Surah Nabaa...

In the first verse, it astonishingly questions: “O what do they ask (one another)?” Then, without expecting them to reply, the Qur’an answers: “Of the Great News”. “That in which they differ”. For the meaning of /naba’-in-`ażim/, the commentators have put forth different ideas. Some of them say it means: ‘the Day of Resurrection’ while some others have meant it as ‘the revelation of the Holy Qur’an’ and still others have said it means: ‘The whole Islamic Principles’.

In some narrations it has been commented on to mean ‘vicegerency and guardianship’; which will be dealt with later.

Paying careful attention to all verses of the Surah, especially to some points in the following verses and specifically to the sentence: “Verily The Day of Sorting out is (a day) appointed”, which has come after mentioning some Signs of Allah’s Power in the heavens and on the Earth, and also paying attention to the fact that the most intensive opposition of the Unbelievers was about the existence of ‘Resurrection’; all in all most commentators approve of the first idea, that is, in the sense of ‘Resurrection’ for the phrase /naba’-in-`ażim/.

As Raqib says in his book, Mufradat, the term /naba’/ means: ‘a great news which is useful and man is acquainted with it or has a strong conviction to it; and these three things are the conditions of /naba’/’. Therefore, the term /’ażim/ ‘great’ is more emphatic and, on the whole, indicates that this news, about which some were doubtful, has been a known fact, great and full of importance, and therefore, its most appropriate meaning is ‘Resurrection’.

The phrase ‘they ask (one another)’ may refer only to the Unbelievers who used to ask each other about the Resurrection; of course, not for their research and comprehension, but, due to their doubts. It is also probable that the question is from the believers or from the Prophet (S), himself. Here, a question may arise that: if /naba’-in-`ażim/ refers to the Resurrection, which apparently all the unbelievers denied, why does it say “That in which they differ”?