Overview

(Verses 11 - 30)

Singled Out

This general warning gives way to the case of a particular individual who seems to have played a leading role in rejecting the divine message and plotting against it. The surah issues a crushing warning, painting an ugly image of him that invites derision. This is particularly so when his unpleasant features appear lifelike before our eyes:

Leave to me the one I created alone, to whom I have granted vast wealth, and sons by his side, making life smooth and easy for him; yet he greedily desires that I give him more. No! He has set himself stubbornly against Our revelations. I will constrain him to endure a painful uphill climb! He thought and he schemed Damn him, how he schemed! Again, damn him, how he schemed! He looked around then he frowned and glared, then he turned his back and gloried in his arrogance, and said, 'This is just sorcery handed down from olden times! This is nothing but the word of a mere mortar I will cast him into the scorching fire. Would that you knew what the scorching fire is like! It leaves nothing, and spares nothing; it appears before mankind guarded by nineteen. (Verses 11-30)

There are several reports suggesting that the person so referred to is al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah. Ikrimah reports: "Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah met the Prophet who read to him a passage of the Qur'an. It appeared as though al-Walid softened a bit. Abu Jahl heard of this, so he went to al-Walid and said to him: 'Uncle! Your people are raising some money for you.' He asked for what reason. Abu Jahl answered: 'They want to give it to you, because you went to Muhammad to see what you might gain from him.' [Abu. Jahl was thus playing on a most sensitive point, trying to arouse al-Walid's pride.] Al-Walid said: 'The Quraysh know that I am the richest among them.' Abu Jahl said: 'Then say about him something to make clear to your people that you are opposed to what he says.' Al-Walid said: 'What shall I say. None of you has better knowledge of poetry than me. I know all about poetry including the poetry of the jinn. What Muhammad says is nothing like that. What he says is indeed sweet; it towers over all speech; it rises high and nothing can top it.' Abu jahl said: 'Your people will not be satisfied unless you say something negative about him.' Al-Walid said: 'Then give me time to think.' When he thought it over, he said of the Qur'an: 'This is sorcery taken from olden times.' The above passage was then revealed in reference to him.

In another report, it is said that some of the Quraysh said: 'If al Walid follows Muhammad, the whole tribe will follow suit.' Abu Jahl said: 'I will take care of him.' He went to see him... The report then mentions the above conversation between the two, and that after long thinking al-Walid said: 'It is sorcery handed down from olden times. Do you not see how it causes divisions between a man and his family, children and servants?'

Such was the event as reported. The Qur'an, however, describes it in its own moving way. It so starts with a fearsome threat: "Leave to me the one I created alone." (Verse 11) The address is made to the Prophet. He is told to leave this person to God. He created him alone, without anything in which he now takes pride, such as wealth, children, comforts and luxuries. Yet he still seeks to possess more. God says to the Prophet to leave him to Him, for He will battle with him. Here, we can only shudder as we imagine the overwhelming power of the Almighty moving to crush this powerless individual. This shuddering is experienced by the reader and the listener who are not meant by it. How, then, about the one facing this power?

The surah describes at length this creature and what God has given him of favours, before it mentions his headstrong rejection of the truth. God created him alone, deprived of everything, naked. Then He gave him plentiful wealth, and able sons who attend to his needs and give him authority and protection. He facilitated life for him. Yet, "he greedily desires that I give him more." (Verse 15) He is neither content nor grateful. Or perhaps he hopes to receive revelations and a sacred book, as mentioned towards the end of the surah: "Every one of them demands to be given revelations unfolded before him." (Verse 52) He did indeed envy the Prophet.

At this point he is strongly repudiated for his greed. He has not shown any gratitude to God for what He has given him.

"No!" The repudiating word is decisive. "He has set himself stubbornly against Our revelations." (Verse 16) He deliberately set himself against all pointers to the truth and indicators of the way to true faith. He opposed the divine message and the Messenger preaching it, prevented others from listening to it and spread false rumours about it. This repudiation of the man and his attitude is followed by a threat to replace his ease with hardship: "I will constrain him to endure a painful uphill climb." (Verse 17) This verse paints hardship in the movement. Going uphill is the most difficult and tiring way of walking. If the person set on such an uphill road has no intention of so going up, but is instead being pushed, the hardship is even greater and more exhausting. At the same time, the statement expresses a reality. A person who moves away from the easy, friendly and facilitated path of faith will find himself in a hard to traverse passage that leads nowhere. He goes through life worried and distressed, as though he is rising high into the sky, or going up a rough, hard track carrying neither food nor drink, and expecting no comfort at the end.

The surah draws a sarcastic caricature of this person with grim features, frowning, thinking hard and trying to find fault with the Qur'an. He is obsessed with trying to find an apt and negative description to label the Qur'an with: "He thought and he schemed. Damn him, how he schemed' Again, damn him, how he schemed' He looked around then he frowned and glared, then he turned his back and gloried in his arrogance, and said, This is just sorcery handed down from olden times! This is nothing but the word of a mere mortar (Verses 18-25) The image we are given here takes us one glimpse at a time, step by step, and movement by movement. It is like watching a paint brush at work, rather than hearing words giving a meaning. More than that, it is like a scene in a film, consisting of many frames. One frame shows him thinking and scheming. This is coupled with an invocation, Damn him!' and a derisive remark, 'how he schemed.' Both invocation and derisive remark are repeated to heighten the effect. Another frame shows him looking here and there, in affected seriousness, again inviting ridicule. The next frame shows him frowning, and another shows his features grim. In both, the impression is that he is trying to concentrate, but in a laughable way. Yet, after all this labour, he comes up with nothing. He closes his eyes to the light and turns away from the truth. All he can say is: "This is just sorcery handed down from olden times! This is nothing but the word of a mere mortar (Verses 24-25)

These glimpses of such a sad individual are impressed on our minds more strongly than a painting or a film. Moreover, the man becomes the laughing stock for the rest of time. His miserable picture is raised there for all future generations to see.

Once the picture is hung in place and this miserable creature is seen by all there then comes a frightening warning: "I will cast him into the scorching fire." (Verse 26) The warning is made even stronger by the enigmatic air that surrounds the fire: "Would that you knew what the scorching fire is like!" (Verse 27) It is too great to be imagined! Yet another description is added to make it even more terrifying: "It leaves nothing, and spares nothing." (Verse 28) It swallows everything, obliterating whoever or whatever is cast into it, leaving no trace. Moreover, it presents itself before people: "It appears before mankind." (Verse 29) This echoes the verse in an earlier surah: "It will claim all who turn their backs, and turn away from the truth." (70: 17) It thus shows itself, deliberately striking fear into those who are destined to suffer its torment. Guards stand there: "Guarded by nineteen." (Verse 30) We do not know if the number refers to individual angels who are stern and mighty', as described in Surah 66, or whether it refers to rows or types of angels. This is merely a piece of information to which more will be added in the surah.