Volume 18 Surah 78 - 114 - Enjoy Islam

`Abasa (The Frowning)respective positions: “Some faces on that day shall be beaming, smiling and joyful.”(Verses 38-39) These faces beam with a happiness overflowing with delight. They arehopeful and reassured because they feel that their Lord is pleased with them. Thesepeople are spared the terror of the stunning blast, so they can afford to smile anddemonstrate their joy. Or probably the smiles and manifestations of happiness areseen after these people have realized the good end awaiting them.“Some other faces on that day shall be covered with dust, veiled with darkness. These shallbe the faces of the unbelievers, the hardened in sin.” (Verses 40-42) Such faces are coveredwith the dust of sadness and misery, darkened with humiliation and depression.They know what they have done in this life and they await their inevitablepunishment. “These shall be the faces of the unbelievers, the hardened in sin.” (Verse 42)These people are devoid of faith. They do not believe in God or in the divinemessage. Moreover, they are hardened in their erring and sinful ways. Theypersistently violate divine commandments.The destiny of each group is portrayed in their faces. It is a vivid portrait drawnwith words and expressions — a fact which testifies to the immense powercharacteristic of the Qur’ānic style. The opening and the close of the sūrah are inperfect harmony. The opening lays down a fundamental principle and a generalstandard, and the close shows us the results of applying this standard. The sūrah is ashort one; yet it states a number of major facts and principles, portraying a largenumber of scenes, utilizing different rhythms. Furthermore the style brings out theseimages in full relief.53