Surah al-Ma'arij

Introduction

It is also called Surah al-Waqi' and Surah Sa'ala. It is Makkan by consensus, according to what al-Qurtubi stated. In Majma' al-Bayan, it is considered Makkan according to al-Hasan, except for His saying, "And those in whose wealth is a known right." Its verses are forty-three in the Syrian count, and forty-two in others. It is like a completion to Surah al-Haqqah regarding the remaining description of the Resurrection and the Fire. Ibn Abbas said that it was revealed immediately after Surah al-Haqqah.

"A questioner asked about a punishment that will befall."

Meaning: A caller called for it. Thus, "asking" (su’al) here holds the meaning of "invoking" or "calling out" (du’a). For this reason, it is connected with the particle ba (in bi-’adhab), just as it is connected in the words of the Exalted: "They invoke therein for every kind of fruit." The intent is the invocation and seeking of the punishment. This is not a case of contextual implication (tadmin) at all.

It is also said that the verb is implied to contain the meaning of concern and attention, or that it is a metaphor for that, hence it is connected with ba. It is also said that the ba is redundant, and others say it carries the meaning of "concerning" (‘an), as in the words of the Exalted: "Ask about Him one well-informed."

The "questioner" is Al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, as narrated by Al-Nasa’i and a group of others, and validated by Al-Hakim on the authority of Ibn Abbas. This has also been narrated from Ibn Jurayj and Al-Suddi. The majority hold that it was a denial and a mockery, where he said: "O Allah, if this is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment."

It is also said to be Abu Jahl, who said: "Cause a piece of the sky to fall upon us." Others say it is Al-Harith ibn al-Nu'man al-Fihri, because when the words of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) regarding Ali (may Allah honor his face) reached him—"Whosoever I am his master, then Ali is his master"—he said: "O Allah, if what Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) says is true, then rain down upon us stones from the sky." He did not wait long before Allah threw a stone at him; it struck his brain and exited from his lower part, and he perished immediately. You know that this statement by him (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the Commander of the Faithful (may Allah honor his face) took place at Ghadir Khumm, which occurred in the final year of the Hijra; therefore, it cannot be that which was revealed as Meccan, according to the popular view in interpretation. You have heard what has been said regarding the Meccan status of this surah.

It is also said that the questioner is the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), seeking the hastening of their punishment, and it is said to be Noah (peace be upon him), who asked for the punishment of his people.

Nafi' and Ibn Amir recited sa’ala with an alif, like qala [recited as sayala with a ya after the alif]. It is said that it is permissible for the hamza of the verb to be changed into an alif, which is a substitution that is not analogical, as the analogy for this is to keep it "between two states" (i.e., tashil). It may also be based on the dialect of those who say salta asal (to ask), as narrated by Sibawayh. In Al-Kashshaf, it is said to be derived from "asking" (su’al) and is the dialect of Quraysh; they say salt tasal and huma yatasayalan. The author intended that it is from the hamza-bearing "asking" in meaning, not in derivation, evidenced by huma yatasayalan. This indicates that it is a hollow verb (ajwaf) that comes [with a ya], and it is not a case of lightening the hamza at all.

Others say it is "asking" (su’al) with a clear waw while the sin is vocalized with both damma and kasra. The statement yatasayalan should correctly be yatasawalan, in which case its alif is inverted from a waw, as in qala and khafa. This is the view held by Abu Ali in Al-Hujjah, where he mentions that Abu Uthman narrated from Abu Zayd that he heard some Arabs say huma yatasawalan.

Furthermore, the claim that salta tasal is a dialect of Quraysh is subject to hesitation; the apparent reality is the opposite. To illustrate the occurrence of sala (to ask), they cited the words of Hassan [ibn Thabit] satirizing the tribe of Hudhayl when they asked the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to permit them to commit adultery:

Hudhayl asked the Messenger of Allah for an obscenity; Hudhayl went astray in what they said and hit not the mark. And the words of another: You two asked me for divorce when you saw me; Say: What is the matter with you that you have come to me denying [my state]?

It is also permitted that sala is from sayalan (flowing). This is supported by the recitation of Ibn Abbas [as sala]. Abu ibn Jinni said: The "torrent" (sayl) here is the flowing water, and its origin is the verbal noun from your saying "the water flowed" (sala al-ma'u saylan), except that it is applied to the agent, as in the words of the Exalted: "If your water were to become ghawran (sinking/sunken)." There is leeway in expressing this through the word "valley" (wadi), so it is said the meaning is: "A valley surged forth with a punishment that will befall."

The expression in the past tense is said to indicate the certainty of the occurrence of the punishment—either in this world, which is the punishment of the Day of Badr (on which day Al-Nadr and Abu Jahl were killed), or in the Hereafter, which is the punishment of the Fire. According to Zayd ibn Thabit, "a questioner" (sa’il) is the name of a valley in Hell. Ibn al-Mundhir and 'Abd ibn Humayd narrated from Ibn Abbas what supports this possibility.