Sūrat al-Burūj

Meccan. Its verses are 22 (revealed after al-Shams).

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1. The Witness: The day (of Resurrection) or the human being; The Witnessed: The Children of Adam or the Day of Arafah.
2. The Witness: The Prophet (ﷺ); The Witnessed: The Day of Resurrection.
3. The Witness: Friday; The Witnessed: The Day of Arafah.
4. The Witness: The angels; The Witnessed: The Day of Resurrection.
5. The Witness: The limbs of the human; The Witnessed: The human himself.
6. The Witness: The stones and places; The Witnessed: The Day of Resurrection.

The most sound view is that the "Witness" is the Day of Resurrection (because it testifies to the deeds of creation), and the "Witnessed" is the creation (because they are present to be seen).

{The constellations (al-buruj)} These are the twelve constellations, which are the palaces of the sky, by way of metaphor. It is also said: they are the stars that serve as the mansions of the moon. It is also said: they are the great stars, named buruj (towers) due to their prominence. It is also said: they are the gates of the sky.

{And the promised day} The Day of Resurrection.

{And a witness and a witnessed} Meaning: a witness on that day and a witnessed [event] therein. The "witness" refers to all of creation that will testify on that day; the "witnessed" refers to the wonders that will occur on that day.

The reason for their indefiniteness (using the indefinite form) is either:

1. As I mentioned regarding the verse: “A soul will [then] know what it has brought” (At-Takwir: 14)—as if to say: "And what an excessive amount of witness and witnessed there will be."
2. Or to imply ambiguity in their description, as if to say: "And a witness and a witnessed whose descriptions cannot be fully grasped."

The interpretations of the exegetes regarding these two have been varied:

• It is said: The witness is Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
• It is said: Jesus and his nation, due to his saying: “And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them” (Al-Ma'idah: 117).
• It is said: The nation of Muhammad and all other nations.
• It is said: The Day of Tarwiyah and the Day of Arafah.
• It is said: The Day of Arafah and the Day of Jumu'ah (Friday).
• It is said: The Black Stone and the pilgrims.
• It is said: The days, the nights, and the children of Adam.
• From Al-Hasan: "There is no day that passes but it calls out: 'I am a new day, and I am a witness to what is done upon me; so seize the opportunity with me, for if my sun sets, you will not reach me until the Day of Resurrection.'"
• It is said: The guardian angels and the children of Adam.
• It is said: The prophets and Muhammad (peace be upon him).

{Cursed were the companions of the trench, the fire full of fuel, when they were sitting over it, and they were witnesses to what they were doing to the believers. And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, over all things, is Witness.}