وُجوهٌ يَومَئِذٍ خاشِعَةٌ
Some faces on that day will be humbled.
EXEGESIS
Wujūh (faces) is the plural of wajh (face, countenance). It has a literal meaning of face, exterior, look, and appearance, besides other non-literal meanings such as intent, purpose, goal, objective, and suchlike.
Most forms of the root verb wajuha (from which the nouns jihah (direction) and wajh (face) are derived) suggest a meaning of turning to, directing oneself toward, facing, or paying attention to. When one turns toward someone or something they do so with their face. Also, the presence of others is first noticed by giving attention to their outward appearance or face. That is perhaps why this verse describes people by their faces, and again later in verse 8 (see also 75:24 and 80:38). Faces is used to represent their entire beings.
For the meaning of submitting one’s face to God (3:20, 6:79, 10:105, 30:30, 31:20, etc.) as surrendering one’s will and dedicating one’s entire being to God, see the Exposition of 3:20. See also the Review of Tafsīr Literature for 39:24 on other meanings of wajh when used for people.
The start of the day (because it is the first that is noticed of the day) is called wajh al-nahār (the face of the day) (3:72). And when describing their desire to win their father’s exclusive love and attention, the brothers of Prophet Joseph (a) speak of wajhu abīkum (your father’s face) (12:9).
The Quran very often uses wajh for God to denote His presence: so whichever way you turn, there is the face (wajh) of Allah! (2:115) (see also 28:88 and 55:27), or acting for God’s face (li-wajh allāh) (2:272, 6:52, 13:22, 30:38-39, 76:9, 92:20), meaning seeking His pleasure, which once again is to gain greater awareness and higher consciousness of His presence or ‘face’. For more on the ‘face’ of God, see the Expositions of 2:115, 28:88, and 55:27.
Khāshiʿah (humbled) is from khushūʿ (humility), and this is an attribute of the heart. Whenever humility is witnessed in a person’s voice, face, eyes, or limbs, it is a reflection of the inner humility of their heart. The Quran usually uses this term, almost exclusively, for prophets of God and the faithful, as an expression for their humility and awe before God (2:45, 3:199, 17:109, 21:90, 23:2, 23:57, 33:35, 35:28, 36:11, 50:33, 57:16, 67:12, 79:45, 98:8, etc.). And whenever the humble are mentioned as a subject but without any object, the default assumption is that the object is God and their humility is for or before Him. For example, Weeping, they fall down on their faces, and it increases them in humility (khushūʿan) (17:109), and it is indeed hard except for the humble (khāshiʿīn) (2:45), the humble men (khāshiʿīn) and the humble women (khāshiʿāt) (33:35), and even the verse under discussion, Some faces on that day will be humbled (khāshiʿah).
The term khushūʿ is at times also used to reflect the earth’s desolateness (41:39) or the humility that mountains would show before God’s word (59:21). See also the Exegesis of 2:45 for more on this term.
EXPOSITION
This verse onward until verse 16 is a reply to the question in the first verse concerning the account of the Enveloper. The surah first describes the state of the wretched and later (from verse 8 onward) the state of the felicitous. The most apparent proof of one’s state of mind and condition is reflected in one’s face. So the description of both the wicked here and the righteous in verse 8 begins with their faces.
On that day refers to the Day of Judgement, which is the Enveloper in verse 1.
Because the term khushūʿ (humility) has a positive connotation and is used mostly for the righteous, most exegetes explain the term khāshiʿah in this verse as humility covered in fear, abased, and humiliated. This is to show, that in the case of the wicked, their humility on Judgement Day is not out of choice but is a humiliation, one that is humbled by abasement (42:45).
The reasons for the faces of the wicked being humbled on Judgement Day could be various. First, as mentioned, because they will be humbled, not out of awe for God, but because of their disgrace and abasement.
Second, their faces reflecting fear, horror, shame, and utter humiliation may be due to what is stated in the next verse – the shocking realisation that all that they worked for was to no avail, and what they constantly strove to deny as non-existent and false now stands before them as the only stark Reality. Except now repentance will be of no avail and with no option for them to turn back or undo the past (32:12, 35:37, 63:10-11).
And finally, it may simply be a reflection of God’s wrath on their appearance. Just as pride and arrogance showed up on their faces in this world, now humiliation will be their lot and constantly evident on their faces. The opposite of all these possible reasons will hold true for the righteous as well, in reading verses 8-9.
For more on the faces of the wretched on Judgement Day and how they are depicted in other verses in the Quran, see the Expositions of 3:106, 39:60, 67:27, 75:24, and 81:40-1.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Ibn Arabi explains faces on that day to mean their essence and forms perhaps to highlight that what will manifest on their faces will reflect their true inner state.
Despite most exegetes agreeing on the literal meaning of wujūh (faces) here, some have suggested it to mean the elite and leaders of a community who are its ‘face’. Ṭabrisī, for example, says: ‘It is said in Arabic, jāʾanī wujūh banī tamīm (the faces of Banī Tamīm came to me) to mean “their leaders came to me”.’ The Quran often regards the instigators of mischief to be from the wealthy (mutrafūn) and elite (malaʾ). See, for example, 7:60, 7:66, 7:75, 7:88, 7:90, 7:109, 7:127, 11:27, 11:38, 17:16, 23:24, 23:33, 23:64, 26:34, 34:34, and 43:23.
On the meaning of khushūʿ – the term from which khāshiʿah in this verse is derived – Rāghib explains it as a synonym to ḍarāʿah (meaning submissiveness and humility) except that the latter is usually used to denote one’s inner state and the awe felt in the heart, whereas the former denotes what manifests externally on one’s face and limbs. Hence, Rāghib adds, it is reported in traditions: ‘When the heart is humbled (ḍaraʿa) the body’s extremities show fear (khashiʿat).’
This, however, is incorrect for several reasons. Firstly because, as explained under Exegesis, the Quran often uses khushūʿ to denote heartfelt and inner humility besides what manifests on one’s extremities as an overflow of the humility within the heart unto the body (17:109). If anything, inner versus outer humility is often contrasted by scholars as khushūʿ versus khuḍūʿ (see the Exegesis for 2:45), rather than ḍarāʿah versus khushūʿ. Secondly, the tradition that Rāghib quotes is not found in hadith. Instead what is well-known in hadith is that the Prophet saw a man playing with his beard whilst in prayer and remarked: ‘If his heart was in awe (law khashaʿa qalbuhu), his limbs would reflect that (la-khashaʿat jawariḥuhu).’ Note that derivatives of khushūʿ are used twice in the tradition, for the heart and the limbs, and there is no mention of ḍarāʿah, a term seldom found, if at all, in traditions. And finally, a common expression in Muslim supplications taken directly from Prophetic traditions, attributes khushūʿ directly to the heart: ‘O Allah! I seek refuge with you from a heart that lacks humility (allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min qalbin lā yakhshaʿ).’
Ālūsī reckons the words will be humbled could be said out of sarcasm to mean that they did not fear and stand in awe of God when it would have benefitted them in this world. But this humility on Judgement Day is not the same as what they were called to show before God in this world. It will be a humiliation and a humbling caused by their abasement: with a humbled (khāshiʿatan) look [in their eyes] they will be overcast by abasement (68:43 and 70:44), and humbled (khāshiʿīna) by abasement (42:45).
It is misplaced to argue that they did not show humility in the world but ironically they will put aside their arrogance and show humility on Judgement Day because then we would have to assume their humility will be either feigned or sincere. As for feigning and pretending humility on their faces and extremities, only out of fear of hellfire whilst their hearts remain hardened to the Truth, this will be impossible, as concealing one’s true intentions and nature is no longer possible on Judgement Day: Rather, now has become evident to them what they used to hide before (6:28). And as for sincere humility and repentance, that too is rejected by the Quran. In several verses the inmates of hell call out, promising that if they had a second chance they would change their ways (23:100, 23:107, 32:12, 35:37), but in every case it is rejected: Were you to see when they are brought to a halt by the fire, whereupon they will say: ‘If only we were sent back [into the world]! Then we will not deny the signs of our Lord, and we will be among the faithful!’ … but were they to be sent back they would revert to what they were forbidden, and they are indeed liars (6:27-28).
Therefore, the humility of the faithless on Judgement Day is not irony or sarcasm. It has no semblance to the humility shown by the righteous in this world. It is a humbling and a humiliation resulting from the abasement that will overwhelm them.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
- And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
- But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
[1] Hans Wehr, under w-j-h.
[2] Al-Iʿjāz al-Bayānī lil-Qurʾān, p. 226.
[3] Ibn Kathir, 8/380; Nawawi, 2/265; Safi, 5/320; Suyuti, 6/342; Tabari, 30/102; Tabrisi, 10/725; Tibyan, 10/334.
[4] Ibn Arabi, 2/427.
[5] Tabrisi, 10/726.
[6] Raghib, under kh-sh-ʿ.
[7] Tirmidhī, Nawādir al-Uṣūl, 1/317.
[8] Nasai, h. 5442.
[9] Alusi, 15/325.
[10] Isaiah 5:14.
[11] Isaiah 5:15.
[12] Isaiah 5:16.