ROOT غ س ق

11:115; 20:131; 30:18, 19; 50:40.

Important Words:

ل (at) means, at, on or upon; nigh, near or about; (Lane & Aqrab). For other meanings of لام see 17:62.

دلوک (declining and paling) is derived from دلک. They say دلکه الدھر i.e. the time proved him and made him expert. دلکت الشمس means, (1) the sun declined from the meridian; (2) or it became yellow; (3) or it set (Lane & Aqrab).

غسق (darkness) is the noun-infinitive from غسق (ghasaqa). They say غسق اللیل i.e. the night became dark. غسقت عینیه means, his eyes became dark or shed tears. غسق(ghasaqun) means, the beginning of the darkness of night or the darkness of the night or the darkness of the beginning of the night or when شفق or redness in the horizon after sunset disappears (Lane).

Commentary:

The words of this verse denote the hours of the five daily Prayers of Islam. The three meanings of the word دلوک as given under Important Words indicate the times of ظھر (afternoon Prayer) and عصر (late afternoon Prayer) and مغرب (sun-set Prayer). The words غسق اللیل include the times of مغرب (sun-set Prayer) but particularly refer to عشاء (night Prayer). The words قرآن الفجر (the recitation of the Quran at dawn) indicate the hour of فجر (morning Prayer).

In this and the following verses Muslims are warned to be prepared to meet great hardships and privations at the hands of the Jews of Medina. These people were very punctilious about outward acts of worship. The slightest slackness in Prayers on the part of Muslims would make them criticize Islam and the Holy Prophet. Moreover, Islam was destined to make great headway in Medina in the near future and as success and prosperity generally make men prone to a life of ease and they become indifferent towards Prayers, so Muslims are particularly warned to be on their guard against any slackness in Prayers.

78:26.

Important Words:

غساق (intensely cold and stinking drink) is derived from غسق. They say غسق اللیل i.e. the night became intensely dark. غسقت عیناہ (means, his eyes shed tears. غساق means, the ichor or watery matter and thick purulent matter that will flow and drip from the skins of the inmates of Hell, or the washings of them or their tears; intensely cold; cold and stinking (Lane). See also 17:79.

Commentary:

The inmates of Hell will be made to drink intensely hot or intensely cold water. As they did not make proper use of their God-given faculties and went to extremes in using them and did not follow the golden mean, so they will be made to drink extremely hot or extremely cold water.

6:71; 69:37.

Important Words:

غساق (stinking fluid intensely cold) means, ichor; the washings of wounds; intense cold that burns by reason of its coolness; cold and stinking. حمیم و غساق means, boiling fluid and intensely cold and stinking drink (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The turbulent pursuit of evil, and cold indifference towards virtue, of wrongdoers will take the form of boiling water and intensely cold and stinking drink.

Commentary:

غاسق (darkness) is derived from غسق which means, it became dark or intensely dark. غسقت العین means, the eyes flowed with water. غسق اللبن means, the milk poured fourth from the udder. الغاسق means, the night; darkness; the Pleiades when it sets; the moon when it is eclipsed; the sun when it sets; the day when it enters upon the night, etc. (Lane & Aqrab).

وقب (overspreads). They say وقب الظلام i.e. the darkness overspread. وقبت الشمس means, the sun set. وقب الرجل means, the eyes of the man sank. وقب القمر means, the moon became eclipsed (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse may refer to the evils of the time when the light of truth becomes extinguished and the darkness of sin and iniquity spreads over the entire face of the earth. Or it may refer to the evils of the time when one is overwhelmed by distress and privation, when it is darkness all around him, and the last ray of hope disappears. See also last verse of the Surah.