Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:15
And say, "This is not but obvious magic.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَإِذَا ذُكِّرُوا لا يَذْكُرُونَ (And when they are reminded, they take no heed): that is, they derive no benefit from it and they do not see.
And His word وَإِذَا رَأَوْا آيَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ (And when they see a sign, they deride it) means: and when they see one of Allah's proofs against them, and an indication of the prophethood of His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, they deride it — that is: they mock it and ridicule it scornfully.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَإذَا رَأَوْا آيَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ (And when they see a sign, they deride it): they mock it and ridicule it scornfully.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word وَإِذَا رَأَوْا آيَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ (And when they see a sign, they deride it), he said: they ridicule it scornfully, they consider it to lead to loss.
The statement concerning the interpretation of His word, the Exalted: وَقَالُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ (١٥) أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ (١٦) أَوَآبَاؤُنَا الأوَّلُونَ (١٧) قُلْ نَعَمْ وَأَنْتُمْ دَاخِرُونَ (١٨) فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ (١٩) (And they said: "This is nothing but manifest sorcery (15). When we have died and become dust and bones, shall we then truly be resurrected (16)? And also our former forefathers (17)?" Say: "Yes, and you shall be abased (18)." It will be but a single shout, and behold, then they will look on (19).)
He, exalted is His mention, says: and these polytheists (mushrikīn) of the Quraysh said, by Allah, to Muḥammad ﷺ: this which you have brought us is nothing but manifest sorcery.
He says: it becomes clear to whoever examines it carefully and considers it, that it is sorcery. أئذا متنا وكنا ترابا وعظاما أئنا لمبعوثون (When we have died and become dust and bones, shall we then truly be resurrected?) — they say this, while denying that Allah will resurrect them after their decay: shall we truly be raised alive from our graves after our death, and after we have become dust and bones whose flesh has vanished, أوآباؤنا الأولون (and also our former forefathers) who passed away before us, who vanished and perished?
Allah says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: say to these: yes, you shall be resurrected after you have become dust and bones, alive as you were before your death, and you shall be abased.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning أئذا متنا وكنا ترابا وعظاما أئنا لمبعوثون أو آباؤنا الأولون (When we have died and become dust and bones, shall we then truly be resurrected? And also our former forefathers?) — as a denial of the resurrection — قل نعم وأنتم داخرون (Say: "Yes, and you shall be abased").
And His word وأنتم داخرون (and you shall be abased) means, He, exalted is His mention, says: and you shall be made small in the utmost degree of abasement; derived from their expression: ṣāghir dākhir (made small and abased).
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وأنتم داخرون (and you shall be abased): that is, made small.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word وأنْتُمْ دَاخِرُونَ (and you shall be abased), he said: made small.
And His word فإنَّما هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ (It will be but a single shout, and behold, then they will look on) means, He, exalted is His mention, says: it will be but a single cry, and that is the blowing on the trumpet, فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ (and behold, then they will look on) — He says: and behold, then they look with staring gazes at that which was promised to them, namely the arrival of the Hour, and they witness it with their own eyes.
As Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ (a single shout), he said: that is the blast.
