Sūrah An-Nabaʾ The Great News
النبأ
40 verses, Makkī. About what are they asking one another? About the Great News in which they differ. The proofs of resurrection in creation: the earth as a bed, the mountains as pegs, sleep as rest, the alternation of day and night, the seven firm heavens. The Day of Decision and its descriptions of Hell and Paradise.
Surah Overview
Key Themes from Ibn Kathīr
The eight proofs of creative power (78:6–16): "Have We not made the earth a resting place and the mountains as pegs and created you in pairs and made your sleep a means of rest and made the night a covering and made the day for livelihood and built above you seven strong heavens and made therein a burning lamp and sent down from the rain clouds pouring water." Ibn Kathīr: eight blessings-cum-proofs each one is a divine gift that simultaneously proves the Creator's ability to do the much smaller task of resurrection.
The Day of Decision (78:17–20): "Indeed the Day of Decision is an appointed time the Day the trumpet is blown and you come in crowds and the sky is opened and becomes gates and the mountains are removed and are seen as a mirage." Ibn Kathīr: the dissolution of the physical universe the mountains that seem permanent become air; the sky that seems solid becomes open corridors; the solid world reveals itself as the temporary stage it always was.
- Hell awaiting the transgressors (78:21–30): Hell has been lying in ambush for the transgressors they will stay there for ages, tasting no coolness or drink except scalding water and dirty wound discharge a fitting recompense. Ibn Kathīr: the punishment is described as precise justice exactly what they earned through deliberate rejection of the guidance that was made clear.
- Paradise for the righteous (78:31–36): For the righteous, an achievement: gardens and grapevines and full-breasted women of equal age and a full cup. No ill speech and no falsehood a reward from your Lord and an ample gift. Ibn Kathīr: Paradise's reward includes peace from all unpleasant speech no argument, no falsehood, no anxiety the perfectness of environment as much as its pleasures.
- The Lord of the heavens (78:37): "Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them the Most Merciful they will not possess from Him any capacity to speak." Ibn Kathīr: on the Day of Judgement, intercession will only be by Allah's permission no one will dare speak without being authorised.
- Every soul carries its account (78:40): "Indeed We have warned you of a near punishment the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth, and the disbeliever will say: Oh I wish I were dust." Ibn Kathīr: the final despair wishing to be nothing rather than face the punishment. But dust will not be granted accountability will proceed.
- Juzʾ ʿAmma the teaching juzʾ (78:1): An-Nabaʾ is the opening of Juzʾ 30 the section of the Qurʾān first memorised by most Muslims. Ibn Kathīr notes the surahs of Juzʾ ʿAmma as the earliest revealed portions of the Qurʾān short, powerful, covering resurrection, creation, and divine power.