commands and to be obeyed, His holding people accountable and judging them on the Day of Judgment and His rewarding and punishing them in the Hereafter.

Imagine the picture of the anger of the Fire that will rage while receiving the disbelievers who ignored the warnings of the prophets and messengers of Allaah about the accountability in the Hereafter or opposed their mission. Even the keepers of the Fire will make the disbelievers realize their own fault by asking them if anyone ever warned them about this punishment.

Although the disbelievers consider the Muslims as being misguided and crazy for believing in the Hereafter, they will readily accept on the Day of Judgment that it was them who were in fact misguided.

The believers, on the other hand, will be enjoying the forgiveness of Allaah and tremendous reward. The shortcomings and errors in their effort will be forgiven, because they accepted Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala as their Lord and, fearing His displeasure, sincerely tried their best to live in obedience to Him.

12 As for those who fear their Lord even though He is beyond physical perception, there will be forgiveness and great reward for them.

The key quality of believers is that they used their intellect and common sense to believe in Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala as He should be believed in, instead of waiting to witness His existence and the life Hereafter beyond any doubt. This is the key component of the test for which human beings have been put in this world – to adopt the correct beliefs about Allaah and the Hereafter through intellect, rather than physically perceivable evidence.

The fear of All-Knowing, All-Aware Allaah’s displeasure is the only effective motive that keeps people on the path of goodness at all times and in all circumstances and that keeps people away from doing something wrong when no one is watching or no one could ever find out. Every other motive to do good or to stay away from wrong breaks down in some circumstances or the other, except the fear of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.

Not only that Allaah knows what everyone does, He is also fully aware of the motives behind the actions as well as all the thoughts that go through one’s mind. Thus, the disbelievers should realize that Allaah knows why they disbelieve and the ulterior motives they harbour when rejecting Islam, presenting excuses for not accepting it and the personal interests they are trying to preserve by disobeying Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. The believers should rest assured that their sacrifices for their faith and their sincerity behind their actions are all known to Allaah to be rewarded accordingly. Even the most insignificant of their good deeds done with the intention of seeking the pleasure of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala will be fully rewarded.

13 And conceal your thoughts or publicize them, He is fully aware of whatever is on your minds. 14 Will He Who has created not know? He is the Knower of the subtleties, the Fully-Aware.

Previously, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala had invited people to think about the heavens and consistency in the creation of the universe, and in the next verse they are being invited to reflect upon their life on earth.

15 He it is Who made the earth tame for you, so walk in its paths and eat from the sustenance He provides. And to Him will be the resurrection.

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has made earth inhabitable and put all the means of sustenance in it. Everything we consume comes from the earth. He has taken care of our needs to gather us on the Day of Judgment and hold us accountable for the use of its resources whether they were consumed according to His guidance and for the objective set out by Him or not.

People should be mindful that He Who has made this earth inhabitable could destroy them at any time either by making the earth open up and swallow them, by disturbing its balance within its solar system so that it runs off its orbit or its revolutions are disturbed, or by causing super strong winds to rain stones over people and destroy everything.

¹⁶ Do you feel secure that He Who is in the heaven will not cause the earth to swallow you, while it is convulsing? ¹⁷ Or do you feel secure that He Who is in the heaven will not send violent stone-throwing winds against you? Then you shall know how was My warning. ¹⁸ And their predecessors did deny, so how severe was My censure.

Because Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has made the earth inhabitable and exploitable for people, they forget that He has the power to use the same natural forces for the destruction of human population and their belongings. He has made the natural system such that once in a while people are reminded of the natural powers through storms, floods, landslides and sinkholes. In the past Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has also used natural calamities to wipe out those who had become rebellious to Allaah and rejected the idea of submitting to Him, through both kinds of calamities that came from beneath their feet and from above their heads. This was done so that the Muslims could re-establish the law, order, balance and peace according to Allaah’s standards in the land by submitting to Him and practising Islam. This is like a gardener cleaning up the garden from weeds so that good plants can flourish. Through these verses, the Makkans are being admonished that instead of daring the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to bring on the punishment of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, they should learn the lessons from the history of those townships around them that have been wiped out in the past, the ruins of which the Makkans themselves have seen during their travels.

The phrase “Who is in the heaven” is not specifying a location for Allaah, Who is infinite in all His attributes including His presence. However, finite human beings cannot imagine or perceive the infinite nature of Allaah’s presence. As people cannot think of anything without its location and direction, when people think of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, they think of heavens and look or signal upwards when talking about Him. That is their way of referring to the Infiniteness of Allaah, as compared to some physical god such as an idol or a human figure. This phrase is relating to that human perception of the Infinite God. Elsewhere in the Qur-aan, the infinite nature of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s presence has been inculcated through verses such as: “Whichever way you turn, Allaah is in that direction.” Al-Baqarah 2:115

The next verse presents them with a common phenomenon to reflect upon the dependence of all creatures on the laws of nature wherein a slight disturbance can be devastating.

¹⁹ Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them in? None can uphold them except the Most Gracious. Truly it is He that watches over all things.

Allaah has graciously given the air such properties and equipped birds physically such that they are able to fly and manoeuvre in the air. Just as Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has taken care of the needs of birds, so has He done for all of His creations, from the cosmos to human beings. Not only did He set the laws of nature at the beginning, He continuously watches over their operation. He also overrules them, or adjusts them as He likes and His plan requires. Miracles of the Prophets or destruction of nations are some examples thereof.

If Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala decides to destroy them, who are they counting on to defend them against Allaah’s forces?

²⁰ Or who is there that will be your army to help you against the Most Gracious? Disbelievers are merely suffering from delusion. ²¹ Or who is there that can provide you with Sustenance if He were to withhold His provision? But they obstinately persist in insolent defiance and disdain for the Truth.

The main reason for their obstinate and insolent defiance and disdain for the truth is that they are blindly following the traditions of their society and their self interest in maintaining the status quo. Like sheep, bowing their head, they continue to follow the path they have been put on without thinking if it is the right path or not and without thinking where it is going to take them. They refuse to think independently or think out of the box to find the right path or to choose the right alternatives. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has endowed them with appropriate faculties to help them find the right path if they just stand straight, look around and think where they should be going.

²² Is then one who walks fallen on his face better guided or one who walks erect upon a straight path? ²³ Say, “It is He Who brought you into being and equipped you with hearing, seeing and thinking faculties. Yet, little do you thank.” ²⁴ Say, “It is He Who spread you all over the earth and to Him you shall be gathered.”

When they are invited to think and correct their path so that they do not end up with disaster on the Day of Judgment, they try to refute it just by raising questions about its precise timing as if knowing when it is going to happen is of any help when it comes to believing in it. Even if it was disclosed precisely when the Last Day will be, how would that help them believe in it? Rather such knowledge would be counterproductive because it would divert people’s attention away from the Hereafter itself to the timing of the Last day. The Last Day and subsequent Judgment has to be believed on its own merit and logic, just like we believe that everyone is going to die without knowing when.

²⁵ And they say, “When shall this threat materialize, if you are truthful? ²⁶ Say, “The knowledge thereof is only with Allaah and I am merely a clear warner. ²⁷ But when they shall see it approaching, the faces of the disbelievers shall be disfigured with distress and it will be said, “This is what you used to call for.”

By the time they know about the Day of Judgment with certainty and are frightened to see it, it will be too late. The time to believe in it is now while people are still in the test phase – when they are living in the world. Once they die, the test is over. Although thereafter they will have knowledge and certainty about these matters of faith, the knowledge will be of no avail and people will have to suffer the consequences of not believing.

Instead of heeding to these warnings and preparing for the Judgment, the Makkan leaders would tell other Makkans not to believe in the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam because with time he and his movement would die their own death. Also the families of those people who believed in the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam were very upset with him. They would pray for the death and destruction of the Prophet, seek witchcraft spells for that purpose and even hatch plots to kill him somehow. The next verse invites them to think about how death of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his followers would in any way help them against or save them from the punishment of Allaah? Whether the Prophet lives or dies, the reality of the punishment of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and the Day of Judgment is not going to change or disappear. They would be wise to worry about the consequences they themselves are going to face rather than their concern with the death of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his followers.

²⁸ Ask them, “Have you considered whether Allaah destroys me and those with me or has mercy on us, who will shelter the disbelievers from a painful punishment?

The Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is being told to inform them that even if he and his followers die, they would be relying on the mercy and grace of the Most Gracious Lord because of their faith in Him. However, it would become crystal clear to the disbelievers as to how wrong they had been for not believing in Him. Then they would not find any shelter from the painful punishment prepared for such disbelievers.

²⁹ Tell them, “He is the Most Gracious; We have believed in Him, and on Him do we rely; so you shall soon find out who it is that is in obvious misguidance. ³⁰ Say, “Have you considered if your water should sink down into the ground, who then could bring you clear-flowing water?”

They doubt the power of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala while relying for their daily living on the resources created by Him. They have mistakenly assumed that what they have is going to stay with them forever. They should think about the supply of water in their arid land. Did they ever ponder that if Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala decides to deprive them of water, do they have any way to obtain water for their survival?