وَإِذَا ٱلْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ 4
Translations
And when full-term she-camels are neglected
Transliteration
Wa-idha al-'isharu 'uttilat
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the abandonment and negligence of pregnant camels (al-'ishar), which were highly valued in Arab society, during the Day of Judgment when all worldly concerns become meaningless. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this serves as a metaphor for how people will abandon their most precious possessions and concerns when faced with the reality of the afterlife, emphasizing the complete upheaval of all worldly values on the Day of Resurrection.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah At-Takwir, a Meccan chapter describing the cosmic events and signs of the Day of Judgment. The surah uses vivid imagery familiar to the Quraysh—such as camels and celestial phenomena—to make the reality of the afterlife tangible and compelling to the Arabian audience, preparing them for divine accountability.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in Sahih Bukhari: 'The best of your wealth is a horse and the best of your garments is wool,' indicating the high value placed on livestock in Islamic tradition, which contextualizes why camels are mentioned as symbols of worldly attachment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that all material possessions and worldly concerns, no matter how valuable or cherished, will become utterly insignificant in the face of divine reality; we should therefore prioritize spiritual preparation and righteous deeds over attachment to material accumulation.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوا۟ مِنَّا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ ٱللَّهُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ حَسَرَٰتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَمَا هُم بِخَـٰرِجِينَ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ
Those who followed will say, "If only we had another turn [at worldly life] so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us." Thus will Allāh show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.
وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ
And every soul will be fully compensated [for] what it did; and He is most knowing of what they do.
قُل لَّكُم مِّيعَادُ يَوْمٍ لَّا تَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ عَنْهُ سَاعَةً وَلَا تَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
Say, "For you is the appointment of a Day [when] you will not remain thereafter an hour, nor will you precede [it]."
هَـٰذَا فَوْجٌ مُّقْتَحِمٌ مَّعَكُمْ ۖ لَا مَرْحَبًۢا بِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ صَالُوا۟ ٱلنَّارِ
[Its inhabitants will say], "This is a company bursting in with you. No welcome for them. Indeed, they will burn in the Fire."