Period of Revelation
Its contents show that it was revealed at the stage when persecution of the new converts to Islam had begun in Makkah. On that very basis the people of Makkah have been warned of the evil end of the tribes of Ad and Thamud and of Pharaoh
Theme and Subject Matter
Its theme is to affirm the meting out of rewards and punishments in the Hereafter
which the people of Makkah were not prepared to acknowledge
Let us consider the reasoning in the order in which it has been presented. First of all
swearing oaths by the dawn
the ten nights
the even and the odd
and the departing night
the listeners have been asked: "Are these things not enough to testify to the truth of that which you are refusing to acknowledge?" From the explanation that we have given of these four things in the corresponding notes
it will become clear that these things are a symbol of the regularity that exists in the night and day
and swearing oaths by these the question has been asked in the sense: Even after witnessing this wise system established by God
do you still need any other evidence to show that it is not beyond the power of that God Who has brought about this system to establish the Hereafter
and that it is the very requirement of his wisdom that He should call man to account for his deeds? Then
reasoning from man's own history
the evil end of the Ad and the Thamud and Pharaoh has been cited as an example to show that when they transgressed all limits and multiplied corruption in the earth
Allah laid upon them the scourge of His chastisement. This is a proof of the fact that the system of the universe is not being run by deaf and blind forces
nor is the world a lawless kingdom of a corrupt ruler
but a Wise Ruler is ruling over it
the demand of Whose wisdom and justice is continuously visible in the world itself in man's own history that He should call to account
and reward and punish accordingly
the being whom He has blessed with reason and moral sense and given the right of appropriation in the world. After this
an appraisal has been made of the general moral state of human society of which Arab paganism was a conspicuous example; two aspects of it in particular
have been criticised: first the materialistic attitude of the people on account of which overlooking the moral good and evil
they regarded only the achievement of worldly wealth
rank and position
or the absence of it
as the criterion of honour or disgrace
and had forgotted that neither riches was a reward nor poverty a punishment
but that Allah is trying man in both conditions to see what attitude he adopts when blessed with wealth and how he behaves when afflicted by poverty. Second
the people's attitude under which the orphan child in their society was left destitute on the death of the father. Nobody asked after the poor; whoever could
usurped the whole heritage left by the deceased parent
and drove away the weak heirs fraudulently. The people were so afflicted with an insatiable greed for wealth that they were never satisfied however much they might hoard and amass. This criticism is meant to make them realize as to why the people with such an attitude and conduct in the life of the world should not be called to account for their misdeeds. The discourse has been concluded with the assertion that accountability shall certainly be held and it will be held on the Day when the Divine Court will be establislied. At that time the deniers of the judgement will understand that which they are not understanding now in spite of instruction and admonition
but understanding then will be of no avail. The denier will regret and say
Would that I had provided for this Day beforehand while I lived in the world.
But his regrets will not save him from Allah's punishment. However
as for the people who would have accepted the Truth
which the heavenly books and the Prophets of God were presenting
with full satisfaction of the heart in the world
Allah will be pleased with them and they will be well pleased with the rewards bestowed by Allah. They will be called upon to join the righteous and enter Paradise.