Surah Ya-Sin (36): Verse 53

Original Text Segment:

أي ما كانت النفخة إلا صيحة واحدة ، يدل على النفخة قوله تعالى : { ونفخ فى الصور } ( يس : 51 ) ويحتمل أن يقال إن كانت الواقعة ، وقرئت الصيحة مرفوعة على أن كان هي التامة ، بمعنى ما وقعت إلا صيحة ، وقال الزمخشري : لو كان كذلك لكان الأحسن أن يقال : إن كان ، لأنا لمعنى حينئذ ما وقع شيء إلا صيحة ، لكن التأنيث جائز إحالة على الظاهر ، ويمكن أن يقول الذي قرأ بالرفع أن قوله : { إذا وقعت الواقعة } ( الواقعة : 1 ) تأنيث تهويل ومبالغة ، يدل عليه قوله : { ليس لوقعتها كاذبة } ( الواقعة : 2 ) فإنها للمبالغة فكذلك هنا قال : { إن كانت إلا صيحة } مؤنثة تأنيث تهويل ، ولهذا جاءت أسماء يوم الحشر كلها مؤنثة كالقيامة والقارعة والحاقة والطامة والصاخة إلى غيرها ، والزمخشري يقول كاذبة بمعنى ليس لوقعتها نفس كاذبة ، وتأنيث أسماء الحشر لكون الحشر مسمى بالقيامة ، وقوله : { محضرون } دل على أن كونهم { ينسلون } ( يس : 51 ) إجباري لا اختياري .

Translation and Exegesis:

This means the Blast (the Trumpet sound) was nothing but a single cry.

The preceding verse, {And the Trumpet is blown} (Ya-Sin: 51), indicates this Blast.

It is also possible to interpret the verse as referring to the Event (the Resurrection) itself: {If it was but a single cry}.

The word al-ṣayḥatu (the cry) was read in the nominative case (raised) by some reciters, implying that kānat (was) is a complete verb (i.e., kānat tāmmah), meaning "Nothing occurred except a single cry."

Al-Zamakhshari commented that if this were the case (referring to the event itself), it would have been better to say in kāna (masculine) because the meaning would be "nothing happened except a cry." However, the feminine form (kānat) is permissible, referring back to the apparent subject (the Event/Resurrection).

Alternatively, the one who reads al-ṣayḥatu in the nominative case can argue that the feminine form used in {When the Event befalls} (Al-Waqi'ah: 1) is for the purpose of awe and exaggeration (tahwīl wa mubālaghah). This is supported by the verse {There is no denying its occurrence} (Al-Waqi'ah: 2), which uses the feminine form for exaggeration. Similarly, here, {If it was but a single cry} uses the feminine form as a feminine of awe and exaggeration. This is why all names for the Day of Resurrection are feminine, such as al-Qiyāmah (The Rising), al-Qāri'ah (The Striking Calamity), al-Ḥāqqah (The Reality), al-Ṭāmma (The Overwhelming Calamity), and al-Ṣākhkhah (The Deafening Blast), among others.

Al-Zamakhshari explains the feminine form in laysa liwaq'atihā kādhibah (There is no denying its occurrence) as meaning "There is no false essence/reality to its occurrence." The feminine nature of the names of the Resurrection Day is due to the Resurrection being named al-Qiyāmah (feminine).

Furthermore, the statement {you will all be brought forth} (muḥḍarūn) indicates that their departure (as mentioned in {they will stream forth} (Ya-Sin: 51)) is compulsory and not voluntary.

Then, Allah clarifies what will happen on that Day by saying:

! 7 < { فاليوم لا تظلم نفس شيئا ولا تجزون إلا ما كنتم تعملون } > 7

Translation: "So this Day no soul will be wronged at all, nor will you be recompensed except for what you used to do."