In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1. [I swear] by those (phenomena) that uproot (naziat) violently and with full force,

2. That let loose gently (nashitat),

3. That glide [as if] swimming (sabihat),

4. That press forward as in a race (sabiqat),

5. And that regulate/manage (mudabbirāt) the affair.

6. On the Day when the blast will shake violently (the creation of God),

7. (And) another (quake or explosion) will follow.

8. On such a Day hearts will be throbbing,

9. While their gazes will be lowered and downcast.

10. They [will] ask, “Shall we really be restored to our former state,

11. Even after we are rotten bones?”

12. They [will] say, “That would be a losing return [for the worse].”

13. Surely it will be but a single blast,

14. And suddenly they will be (fully) awakened!

15. Have you [O Prophet] heard the story of Moses,

16. When his Lord called out to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa?

17. “Go to Pharaoh, for he has rebelled [and exceeded all bounds],

18. And say (to him), ‘Have you any desire to become pure,

19. So that I might guide you to your Lord, and (as a result) you will hold Him in awe?’”

20. Then he [Moses] showed him the great sign,

21. But he [Pharaoh] scoffed and defied,

22. Then turned his back in a hurry.

23. He summoned the people and proclaimed:

24. “I am your supreme lord!”

25. So God condemned him to punishment in the life to come as well as in this life.

26. There truly is a lesson in this for anyone who stands in awe (of God).

The totality of the Qur’anic message can be categorized under five major themes that constitute the foundation of Islam. They are:
History: An account of prior tribes, various messengers and prophets, and their nations before the advent of Islam.
Contemporaneous to the Prophet’s Time: The state of affairs and socio-historical conditions in which the Qur’an was revealed; the Prophet’s conduct, norms, and practices; and his contemporaries’ social conventions.
The Future Destiny of Humanity: Humanity’s ultimate destiny in terms of the Hereafter, Paradise, Hell, and other subjects. These verses comprise about one-third of the Qur’an.
The World of Nature: Natural phenomena in the world and God’s creative power.
The Shari‘ah: The principles of Islamic Law, moral code, and creedal belief system.

Even though chapter 79 is one of the Qur’an’s shorter chapters, it manages to include all of the above-mentioned themes. The first fourteen verses address humanity’s future and the end of this earthly life. Beginning with verse 15, the narrative shifts to the past, mentioning the story of Moses and Pharaoh. This is followed by a discussion of nature, Earth’s creation, and the different forms of life that it supports. Verses 34 and beyond revert to elaborating upon the future. The chapter ends with a discussion of the present human condition. Verses dealing with guidance and the moral-ethical code of living (i.e., the Shari‘ah) are dispersed throughout the chapter.

The first three verses begin with “waw of oath” (by; وَ) in order to make a solemn assertion by taking an oath. The purpose here is to underscore the message following the oath and signal the reader to pay close attention to it. It is similar in function to the particles inna (إنَّ) and ka-anna (كأنَّ). The next two verses also begin with an oath but use the particle fa (فَ), for they represent the outcome of the first three verses.

[79:1] [I swear] by those (phenomena) that uproot (nāzi‘āt) violently and with full force,
This verse is comprised of two words, nāzi‘āt (to uproot; نازعات) and gharq (full force). For example, 54:20 uses nāzi‘āt to convey the sense that people were swept away, as if they were uprooted trunks of firmly established palm trees. A verb from the same root is used in the context of how death’s approach snuffs out life. This verse connotes that something which has been firmly established will be uprooted and separated with full force.

[79:2] That let loose gently (nāshitāt),
Nāshitāt (happiness, contentment; ناشطات) means the joy one experiences after the initial difficulty, caused by the task’s complexity, begins to subside.

[79:3] That glide [as if] swimming (sābihāt),
The prevailing tendency among exegetes is to interpret these verses as referring to the three classes of angels entrusted with special tasks: (1) the nāzi‘ātنازعات)), who extract the unbelievers’ souls with utmost severity; (2) the nāshitātناشطَات)), who extract the believers’ souls with ease and comfort; and (3) the sābihāt (سابحات), who manage human affairs, praise and glorify Him, and compete with one another in performing commendable deeds. Other exegetes opine that nāzi‘āt refers to the souls of those believers who have attained spiritual joy by abandoning envy, greed, anger, carnal desires, and so on. They manage human affairs, praise God, and compete with each other in worshipping Him. Others believe that these verses are about stars. Still others say that they refer to the bow and arrow of the warriors who draw out the latter with full force. We leave further study of this subject to the reader.
In general, no fresh or creative interpretations have been offered in the last ten centuries, only regurgitations of past views. This is not unusual, for it is customary to follow in the footsteps of past eminent scholars out of respect and reverence for their stature, instead of refuting them or expressing a dissenting opinion. This is, in fact, the core culture of the religious seminaries (howzeh), wherein few people dare to reject the views of pre-modern scholars and offer new opinions.
One of the exceptions to this rule was the late Ayatollah Tāleghānī (d. 1979), who wrote that God does not swear by phenomena or things that are foreign or unknown to us (e.g., angels) and thus beyond our understanding. Rather, He takes oaths in the Qur’an on straightforward and perceptible objects that we can easily comprehend and relate to, such as the olive, the fig, the pen, and the Sun. Hence, it is unlikely that these specific oaths have anything to do with the angels because our knowledge of them is very limited and vague.
Ayatollah Tāleghānī not only approaches these verses with a different perspective, but also provides a more profound meaning. He views them in light of the overall scheme of the universe’s movement, namely, different motions that could occur in the natural phenomena. He offers a simple example: A rocket requires a tremendous force to achieve liftoff. After this, it “excitedly” gathers speed and appears to want to break free from Earth’s gravity. As it moves further away, it releases its fuel tanks one by one and thus becomes “lighter and lighter.” At this stage, it is as if the rocket is “swimming” freely in space, moving ever closer to its “destination” as it comes under the influence of the destination’s gravitational forces. These three of the five stages can be summed up as “freeing itself from Earth’s gravitational pull” (nāzi‘āt), “moving with joy” (nāshitāt), and “swimming freely” (sābihāt) toward the destination.
Indeed, such is the case with humans. As they become progressively less attached to this material world and its trappings, they become “lighter and lighter” and therefore better able to “take off,” break free, and finally embark upon their spiritual journey with ease. They can now speed up joyfully and swiftly “swim” toward the “destination.”

[79:4] That press forward as in a race (sābiqāt),

[79:5] And that regulate/manage (mudabbirāt) the affair.
These two verses provide the fourth (sābiqāt) and fifth (mudabbirāt) stages in one’s advancement toward spiritual growth and excellence. In the example of the rocket, these would correspond, respectively, to its pressing forward with speed as it increasingly comes under the influence of the destination’s gravitational forces and, upon arrival, carrying out its set objectives under proper supervision and management. Likewise, human beings cannot turn their attention to life’s higher aspects and those affairs upon which both their own existence and that of the world depend until they liberate themselves from their lower self and its attachment to the material world.
Ayatollah Tāleghānī summarizes the five stages that form the underlying pathway for all aspects of growth and movement toward human perfection:
Separation/liberation (nāzi‘āt) from all attachments. This is a new creation in itself, one that experiences great difficulty at the beginning.
The difficulties of liberation start to subside and the joy (nāshitāt) of liberation sets in.
The attachments are completely subdued, total freedom is achieved, and the new process continues to smoothly move or “swim” (sābihāt) forward.
The “swimmers” press ahead and direct all of their energy and resources toward achieving the goal. As a result, the new process speeds up toward the destination (sābiqāt).
The journey’s purpose is fulfilled and an entirely new creation emerges. Proper supervision and management (mudabbirāt) is vital to ensure that it promotes the ultimate objective.
Ayatollah Tāleghānī views a human being’s spiritual growth, as well as the growth/movement of all natural phenomena, as subject to these five stages and explains them within that context. For example, as the Sun shines on the surface of the oceans and lakes, water evaporates/separates and becomes lighter as it moves upward. Once clouds are formed, their fast movement causes storms that produce rain, which falls on Earth and brings about new creations and life. A similar pattern of stages is observable in the animal and plant kingdoms. He further believes that the Big Bang was the product of a “separation” that set in motion a process that led to the creation of the entire universe, an ongoing process that will eventually result in yet another creation. He argues that, in principle, all that exists is in motion for all natural phenomena are made up of atoms within which electrons constantly revolve around the nucleus.

[79:6] On the Day when the blast will shake violently (the creation of God),
Our planet’s natural movement toward gradual perfection was discussed to make one receptive to embracing the concept of the Hereafter, which is the culmination and true ultimate end of all of these movements. The Big Bang that occurred 18 billion years ago created the universe, and ever since then the ongoing natural movement has fashioned the universe in its current state. At some point in the future, a contrary movement will occur: the Day of Rājifah (راجفة). The Qur’an points to this phenomenon in many of its short chapters. For example, 73:14 says that on that Day a tremendous explosion on Earth will cause everything to shake violently and that the mountains will become like running sand. Qur’an 101:5 likens the mountains on that fateful Day to fluffy tufts of wool, the dust of which will be scattered in the skies.
Earth is a terrestrial planet with active plates that have been in a state of agitation ever since its creation. The Qur’an often points to our planet’s eventual fate and the magnificent blast that will presage another fantastic creation such as the Big Bang. In between these two events is a period of relative calmness that is suitable for life and the fulfillment of human purpose.

[79:7] (And) another (quake or explosion) will follow.
This verse highlights that this sudden tremendous quake will set in motion a series of successive events. Scientists have calculated the events that transpired during the first one-thousandth of a second following the Big Bang, what occurred subsequently, which elements were created, and when the countless galaxies appeared. All of these step-by-step transformations are the result of that original phenomenon.

[79:8] On such a Day hearts will be throbbing,

[79:9] While their gazes will be lowered and downcast.
Some people will be apprehensive, for fear will be cast into their hearts and their eyes will be downcast in humility and awe.

[79:10] They [will] ask, “Shall we really be restored to our former state,
Some exegetes state that human beings will utter these words on that Day. Others opine that it refers to people in this world who, upon hearing about that event, will ask in bewilderment: “How can we be brought back in our original form after we have died and rotted away?” Hāfirah (حافرة) can mean either a return to the grave or to life, because it denotes returning to the point of origin.

[79:11] Even after we are rotten bones?”
Nakhirah (نخرة; rotten bone) indicates a bone that has rotted away so much that air can flow through it. Thus some people find it hard to believe in any possibility of a renewed life.

[79:12] They [will] say, “That would be a losing return [for the worse].”
They exclaim, “If the arrival of the Day really does usher in a new creation, then we will be losers because we never performed any activities that would benefit us in the life to come! We never prepared provisions for that journey!”

[79:13] Surely, it will be but a single blast,
The verse uses emphatic language to make it clear that this event will certainly happen. On that Day, an enormous explosion will unexpectedly take place but it is not known if it will occur only in our galaxy or throughout the entire universe. However, we do know that approximately thirty explosions do occur every year in our galaxy alone. What is important here is that this event will be on such an immense scale that even if it were to occur only in our galaxy, its scope would still be beyond our imagination. The Milky Way galaxy contains about 40 billion stars and has a diameter of about 100 million light years. To put this into context, note that it takes eight minutes and thirteen seconds for the Sun’s light to reach Earth, for it travels at the speed of about 186,000 miles per second. The universe contains an estimated 100 billion galaxies.

[79:14] And suddenly they will be (fully) awakened!
Sāhirah (ساهرة), which means “a flat surface with no peaks to obscure one’s vision,” suggests that everything will become perfectly transparent. Qur’an 14:48 says that Earth will be transformed into another kind of Earth and heaven into another form of heaven. Many chapters mention this magnificent worldwide transformation. As a matter of fact, the last juz (the final one-thirtieth equal part of the Qur’an) frequently talks about this phenomenon. The scope of this explosion will be such that it will completely flatten Earth, as referenced in chapters 99, 101, 69, and 56. Also noteworthy is that many stars have completely flat surfaces. In other words, they have such a strong gravitational force that no place on their surface can even be a millimeter higher than other places. It is possible that after that magnificent explo-sion the Earth’s core becomes condensed and its gravitational force so strong that it would eliminate all the depths and elevations on its surface. But such details must be sought from the experts, for these matters are outside the scope of my expertise and training.

[79:15] Have you [O Prophet] heard the story of Moses,
The story of Moses, which is discussed in many chapters, is mentioned here only briefly because this chapter was revealed in Makkah during the early years of the Prophet’s ministry.

[79:16] When his Lord called out to him in the sacred valley of Tuwā?
The previous verses talked about future events and human destiny and now the discussion shifts to Moses. Here, the reader needs to realize that contrary to the human perspective, the Qur’anic perspective does not distinguish between what we call the “past” and the “future” because the same natural order governs both of them. This is why the Qur’an talks about future events and suddenly returns to the past without leaving any trace of discontinuity or haphazardness.
Interestingly, verse 16 uses Tuwā (طوى) to refer to the land where God chose Moses as His prophet. This particular word connotes a land that is uneven, chaotic, convoluted, and full of hills and valleys. Perhaps it is used because it mirrors the turbulent journey of human beings through life’s uncertainties or reminds us of the complexity of our own lives and its ups and downs, as well as our doubts and confusion when envisioning our ultimate fate.
According to the Qur’an, after Moses left Egypt he wandered in the desert for years and then finally settled in Midian (Madyan), where he spent much time in reflection and meditation. The Qur’an is silent on the details but the exegetes have said that he lived in Shuʿayb’s house for about 8 to 10 years during which time he married and had children. Thereafter, he left Midian but it is not clear if he was heading back to Egypt or elsewhere. During this journey, on one cold and dark night while lost, he perceived a light in the distance. He moved toward it to collect firewood; however, as he approached the light he realized that it was coming from a burning bush. A voice emanating from it informed him that he had been chosen as a prophet. It is as if that dark night re-sembles the darkness of aberration and coldness of life that was suddenly lit by the light and warmth of guidance and God’s mercy to reveal the destination.
Other chapters state that God called to Moses while he was absorbed in a deep and intimate conversation with his Beloved (God). He might have been reflecting upon his life: from being born into a destitute family to receiving God’s grace at the time of his birth. God inspired his mother to set him afloat on the Nile in a basket, a simple act which led to his rescue and upbringing in the opulence of Pharaoh’s palace until he was finally forced to flee from Egypt for inadvertently killing a man.
When Pharaoh threatened his life, God guided him to a safe land where he became acquainted with a devoted servant of God and further blessed him by providing shelter, a teacher, wife, children, and the opportunity to continue his journey of “self-building” and growing in spiritual perfection.
His story is a prime example, one that helps us realize that a relationship with God is a two-way street that requires much reflection and contemplation. In fact, one could say that it is God’s radiance and blessings that illuminate our path and saves us from the darkness of ignorance.

[79:17] “Go to Pharaoh, for he has rebelled [and exceeded all bounds],
Here the Qur’an provides us with a model of how to talk with those who disagree with us and may even be oppressors. God instructs Moses to approach Pharaoh both civilly and courteously, despite the latter’s clear transgression of the self-evident divine commands and terrorizing of his people. The Qur’an uses the root word T-G-Y to describe these serious infractions and moral violations, for its etymological meaning connotes a river that spills over its natural boundaries, floods the surrounding areas, and causes harm to the land and its people.

[79:18] And say (to him), ‘Have you any desire to become pure,
Pharaoh had crossed the limits that everyone ought to protect and preserve by transgressing upon his people’s rights via intimidation and persecution. It is worth reiterating that God commands Moses to approach Pharaoh not with accusatory language or threats, but rather with a respectable offer of purification and guidance. He is giving Pharaoh a chance to become aware of his blameworthy behavior and heed God’s directive (20:44). By extension, we should not use harsh and abrasive language when discussing and debating with others.

[79:19] So that I might guide you to your Lord, and (as a result) you will hold Him in awe?’”
God goes further and directs Moses to ask Pharaoh if he has the inclination, temperament, and readiness to start purifying his soul; to become aware of the wondrous power of his Lord (and also the Lord of Moses), and to stand in awe of Him. The Qur’an promotes the use of this language of reason and ethics when inviting others to move toward God, to become aware of His presence and supreme power.

[79:20] Then he [Moses] showed him the great sign,
Moses presented God’s greatest sign to Pharaoh. Apparently, this was actualized by the same staff that turned into a serpent, parted the Red Sea, and cleaved asunder a mountain and produced a spring of water in it. The Qur’an relates a total of nine miracles performed via his staff or coupled with something else. However, some exegetes have argued whether this staff refers to the physical object made of wood or to the use of logic and demonstrative proofs to substantiate his Message, because in Arabic “staff” also means “a resting place and support,” (i.e., reliance upon thinking and reflection).

[79:21] But he [Pharaoh] scoffed and defied,
Pharaoh responded by claiming that they are all lies and rejected the miracles. He even went further and acted rebelliously although he could have rejected Moses’ invitation without disrespecting his teachings. Instead, Pharaoh initiated a sustained campaign of terror against him.

[79:22] Then turned his back in a hurry.
The word sa‘yun (سعي) literally means to walk briskly and meta-phorically, to strive and endeavor. As such, the imperfect tense yas‘ā (يَسْعَىٰ) denotes that the Pharaoh did not oppose Moses only once but rather exerted maximum effort to deny the truth and prevent others from turning toward it. The particle thumma (ثُمَّ) suggests that he spent months and years opposing his Message.

[79:23] He summoned the people and proclaimed:
But Pharaoh, who responded in a rebellious and combative tone, gathered his troops and challenged him. Rejecting Moses’ Message and scoffing at the miracles, he summoned magicians from across Egypt to expose this trickery.
Qur’an 26:54–56 says that Pharaoh sent messengers throughout his kingdom to inform his subjects that a small group of people was bent on destroying their religion. He proclaimed, “They have provoked us and we will not tolerate them. We are united, and this small group should fear us.”

[79:24] “I am your supreme lord!”
The peak of his arrogance and haughtiness came when he claimed to be the “exalted lord.” His intent was not to claim that he had created humanity or the world, for he had dominion only over Egypt and, as such, implicitly believed in the existence of God or various deities. Rather, his lordship was connected to the limitless power and discretion he exercised over his subjects along with his expectation of their absolute subordination and deference to his decrees. Interestingly, another passage invokes “lord” (rabb) in precisely the same manner: “They [Jews and Christians] have taken as lords beside God [Allah] their rabbis and their monks, and (also) the Messiah, son of Mary. But they were commanded to serve only one God: there is no god but Him” (9:31). All exegetes agree that this “lordship” implied that these people blindly and unquestioningly follow their religious authorities’ edicts.
In a tradition attributed to Imam Ja‘far Sādiq (d. 765), he says that the Christians and Jews never claimed that they considered their priests and rabbis as creators of the world and human life, for this would be blatantly false and ludicrous. Rather, this “lordship” refers to their uncritical acceptance of their clerics’ decrees even though the latter had altered divine commands by making that which had been prohibited (harām) permissible (halāl) and vice versa. Accordingly, absolute obedience (itā‘ah) to any person is essentially nothing short of worshipping (‘ibādah) him or her. Thus the Qur’an warns people of the danger of surrendering oneself completely and absolutely to anybody, including a religious authority.

[79:25] So God condemned him to punishment in the life to come as well as in this life.
Pharaoh saw the consequence of his despotism and tyranny during his lifetime and will certainly receive a most grievous penalty in the Hereafter as well. The epitome of evil in the Qur’an, his destiny should serve as an example to those who ignore God’s message and exhibit a lack of God-awareness. Qur’an 10:92 says that God rescued and preserved his corpse so that he would become a sign and a warning for future generations, many of whom would also be rebellious and neglectful of God’s signs.

[79:26] There truly is a lesson in this for anyone who stands in awe (of God).
Today, the mummified and crumbled body of Pharaoh, who once claimed to be “the lord,” is preserved in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum. This is truly the most fitting testament to the end result of an exceedingly arrogant dictator. One would hope that this admonition would cause all powerful leaders to reflect on their own lives and destinies and inspire in them the awe and fear of God. Will our era’s political “pharaohs” ever pause to reflect on this powerful ruler’s fate and stop their hegemonic policies? Will they ever become aware of the scope of the catastrophe their actions are causing to Earth and humanity?
This moral lesson is not confined to arrogant tyrants. For instance, what about the great injustice associated with the unequal distribution of wealth, which allows a tiny group of people to amass unimaginable fortunes on the backs of some of the world’s most destitute people? Should it not prick their consciences to observe that an exorbitantly high percentage of their fellow human beings suffer from hunger, disease, human rights abuses, and so on, while they bask in their wealth and remain indifferent to the colossally tragic situation all around them? It should not surprise anyone that the preservation of such an unjust status quo causes so much death and destruction.

The story of Moses is mentioned here to point out that he and others like him are capable of traversing the earlier mentioned five stages of spiritual growth toward spiritual perfection. In this case, he “separated” (nāzi‘āt) himself from the trappings of this material world and, by doing so, created enough momentum to set himself free so that he could “joyfully” (nāshitāt) “swim” (sābihāt) in the spiritual world, speedily pressing forward (sābiqāt) toward God so that he could administer (mudabbirāt) the people’s affairs. In contrast, many others remain enslaved and utterly attached to this material world. The Qur’an warns people of this danger: “[W]hy do you dig your heels into Earth? Do you prefer this world to the life to come?” (9:38).

Translator: Mohammad Fani
Editor: Hamid Mavani