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Tafsir of Al-Muddathir 74:50

Surah Al-Muddathir 74:50

ﱌ ﱍ ﱎ

As if they were alarmed donkeys

Tafsir

Mafatih al-Ghayb

Verse range: 74:50

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Al-Muddaththir: (50) As if they were startled donkeys.

Ibn Abbas said: It means wild donkeys, and *mustanfirah* (startled/fleeing) means frightened. It is said: *nafar* (fled) and *istanfara* (was startled) are like *sakhira* (mocked) and *istaskhara* (was mocked), and *ajiba* (was wonderful) and *ista'jaba* (was amazed). It was also read with a *fathah* (as *mustanfirah*), meaning the one that is made to flee (the cause of flight). Abu Ali al-Farsi said: The *kasrah* (vowel under the 's' in *mustanfirah*) is preferable, as you can see He said: **{fled from a lion}** [Al-Muddaththir: 51]. This indicates that *they* were the ones who became startled (*istanfarat*). What confirms Abu Ali's view is that Muhammad ibn Salam said: I asked Abu Suwar al-Ghunawi, who was an eloquent Bedouin, and I asked him: "As if they were donkeys, what?" He replied: "*Mustanfirah* (startled), chased by a lion." I said: "But it is {fled from a lion}." He asked: "Fled (*farat*)?" I said: "Yes." He replied: "Then *mustanfirah* (startled) it is."

Then the Almighty said: {fled} (i.e., the donkeys) {from a lion} (qaswarah).

They mentioned several interpretations for al-Qaswarah:

  1. It is the Lion: It is said: uyuth qasawir (lions of qasawir). It is derived from al-qasr, which means overpowering and dominance. It is named this because it overpowers wild beasts. Ibn Abbas said: When wild donkeys see a lion, they flee, just as these polytheists flee when they see the Prophet (peace be upon him), like a donkey flees from a lion. Ibn Abbas also said: Al-Qaswarah is the lion in the Abyssinian language. Al-'Ikrimah disagreed, saying: The lion is called al-Qaswarah in the Abyssinian language, according to 'Anbasah.
  2. A group of archers who hunt them (the donkeys). Al-Azhari said: It is a collective noun for archers, and it has no singular form of its kind.
  3. The clamor of people and their voices.
  4. The darkness of the night.

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: In their comparison to donkeys, there is evidence against them of foolishness, as you never see the flight of wild donkeys and their frantic running away when they fear something.

Then the Almighty said:

! 7 < { Nay, but every man among them desires that he should be given scrolls unfolded. } > 7 !