Christian
Churches of God
No. Q056
Commentary on the Koran: Surah 56 “The Event”
(Edition 1.5 20180412-20201222)
The text refers to the Day
of the Lord and the Last Days dealing with the First and Second Resurrections
of the Dead in the early days of the calling at Becca.
Christian
Churches of God
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright
© 2018, 2020 Wade Cox and Alan
Brach)
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Commentary on the Koran: Surah 56
“The Event”
Pickthall Translation; Bible Quotes are from the English Standard Version
unless otherwise noted.
Introduction
Al-Waqi’ab “The Event” takes its name from the event referred to in verse
1. It is an Early Beccan Surah
introducing the Faith to the idolaters at Becca and those of the Converted
being called from among them. Its purpose was to explain the Day of the Lord and the Last Days
(No. 192) and the texts of the Resurrections of the Dead (No.
143) and The First Resurrection (No.
143A) and the Second Resurrection and the
Great White Throne Judgment (No. 143B).
Verse 40 is said to have been revealed at al Madinah as a later
revelation that the Resurrection would have a later element called in the
Millennial System and translated at the Second Resurrection.
*****
56.1. When the event befalleth
–
56.2. There is no denying that
it will befall –
56.3. Abasing (some), exalting
(others);
56.4. When the earth is shaken
with a shock
56.5. And the hills are ground
to powder
56.6. So that they become a scattered
dust,
See 2Peter 3:10 in Surah 55 at ayat 39.
Matthew 24:36 But
concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor
the Son, but the Father only.
Joshua 21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Isaiah 48:3 The former things I declared of
old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did
them, and they came to pass.
1Thessalonians 5:2
For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a
thief in the night.
Revelation 16:18-20
And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great
earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great
was that earthquake. 19The great city was split into three parts,
and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to
make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20And
every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
56.7. And ye will be three
kinds:
56.8. (First) those on the right
hand; what of those on the right hand?
56.9. And (then) those on the
left hand; what of those on the left hand?
Refer to John
5:28-29 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 20 (No. Q020)
at ayat 55 and Daniel
12:2 in Commentary
on the Koran: Surah 31 (No. Q031) at ayat 28.
Matthew 25:34 Then
the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Matthew 25:41 Then
he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:46 And
these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
The group on the right hand side attains eternal life in the kingdom in the
First Resurrection. This group is made up of the 144,000, the foremost in the
race, and the Great Multitude. The group on the left hand are the rest of
humanity that are consigned to the Second Resurrection and the Great White
Throne Judgment.
56.10. And the foremost in the
race, the foremost in the race:
56.11. Those are they who will
be brought nigh
56.12. In gardens of delight;
56.13. A multitude of those of
old
56.14. And a few of those of later
time.
56.15. On lined couches,
56.16. Reclining therein face to face.
56.17. There wait on them
immortal youths
56.18. With bowls and ewers and
a cup from a pure spring
56.19. Wherefrom they get no aching of
the head nor any madness,
56.20. And fruit that they
prefer
56.21. And flesh of fowls that they
desire.
56.22. And (there are) fair ones with
wide, lovely eyes,
56.23. Like unto hidden pearls,
56.24. Reward for what they used to
do.
56.25. There hear they no vain
speaking nor recrimination
56.26. (Naught) but the saying:
Peace, (and again) Peace.
Ayats 10 to 26 above refer to those who are foremost in the race and are
brought near unto God. Those of later time are those who are resurrected and
translated at the Second Resurrection who did not fail their test at the final
rebellion and the last war before the destruction of the Djinn.
Refer to Revelation 20:6 in Commentary
on the Koran: Surah 18 (No. Q018) at ayat
31.
Revelation 5:10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and
they shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 7:3-4
saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed
the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4And I heard the number
of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel,
Revelation 14:1-5 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and
with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their
foreheads. 2And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many
waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound
of harpists playing on their harps, 3and they were singing a new
song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the
elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed
from the earth. 4It is these who have not defiled themselves with
women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These
have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5and
in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.
56.27. And those on the right
hand; what of those on the right hand?
56.28. Among thornless
lote-trees
56.29. And clustered plantains
56.30. And spreading shade,
56.31. And water gushing,
56.32. And fruit in plenty
56.33. Neither out of reach nor yet
forbidden,
56.34. And raised couches;
56.35. Lo! We have created them a
(new) creation
56.36. And made them virgins,
56.37. Lovers, friends,
56.38. For those on the right hand;
56.39. A multitude of those of
old
56.40. And a multitude of those of
later time.
As stated in the introduction to this Surah, this verse is said to have
been revealed at al Madinah as a later revelation that the Resurrection would
have a later element called in the Millennial System and translated at the
Second Resurrection.
Ayats 27 to 40 refer to the Great Multitude.
Revelation 7:9-17 After
this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from
every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the
throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their
hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our
God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels
were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living
creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and
might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13Then one of the
elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from
where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said
to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have
washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15“Therefore
they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor
any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will
be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
56.41. And those on the left hand:
What of those on the left hand?
56.42. In scorching wind and
scalding water
56.43. And shadow of black
smoke,
56.44. Neither cool nor
refreshing.
56.45. Lo! heretofore they were effete
with luxury
56.46. And used to persist in
the awful sin.
56.47. And they used to say: When we
are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we then, forsooth, be raised
again,
56.48. And also our forefathers?
56.49. Say (unto them, O
Muhammad): Lo! those of old and those of later time
56.50. Will all be brought together to
the tryst of an appointed day.
56.51. Then lo! ye, the erring,
the deniers,
56.52. Ye verily will eat of a
tree called Zaqqum
56.53. And will fill your
bellies therewith;
56.54. And thereon ye will drink of
boiling water,
56.55. Drinking even as the camel
drinketh.
56.56. This will be their
welcome on the Day of Judgment.
Refer to Ecclesiastes 12:7 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 19 (No. Q019) at
ayat 19; John 5:28-Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 20 (No. Q020)
29 at ayat 55 and Daniel 12:2 in Commentary
on the Koran: Surah 31 (No. Q031) at ayat 28.
Hebrews 9:27 And
just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Ezekiel 37:4-6 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
The elect, the 144,000 (1st group) and the great multitude (2nd group), are
resurrected to eternal life in the First Resurrection. The third group as noted
here in the Koran are the rest of humanity that were consigned to the Second Resurrection
to undergo the intensive corrective training to assist them to come to
repentance during the 100 years of the Great White Throne Judgment.
Refer to Revelation
20:11-15 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 17 (No. Q017) at ayat 15.
56.57. We created you. Will ye
then admit the truth?
56.58. Have ye seen that which ye
emit?
56.59. Do ye create it or are
We the Creator?
56.60. We mete out death among
you, and We are not to be outrun,
56.61. That We may transfigure you and
make you what ye know not.
56.62. And verily ye know the
first creation. Why, then, do ye not reflect?
Refer to Ecclesiastes 12:7 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 19 (No. Q019) at ayat 40; John 5:28-29 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 20 (No. Q020) at ayat 55 and Nehemiah 9:6 in Commentary
on the Koran: Surah 40 (No. Q040) at ayat 63.
Ecclesiastes 7:29
See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out
many schemes.
Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
Genesis 38:9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.
1Corinthians 15:42-46
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is
raised is imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in
glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a
natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there
is also a spiritual body. 45Thus it is written, “The first man Adam
became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46But
it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.
See Hebrews 9:27 at ayat 56 above.
56.63. Have ye seen that which
ye cultivate?
56.64. Is it ye who foster it,
or are We the Fosterer?
Genesis 1:11-12 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Psalm 104:14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth
1Corinthians 3:7 So
neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the
growth.
56.65. If We willed, We verily
could make it chaff, then would ye cease not to exclaim:
56.66. Lo! we are laden with
debt!
56.67. Nay, but we are deprived!
If God wills not to provide the growth the seed will die and become like
the chaff that is blown away by the wind.
Psalm 1:4 The wicked
are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Hosea 13:3 Therefore
they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like
the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.
Colossians 2:14 by
canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This
he set aside, nailing it to the cross (stauros or stake).
If the debt is not cancelled the individual is deprived and does not
receive the Holy Spirit.
56.68. Have ye observed the
water which ye drink?
56.69. Is it ye who shed it from the
raincloud, or are We the Shedder?
56.70. If We willed We verily could
make it bitter. Why then, give ye not thanks?
Job 5:10 he gives
rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields,
Psalm 68:9 Rain in
abundance, O God, you shed abroad; you restored your inheritance as it
languished
Psalm 147:8 He
covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass
grow on the hills.
God provides us with living water, the Holy Spirit, if we are devoted to
God. Water aids life and we too are nourished and guided by the Spirit. Wisdom
and understanding help man to appreciate the blessings showered on him by the Beneficent
God.
Job 28:28 And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
56.71. Have ye observed the fire which
ye strike out;
56.72. Was it ye who made the
tree thereof to grow, or were We the grower?
56.73. We, even We, appointed it
a memorial and a comfort for the dwellers in the wilderness.
Refer to Revelation
4:11 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 39 (No. Q039) at ayat 4.
Genesis 2:9 And out
of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the
sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
1Corinthians 3:7 So
neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the
growth.
The fire in the wilderness points out to the traveler a habitation of men
where he can be refreshed and fed. It is also a reminder to men of the future
lake of fire that awaits the wicked who will not repent during the 100 years of
the White Throne Judgment.
The pillar of fire in the wilderness allowed the congregation of Israelites to
move by day and by night. It would have also kept undesirable creatures away
from them – a comfort indeed.
Exodus 13:21-22 And
the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the
way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might
travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the
pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
Refer to Revelation
20:14-15 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 17 (No. Q017) at ayat 15.
56.74. Therefor (O Muhammad),
praise the name of thy Lord, the Tremendous.
Refer to Revelation
4:11 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 39 (No. Q039) at ayat 4; Jude
1:25 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 40 (No. Q040) at ayat 12, and 1Timothy 1:17 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 42 (No. Q042) at ayat 5.
56.75. Nay, I swear by the
places of the stars –
56.76. And lo! that verily is a
tremendous oath, if ye but knew –
56.77. That (this) is indeed a
noble Qur'an
56.78. In a Book kept hidden
56.79. Which none toucheth save
the purified,
56.80. A revelation from the
Lord of the Worlds.
See Amos 3:7 in Commentary on the Koran:
Surah 46 (No. Q046) at ayat 9, and refer also to 2Timothy 3:16
and Deuteronomy 29:29 Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 20 (No. Q020) at ayat 6.
Isaiah 55:11 so
shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing
for which I sent it.
Isaiah 40:8 The
grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
Daniel 12:10 Many
shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the
wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those
who are wise shall understand.
See Isaiah 28:13 in
Commentary on the Koran: Surah
53 (No. Q053) at ayat 10.
The Book is hidden from the wicked but the understanding of it is revealed
to the elect. It is revealed a portion at a time for us to understand.
56.81. Is it this Statement that ye
scorn,
56.82. And make denial thereof your
livelihood?
2Timothy 4:4 and
will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Philippians 3:19
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their
shame, with minds set on earthly things.
They deny the truth in favor of lies to keep their livelihood intact. Some,
as we are aware, refuse to tell the truth to their congregations so that their
rice bowl is not affected.
Romans 8:5 For those
who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but
those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the
Spirit.
56.83. Why, then, when (the soul)
cometh up to the throat (of the dying)
56.84. And ye are at that moment
looking
Some will only confess when they are on their deathbed but that may be just
too late as they would have been consigned to the Second Resurrection for reeducation
and training.
Proverbs 26:26
though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in
the assembly.
56.85. - And We are nearer unto him
than ye are, but ye see not –
Luke 8:17 For
nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that
will not be known and come to light.
Psalm 94:9 He who planted the ear, does he not
hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?
56.86. Why then, if ye are not
in bondage (unto Us),
56.87. Do ye not force it back,
if ye are truthful?
The evildoers cannot delay their demise nor can they cancel their debt to sin.
Romans 3:23 for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:16 Do you
not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are
slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of
obedience, which leads to righteousness?
John 8:34 Jesus
answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a
slave to sin.
Colossians 2:14 by
canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This
he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
56.88. Thus if he is of those brought
nigh,
56.89. Then breath of life, and
plenty, and a Garden of delight.
56.90. And if he is of those on
the right hand,
56.91. Then (the greeting)
"Peace be unto thee" from those on the right hand.
Refer to Romans 2:7 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 45 (No.
Q045) at ayat 15, and Revelation 20:6 in Commentary
on the Koran: Surah 18 (No. Q018) at ayat
31.
Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Daniel 7:27 And the
kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole
heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom
shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
56.92. But if he is of the rejecters, the erring,
56.93. Then the welcome will be
boiling water
56.94. And roasting at
hell-fire.
56.95. Lo! this is certain truth.
Refer to Revelation
20:11-15 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 17 (No. Q017) at ayat 15.
56.96. Therefor (O Muhammad)
praise the name of thy Lord, the Tremendous.
Refer to Jude 1:25 in Commentary
on the Koran: Surah 40 (No. Q040) at ayat 12 and 1Timothy 1:17 in Commentary on the
Koran: Surah 42 (No. Q042) at ayat 5.
Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Philippians 4:20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Thus in this Surah
we are directed to the First and the Second Resurrections and with those
Resurrections the Millennium and the Second Resurrection and the translation of
the innocent.
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