Al-Mursalat (The Emissaries): (35) This is the Day...

The recitation of Al-A'mash reads: "This day," meaning, this is the day that was foretold to you, the day of reckoning.

Know that this constitutes the sixth type of warning and severe admonition directed at the disbelievers. This is because the Almighty has clarified that they have no excuse or proof for the evils they committed, nor any power to avert the punishment from themselves. Thus, in this station, various types of torment converge upon them:

1. The torment of shame: They will be disgraced in the sight of all witnesses, and their shortcomings and failures will be exposed to everyone. Every person with sound intellect knows that the torment of shame is more severe than being killed by the sword or burned by fire.
2. The torment of the runaway slave: It is like a runaway slave standing at the master's door, having fallen into his grasp, while knowing that the Master is truthful, whose word is impossible to be false, as stated: {My word is not changed...} (Qaf: 29).
3. The torment of contrast: In that very place, they will see their adversaries—whom they used to scorn and belittle—achieving reward and honor, while they themselves attain disgrace and punishment. These are three types of spiritual torment.
4. The physical torment: This is witnessing the Fire and its horrors. May God protect us from it!

Since these aspects of torment—and indeed, a reality whose essence only God can describe—converge upon them, it is no wonder that the Almighty says concerning them: {Woe on that Day to the deniers!}

In this verse, there are two questions:

How can we reconcile His saying: {This is the Day they will not speak} with His saying: {Then indeed, you, on that Day, to your Lord, will be summoned for judgment} (Al-Zumar: 31), and His saying: {By Allah, our Lord, we were not polytheists} (Al-An'am: 23), and His saying: {And they will not conceal from Allah any statement} (An-Nisa: 108)?

It is narrated that Nafi' ibn al-Azraq asked Ibn Abbas about this question and its answer. There are several ways to address this:

1. Al-Hasan said: There is an implied meaning. The interpretation is: This is the Day they will not speak a valid argument, nor will they be permitted to offer excuses, because they have no sound justification or straight answer for what they did. If they do not speak with a sound argument and proper speech, it is as if they did not speak at all, just as one says to someone who utters useless speech: "You said nothing."
2. Al-Farra' said: His statement {This is the Day they will not speak} refers to that specific moment or span of time when they will not speak. It is like saying, "I will come to you the day so-and-so arrives," meaning, at the hour of his arrival, not throughout the entire day, as arrival happens in a brief moment.
3. The word "not speaking" is absolute: An absolute statement does not imply generality in terms of types or times. Evidence for this is that you say, "So-and-so does not speak evil, but he speaks good," and sometimes you say, "So-and-so does not speak at all." This indicates that the concept of "not speaking" shares a common ground between not speaking some things and not speaking anything. Similarly, you say, "So-and-so does not speak at this hour," and "So-and-so never speaks." This shows that the concept of "not speaking" is shared between continuous and temporary cessation. Therefore, the meaning of {they will not speak} is satisfied if they do not speak an excuse or justification at the time of questioning. This aligns with the validity of the first two rational answers.
   • If one asks: If someone swears not to speak on this day, and then speaks for even a fraction of that day, does he break his oath?
   • We reply: Oaths are based on common usage (Urf). What we have discussed is an inquiry into the meaning of the word in its inherent sense.
4. Contextual Interpretation: This verse comes immediately after the statement of the guardians of Hell to them: {Go forth to a shade with three branches} (Al-Mursalat: 27), to which they submit and depart. It is as if it is said: In the world, they were commanded to obey but paid no heed. But at this hour, they become submissive and obedient in such a difficult matter, which is harder than anything else. This serves as a reminder that if they had abandoned contention in the world, they would not have needed this arduous submission at this time. The essence is that {This is the Day they will not speak} is restricted to this specific time and action. Restricting the absolute based on the preceding context is common in usage. For example, if a wife says, "Get out of the house this hour," and the husband replies, "If you go out, you are divorced," this absolute statement is restricted to that specific act of leaving. The same applies here.

His saying {nor will they be permitted to make excuses} suggests that they do have excuses but are prevented from stating them, which seems unfitting for the Wise.

The Answer: In reality, they have no excuse. However, they might harbor a false notion that they have one. Thus, they are not permitted to mention that false excuse. Perhaps that false excuse is saying: "Since everything occurred by Your decree, knowledge, will, and creation, why do You punish me for it?" This is a false excuse because no one can prevent the Owner from disposing of His property as He wills.

• If one asks: Has He not said: {messengers bringing good tidings and warning, so that mankind will have no plea against Allah after the messengers} (An-Nisa: 165), and {And if We had destroyed them with a punishment before it, they would have said, "Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger..."} (Taha: 134)? The purpose of all this is to leave no room in their hearts for an excuse. Even if their excuse on the Day of Judgment is false, why are they not permitted to mention it so that they may state it, and then its falsehood is explained to them?
• We reply: Because excuses and warnings were already presented in the world, as indicated by: {That which is cast down as a reminder as an excuse or a warning} (Al-Mursalat: 15-16). Repeating them would be of no benefit.

Why did He not say: "Nor will they be permitted to excuse themselves" (using fa-ya'taziru) as He said: {no judgment will be passed against them so they die} (Al-A'raf: 37)?

The Answer: The fa (then/so) here is merely for conjunction (nasq) and does not imply consequence (jaza') at all. Similar to this is the verse: {Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan, and He will multiply it for him...} (Al-Baqarah: 245), where the verb is read in both the indicative (rafa') and subjunctive (nasb) moods.

The verb {ya'taziruun} (they excuse themselves) is in the indicative mood (rafa') because if it were in the subjunctive (nasb), it would imply that they do not excuse themselves because they were not permitted to do so. This, in turn, suggests they do have an excuse that they were prevented from mentioning, which is impermissible.

However, when it is in the indicative mood (rafa'), the meaning is that they were not permitted to excuse themselves, and they did not excuse themselves—not because they were forbidden, but because of the absence of an excuse itself.

Furthermore, there is another benefit: maintaining conformity in the rhyme of the verses (at the end of the verses). The verses end with the letters waw and nun (e.g., yansiqun, yakhthasimuun). If it were said fa-ya'taziru (subjunctive), the verses would not rhyme. See how in Surah Al-Qamar, He said: {to a thing dreadful} (nukr), which is heavy/emphatic, because its preceding verses are heavy. In another place, He said: {and We punished them with a severe punishment} (nukran), which is light/non-emphatic. All reciters agree on making the first heavy and the second light to match what precedes it.