Al-An'am (The Cattle): Verse 31

Issues in the Verse:

The purpose of this verse is to describe another state of those who deny the Resurrection and the Hour. This involves two matters:

1. The occurrence of utter loss (Khisran).
2. The carrying of immense burdens (Awzar).

Regarding the first point (the occurrence of loss): God, the Exalted, bestowed upon the essential, sacred, rational soul a physical body with its instruments and tools, and granted it intellect and thought. This was so that, by utilizing these instruments and tools, the soul could attain true knowledge and virtuous morals, whose benefits would be magnified after death.

If a person uses these physical tools, intellectual power, and thinking power only to attain fleeting pleasures and temporary happiness, and then reaches the end of their life, they have suffered a manifest loss (Khisran Mubina). This is because the principal capital has vanished, and the profit they thought was the ultimate goal has also vanished and ceased. Nothing remains in their hand—neither a trace of the capital nor any of the profit. This constitutes the manifest loss.

This loss only befalls those who deny the Resurrection and the Hour, believing that the ultimate happiness and perfection lie only in these transient, immediate pleasures. However, the believer in the Resurrection is not deceived by these physical pleasures, nor is he content with these immediate benefits. Instead, he strives to prepare provisions for the Day of Return. Thus, he does not incur loss.

It is established, based on what we have mentioned, that those who denied meeting God and rejected the Resurrection have suffered a manifest loss. Upon reaching the station of the Resurrection, they will regret their negligence in preparing provisions for that Day.

Regarding the second point (carrying their burdens): The second aspect of their loss is that they will carry their burdens upon their backs.

The perfection of happiness lies in turning toward God, engaging in His servitude, striving in His love and service, and also in detachment from the world, abandoning its love, and severing the heart's connection to it.

Whoever denies the Resurrection does not strive to prepare provisions for the station of the Resurrection, nor does he strive to sever the heart's connection to the world. When he dies, he remains like a stranger in the spiritual realm, cut off from his loved ones and relatives who were in the physical realm. He will experience immense sorrow due to the lack of provisions and the inability to associate with the inhabitants of that realm. He will also suffer great pain due to separation from the pleasures of this world and the inability to attain its blessings.

The first type of sorrow (loss of provisions) is what is intended by His saying: "They will say, 'Oh, our woe! We fell short in what we neglected concerning it'" (referring to the context of the verse). The second type of pain (separation from worldly pleasures) is what is intended by "while they carry their burdens on their backs." This concludes the explanation of the verse's intent.

The meaning of Loss (Khisran): It means the forfeiture of immense reward and the attainment of severe punishment.

"Those who denied meeting God" (Alladhina kadhdhabu bi-liqa'i Allahi): This refers to those who denied the Resurrection and the Hour. We have elaborated on this phrase when discussing the verse: "who are certain that they will meet their Lord" (Al-Baqarah: 46). This metaphor is appropriate because the station of the Resurrection is a place where no judgment belongs to anyone except God, and no one has the power to benefit, harm, elevate, or debase except God.

"Until when the Hour comes upon them suddenly" (Hatta idha ja'athumu al-sa'atu baghtatan): Know that the particle Hatta (until) marks the limit of their denial (kadhdhabu), not the limit of their loss (khasira), because their loss has no limit. The meaning of Hatta here is that the culmination of their denial is regret on the Day of Resurrection. The meaning is: they continued to deny until the Hour suddenly appeared.

Objection: They only feel regret at the time of their death. Response: Since death is an occurrence that falls within the states and preliminaries of the Hereafter, it is grouped with the Hour and named after it. This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever dies, his Hour has already stood."

The term Al-Sa'ah (The Hour) refers to the Resurrection. There are several reasons for naming the Day of Resurrection this way:

1. The Day of Resurrection is called Al-Sa'ah due to the swiftness of the reckoning, as if to say: "It is nothing but an hour of reckoning."
2. Al-Sa'ah is the specific time when the Resurrection occurs. It is called an hour because it will suddenly overtake people at a time known only to God. Do you not see that God said: "suddenly" (baghtatan)? Al-Baght and Al-Baghtah mean suddenness. The meaning is that the Hour will only come abruptly because no one knows when it will come or at what time it will occur.

The grammatical status of baghtatan: It is in the accusative case (hal - circumstantial adverb), meaning "suddenly," or it is a verbal noun (masdar) used adverbially, as if saying: "The Hour came upon them suddenly (baghtatan)."

"They said, 'Oh, our woe!'" (Qalu ya hasrata): Al-Zajjaj said that the expression of lamentation serves to alert people to the regret that will befall them. Arabs use this phrase to emphasize the magnitude of such matters, as in God's saying: "Oh, woe to the servants!" (Ya-Sin: 30) and "Oh, my regret for what I neglected concerning God!" (Az-Zumar: 56), and "She said, 'Oh, my misfortune! Shall I give birth...'" (Hud: 72). This is more emphatic than saying, "Regret is upon us for our negligence." Similarly, "So when they entered upon Joseph..." (Yusuf: 84) means: "O people, pay attention to what has befallen me of sorrow," thus the call is directed to someone other than the actual addressee.

Sibawayh said that when you say, "Oh, wonder!" (Ya 'ajabahu), it is as if you are saying, "Oh, wonder, come and be present, for this is your time."

Given this, we say there are two interpretations for the call here:

1. The call is for lamentation, intended to alert the addressees—this is the view of Al-Zajjaj.
2. The addressee is the regret itself, meaning: "This is your time, so be present"—this is the view of Sibawayh.

Regarding His saying: "for what we neglected concerning it" (ala ma faratna fiha): There are two points of discussion here.

First Point: Abu 'Ubaydah said that to neglect (farraata fi shay') means to waste something. Thus, "we neglected" (faratna) means "we abandoned and wasted." Al-Zajjaj said that faratna means "we presented inadequacy," deriving it from the saying, "So-and-so preceded (farata)," meaning he went ahead. To farraata something means to present it beforehand. Al-Wahidi said that Tafreet (neglect/falling short) in this context means presenting deficiency.

Second Point: To what does the pronoun in "in it" (fiha) refer? There are several views:

1. Ibn Abbas said it refers to the World (Dunya). The objection is that the world was not explicitly mentioned. The response is that reason dictates that the place of deficiency can only be the world, so the pronoun's reference to it is appropriate based on this implication.
2. Al-Hasan said it means: "Oh, our woe for what we neglected concerning the Hour." Meaning, what we neglected in preparing provisions for the Hour and making ready for it.
3. The pronoun refers to the meaning implied in "what we neglected" (ma faratna), meaning: our regret for the acts of obedience and worship that we neglected.
4. Muhammad ibn Jarir Al-Tabari said the pronoun refers to the transaction/bargain (al-safqah), because God mentioning the loss implies that a transaction and a sale took place.

"While they carry their burdens on their backs" (wahum yahmiluna awzara-hum 'ala dhuhurihim): The statement "Oh, our woe for what we neglected concerning it" points to the fact that they did not acquire for themselves that which merits reward. And "while they carry their burdens on their backs" points to the fact that they acquired for themselves that which merits severe punishment. This is undoubtedly the height of loss.

Ibn Abbas said that Al-Awzar (burdens) are sins and transgressions. Linguists say that Wazr means heaviness, originating from carrying. It is said, "He carried (wazara) the thing, bearing a wazr." Sins are called burdens because they weigh down the back of the one who commits them. This is supported by the verse: "And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (Fatir: 18), meaning no soul shall carry the load of another.

Abu 'Ubaydah said that when a man spreads his garment and places goods upon it, one says: "Carry your load (ihmil wazraka)." The burdens of war (awzar al-harb) are the heavy loads of weaponry. The Sultan's vizier (wazir) is one who carries (yaziru) the heavy responsibilities of governance entrusted to him. Al-Zajjaj said: "while they carry their burdens" means they carry the weight of their sins.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the manner of carrying these burdens:

• The Exegetes said: When a believer exits his grave, he is met by something most beautiful in form and sweetest in scent, which says: "I am your good deed; you often rode upon me in the world, so ride upon me today." This is supported by His saying: "The Day We gather the pious to the Most Merciful as honored guests" (Maryam: 85)—they will be riding.
• Conversely, when the disbeliever exits his grave, he is met by something most hideous in form and foulest in scent, which says: "I am your evil deed; you often rode upon me in the world, so I will ride upon you today." This is supported by "while they carry their burdens on their backs." This is the view of Qatadah and Al-Suddi.
• Al-Zajjaj said that just as heaviness (thiqal) is mentioned for physical objects that are moved, it can also be mentioned for a state or condition. It is said: "The speech of so-and-so was heavy (thaqil)," meaning it was disliked. Thus, the meaning is that they endure the torment of their sins with a hardship that feels like carrying a heavy load.
• Others said the meaning of "while they carry their burdens" is that their burdens never leave them, similar to saying, "Your mention is constantly before my eyes (shakhsa 'aynay)."

"Indeed, evil is that which they are carrying" (Ala sa'a ma yazirun): This means: How evil is the thing they are carrying (yazirun is synonymous with yahmilun). A comprehensive explanation of this phrase is found in Surah An-Nisa regarding His saying: "And evil is that way to go" (An-Nisa: 22).

"And the life of this world is not but diversion and amusement. But the Home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear God. Will you not then understand?"