Yaseen (Yaseen)

48. “And they say: ‘When will this promise come to pass if you are truthful?’”

49. “They are not awaiting for anything but a single (fatal) blast which will overtake them while they are disputing among themselves.”

50. “Then they shall not be able to make a bequest, nor shall they be able to return unto their families.”

Pagans have not any proof for the denial of the Hereafter, and only by asking this question that ‘When will be Hereafter’ they mock it. When the Hereafter comes neither the tongue can speak, nor is the foot able to escape.

Following the mentioning the weak and pretext-seeking logic of the disbelievers concerning expending referred to in the former verses, in these verses the words are about their mockery unto the establishment of the Hereafter, and with a decisive answer, the Qur’an nullifies their hollow logic about the denial of Resurrection.

In addition, the discussions stated through former verses in the field of monotheism are completed with the discussions of Resurrection.

At first, it says:

“And they say: ‘When will this promise come to pass if you are truthful?’”

They implicitly say: the fact that you can not define a proper time for the establishment of Hereafter is an evidence upon this matter that you are not truthful in your statement.

In answer to this question, which is accompanied with derision, the Holy Qur’an firmly and earnestly implies that the establishment of the Hereafter and the end of this world is not a complicated matter for Allah and it is not a difficult thing for Him, when it says:

“They are not awaiting for anything but a single (fatal) blast which will overtake them while they are disputing among themselves.”

This very single great heavenly Blast is enough to take the soul of every one of them immediately in any place and any state they are, and to change their material exiting lives, which contain disputations and constant quarrels, into a silent world, vacant from any sound and noise.

In Islamic narrations, it has been narrated from the Prophet of Islam (S) that this heavenly Blast occurs so suddenly that before that the two people who are bargaining and have spread a cloth can role it, the world will end, and there will be some people that, at that moment, have taken some food from the plate, but before it reaches their mouth the heavenly Blast comes and the world finishes.

There will be some people who are busy mending a pool in order that they water their cattle, but before that the cattle become satiated the Hereafter comes forth.¹

The Qur’anic sentence: /ma yanzurun/ here means ‘they are not awaiting’, because, as Raqib says in Mufradat, the Arabic stem /nazar/ means the circulation of thought for observing or conceiving something. Sometimes it is used in the sense of deliberation and research, and also in the sense of knowledge resulted from research.

The Arabic term /sayhah/ (blast) originally means cleaving a piece of food or cloth and arising a sound from it. Then it has been used for any loud sound and cry-like. Sometimes, it has also been applied for the length of the body.

The Arabic phrase /yaxisimun/ is derived from /xusumat/ in the sense of ‘quarrel’ and ‘dispute’; but on what thing do they dispute?

This meaning has not been mentioned in the verse, but it is clear that the purpose is to dispute upon the worldly matter and the affairs of the material life.

But some commentators have taken it in the sense of disputation upon ‘Resurrection’, while the first meaning seems more fitting, though it is not improbable that taking a consistent meaning which includes both of them and that envelops any kind of disputation is also possible.

It is noteworthy that the numerous pronouns existing in the verse all refer to the pagans of Mecca who were doubtful in the subject of Resurrection, and they ridiculously asked that when Hereafter will occur.

But it is certain that the purpose is not they themselves, but the purpose is the kind of them. (It is the kind of those who are neglectful and unaware of Resurrection), because they died and did never see this heavenly Blast.

However, by this short and decisive statement, the Qur’an warns them that, firstly, Hereafter will suddenly be established, and secondly, it is not a complicated matter that they would be busy disputing and quarrelling about its possibility; everything will be ended by a single blast and the world will be finished.

Then, in the third verse, it implies that this subject will so quickly and suddenly happen that they will not be able even to make a bequest, or return to their houses or to their families.

It says:

“Then they shall not be able to make a bequest, nor shall they be able to return unto their families.”

When an event happens for a person, and he usually feels that the end of his life is near, wherever he is, he tries to go home in order to be among his family: with his wife and children; then, by testament, he gives his half-done affairs and the fate of his remaining persons to others that this or that person would undertake them and recommend them to other persons.

But the Blast of the end of the world gives no respite to anyone; and supposing there will be a respite, does anyone remain alive to listen to the recommendations of people? Or, for example, the wife and children sit by the spouse and father and take his head in bosom so that he dies peacefully? Nay, none of these things is possible.

And that the word ‘a bequest’ has been used in an infinitive form, it points to this fact that they will not have even the chance of a small bequest and recommendation, either.