فَالسّابِقاتِ سَبقًا

By those who take the lead, racing.

EXEGESIS

Sabq is the coming ahead after taking the lead over others.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Lisan, 10/151.”][1][/su_tooltip]}

Keeping solely to the linguistic meaning, verse 4 can refer to any one of: 1. The angels that rush to take the souls of the believers to heaven and the souls of the disbelievers to hellfire.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Razi, 31/29.”][2][/su_tooltip]} 2. The angels, by virtue of preceding the children of Adam in goodness and faith.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from Mujāhid.”][3][/su_tooltip]} 3. The souls of the believers that race to the angels of death in yearning to meet their Lord.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from Ibn Masʿūd.”][4][/su_tooltip]} 4. The stars that race with each other.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from Qatādah and Jubbāʾī.”][5][/su_tooltip]} 5. The horses of the soldiers racing each other in battle.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from ʿAṭāʾ and Abū Muslim.”][6][/su_tooltip]}

[1] Lisan, 10/151.
[2] Razi, 31/29.
[3] Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from Mujāhid.
[4] Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from Ibn Masʿūd.
[5] Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from Qatādah and Jubbāʾī.
[6] Tabrisi, 10/652, narrated from ʿAṭāʾ and Abū Muslim.