Surah 86: At-Tariq
The Holy Qur’an with English Translation and Commentary (Five Volume Commentary)
[a]In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
[a] See 1:1.
By the heaven and the Morning Star—[4670]
[4670] Important Words:
الطارق (Morning Star) is derived from طرق. They say طرق الباب i.e. he knocked at the door. طرق أھله لیلاً means, he came to his family by night. The Arabs say, طرقه الزمان بنوائبه i.e. the time visited him with its calamities like one knocking at the door in the night. طارق means, a comer by night, because he has generally to knock; the star that appears in the night; the morning star because it comes in the end of night (Lane, Aqrab & Qadir). The word also means, a chief or great man, as the expression used by Hind on the day of Uhud shows, viz. نحن بنات طارق نمشی علی النمارق i.e. we are the daughters of great men; and we walk upon pillows (Tarikhul-Kamil, vol. 2. and "The Life of Mahomet" by Muir).
Commentary:
The reference in the verse may be to the Promised Messiah whose advent like the morning star was to herald the dawn of the triumph and spread of Islam, after the night of spiritual darkness had passed. According to some commentators, however, the verse refers to the Holy Prophet who appeared when the night of spiritual darkness had spread over the entire world, it being pitch dark in Arabia, the land where he made his appearance.
And what should make thee know what the Morning Star is?[4671]
[4671] Commentary:
The expression ما ادراک ما which occurs in several places in the Holy Qur’an is used to impart a particular sense to the word or expression used after it. The word الطارق having several meanings may therefore be taken in one particular sense here, viz. النجم الثاقب i.e. the star of piercing brightness in the next verse.
It is the Star of piercing brightness—[4672]
[4672] Important Words:
الثاقب (of piercing brightness) is act. part. from ثقب which means, he bored or pierced a thing. ثقب الکوکب means, the star shone brightly as though it pierced through the darkness, dispelling it. ثاقب الرأی means, a man of sound and penetrating judgement. حسب ثاقب means, a famous, exalted lineage (Lane & Aqrab).
That there is no soul but has a guardian over it.[4673]
[4673] Commentary:
"Soul" signifying the souls or persons of the class of النجم الثاقب i.e. the bright stars that dispel spiritual darkness, the verse means that God will guard and protect the Promised Messiah, the الطارق (the Morning Star) or النجم الثاقب (the Star of Piercing Brightness) of Islam.
The verse has also been taken to mean that God has appointed a guardian over every person who records his good or bad deeds. For this meaning of the verse see 50:19.
So let man consider from what he is created.
[a]He is created from a gushing fluid,[4674]
[a] 24:46; 25:55.
[4674] Commentary:
The fact that man has been created from a fluid which gushes forth may signify that he has been endowed with great natural faculties to make rapid progress, but he is also likely to sink to the lowest depths of degradation, if he does not make use of those God-gifted powers. Thus the verse means that man’s spiritual development is subject to alternate periods of progression and retrogression, like the seminal fluid that gushes forth and falls.
Which issues forth from between the loins and the breastbones.[4674A]
[4674A] Commentary:
It is characteristic of the style in the Holy Qur’an that it substitutes mild or vague words or expressions for harsh and blunt ones. "From between the loins and the breastbones," is one of such euphemisms used by the Holy Qur’an. Or the verse may mean that man is born of the water that comes out of the loins of his father and is fed by the breast of his mother.
[b]Surely, He has the power to bring him back to life
[b] 17:100; 36:82; 46:34.
[c]On the day when secrets shall be disclosed.[4675]
[c] 10:31.
[4675] Commentary:
The verse means that all the evil designs of the enemies of the Promised Messiah will be brought to light and they will suffer the consequences of their evil deeds. It may also mean that man will be called to account on the Day of Reckoning for the actions he had done in this life, when all secrets will become unmasked and all his actions, motives and thoughts will come to light, nothing will remain hidden, so much so that even his hands, feet and tongue will bear witness against him (24:25).
Then he will have no strength and no helper.
By the cloud which gives rain repeatedly, [4676]
[4676] Important Words:
ذات الرجع (which gives water repeatedly) is derived from رجع meaning, he returned. رجع (raj‘un) means, rain; hail, because it gives back the water that it takes; rain that returns; the place that retains water; a pool of water left by torrent; a place in which the torrent has returned; water in general; benefit; a good turn (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
See next verse.