86:1. By the heaven and that which appears by night -

86:2. and how could you know what that which appears by night is?

86:3. It is the star of piercing brightness -

86:4. for every soul there is a keeper watching it.

86:5. Let man consider that from which he was created.

86:6. He was created from an ejected fluid^{1It is well known that the sperm is carried by ejected fluid or gushing water, which is the semen; what is perhaps less well known is that the egg is =}

86:7. originating from between the backbone and the ribs.

86:8. Surely Allah has the power to bring him back to life

86:9. on the day when people’s inner secrets will be examined.

86:10. Then man will have no power to help himself nor anyone to help him.

86:11. By the sky that returns^{2This may refer to rain, as water vapour that rises and forms clouds is sent back to the earth as rain or other precipitation. Modern commentators suggest that it may also refer to the protective nature of the earth’s atmosphere, which absorbs or deflects (returns) much of the harmful radiation coming from the sun, whilst allowing the sun’s heat and beneficial components of its rays to reach the earth's surface.}

86:12. and by the earth that cracks open [with the growth of plants],^{3The word sad' (paraphrased above as referring to the soil cracking open when seeds sprout and plants grow) appears in the singular form, so the verse may be rendered as ‘By the earth with its crack’. This led some modern commentators to suggest that it may refer to the Ocean Ridge, which is a single, interconnected, global mid-oceanic ridge system that is part of every ocean and which may be described as a single continuous crack in the earth’s surface.}

86:13. verily it [the Qur’an] is a decisive word,

86:14. and is not to be taken lightly.

86:15. Surely they [the disbelievers] are plotting and planning.

= also carried by ejected fluid. The egg in the ovary forms in the Graafian follicle surrounded by water. When the follicle ruptures, that water, or fluid, is ejected along with the egg, which is caught by the fimbriae of the fallopian tube, where it meets the sperm. This fluid carries the egg just as the fluid from the man carries the sperm. In both cases the fluid is ejected, and both come from the reproductive organs, the testes and ovaries, which originate from between the backbone and the ribs (see following footnote).

Adapted from Dr. Mohammed Ali Albar, Khalq al-lnsdn bayna at-Tibb wal-Qur’an, 114-124, via Islam Questions and Answers website https:// islamqa.info/en/118879.

86:16. but I too am planning.

86:17. So bear with the disbelievers; bear with them for a little while.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾fBy the heaven and that which appears by night﴿, then He explains what that which appears by night (at-tariq) is: ﴾It is the star of piercing brightness﴿ that is, the star that shines brightly, whose light pierces the heavens until it is seen on earth. The correct view is that it is a generic term which refers to all stars of piercing brightness.

It was also suggested that it refers to Saturn,^{1The word najm, translated here as dstarp, may refer to any heavenly body, including planets.} whose light pierces the seven heavens so that we see it.

It is called tariq because it appears at night (yatruq).

What is attested to by this oath is: ﴾)for every soul there is a keeper watching it﴿ and recording its deeds, both righteous and otherwise, and that soul will be requited for the deeds that are recorded against it.

?jLet man consider that from which he was created﴿ that is, let him reflect upon his creation and his origin, for he is created ?)from an ejected fluid﴿ namely semen, ﴾originating from between the backbone and the ribs﴿. It may be that it comes from between the backbone of the man and the ribs of the woman, or it may be that what is meant is gushing semen, which comes from the man, and the place from which it emerges is between the backbone and the ribs of the man, and this may be the most correct interpretation, because Allah describes it as an ejected fluid, and what is felt and seen to be ejected is the semen of the man. Similarly, the word lard’ib (translated here as ?﴾ribs﴿) may be used with regard to men. And Allah knows best.

The One Who created man from an ejected fluid that emerges from this place is able to recreate him in the hereafter and resurrect him for the requital.

﴾on the day when people’s inner secrets will be examined﴿ that is, when what is hidden in people’s hearts of good or evil will be disclosed and made manifest on their faces. Allah Bs) says elsewhere: ﴾On the day when some faces will become bright, and some faces will become dark...﴿ (At Imran 3. 106)

In this world many matters are concealed and not visible or known to people, but on the Day of Resurrection the righteousness of the righteous and the evil of the evildoers will be made manifest, and all matters will be laid open.

c-(Then man will have no power to help himself﴿ and defend himself

﴾nor anyone to help him﴿ or support him. This is an oath concerning people when they do deeds and at the time of their requital.

﴾By the sky that returns and by the earth that cracks open [with the growth of plants] j﴿ that is, the sky brings back rain every year, and the earth cracks open for plants to grow on which people and livestock live; and the heaven again brings down divine decrees at all times; and the earth will split open for the dead on the Day of Resurrection.

﴾verily it [the Qur’an] is a decisive word﴿ that is, it contains clear and plain truth

﴾and is not to be taken lightly﴿ that is, it is a serious matter and is not a joke. It is the decisive word that settles issues between different factions and views, and disputes may be resolved through it.

﴾Surely they!) namely those who reject the Messenger and the Qur’an ﴾are plotting and planning﴿ to defeat the truth and support falsehood

﴾but 1 too am planning﴿ to cause the truth to prevail, even if the disbelievers hate it, and to ward off what they have brought of falsehood, so that it may be known who will prevail, for humans are too weak and insignificant to be able to resist the Most Strong, All- Knowing and His plans.

﴾So bear with the disbelievers; bear with them for a little while﴿ that is, for a short time, for they will come to know their fate when the punishment descends upon them.

T his is the end of the commentary on Soorat at-Tariq.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace ff Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.