Tafseer of The Pen · Al-Qalam · 68:43
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.
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.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ (Their eyes downcast, while humiliation covers them; and they had formerly been called to prostration when they were sound) (68:43).
And His saying: خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ (Their eyes downcast, while humiliation covers them). He says: a humiliation from the punishment (ʿadhāb) of Allah covers them.
وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ (And they had formerly been called to prostration when they were sound). He says: and in the worldly life they were called to prostrate themselves to Him while they were sound — no preventer held them back from it, and no obstacle stood between Him and them. And it has been said: prostration (sujūd) in this place means: the obligatory ritual prayer (ṣalāh).
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm al-Taymī, concerning وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ (And they had formerly been called to prostration when they were sound), he said: to the obligatory ritual prayer.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Abū Sinān, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ (And they had formerly been called to prostration), he said: he hears the caller to the obligatory ritual prayer but does not respond to it.
He said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibrāhīm al-Taymī, concerning: وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ (And they had formerly been called to prostration), he said: the obligatory ritual prayer.
And similar to what we have said concerning His saying وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ (And they are called to prostration but they are not able) … the verses, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have said.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His saying: وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ (And they had formerly been called to prostration when they were sound), he said: they are the disbelievers (kuffār); they were called in the worldly life while they were safe, but on that Day He calls them while they are in terror. Then Allah, glorified be He, informed that He has come to stand between the people of associating partners (ahl al-shirk) and their obedience to Him, in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. As for the worldly life, concerning it He said: مَا كَانُوا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ السَّمْعَ وَمَا كَانُوا يُبْصِرُونَ (They were not able to hear, and they could not see); and as for the Hereafter, concerning it He said: فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ (but they are not able, their eyes downcast).
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ (And they are called to prostration but they are not able) — that is, by Allah, the Day of Resurrection. It has been transmitted to us that the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say: "On the Day of Resurrection the believers are permitted to prostrate, and the believers prostrate while between every two believers stands a hypocrite (munāfiq); then the back of the hypocrite stiffens so that he cannot prostrate, and Allah makes the prostration of the believers a reproach, humiliation, contempt, regret, and remorse for them."
And His saying: وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ (And they had formerly been called to prostration) — that is, in the worldly life — وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ (when they were sound) — that is, in the worldly life.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, he said: It has reached me that on the Day of Resurrection the believers are permitted to prostrate, while between every two believers stands a hypocrite; the believers prostrate, but the hypocrite is not able to prostrate — and I think he said: their backs stiffen — and the prostration of the believers becomes a reproach for them. He said: وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ (And they had formerly been called to prostration when they were sound).
