Al-Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One)

17. Then, how can you avoid the chastisement, if you disbelieve a Day that will make the children grey-headed?

18. On such Day the heaven will be cleft asunder and His Promise shall certainly be accomplished.

19. This is a warning and whoever wills, he may take a Path toward his Lord.

The Arabic plural nominal form wildan, whose singular form is walid, is applied to newly born infants. The Arabic plural nominal form shiyb, whose singular form is ashyab, denotes the grey-headed and the old. Two meanings may be suggested for the blessed Verse 17:

1. The severity of the Day of Resurrection shall be such that the newly born infants grow old.

2. That Day shall be so long that the children grow old.

At any rate, the blessed Verse is addressed to the disbelievers contemporaneous with the Noble Prophet of the Islamic faith (S), warning them that if you disbelieve, how will you be untouched by the Divine severe torments that make the children grow old?

The torments which shall be inflicted upon the sinners on that Day shall be so severe, harsh, and horrible that “they shall make the children grow old.”

It is reported that some of the horrible afflictions in this world may instantly make people grey-headed. The blessed Verse is saying that even if you happen not to be entangled with the torments in this world, like Pharaoh and his people, what will you do with the torments which shall be inflicted upon the disobedient on the Day of Resurrection?

The blessed Verse 18 further depicts that horrible Day, saying:

“On such Day the heaven will be cleft asunder and His Promise shall certainly be accomplished.”

Many a Qur’anic Verses treat of the incidents that shall happen on the last day in this world and the Hereafter including horrible explosions and severe earthquakes and spontaneous alterations.

The blessed Verse in question briefly deals with the same saying that the heaven and the celestial bodies with their enormous greatness shall not stand the colossal incidents to occur on that Day; how the weak and vulnerable man shall be able to impede such incidents? The Arabic nominal form infitar denotes cleaving asunder.

The blessed Verse 19 makes a reference to the foregoing warnings, saying:

“This is a warning and whoever wills, he may take a Path toward his Lord.”

Whoever intends to find guidance and attain to everlasting happiness may opt for the path leading to his Lord. Treading such path nonchalantly is not regarded as a merit, since the merit lies in that man chooses the path willfully. At any rate, God Almighty has provided man with the path, vision, and the shining sun so that man be able to choose the straight path and obey Divine Commands willfully.

Different exegeses have been suggested by Qur’an exegetes concerning the clause

“This is a warning.”

Some suggest that reference is made to the admonitions in the preceding blessed Verses. Some maintain that mention is made of the Chapter or the Holy Qur’an in their entirety.

Some also hold that reference may be made to the Divine Command as to establishing nightly canonical prayers, as reflected in the opening Verses of the blessed Chapter, addressed to the Noble Prophet, though the clause in question is generalizing it to the entire Muslim community. Thus, the word path (sabil) mentioned in the following clause as well implies nightly canonical prayers as a significant path leading to the Lord.

Finally, the blessed Verses in question warn the arrogant beliers intoxicated by affluence and bounties against four excruciating torments: shackles and fetters, burning Fire, rough, choking, and deadly food, and different kinds of torments contrasted with the bounties in this world, availing oneself of boundless freedom, comfortable life, palatable food, and comfort in different forms. Since they availed themselves of all these bounties at the price of wrong doing, arrogance, neglect, and disobedience to God Almighty, they shall have such dire fate on the Day of Resurrection.