581 Page Notes

 77 Surah Al-Mursalat (continued)

Page 581 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 581 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 581 of the Quran contains the final portion of Surah Al-Mursalat (Chapter 77), spanning verses 20 through 50. This section transitions from a powerful reminder of human creation to a stark depiction of the Day of Judgment, contrasting the punishment of the deniers with the eternal reward of the righteous.

Several authentic Hadiths and authoritative records from the Sunnah directly explain, contextualize, or provide linguistic clarity on this exact passage.

1. Context of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul) and Virtues

The prophetic Sunnah preserves exactly how and where these verses were experienced by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions.

The Cave of Mina

According to authentic traditions, the entirety of Surah Al-Mursalat was being directly revealed and recited by the Prophet ﷺ while sheltering in a cave.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "While we were with Allah's Messenger ﷺ in a cave at Mina, Surat-al-Mursalat was revealed to him. He was reciting it, and I was learning it directly from his mouth. Verily, his mouth was still moist with its recitation when a snake leaped out at us. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Kill it!' So we quickly ran after it, but it escaped into its hole. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'It has been saved from your harm, just as you have been saved from its evil.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3317 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2234a)

The Last Ledger of the Prophet ﷺ

The Sunnah also highlights the historical weight of this Surah; it was the final chapter the Prophet ﷺ ever led in public prayer before his passing.

Narrated Um Al-Fadl bint Al-Harith: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting Surat-al-Mursalat ('Wal-Mursalati 'Urfan') in the Maghrib (evening) prayer, and after that prayer, he did not lead us in any prayer until he died." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4429)

2. Hadith Explanations of Specific Verses (Verses 20–50)

Verse 32–33: The Sparks of Hellfire

"Indeed, it throws sparks [as huge] as a fortress, as if they were Jimalatun Sufr." (Quran 77:32-33)

The Arabic phrasing Jimalatun Sufr (جِمَالَتٌ صُفْرٌ) is classically translated in text as "yellowish/blackish camels," comparing the massive, chaotic sparks of Hell to a stampeding herd of dark camels. However, the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ provided deep linguistic clarity on what this visually meant to the seafaring and merchant Arabs of the time.

In the Kitab al-Tafsir (Prophetic Commentary on the Quran) of Sahih al-Bukhari, a specific breakdown from Ibn Abbas (the Prophet's cousin and a foremost authority on Quranic exegesis) is preserved:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas regarding the verse: 'As if they were Jimalatun Sufr' means: "The thick cables/ropes of a ship which are twisted and bundled together until they become as wide as men's waists." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4933)

This unique commentary clarifies that the sparks are not just colored like dark camels, but are massive, dense, heavily braided columns of fire and smoke resembling thick nautical ropes.

Verse 48: Refusal to Prostrate

"And when it is said to them, 'Bow [in prayer],' they do not bow." (Quran 77:48)

In general Hadith literature regarding the Day of Judgment, this verse is directly tied to the physical separation of believers from hypocrites and disbelievers.

Prophetic traditions note that on the Day of Resurrection, when Allah commands humanity to prostrate (Sujud) and bow, the backs of the disbelievers and deniers will harden into a single, rigid bone. While the righteous will easily bow and prostrate out of sheer joy and devotion, the deniers will fall flat on their backs, utterly unable to comply—a literal manifestation of verse 48.

Verse 50: The Final Warning

"Then in what statement after the Qur'an will they believe?" (Quran 77:50)

This closing verse acts as an ultimate rhetorical boundary. In the Sunnah of the Companions, it was heavily understood that whoever rejects the guidance found within this specific scripture has chosen total spiritual blindness, as no divine message or warning more potent or clear than the Quran would ever follow it.

Summary of Reference Sources

• Context and Recitation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of the Stories of the Prophets, Hadith 3317; Book of Military Expeditions, Hadith 4429) and Sahih Muslim (Book of Prayer, Hadith 2234a).

• Linguistic & Visual Commentary (Verses 32-33): Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an, Hadith 4933).

• Classical Exegesis Integration: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Surah Al-Mursalat, Verses 20-50 narrative analysis).