يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ 42
Translations
The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,
Transliteration
Yawma yukshafa 'an sāqin wa-yud'awna ilā as-sujūdi fa-lā yastaṭī'ūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the Day of Judgment when Allah will reveal His shin (sāq), a manifestation of His majesty and might that will terrify the disbelievers. The believers will be called to prostration in honor of this divine revelation, and they will readily comply, but the disbelievers will find themselves unable to prostrate—their bodies will be paralyzed or stiffened, preventing them from performing sujud (prostration). Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir interpret the revelation of the shin as a test of obedience and a sign of Allah's overwhelming power, while the inability of the disbelievers to prostrate represents their ultimate humiliation and separation from mercy.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Qalam, a Meccan chapter that emphasizes the Qur'an's truthfulness and addresses the denial of the disbelievers of Mecca. The broader context of the surah warns of the Day of Judgment and divine retribution. This particular ayah is part of a passage (68:39-42) describing the events and conditions of the Day of Resurrection, serving as a vivid reminder of accountability.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record that the Prophet (ﷺ) said believers will prostrate before Allah on the Day of Judgment when they witness His signs. Additionally, there is a hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet explains that on the Day of Judgment, the shin (sāq) of Allah will be revealed, and the believers will prostrate while the disbelievers' spines will become stiff like a single bone.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that rejection of faith leads to spiritual and physical inability to respond to divine truth, even in the presence of overwhelming evidence. For believers, it emphasizes the importance of maintaining obedience and prostration to Allah in this life, as the ability to do so is a mercy that may be withheld from those who deny Him.