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
وَكُلَّ إِنسَـٰنٍ أَلْزَمْنَـٰهُ طَـٰٓئِرَهُۥ فِى عُنُقِهِۦ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ كِتَـٰبًا يَلْقَىٰهُ مَنشُورًا
And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open.
كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا
It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.
وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ
And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allāh wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on.
وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
And [warn of] the Day He will call them and say, "Where are My 'partners' which you used to claim?"