عَمَُّْ ْ 1496 اَلتَّکْوِیْر
إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ ﴿۱﴾ وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انْكَدَرَتْ ﴿۲﴾ وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ ﴿۳﴾ وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ ﴿۴﴾
﴾1﴿ Izash shamsu kuwwirat
﴾2﴿ Wa izan nujoomun kadarat
﴾3﴿ Wa izal jibaalu suyyirat
﴾4﴿ Wa izal 'ishaaru 'uttilat
﴾1﴿ When the sun is wrapped up
﴾2﴿ And when the stars lose their light
﴾3﴿ And when the mountains are set in motion
﴾4﴿ And when the full-term she-camels are neglected
Another name for it is Surah At-Takwir (When the Sun is Wrapped Up).
Relevancy:
This Surah has several connections with the previous Surah.
The first connection is that the previous Surah affirmed resurrection after death, while this Surah describes its conditions.
The second connection is that the previous Surah mentioned the arrival of the Ṣākhkhah (the deafening blast of the Resurrection), whereas this Surah mentions the purpose of resurrection, which is for man to meet his deeds.
The third connection is that the previous Surah contained a rebuke for those who denied the Resurrection, while this Surah rebukes those who deny the Messenger and the Qur'an.
Claim of this surah:
The warning in this Surah comes through the mention of the conditions of the Day of Judgment, along with the purpose of the Resurrection, which is for man to meet his deeds. The reason for this warning is the denial of the Qur’an, which was brought by Jibril, the trustworthy, to the Messenger (May Allah bless him and give him peace), who is not a withholder of the unseen.
In this Surah, only one name of Allah, the Most High, is mentioned: "Rabb al-‘Ālamīn" (Lord of the Worlds).
Summary of the surah:
This Surah mentions twelve conditions of the Day of Judgment—six of them describe the destruction before resurrection (ba‘th ba‘d al-mawt), and six describe the events of resurrection itself. Then, the purpose of resurrection is mentioned up to verse 14.
After that, three evidences proving the truth of the Messenger and the Qur’an are presented:
1. Six attributes of Jibril (peace be upon him)
2. Three states of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and give him peace)—explained in ten verses (up to verse 24)
3. Three attributes of the Qur’an in verses 25, 27, and 28
In between, verse 26 contains a rebuke and reminds of human weakness, emphasizing that even man's will depends on the will of Allah, the Most High, which ties into the rebuke.
A Hadith from Tirmidhi states:
"Whoever wants to see the events of the Resurrection as if with their own eyes, let them recite these three Surahs: At-Takwir (When the Sun is Wrapped Up), Al-Infitar (When the Sky Breaks Apart), and Al-Inshiqaq (When the Sky is Split Open).”
[1] The word (كُوِّرَتْ) comes from "takwīr" (تکویر), which means gathering the parts of something and wrapping it up, similar to how a turban is wrapped around the head. Likewise, the sun will be wrapped up, its light will be extinguished, and it will be cast away.
[2] This is the second condition: (انْكَدَرَتْ) comes from "inkidār" (انکدار), which means:
1. The cessation of effect and brightness
2. Falling down
3. Scattering and fading away
All three meanings are correct in this context.
[3] These are three conditions mentioned earlier, describing the upper realms (حالات علویه). Now, the Surah mentions the middle and lower realms (احوال وسطیه و سفلیه).
[4] This is the fourth condition:
(الْعِشَارُ) refers to "‘ishār," which is the plural of "‘usharā’"—a pregnant she-camel that has completed ten months of pregnancy. Such camels are highly valued by their owners, who never neglect them and eagerly anticipate the birth of their calves.
(عُطِّلَتْ) means that their owners will abandon them, neglecting to protect, feed, or water them—not because they no longer care, but due to the overwhelming terror of the Day of Judgment.