The Oath about the Final Return on the Day of Resurrection and the Refutation against the Plots of the Thinkers

It has been mentioned previously on more than one occasion that if the thing that is being sworn about is something that is being negated, then it is permissible to use the word "La'' (Nay) before the oath to emphasize the negation.

Here, what is being sworn about is the affirmation of the final abode and the refutation against the claim of the ignorant that the resurrection of bodies will not occur. This is why Allah says,

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ﴿١﴾

وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ ﴿٢﴾

Nay! I swear by the Day of Resurrection.

And nay! I swear by An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah.

Qatadah said,

"This means, I swear by both of these things.''

This has also been reported from Ibn `Abbas and Sa`id bin Jubayr.

Concerning the Day of Judgement, it is well known what it is.

In reference to An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah, Qurrah bin Khalid reported from Al-Hasan Al-Basri that he said about this Ayah,

"Verily, by Allah, we think that every believer blames himself. He says (questioning himself),

`What did I intend by my statement What did I intend by my eating?

What did I intend in what I said to myself?'

However, the sinner proceeds ahead and he does not blame himself.''

Ibn Jarir recorded from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning Allah's statement, وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ (And nay! I swear by An-Nafs Al-Lawwamah)

"He criticizes himself in good and bad.''

Similar has been reported from `Ikrimah.

Ibn Abi Najih reported from Mujahid:

"He is sorry for what he missed (of good deeds) and he blames himself for it.''