SURAH 78 AN-NABA

Surah 78

An-Naba - The Information / Appraisal

Brief Explanation:

A very beautiful Surah and even more beautiful is its style of explaining. As usual the respected author has depicted the characters of Rabb in which Rehmaan is the main protagonist, supported by other roles such as General Thoughts, Ruh, Malaikah, Al-Jabal, Al-Aradh, Al-Samawat etc. All the characters are present in US, but for the sake of understanding it in better way figurative speech or personification is used - Such screenplay writing is also called theophany in religious context. The role and importance of each of these characters is personified and placed differently. In olden days metaphysical themes were taught in a story form with the help of examples - the book Quran is the best testimony to it.

The theme of the surah is about the incoming information / knowledge and the sense of self inquiry or conversation takes place between our thoughts. How will we check whether the information coming to us is right or wrong? The respected author tried to deduce this dilemma by enacting the subject into a script. Man is influenced by many external and inner voices which compel him to act. Amidst all these voices he has to choose the right call. Voices are the information / guidelines / instructions which he receives through family, habits, addictions, peer pressure, duty, environment etc. Some of them could be external forces and some in the form of inner voices, depends upon one's level of consciousness. The respected author is guiding us, as to how one can select the right voice in order to lead a satisfactory and content life. The inner voices are signals containing bits of information conveyed to us and how we could retrieve and process it. Its all about zeroing in and  understanding this natural language / messages that our Rabb or in majority of cases Shaitaan too is transmitting.   

According to the surah the lower consciousness of man is adjustable or synchronized with the circumstances yet the basic nature of man remains fixed. Quite moments are for observations and pondering. The moment of anxiousness or anxiety, protects man from lackadaisical attitude and propels him to find the way of living. But inclination to attachment makes him blind and boastful and the result is he is in crumbled state.

Living a life of boastfulness based on lying, shuts the door of reality. Nothing grows in comfort zone. The respected author says we have to exert ourselves in order to gain the right perception of thoughts. Failing and making mistakes are important phases of life, as they help us grow and be capable of attaining a place in the society. People whose life is based on lies are destined to stagnation in a matter of time. They suffer from darkness and confusion and nobody is there to guide them because they are in bad company and not prepared to understand or listen to their inner / motherly calling of Rehmaan.

Rehmaan is one of the attributes of Rabb. Rabb is a mixture of many faculties and Rehmaan is one of them. The quality of Rehmaan is to teach and explain what man knew not (55:1-4). Rehmaan is one of the derivatives of the word Rehm, which means womb. The function of the womb is to nourish, nurture, up bring, design and give shape to the embryo. This development takes place spontaneously by default and involuntarily, without any external influences. The moment when everything is still or quite, Rehmaan takes over- the charge of a teacher, of a guide, of a up-bringer, nourisher  just as the mother's womb takes charge of the embryo.

So to activate the 'Rehmaan' in us, we have to silence all the internal and external voices relying totally on the sciences of our Rabbul-Aalamin. The situation of silence provokes Rehmaan to express its point of view which acts like a arrow hitting its target.  

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the identification of the System of consciousness, The Rehman, The Rahim.

Interpretation:


1 عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ

About what they are asking each other 

2 عَنِ النَّبَإِ الْعَظِيمِ

About the great information / news

3 الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ

Those (information) in which they differ / in disagreement

4 كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ

Nay, they will soon come to know

5 ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَيَعْلَمُونَ

Again nay, they will soon come to know

6 أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا

Have We not caused the lower conscious to adjust ?

7 وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا 

And the strong belief fixed ? (nature/temperament is the only thing which remains rigid)

8 وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا

And We have evolved you, in pairs

9 وَجَعَلْنَا نَوْمَكُمْ سُبَاتًا

And We caused you quietness for observance 

10 وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا

And We caused anxiety for engagement / occupation / dubiousness   

11 وَجَعَلْنَا النَّهَارَ مَعَاشًا 

And We caused the enlightenment for livelihood

12 وَبَنَيْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعًا شِدَادًا

And We have built over you several intense objectives

13 وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجًا وَهَّاجًا

And We have caused lying / vanity glowing 

14 وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا 

And We have revealed through exertion, flowing of clear thoughts

15 لِّنُخْرِجَ بِهِ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا

That We may issue with it approval and nourishment

16 وَجَنَّاتٍ أَلْفَافًا

And enwrapped in hidden garden of knowledge

17 إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَاتًا

Indeed the moment of outcome is destined

18 يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا

Moment of puffed up (boastful) inclination turns you in a crumbled group

19 وَفُتِحَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَابًا

And the higher consciousness will become like open doors

20 وَسُيِّرَتِ الْجِبَالُ فَكَانَتْ سَرَابًا

And the strong disposition (nature) will lead to accomplishment 

21 إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ كَانَتْ مِرْصَادًا

Verily, stagnation is a matter of time

22 لِّلطَّاغِينَ مَآبًا

For the transgressors will return to its right place

23 لَّابِثِينَ فِيهَا أَحْقَابًا

They will remain in it suppressed for a long period

24 لَّا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا بَرْدًا وَلَا شَرَابًا 

They will not experience / taste therein any coolness nor grasping

25 إِلَّا حَمِيمًا وَغَسَّاقًا 

Except confusion and darkness

26 جَزَاءً وِفَاقًا 

Understandable (predictable) fate

27 إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا لَا يَرْجُونَ حِسَابًا

Verily they were not expecting reckoning

28 وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا كِذَّابًا

And they belied our signs with denial

29 وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ كِتَابًا 

And everything We have enumerated it in writing

30 فَذُوقُوا فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا

So experience, We will never grow you, except in torment  

31 إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ مَفَازًا

Indeed for the diligent / thoughtful / mindful there will be success 

32 حَدَائِقَ وَأَعْنَابًا 

encompass and advance

33 وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا

And prominent thoughts rich in knowledge

34 وَكَأْسًا دِهَاقًا

And the full cup ( idiom for complete satisfaction with knowledge)

35 لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا كِذَّابًا

No unprofitable talks they will hear and nor any falsehood

36 جَزَاءً مِّن رَّبِّكَ عَطَاءً حِسَابًا

Reward from your Rabb a gift of reckoning

37 رَّبِّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا الرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْهُ خِطَابًا

Rabb of higher and lower consciousness and what is between them is the Rehmaan [the teacher of knowledge], They possess no power from Him to converse

38 يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا

That moment the Spirit and the Sense of Ownership will stand still in rows, none will communicate except who is allowed for it, and the Rehmaan will say on target. (to the point) 

39 ذَ‌ٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الْحَقُّ ۖ فَمَن شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ مَآبًا

That will be the moment of facts, so whosoever desires, let him seek a right place towards his Rabb

40 إِنَّا أَنذَرْنَاكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ تُرَابًا

Indeed We have warned you of a near torment, on that moment the result (of his action) will be seen which his hands/resources have sent forth and the disbeliever will say "Oh I wish that I could be equally become rich in knowledge."

Keeping our 'Antennas' at alert mode would help in tuning into the right frequencies towards our Rabb.

This translation / interpretation may contain mistakes or errors by the theme will remain same. The understanding or writing of this surah can be better upgraded with better vocabularies.