Tafsir of Al-Qalam 68:25

Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen): Verse 25

وَغَدَوْا عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ

(And they proceeded with resolve/obstinacy...)

The First Opinion:

• Al-Hard (الحرد) means prevention/withholding.
• It is said: Haradat as-sanah (The year was hard) when its rain was scarce and it withheld its yield.
• It is also said: Haradat an-nāqah (The she-camel was hard) when she withheld her milk, so the milk became scarce.
• Al-Hard also means anger/wrath. (Both al-hard and al-hard are used for anger, though al-tahreek [agitation] is more common).
• Anger is called al-hard because it acts as a barrier preventing the object of the anger from having any effect or presence.
• Meaning in the verse: They proceeded, believing themselves to be capable, in their own estimation and assumption, of preventing the needy (from their due).

The Second Opinion:

• Al-Hard means intention/purpose and speed.
• It is said: Haradta hardaka (You proceeded with your resolve/speed).
• A poet said:

  "A flood came, by the command of God, Rushing with the swiftness of the abundant garden."

• Qata' harād refers to swift birds.
• Meaning in the verse: They proceeded quickly and eagerly toward their garden, believing themselves capable of harvesting it and withholding its benefit from the poor.

The Third Opinion:

• Hard is a proper noun referring specifically to that garden.
• Meaning in the verse: They proceeded toward that garden, confident in their ability to harvest it themselves, or certain that their desire for harvesting and depriving others would be fulfilled.

(But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost/astray!" * Nay, rather, we are deprived.)