Tafsir of Al-`Alaq 96:15

Surah Al-'Alaq (96): Verses 15-19

Then He, the Exalted, said: {كَلَّا} (No!). There are several interpretations regarding this:

1. Rebuke to Abu Jahl: It is a strong reprimand to Abu Jahl for forbidding the worship of Allah and commanding the worship of Al-Lat.
2. Denial of His Claim: No, Abu Jahl will not achieve what he claims—killing the Prophet (PBUH) or trampling his neck. Rather, the student of Muhammad (PBUH) will kill him and trample his chest.
3. Meaning of Knowledge: Mujahid said: No, he does not know that Allah is watching. Even if he knows, if he does not benefit from what he knows, it is as if he does not know.

Then He, the Exalted, said: {لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ} (If he does not desist) or cease from what he is engaged in: {لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ} (We will surely drag him by the forelock), {نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ} (a lying, sinful forelock). There are several issues concerning this:

There are several interpretations:

1. Dragging to Hell: We will surely seize him by his forelock and drag him by it to the Fire. As-Saf'u means seizing and pulling something severely, similar to the verse: {فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ} (then they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet).
2. Striking: It means we will strike his face (slap him).
3. Blackening the Face: We will blacken his face. Al-Khalil said that when fire lightly scorches something, changing the skin's color, it is said the fire saf'ahu. He also mentioned that as-suf'u refers to three stones upon which a pot is placed, named so because of their blackness. As-Saf'ah is a blackness on the cheeks. In summary, blackening the face is a sign of humiliation and disgrace.
4. Branding: Ibn Abbas interpreted the verse {سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ} (We will brand him on the snout) as referring to Abu Jahl.
5. Humiliation: We will humiliate him.

1. With a Shadded Nun ({لَنَسْفَعَنَّ}): The doer of this action is Allah and the Angels, as stated: {فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْلَاهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَالِحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} (then surely Allah is his protector, and Gabriel, and the righteous of the believers).
2. Ibn Mas'ud's Reading ({لَأَسْفَعَنَّ}): This means Allah the Exalted is saying, "O Muhammad, I am the One who will undertake his humiliation," similar to: {هُوَ الَّذِي أَيَّدَكَ} (It is He who supported you) and {هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ} (It is He who sent down tranquility).

This seizing could refer to the Hereafter or the life in this world. This also has several aspects:

1. In This World (The Incident with Abu Jahl): It is narrated that when Abu Jahl said, "If I see him praying, I will trample his neck," this Surah was revealed. Jibril (peace be upon him) commanded the Prophet (PBUH) to recite the end of the Surah and prostrate to Allah. When the Prophet (PBUH) did so, Abu Jahl advanced to trample his neck but retreated on his heels. When asked why, he said, "Between me and him is a gaping pit; if I walked towards him, it would swallow me." It is also said that Jibril and Mika'il (peace be upon them) were on his shoulders in the form of lions.
2. The Day of Badr: This could be a prophecy that Allah would enable the Muslims to seize his forelock and drag him to be killed if he returned to forbidding the Prophet (PBUH). When he persisted, Allah enabled them to seize his forelock on the Day of Badr. It is narrated that when Surah Ar-Rahman was revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) asked his companions who would recite it to the leaders of Quraysh. They hesitated out of fear of harm. Ibn Mas'ud stood up and offered, and the Prophet (PBUH) sat him down, then asked again. Only Ibn Mas'ud stood up a second and third time, until the Prophet (PBUH) permitted him, knowing his weakness and small stature. Ibn Mas'ud went to them near the Ka'bah and began reciting. Abu Jahl stood up, slapped him, tearing and bleeding his ear. Ibn Mas'ud returned, his eyes tearing. The Prophet (PBUH) felt sorrowful. Then Jibril came laughing and joyful. The Prophet (PBUH) asked why he laughed while Ibn Mas'ud wept. Jibril replied, "You will know." When the Muslims prevailed at Badr, Ibn Mas'ud sought a share in the fighting. He looked over the slain until he found Abu Jahl roaring, struck down. Fearing he might still have strength to harm him, Ibn Mas'ud stabbed him from afar in the nostril with his spear. This might be the meaning of {سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ} (We will brand him on the snout). Since Ibn Mas'ud was too weak to climb onto his chest, he climbed him using a trick. When Abu Jahl saw him, he said, "O shepherd boy, you have climbed a difficult ascent!" Ibn Mas'ud replied, "Islam rises and is not overcome." Abu Jahl said, "Tell your master that no one was more hateful to me in life, nor is more hateful to me in death." It is narrated that when the Prophet (PBUH) heard this, he said, "He was more defiant than Pharaoh against Moses, for Pharaoh said, {I believe} (after being afflicted), yet he increased in arrogance." The Prophet (PBUH) then told Ibn Mas'ud to cut off his head with his own sword, as it was sharper. When the head was cut off, Ibn Mas'ud could not carry it. Perhaps the Wise Creator made him weak so he could not carry it for reasons:
   • First: Because he was like a dog, and dogs are dragged.
   • Second: To retaliate for the torn ear, ear for ear.
   • Third: To realize the threat mentioned in {لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ}, dragging the head by its front part. Since Ibn Mas'ud could not carry it, he tore his ear, put a thread through it, and dragged the head toward the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Jibril was laughing before him, saying, "O Muhammad, an ear for an ear, but the head is here with the ear." This is what is narrated regarding the killing of Abu Jahl, conveyed in meaning, not wording. {الخَاطِئَةِ} (sinful) means the one deserving punishment for the meaning of {لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ}.

The Nasiyah is the hair on the forehead, and sometimes the place of the hair is also called the Nasiyah. Allah, the Exalted, used the Nasiyah here as a metaphor for the entire face and head. Perhaps the reason is that Abu Jahl was extremely concerned with combing and perfuming this forelock, and perhaps he also cared about blackening it (with dye). Allah informed him that He would blacken it along with his face.

Allah defined the forelock with the definite article, as if saying: "The forelock that is known to you in substance, but its attributes are unknown to you: a forelock (nasiyatan), and what a forelock! Lying in speech, sinful in action."

It is described as lying because its owner lied about Allah by denying that Muhammad was sent by Him, and lied to the Messenger by calling him a sorcerer, a liar, or not a Prophet. It is also said his lie was his boast: "I am the most numerous in this valley."

The forelock is described as sinful (khāṭi’ah) because its owner was rebellious against Allah. Allah says: {لَا يَأْكُلُهُ إِلَّا الْخَاطِئُونَ} (None will eat it except the sinful). The difference between al-khāṭi' and al-mukhaṭṭi' is that al-khāṭi' is punished and held accountable, while al-mukhaṭṭi' is not held accountable. The forelock is described as khāṭi’ah kādhibah just as faces are described as nāẓirah (gazing) in the verse: {إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ}.

It is an apposition (badal) to the definite noun an-Nasiyah. It is permissible for a definite noun to be replaced by an indefinite one because the indefinite noun was qualified (by kādhibah khāṭi’ah), thus becoming sufficiently specific to stand on its own.

It has been read with the nominative case (nāṣiyatan), implying "It is a forelock," and with the accusative case (nāṣiyatan). Both readings are used for severe condemnation.

Know that when the Messenger (PBUH) spoke harshly to Abu Jahl and recited these verses, Abu Jahl replied: "O Muhammad, with whom do you threaten me? I am the most numerous in this valley!" He boasted of his assembly who used to eat his provisions. Then Allah revealed: {فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ * سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ} (Then let him call his assembly; We will call the Angels of Hell). There are several issues here:

The meaning of an-Nādī has been previously explained in relation to the verse: {وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنكَرَ}. Abu 'Ubaydah said: Nādīhi means the people of his gathering. In summary, an-Nādī refers to the people of the gathering. A place is not called a Nādī unless its people are present. It is called Nādī because the people gather there (yandūna ilayhi), hence the House of Consultation (Dār an-Nadwah) in Mecca, where they used to meet for consultation. It is also said it is called Nādī because it is the gathering place of generosity (an-Nadā), mentioned here to mock him, meaning: "Gather all the people of generosity and defense, in your claim, to support you."

Abu 'Ubaydah and Al-Mubarrid said the singular of az-Zabāniyah is zabaniyyah, originating from zabana, meaning to push away. A zabaniyy is a defiant one, whether human or jinn. Similar in meaning and structure is 'ifriyyah. Al-Akhfash said some said the singular is az-zabānī, others said az-zābin, and others said this is a plural form that has no singular form in the language, like abābīl and ʿabādīd. In summary, it refers to the Angels of Punishment, who are certainly endowed with extreme strength.

Muqatil said they are the keepers of Hell, whose feet are on the earth and heads are in the sky. Qatadah said az-Zabāniyah are the police/guards in Arabic speech, meaning the stern, severe Angels of Fire. They are called az-Zabāniyah because they violently push (yazbunūna) the disbelievers into Hell.

There are two opinions:

1. Immediate Consequence: Let him call his assembly and seek their help to refute Muhammad (PBUH). If he does so, We will call the Zabāniyah, whom his assembly and people have no power against. Ibn Abbas said: If he called his assembly, the Zabāniyah would seize them immediately, visibly. Another view is that this is a report from Allah that he will be dragged in this world like a dog, which happened on the Day of Badr. Another view is that this is a report that the Zabāniyah will drag him to the Fire in the Hereafter.
2. Rearrangement: There is a transposition in the verse: "We will surely drag him by the forelock, and We will call the Zabāniyah in the Hereafter. Then let him call his assembly then, and let them prevent it."

The Fā’ indicates a miracle. This verse serves as an incitement for the disbeliever to call his assembly and people. When the disbeliever does that, the calling of the Zabāniyah follows. Since the disbeliever did not dare to do this, it indicates the manifestation of the miracle of the Messenger (PBUH).

It has been read as {سَتُدْعَى} (you will be called) in the passive voice. This certainty is not for doubt, as what comes from Allah is necessarily going to happen, especially when promising the Messenger (PBUH) that He will take vengeance on his enemy. Perhaps the benefit of the letter Sīn (indicating future tense) is what the Prophet (PBUH) meant when he said: "I will surely support you, even if after a while."