The Big News

Allah began the surah with the conversation between people about the big news. They were talking about the big day. Why were they asking each other about this?

"Hey, have you heard about the big news?"

"Is it really going to happen?" 

"Yeah, is it REALLY going to happen?

They were asking each other with the intention of making fun of it. 

Hey it's the BIG NEWS. The BIG DAY.

It is really coming, and it's NEAR.

It's REAL.

They were the people from the past, who did not believe in the akhirah. They did not believe that there is another world after this dunya. 

Is there any more of these people nowadays?

Do we really believe in the Judgement Day?

Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan mentioned that, when we talk about the Big News, it matters to everyone. It is definitely not something small.

I hope I do not fall into the category who do not believe in the after-world, by not doing anything to prepare for it. 

Anyway, in the beginning of the surah, there was this verse:

And made the night as clothing (78:10)

It is an interesting verse. He makes the night as clothing. This is what Ustadh said, you know, when you want to go to work, you prepare yourself by putting nice cloth at home before you go to the office. That's how night is. The night is for you to rest,  so that you can prepare yourself before another long day tomorrow. How beautiful it is that Allah makes the night for us, so that we can rest, because He knows we need them. 

Indeed, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, I wish that I were dust!"

That's the last verse. Some people can question why Allah want to scare us with all these warnings. The description of the Jahannam is so terrifying. The suffering of the people in Jahannam will increase with the duration of their stay in Jahannam. He is supposed the Most Loving and the Most Merciful. Why is He is scaring us? 

We are human beings, we need reminders. We need warnings. For example, if there is going to be a hurricane, there will be some announcements and warnings made by the authorities so that people can start leaving the place before the hurricanes come. We can't say, why are you warning us, let us just live our lives. 

And the disbelievers at the time when they are alive again, they say, Oh, I wish that I were dust. They used to say, is it going to happen? Then, it really does happen, the Judgement Day really comes for real, they wish that they still stay as dust and never to be waken up again as it is much better than being questioned on the Judgement Day.  

Warning: all of these are only bits and pieces from the long lecture by Nouman Ali Khan on surah An Naba'. Watch the lecture for the full tafseer.