Sūrah An-Nāziʿāt Those Who Pull Out: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī The Source Commentary

Surah Overview

DetailInformationClassificationSignificance

SurahالنازعاتMakkī 46 versesSoul-extracting angels, Mūsā and Pharaoh, Day of Judgment outcomes

Key DisagreementWhat are the "nāziʿāt" angels extracting souls, stars, or warriors?Oath subject identityAl-Ṭabarī: angels who extract the souls of the disbelievers violently through chains from Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAlī, and Mujāhid all agreeing on angels

Competing OpinionsIs the "terrible calamity" (al-ṭāmmah al-kubrā, 79:34) the resurrection or something else?Calamity identificationAl-Ṭabarī: the Day of Judgment through chains from Ibn ʿAbbās; it "overcomes" (ṭamma) all other concerns

MethodologyChain convergence on angels for the oath subjects in the five-element sequenceChain convergence methodAl-Ṭabarī notes that chains from multiple major Companions all converge on the angel interpretation for the nāziʿāt

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

The five-element oath sequence (79:1–5) is analyzed by al-Ṭabarī through chains from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Ibn ʿAbbās, and Mujāhid all identifying the nāziʿāt as angels who extract souls. He notes the Companion chain convergence on this interpretation, contrasting with Sūrah Mursalāt where chains diverged (winds vs. angels). His tarjīḥ: these are the angels of death performing their role of soul extraction violently for disbelievers (nāziʿāt gharqan), gently for believers (nāshiṭāt nashṭan).

The Mūsā-Pharaoh narrative (79:15–26) is analyzed in its most condensed Quranic form. Al-Ṭabarī traces chains from Ibn ʿAbbās on the specific details: the "sacred valley of Ṭuwā" (79:16), the two signs (79:20), Pharaoh's denial (79:21), his claim of lordship (79:24). He notes this is the most compressed version of the story contrasting with the extended versions in Sūrahs Ṭāhā and Qaṣaṣ and that each Quranic version emphasizes different aspects for its rhetorical context.

وَالنَّازِعَاتِ غَرْقًا وَالنَّاشِطَاتِ نَشْطًا وَالسَّابِحَاتِ سَبْحًا Wa-l-nāziʿāti gharqan wa-l-nāshiṭāti nashṭan wa-l-sābiḥāti sabḥā "By those who extract with force and those who remove with ease and those who glide." (79:1–3) Al-Ṭabarī presents the chain convergence from ʿAlī, Ibn ʿAbbās, and Mujāhid: nāziʿāt = angels extracting disbeliever souls violently, nāshiṭāt = angels extracting believer souls gently.

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّ الْجَحِيمَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ Fa-ammā man ṭaghā wa-āthara l-ḥayāta l-dunyā fa-inna l-jaḥīma hiya l-maʾwā "As for he who transgressed and preferred the life of this world, then indeed, Hellfire will be the refuge." (79:37–39) Al-Ṭabarī traces chains from Ibn ʿAbbās on the two-path structure: those who chose this world over the next receive Hell; those who feared their Lord's station and restrained their soul receive Paradise.

Chain convergence: The convergence of ʿAlī, Ibn ʿAbbās, and Mujāhid on the angel interpretation is highlighted al-Ṭabarī uses this convergence as strong evidence.
Differential soul extraction: The distinction between violent extraction (disbelievers) and gentle extraction (believers) is traced through chains as a physical reality of the death process.
Compressed Mūsā narrative: Al-Ṭabarī notes the Quranic compression and cross-references the fuller accounts in other surahs showing his awareness of Quranic intertextuality.
Two-path structure: 79:37–41's two-path framework (transgressor → Hell, God-fearer → Paradise) is analyzed as the surah's conclusive moral statement.
Hour knowledge: 79:42–44's "they ask you about the Hour when is its arrival?" is analyzed through chains as establishing that the Hour's timing is exclusively Allah's knowledge even the Prophet does not know.

Surah Overview

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

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