ভূমিকা

"By those (angels) who tear out (the souls of the wicked) with violence," * * * * "By those (angels) who gently draw out (the souls of the blessed) "; * * * * And by those(who glide along (on errands of mercy) ", Then press forward as in a race, * * * * And these who manage the affair, First, some particular terms used in these verses should be made clear before we proceed with the commentary of the verses.

The word /nazi'at/ is based on 'naza'a' which means 'to pluck out', or 'to draw out somewhat sharply, like drawing a bow to shoot arrows'. This word is sometimes used for spiritual matters, such as the detachment of enmity or love from the heart. The term /qaraqa/, according to many philologists, means 'to sink, the act of drowning' and sometimes it has been used in the sense of 'being entirely busy in an event or a disaster'.

Or, the term /qarq/, according to Ibn-Manzur in Lisan-al-Arab, is a noun replacing the infinitive with the meaning of /iqraq/ 'to exaggerate' which originally means 'to draw a bow to the extreme possible point', hence, to exagerate in anything.

This clearly shows that, in the above verse, the word does not mean 'to sink, or to drown', but it means 'to do something to the exreme end'.(1) The term /nashitat/ is derived from /nasht/ which originally means 'to untie the knots which are easily unfastened'. 'A shallow well', from which the bucket can be drawn easily at one pull, is called /inshat/.

'A camel which is instigated by a subtle hint and moves very fast' is called /nashitah/ Therefore, this word is generally used in any case where a movement is fluently done.