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Tafsir of Surah Al-Ghashiyah (88) — The Overwhelming · الغاشية

Meccan surah, 26 ayat. Read the whole surah

Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. QuranEnc.com (english_mokhtasar), 2026-10-30.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:1

هَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ حَدِيثُ ٱلۡغَٰشِيَةِ

Has there reached you the report of the Overwhelming [event]

Tafsir 88:1

Has the news of the day of judgment that will overwhelm people with its horrors come to you, O Messenger?!

Al-Ghashiyah 88:2

وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٍ خَٰشِعَةٌ

[Some] faces, that Day, will be humbled

Tafsir 88:2

People on the day of judgment will either be wretched or fortunate. The faces of the wretched will be humiliated and downcast.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:3

عَامِلَةٞ نَّاصِبَةٞ

Working [hard] and exhausted

Tafsir 88:3

Tired and strained due to the chains that they will be dragged by and the shackles that they will be tied with.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:4

تَصۡلَىٰ نَارًا حَامِيَةٗ

They will [enter to] burn in an intensely hot Fire

Tafsir 88:4

Those faces will enter a hot fire to suffer from its heat.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:5

تُسۡقَىٰ مِنۡ عَيۡنٍ ءَانِيَةٖ

They will be given drink from a boiling spring

Tafsir 88:5

They will be given to drink from a spring with extremely hot water.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:6

لَّيۡسَ لَهُمۡ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِن ضَرِيعٖ

For them there will be no food except from a poisonous, thorny plant

Tafsir 88:6

They will not have any food to nourish them besides the worst and most rotten type of food from a plant that is called shibriq, which becomes poisonous when it becomes dry.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:7

لَّا يُسۡمِنُ وَلَا يُغۡنِي مِن جُوعٖ

Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger

Tafsir 88:7

It does not nourish the one who eats it nor does it satiate his hunger.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:8

وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ نَّاعِمَةٞ

[Other] faces, that Day, will show pleasure

Tafsir 88:8

The faces of the fortunate on that day will display luxury, delight and happiness, because of the bliss they received.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:9

لِّسَعۡيِهَا رَاضِيَةٞ

With their effort [they are] satisfied

Tafsir 88:9

Pleased with the righteous actions they did in the world, as they had found the reward of their actions stored up and multiplied.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:10

فِي جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٖ

In an elevated garden

Tafsir 88:10

In a Paradise elevated in position and rank.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:11

لَّا تَسۡمَعُ فِيهَا لَٰغِيَةٗ

Wherein they will hear no unsuitable speech

Tafsir 88:11

In Paradise they will not hear any word of falsehood and futility, let alone hearing any prohibited word.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:12

فِيهَا عَيۡنٞ جَارِيَةٞ

Within it is a flowing spring

Tafsir 88:12

In this Paradise there are flowing springs that they will make flow and direct however they wish.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:13

فِيهَا سُرُرٞ مَّرۡفُوعَةٞ

Within it are couches raised high

Tafsir 88:13

In it are high couches.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:14

وَأَكۡوَابٞ مَّوۡضُوعَةٞ

And cups put in place

Tafsir 88:14

And cups laid out and ready for drinking.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:15

وَنَمَارِقُ مَصۡفُوفَةٞ

And cushions lined up

Tafsir 88:15

In it are cushions packed closely to one another.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:16

وَزَرَابِيُّ مَبۡثُوثَةٌ

And carpets spread around

Tafsir 88:16

In it are carpets spread out here and there.

Al-Ghashiyah 88:17

أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡإِبِلِ كَيۡفَ خُلِقَتۡ

Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created

Tafsir 88:17

After Allah mentioned the disparity between the states of the wretched and the fortunate in the afterlife, He directed the sight of the disbelievers to what will show them the power of the Creator and the beauty of His creation, so that they can use this as evidence for faith in order to enter Paradise and become of the fortunate, by saying: Do they not look with reflection at the camels, how Allah created them and subjugated them to human beings?!

Al-Ghashiyah 88:18

وَإِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيۡفَ رُفِعَتۡ

And at the sky - how it is raised

Tafsir 88:18

And at the sky, how He raised it so that it became a protected ceiling above them, that does not fall on them?!

Al-Ghashiyah 88:19

وَإِلَى ٱلۡجِبَالِ كَيۡفَ نُصِبَتۡ

And at the mountains - how they are erected

Tafsir 88:19

And at the mountains, how He erected them and used them to make the earth stable so that it does not shake with the people?!

Al-Ghashiyah 88:20

وَإِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كَيۡفَ سُطِحَتۡ

And at the earth - how it is spread out

Tafsir 88:20

And at the earth, how He spread it out, and made it suitable for people to settle on?!

Al-Ghashiyah 88:21

فَذَكِّرۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٞ

So remind, [O Muhammad]; you are only a reminder

Tafsir 88:21

After He directed them to look at those things that show His Power, He directed His messenger, saying: So counsel, O Messenger, these people and warn them of Allah’s punishment. You are but one who reminds. You are only required to remind them. Guiding them to faith is in Allah's hands alone.