سورۃ عبس (آیات 15–28): لغوی، تفسیری اور تقابلی مطالعہ—تخلیق سے بعثِ آخرت، قرآن کی حفاظت، اور رزق و تدفین کے مظاہر (بالخصوص تفسیرِ حقانی کی روشنی میں)

Surah ʿAbasa (Verses 15–28): A Linguistic, Exegetical, and Comparative Study — From Creation to Resurrection, the Preservation of Revelation, and the Manifestations of Provision and Burial (with Special Reference to Tafsīr Ḥaqqānī)

Abstract

This paper presents a linguistic, exegetical, and comparative study of Surah ʿAbasa (15–28), focusing on its theological, ethical, and cosmological themes. The opening verses, “bi-aydī safarahin kirāmin bararah”, highlight the exalted status of the angelic scribes entrusted with revelation. A philological inquiry into safarah and bararah, supported by sources such as Lisān al-ʿArab and Tāj al-ʿArūs, demonstrates their semantic richness, while exegetical debates concerning whether safarah refers to angels, companions, or reciters enrich the interpretive landscape.

The declaration “qutila al-insān mā akfarah” conveys divine censure of human ingratitude, with commentators differing over whether it refers to mankind in general or to specific disbelievers. The subsequent depiction of human creation from a nuṭfah (drop of fluid) is linked to prophetic traditions about embryonic stages and divine decree. The verse “thumma al-sabīla yassarahu” is examined through dual interpretations—ease of birth and facilitation of the moral path—while “thumma amātahu fa-aqbarahu thumma idhā shāʾa ansharahu” encompasses mortality, burial, and resurrection, elaborated through Tafsīr Ḥaqqānī’s insights.

The study also offers a comparative excursus on burial rites across religious traditions (Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Hindu), underscoring the distinctive wisdom of Islamic burial practices. The Qur’an’s guarantee of preservation (Q 15:9) is contrasted with the textual corruption of earlier scriptures, a theme emphasized by al-Rāzī.

The closing verses direct humanity to reflect upon its sustenance, from rainfall and fertile soil to diverse agricultural produce. By uniting reflections on creation, provision, and eschatology, the passage frames a coherent theological narrative that emphasizes gratitude, humility, and accountability before God.