Chapter 86 – AT-TAARIQ
The latest Most Rational and befitting Translation:
86:1-17(48) “I swear by this Grand Universe (وَالسَّمَاء ) and I swear by the one that guides towards the right path (وَالطَّارِق ). And what would tell you as to what guides towards the right path? It is the acquisition and accomplishment ((النَّجْمُ of enlightening and elevating knowledge whose blaze brightens the darkness of ignorance ((الثَّاقِبُ ). And it is by the way of this knowledge that every human self has been provided with safeguards (حَافِظٌ ). Man must, therefore, seek enlightenment from his mode of creation (مِمَّ خُلِقَ) and observe ( فَلْيَنظُرِ ) as to how surprisingly has he been created from a water that gushes out with force (مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ ). The man himself comes out (يَخْرُجُ ) of the space between the loins and the ribs (مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ ). Verily, he has been given the capacity to repeat that process again and again. However, in the stage of life to come where all the concealed acts (السَّرَائِرُ ) will be passed through scrutiny and trial (تُبْلَى ), man will have no power and no protector. And I swear by this Universe which ultimately has to be dismantled (ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ ), and I swear by the Earth which is destined to blow up into pieces (ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ ), the truth just proclaimed is the ultimate and decisive statement (لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ ). It should not be regarded as an idle tale (وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ ). They indeed are busy in devising their guiles; but I am also going to play my own tactics. Nevertheless, allow the deniers of truth some more respite (فَمَهِّلِ ). I also allow them some more respite.”
In the end of this research article, the following four important points must be noted by Quranic students and researchers:-
1. The word “As-Samaa’” cannot be taken to mean “Sky or heavens” since no existence of a sky or skies in traditional sense can be proved; what we have above or around us is just space. As-Samaa in fact means “the Universe” and “Samawaat” means those celestial bodies that are swimming in the Universe in their orbits.
2. A learned scholar among our late teachers has defined “the earth and the skies”(ارض و سما) as the “highs and lows of the Universe”. This concept is also totally wrong since no highs or lows can be distinguished in the Universe. It only has billions of circular shaped bodies that are cycling their orbits. It is preposterous to think of highs or lows in a space where the entire motion consists in moving in circles around the orbits. In the great expanse of the Universe there is no up and down.
3. In Verse No.8 above (إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ ), the pronoun in the word “Inna-hu (إِنَّهُ ) has been ascribed to God which is a blatant violation of linguistic rules. In Arabic language every pronoun returns to its principle subject and this subject is stipulated two verses earlier as”Insaan”(man). The subject of a pronoun can occur two sentences earlier as well eight or ten sentences earlier; a reader must try to find it to apply it to the pronoun in question appropriately. It is evident from the text that God has never mentioned His name in this chapter.
4. In Verse No.7, the singular, third person, masculine pronoun in the word “Yakhruju” (يَخْرُجُ ) is used for the subject “Insaan”, which is mentioned only two verses earlier. But it has been viciously used for “maa’(ماء)” in order to create ambiguity in an otherwise very clear injunction of Quran. It is obvious that it is man (Insaan) who comes out of that particular space where a mother’s womb is located and which, as per Quran’s true statement, is situated “between the Loins and the Ribs”.
Important Words defined from authentic lexicons:
Tay-Ra-Qaf ط ر ق: = to come by night, beat something, knock, strike, tariq - one who comes or appears by night, morning star that comes at the end of the night, night-visitant, star, tariqan - way/path, line of conduct, behaviour.
Nun-Jiim-Miim ن ج م := to appear/rise/begin, accomplish, ensue, proceed.
Tha-Qaf-Ba ث ق ب : ثاقب: = a hole, to pass through (a hole), bore/perforate/pierce/puncture, intense (surge), burn/blaze/flame brightly (e.g. as if to pierce through the night), ascend/reach, penetrate, struck/kindle fire, fuel for fire, a man very red, brilliant (can be applied to knowledge), a drill (instrument which perforates). thaqaba vb. (1) pcple. act. thaqib 37:10, 86:3 بلندیوں پر لے جانے والے علم کی افزائش و تکمیل
Ra-Jiim-Ayn؛ رجع: = to return, turn back, turn off, (blame) upon any one, come back, repeat, answer, bring answer, be brought back. raji'un - one who returns. murji'un - return, termination. taraja'a (vb. 6) -to return to one another.
Sad-Dal-Ayn ص د ع: صدع= to split, expound, cleave, profess openly, divide, cross, proclaim, promulgate aloud, declare openly, be affected with headache, manifest, make clear. sad'un - fissure. suddi'a - to oppress with or suffer from headache. issada'a (vb. 5) - to be split up or divided. mutasaddiun - that which is cloven or splits in two.
ha-Zay-Lam : ہ ز ل : ہزل: = to be thin and lean, useless, fruitless, unprofitable, unproductive, vain, exhausted, joke, talk idle.