Surah Ghafir Tafseer

Warning of the Day of Resurrection and Allah's judgement on that Day

Allah says:

وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الاْأزِفَةِ

And warn them of the Day that is drawing near,

`The Day that is drawing near' is one of the names of the Day of Judgement. It is so called because it is close, as Allah says:

أَزِفَتِ الاٌّزِفَةُ

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

The Day of Resurrection draws near. None besides Allah can avert it. (53:57-58)

اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder. (54:1)

اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَـبُهُمْ

Draws near for mankind their reckoning. (21:1)

أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ

The Event (the Hour) ordained by Allah will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it. (16:1)

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ زُلْفَةً سِييَتْ وُجُوهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

But when they will see it approaching, the faces of those who disbelieve will change and turn black with sadness and in grief. (67:27)

and

إِذِ الْقُلُوبُ لَدَى الْحَنَاجِرِ كَاظِمِينَ

when the hearts will be at the throats Kazimin.

Qatadah said,

"When the hearts reach the throats because of fear, and they will neither come out nor go back to their places."

This was also the view of Ikrimah, As-Suddi and others.

كَاظِمِينَ

(Kazimin),

means silent, for no one will speak without His permission:

يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـيِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَقَالَ صَوَاباً

The Day that Ar-Ruh (Jibril) and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious allows, and he will speak what is right. (78:38)

Ibn Jurayj said:

كَاظِمِينَ

(Kazimin),

"It means weeping."

مَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلَاا شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ

There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the wrongdoers, who could be given heed to.

means, those who wronged themselves by associating others in worship with Allah, will have no relative to help them and no intercessor who can plead on their behalf; all means of good will be cut off from them.

يَعْلَمُ خَايِنَةَ الاَْعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ