Sūrat al-Ṭāriq

سورۃ الطارق

Sūrat al-Ṭāriq — revealed in Makka — it has seventeen (17) verses.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ

wa-l-samāʾi wa-l-ṭāriq.

"By the heaven and the Night Visitant." (al-Ṭāriq 86:1)

Wa-l-samāʾi — by the sky — and just reflect upon the sky — it shall testify by its condition. Wa-l-ṭāriqi — and the Night Visitant — ṭāriq, yaṭruq, ṭarqā — knocking — the one who comes at night — one who comes knocking at the door at night — maẓraqa — a path, a road — ṭawāriq — at night — the one who knocks at the door at night — and the one who comes at night also gives testimony.

Translation: "By the sky and the one coming at night — (or: by these I swear to you)."

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ

wa-mā adrāka mā l-ṭāriq.

"And what will convey to you what the Night Visitant is?" (al-Ṭāriq 86:2)

Wa-mā adrāka — and what has made it known to you? And what do you know? Mā l-ṭāriqi — what is this ṭāriq — that is, what is this night comer?

Translation: "And what have you been made to know that this night comer is what?"

النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ

al-najmu l-thāqib.

"It is the piercing star." (al-Ṭāriq 86:3)

Al-najmu — the star — and nujūm is its plural. Al-thāqibu — the piercing one — al-thāqib — the piercer — thaqb — a hole, a perforation — a bore, a channel. It is a piercing star — (the night-comer) is a shining, piercing star.

Translation: "(The night comer) is a shining, radiant star."

Friends! There are some stars in the world that are called dhū dhanab — those dark and cold ones say that — some are known — it is also known that the earth is an open vessel of lava within — and this lava having entered became combustible material — and every day night becomes day and at night many

Sūrat al-Ṭāriq was revealed in Makkah and contains seventeen (17) āyāt.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ

wa-l-samāʾi wa-l-ṭāriq.

"By the sky and the night-comer." (al-Ṭāriq 86:1)

Wa-l-samāʾ — and the sky; reflect deeply and it will serve as a witness. Wa-l-ṭāriq — and the night-comer; ṭaraqa, yaṭruqu, ṭarqan — to knock; one who knocks — the one who comes at night and knocks at the door. Muẓllifatan — the night-comer who also gives calamities at night — it too will bear witness.

Translation: By the sky and the night-comer — (I call them as witness).

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ

wa-mā adrāka mā l-ṭāriq.

"And what will make you know what the night-comer is?" (al-Ṭāriq 86:2)

Wa-mā adrāka — and from whom have you heard? And what made you know? Mā l-ṭāriq — what is this night-comer, this one who comes at night?

Translation: And what made you know what this night-comer is?

النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ

al-najmu l-thāqib.

"It is the piercing star." (al-Ṭāriq 86:3)

Al-najm — a star; najm and nujūm are collective. Al-thāqib — the piercing one, the one that pierces; thaqaba — to pierce, to make a hole. It means the gleaming, shining star.

Translation: (The night-comer) is the gleaming, piercing star.

Friends! There are shooting stars in the world — it is said of these that they are small bright and dark stars that are known. It is also known that the earth has split open and the matter that is inside it is lava — and this matter rotates day and night; it is now known that the earth no longer has the capacity to sustain the impact of this shooting star — it bursts into fire from the lava. When this earth will be

split open here and there, the shooting star from far away comes and approaches close, passing the surface of the earth and circling it and cutting it up. This shooting star — when it hits the earth, the earth will break apart from the blow. And there is this matter in it — the lava will begin to pour. When we remain alive, how can we? — this is one of the causes of the destruction of the earth and one reason for the approach of the Day of Resurrection.

إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ

in kullu nafsin lammā ʿalayhā ḥāfiẓ.

"There is no soul but that it has over it a protector." (al-Ṭāriq 86:4)

In kullu nafsin — there is no one, but. Lammā — except; a particle of exception. ʿAlayhā — over it, over this soul. Ḥāfiẓ — a guardian, a watchman, a keeper.

Translation: There is no soul such that there would be no guardian and watchman over it (from Allah's side).

Friends! When the outer world will emerge from the internal, the oppression will grow — there will be no one to cry out for help, no one to complain to; the earth will kill, and all the worldly things will disappear. The human being should not be in heedlessness — reflect carefully beforehand.

فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ

fa-l-yanẓuri l-insānu mim-mā khuliq.

"So let man observe from what he was created." (al-Ṭāriq 86:5)

Fa-l-yanẓuri l-insān — so the human being should observe, should reflect and ponder — mim-mā khuliq — the thing from which he was created; from what he came into being.

Translation: So the human being should reflect (ponder) on what thing he was created from.

خُلِقَ مِن مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ

khuliqa min māʾin dāfiq.

"He was created from a fluid, ejected." (al-Ṭāriq 86:6)

Khuliqa — he was created, he came into being. Min māʾin — from water; a specific type of water. Dāfiq — gushing, leaping; the one that springs forward — dafaqa — this refers to the drop of semen.

Translation: He was created from a leaping, gushing water.

Where does this drop come from?

يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ

yakhruju min bayni l-ṣulbi wa-l-tarāʾib.

"Emerging from between the backbone and the breastbones." (al-Ṭāriq 86:7)

Yakhruju — it comes out, it emerges. Min bayni l-ṣulb — from between the backbone; al-ṣulb — the back, the backbone. Wa-l-tarāʾib — and the breastbones; tarāʾib — the plural of tarība — the ribs, the chest.

That is the woman's ribs and chest.

Translation: It comes out from between the (father's) back and the (mother's) ribs.

O human being! You hold on to your own self and arrogance but where are you going? An impure drop of water is coming out — one day you will die; Resurrection will come, and you will go before the court of the Divine and will have to render an account of your deeds.

إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ

innahu ʿalā rajʿihi la-qādir.

"Indeed, Allah is able to return him." (al-Ṭāriq 86:8)

Innahu — indeed He — meaning Allah — ʿalā rajʿihi — is able to return him, to bring him back. Rajʿa, yarjaʿu — to return, to come back. La-qādiru — is certainly able.

Translation: Beyond doubt, He is able to recreate the human being again.

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ

yawma tubla l-sarāʾir.

"On the Day when secrets are exposed." (al-Ṭāriq 86:9)

Yawm — on that day. Tubla — will be put to the test, revealed, made manifest. Al-sarāʾir — the hidden things, the concealed matters — secret conversations, hidden words. On that day all the hidden things of the heart will be opened.

Translation: On the day when all secrets will be made manifest.

فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلَا نَاصِرٍ

fa-mā lahu min quwwatin wa-lā nāṣir.

"Then he will have no power and no helper." (al-Ṭāriq 86:10)

Fa-mā lahu — then it will not be for him. Min quwwatin — any kind of power. Wa-lā nāṣiru — and no helper, no supporter, no aid-giver.

Translation: Then for his defence there will be no power, no friend, and no helper.

وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ

wa-l-samāʾi dhāti l-rajʿ.

"By the sky that returns." (al-Ṭāriq 86:11)

Wa-l-samāʾ — and the sky will bear witness — or I call the sky as witness. Dhātu l-rujʿ — the one that continually returns; it may be that the rain is intended here.

Translation: And by the sky that brings what returns (rain) will bear witness.

وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ

wa-l-arḍi dhāti l-ṣadʿ.

"And the earth that cracks open." (al-Ṭāriq 86:12)

Wa-l-arḍ — and the earth. Dhāti l-ṣadʿ — the one that cracks open from place to place.

Translation: And the earth that cracks open from here and there will bear witness.

To what will they bear witness? That settling accounts in the Divine court is the truth.

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ

innahu la-qawlun faṣl.

"Indeed, it is a decisive statement." (al-Ṭāriq 86:13)

Innahu — indeed it. La-qawlun — is a definite statement, a firm word. Faṣl — decisive; one that sharply distinguishes truth from falsehood.

Translation: Indeed, this is a decisive statement.

وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ

wa-mā huwa bi-l-hazl.

"And it is not amusement." (al-Ṭāriq 86:14)

Wa-mā huwa — and it is not. Bi-l-hazl — jest, frivolity, useless talk, baseless speech.

Translation: And this is not a jest (or frivolity).

إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا

innahum yakīdūna kaydā.

"Indeed, they are planning a plan." (al-Ṭāriq 86:15)

Innahum yakīdūna — indeed they are scheming; they conceal in their hearts — they plan and plot; kaydā — cunning, deception; hiding the outer while concealing the inner.

Translation: Indeed, they (the disbelievers) scheme greatly (and conceal the secrets of their hearts).

وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا

wa-akīdu kaydā.

"And I am planning a plan." (al-Ṭāriq 86:16)

Wa-akīdu — and I too am planning. What will serve as the punishment? Kaydā — cunning, deception — this word in this verse is close to the word whose sense it conveys; the intended meaning is that if they scheme and conceal the secrets of their hearts, they will also be given the punishment of the schemers.

Translation: And I too am planning (the punishment of the schemers).

فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا

fa-mahhili l-kāfirīna amhilhum ruwaydan.

"So give respite to the disbelievers — give them respite for a little while." (al-Ṭāriq 86:17)

Fa-mahhil — so give respite, let them be. Al-kāfirīn — the disbelievers, the evildoers. Amhilhum — give them respite, let them go. Ruwaydan — for a little while.

Translation: So give the disbelievers time for a while and let them go.

Friends! He who is given punishment hastily — it is a person who is afraid that the opportunity may pass and slip out of his hands. All things of the world are in his hands — and when He wishes He will seize them by the throat and all their worldly things will disappear.