Surah An-Naba — Verse 3

Key Words and Their Meanings:

• الَّذِي (alladhi): That which — referring to the great news mentioned in the preceding verse.
• هُمْ فِيهِ مُخْتَلِفُونَ (hum fihi mukhtalifun): They are, regarding it, in disagreement — meaning they hold conflicting opinions and are divided about it.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse continues the opening question of Surah An-Naba: "About what are they asking one another?" The answer comes: they are asking about the "tremendous news" — and this verse clarifies that this news is the very matter over which they are divided.

The "tremendous news" is the Qur'an itself, which carries the tidings of the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, and the final reckoning. The disbelievers of Quraysh did not merely ignore this news — they actively disputed it, each group describing it in contradictory ways. Some called it magic (sihr), others called it poetry (shi'r), others claimed it was soothsaying (kahanah), and still others dismissed it as "tales of the ancients" (asatir al-awwalin). Some outright denied the Resurrection, while others wavered in doubt and uncertainty.

Yet despite their disagreement, the truth remained unchanged and unshaken. Their differing opinions did not alter the reality of what the Qur'an proclaimed. The Resurrection will indeed occur, whether they believed it or not. Their division was not over the truth itself, but over their own stubbornness and refusal to accept what their hearts already knew to be true.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

Dear reader, pause and reflect: when people disagree about something, it is often because the truth is hidden or ambiguous. But here, the matter is crystal clear — the Qur'an speaks with certainty, and the signs of Allah's power are visible in every sunrise and every breath you take. The very creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of night and day, the water that brings life to dead soil — all of these bear witness to the One who is able to bring the dead back to life.

Why, then, do people differ about such an evident truth? Because the heart that is attached to this world finds it hard to accept that it will one day stand before its Lord. But the believer who ponders the Qur'an finds in it the sweetest certainty, the most comforting promise, and the clearest guidance. Do not let yourself be among those who dispute the truth — rather, be among those who embrace it with a sincere heart, for the Qur'an is the light that dispels every darkness, and the Resurrection is the appointment that every soul will surely keep.