36. Sura YaSin
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَيَقُولُونَ
مَتَى هَذَا
الْوَعْدُ إِن
كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾
36: 48. Further, they say, "When will this promise (come to pass), if what ye say is true?"
C3996. In addition to the arrogance and blasphemy referred to in the last note, they not only realise Faith, but they taunt the men of Faith as if the men of Faith were dealing in falsehood: "If there is a Hereafter, tell us when it will be!"
The answer is:
"It will come sooner than you expect: you will yet be disputing about things of Faith and neglecting your opportunities in Life, when the Hour will sound, and you will have no time even to make your dispositions in this life: you will be cut off from everyone whom you thought to be near and dear to you, or able to help you!"
مَا
يَنظُرُونَ
إِلَّا صَيْحَةً
وَاحِدَةً
تَأْخُذُهُمْ
وَهُمْ يَخِصِّمُونَ ﴿٤٩﴾
36: 49. They will not (have to) wait for aught but a single Blast:
it will seize them while they are yet disputing among themselves!
فَلَا
يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
تَوْصِيَةً
وَلَا إِلَى
أَهْلِهِمْ
يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿٥٠﴾
36: 50. No (chance) will they then have, by will, to dispose (of their affairs), nor to return to their own people!
وَنُفِخَ
فِي الصُّورِ ...
36: 51. The trumpet shall be sounded,
C3997. Traditionally, the angel who will sound the Trumpet is Israfil, but the name does not occur in the Quran.
The Trumpet is mentioned in many places: e.g., 6:73; 78:18, etc.
... فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ ﴿٥١﴾
when behold! from the sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord!
قَالُوا
يَا وَيْلَنَا
مَن بَعَثَنَا
مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا...
36: 52. They will say: "Ah! woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?...
C3998. The dead will rise as in a stupor, and they will be confused in the new conditions! They will gradually regain their memory and their personality. They will be reminded that Allah in His grace and mercy had already announced the Hereafter in their probationary lives, and the word of Allah's messengers, which then seemed so strange and remote, was true and was now being fulfilled.
... هَذَا مَا وَعَدَ الرَّحْمَنُ...
(A voice will say:)
"This is what (Allah) Most Gracious had promised,
... وَصَدَقَ الْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾
and true was the word of the messengers!"
إِن كَانَتْ
إِلَّا صَيْحَةً
وَاحِدَةً ...
36: 53. It will be no more than a single Blast,
C3999. Time and Space, as we know them here, will be no more. The whole gathering will be as in the twinkling of an eye.
Cf. 36:49 above.
... فَإِذَا هُمْ جَمِيعٌ لَّدَيْنَا مُحْضَرُونَ ﴿٥٣﴾
when lo! they will all be brought up before Us!
Asad’s Version:
(36:48) And they add, "When is this promise [of resurrection] to be fulfilled? [Answer this] if you are men of truth!"
36:49 [And they are unaware that] nothing awaits them beyond a single blast [of God's punishment], 27 which will overtake them while they are still arguing [against resurrection):
(36:50) and so [sudden will be their end that] no testament will they be able to make, nor to their own people will they return!
(36:51) And [then] the trumpet [of resurrection] will be blown - and lo! out of their graves towards their Sustainer will they all rush forth!
36:52 They will say: "Oh, woe unto us! Who has roused us from our sleep [of death]?" [Whereupon they will be told:] "This is what the Most Gracious has promised! And His message-bearers spoke the truth!"
36:53 Nothing will there have been but one single blast - and lo! before Us will all of them be arraigned [and be told]: