The first verse addresses only mankind:

““O man! Verily you are returning to your Lord and will meet.”

The word “Kadah” means the scars on the skin. This is why the word is used to denote the toils of this life and their effects on the human souls. (1)

According to Mafuradat it means that labor which is full of hardships. But Al Mizan says that when Kadah comes with “Ala’ then it denotes movement (there is no differences in these meanings) (2)

We learn that the Qura’n symbolizes mankind with a caravan that which has crossed the barrier of the unseen and entered the manifest world and now moves towards its Lord to its meeting with Him.

The verse 42 of Surah Najm proves this only when it says:

“And to you Lord is the end return.”

Some people may choose to give up this path and may never meet Him but the primary purpose of man’s creation is this only.

As we have said earlier means to see Go in the heart and reach the glory of this sight after the stages of life that he has gone through and this is one of the stages closest to God.

The second verse initially speaks about the purity, piety and control and the benefit that man may derive. God says:

“The result of whoever adopts piety will revert to him only.

In the end it says: “The destination of all is to God” this speaks about the fact that if the pious and humble people do not benefit the fruits of this piety and humility then they revert to God for it.

The term “Destination for all is God” tells us the development of man’s glory will not end with dead but will continue till he meets God.

Allama Tabris explains the 3rd verse mentioned above as “To God we belong” as the acceptance of subservience of being His subject obedient to Him only. The term “To Him is our return” is the acceptance of the Day of Judgment and then the author points to the statement of Amirul Muminin Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib that explained this verse. He said:

“When we say “Inna lilaahi” we agree that we are His subjects and subservient to Him and the term “Innaa Ilayhi raji-uun” is the admission of the fact that we will return to Him. (3)

We should note that “Qura’n has mentioned this is a very lucid manner for those who forbear for what they say when faced with hardships. This sentence becalms the troubled hearts of the people. When faced with the heavy load of mishaps this sentence re-awakens the belief in the hearts and protects them from dirty and evil thoughts in such times of distress.

On the one side man agrees that God owns him and all that he has; it is He bestows His grace and takes it back. Some commentators say that when God bestows he never confiscates so here “takes back” means He wants to store it in a better place and this itself is a source of satisfaction to the troubled person.

On the other side man admits that we all have to return to Him. This also consoles him because he goes to a place that is the center of God’s grace, an eternal resting place and the place of meeting Him.

This is why some say that this is one of the greatest boons of God that He has given to His believers so that they may attain tranquility through it. What a difference there is between this verse and the words of Jacob when he lost Joseph. He said, “O my Joseph!” this verse had not been revealed till then. (Surah Yusuf 84)

This sentence is the essence of the unity of God and the Day of Judgment. This is the way we should always rely on God. (4)

The same thing has been said in the 4th verse in yet another style. After describing the strange events of the Day of Reckoning the Books says:

“Before your Lord that day will be the place of rest.”

This tells us that this world is not a resting place for us. Everything points to the fact that it is place destined to be destroyed (it is an unstable, decaying and destructible place) so this world is not the ultimate place for his perfection, the resting place is somewhere else.

Some commentators have said that this verse has a finality for its says the command of God is that resting place where justice will meted out. One group will be sent to the resting place of Paradise and the to the fires of Hell.

But keeping in mind that it is wrong to bring fate here and there is no need for it this interpretation seems baseless.

The same issue has been stated in the 5th verse in another unique style with new terminology. After describing the dying stages of man in the throes of death it says:

“That Day the drive will be to your Lord”

The word Masaaq here means to push and this means that the journey to perfection is from God only for it is a journey to the ultimate perfection and to eternity.

Some commentators have taken the words “Hakam” and “Jaza” to mean fate. They say that pushing here means that they will push towards their rewards by the command of God. But as we have said in the previous verse there is no need to assume such a fate because all movement is from God.

In many verses of the Qura’n the entity of God has been mentioned as the ultimate result of all movement. It is said in verse 42 of Surah Najm:

“And to you Lord is the end.”

This verse itself is a proof of the above issue.

1. Tafsir Kashaf, Ruhul Ma'ani and Tafsir kabeer for the explanation of this verse.

2. Al Mizan vol.20 page 360.

3. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol.1 page 238, this sentence is also recorded in Nahjul Balagha.Sermon 99.

4. The explanation of the above verse is also made very clear from the study of Sarah, Maidah 105, Alaq-8, and Sarah Anam -36.