Surah Al-Qalam 68:42
سُورَةُ القَلَمِ · Meccan · Verse 42 of 52
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍۢ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
Translation
On the Day when matters become dire, they will be invited to prostrate themselves but will be prevented from doing so,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse paints a vivid, awe-inspiring scene from the Day of Judgment, focusing on a profound moment of reckoning. Let us explore the precise choice of words to uncover its depths.
The Day a Shin is Uncovered
The verse begins, "يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ" (The Day a shin will be uncovered). The Arabic phrase "يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ" is a powerful idiom in Arabic, used to describe a time of extreme difficulty, hardship, and overwhelming terror. It evokes the image of someone in utter panic or urgency, rolling up their garment to hasten their steps, revealing their shin. Scholars like al-Razi, Ibn Ashur, and al-Zamakhshari explain this expression through ancient Arabic poetry, where it describes the intensity of war or distress, as if the situation itself has bared its shin due to its severity.
A crucial linguistic detail here is the indefinite form of the word "سَاقٍ" (a shin), rather than "الساق" (the shin). As al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari point out, this indefiniteness suggests an event of *unimaginable* and *tremendous* severity, a horror so great that it defies description and is outside human experience. This makes the day terrifyingly momentous. It is essential to note that while the wording in the verse uses an idiom for severity, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, explained this as a literal unveiling by Allah for judgment, where believers will prostrate, and hypocrites will be unable to. The Ahl al-Sunna understanding affirms Divine attributes as they are, without likening them to creation, while also recognizing the rhetorical power of the Quran's language.
Called to Prostrate, but Unable
Following this description of immense severity, the verse continues, "وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ" (and they will be called to prostrate, but they will not be able). Who are "they" and why are they called to prostrate? Ibn Ashur clarifies that this refers to the hypocrites, not the disbelievers who never embraced Islam. On this terrifying Day, Allah will test humanity. Believers, who sincerely prostrated to Allah in this life, will be able to fall in prostration. However, those who only prostrated for show, or refused to do so in this world despite their ability, will find their backs rigid, unable to bend.
As al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari explain, this call to prostrate is not an act of worship or a new religious obligation on the Day of Judgment, for all obligations cease then. Instead, it is a moment of profound humiliation and reprimand, a public exposure of their hypocrisy and a searing regret for their past choices. Allah will strip them of the ability to prostrate, magnifying their sorrow and demonstrating their utter powerlessness.
The subsequent verse (68:43) further reinforces this meaning by stating "وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ" (And they used to be called to prostrate while they were sound). This contrast is key: in this life, they were "سَالِمُونَ" (sound, healthy, able), with no physical impediments or excuses. Yet, they turned away from sincere prostration. Now, when they most desire to prostrate to escape the horror, they are utterly incapable. This divine irony underscores the grave consequence of neglecting Allah's commands when one had the opportunity and ability.
Sources: al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Qalam 68:42 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Qalam 68:42 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.