Al-Mulk (The Sovereignty)

16. Do you feel secure about the torments inflicted by Him, Who is over the heaven, will not cause the earth to sink with you and then it should quake?

17. Or do you feel secure about the torments inflicted by Him, Who is over the heaven, will not send against you a violent whirlwind abounding with gravel? Then you shall know how has My Warning been.

18. And indeed those before them belied Divine Signs, but behold how terrible was My Chastisement.

Resuming the foregoing discussions on the fates of disbelievers, the people of the Hell and the believers, the people of Paradise, the blessed Verses in question urge believers to join the lines of the people of Paradise and refrain from the practices of the people of the Hell. Following a treatment of Divine Bounties mentioned in the preceding Verses, the blessed Verses in question make a reference to some of His torments.

The blessed Verse 16 asks:

“Do you feel secure about the torments of the One Who is the Absolute Sovereign in the heavens? Are you aware that He may command that the earth be torn asunder and swallow you and permanently quake? If He commands, the tranquil earth revolts and turns into a stubborn beast. Then, the earth will quake and clefts appear in the earth swallowing you and your houses and cities. The earth will still quake.”

The Arabic clause

fa-idha hiya tamuru (“it will permanently quake and is agitated”)

may indicate that God Almighty may command so that the earth swallows you and tosses you from one point to another.

Thus, your graves may not be tranquil and the earth may lose its tranquility forever predominated by permanent quakes. The inhabitants of the quake stricken regions perceive it with further facility since they inhabit regions that may quake for days depriving the inhabitants of their normal course of life. Au contraire, those accustomed to the tranquility of the earth may require further reflection upon the point to grasp the expression.

The phrase

man fi ’l-sama’ (“One [Who is] in the heaven”)

alludes to the Divine Pure Essence Whose Sovereignty predominates the heavens and the earth in their entirety. However, some Qur’an exegetes also maintain that a reference is hereby made of the angels in the heaven assigned to execute Divine Commands.

The blessed Verse 17 is saying that there is no need to experience earth quakes, since He may command whirlwinds abounding in gravel to bury you beneath heaps of them. You shall notice before long how Divine Warnings shall be realized. The point may be easily grasped by those who have experienced the sand and hasib winds, namely those moving the heaps of sand. They know that such winds may bury the dwellings and caravans in a few moments under heaps of sand and gravel.

Thus, the blessed Verses reflect that their torments are not restricted to those befalling them in the Hereafter, but God Almighty may put an end to their lives by earth quakes or gales. To further depict such torments, reference is made to similar disasters which befell the ancient peoples.

Therefore, the blessed Verse 18 says that those who were before them belied Divine Signs and Messengers, but behold the Divine Chastisements befallen them. Some were chastised by destructive quakes, some by lightning, and some by tempests and gales, leaving behind their ruined cities so that prospective generations may take lessons and obey Divine Commands.