THE APPEARANCE OF THE 'DABBE' AS REVEALED IN THE
QUR'AN IS ONE OF THE SIGNS OF JUDGMENT DAY
When the Word is justly carried out against
them, We will produce a Beast from the earth which will speak
to them. Truly mankind had no certainty about Our Signs. (Surat
an-Naml: 82)
The concept of the "Dabbe"
in Surat an-Naml 82 of the Qur'an refers to a period when
'that word falls on their heads.' In order to fully understand
that verse and the word 'dabbe,' we first need to consider
the way the expression 'that word' is employed in the Qur'an.
The Arabic equivalent of 'that word' is 'kavl,'
used in the Qur'an in the sense of 'agreement and promise.'
As well as those two meanings, the word can also be interpreted
as view, belief, thought and creed.
In some verses, the word 'kavl' is used in the
sense of believers' pleasing and praiseworthy speech and the
words and encouragement they address to other people. For
instance, in Surat al-Baqara, Allah reveals that "Correct
and courteous words accompanied by forgiveness are better
than sadaqa followed by insulting words" (Surat al-Baqara:
263) In another verse, He commands that a believer
should "speak to them correctly and
courteously" (Surat an-Nisa: 8) when addressing the
poor and orphaned.
As well as having that meaning, the word 'kavl'
is also used to directly to refer to the Qur'an itself. In
many Qur'anic verses the wise words that Allah revealed to
mankind by means of the Prophet Muhammad are actually described
as 'words.' Here are some examples of this:
It (the Qur'an) is truly a Decisive Word.
(Surat at-Tarik: 13)
Truly it (the Qur'an) is the speech of
a noble Messenger. (Surat at-Takwir: 19)
Nor is it (the Qur'an) the word of an accursed
Shaytan. (Surat at-Takwir: 25)
Do they not ponder these words (the Qur'an)?
Has anything come to them that did not come to their ancestors
the previous peoples? (Surat al-Muminun: 68)
This (the Qur'an) is the word of a noble
Messenger. It is not the word of a poet -how little iman
you have! Nor the word of a fortune-teller -how little heed
you pay! (Surat al-Haqqa: 40-42)
As can be seen in the above verses, the word 'qavl'
is sometimes used to describe the Qur'an - the word of Allah.
In the verse Surat as-Sajda: 13, the word 'qavl'
refers to Allah's word or promise coming true:
Had We so willed We could have given guidance
to everyone, but now My Words are shown to be true: that
I shall fill up Hell entirely with jinn and human beings.
(Surat as-Sajda: 13)
In the verse Surat as-Saffat 31, it is used to
refer to destruction and suffering sent by Allah:
Our Lord's Word has been carried out against
us, that we would taste it. (Surat as-Saffat: 31)
As we can see from these verses, Allah's promised
word refers to the way hell is full of deniers and genies
and that suffering reigns over men. When 'that word' comes
about, those who deny Allah will find themselves facing the
eternal torments of hell. Other verses in which 'word' is
used to mean 'promise' read:
When We desire to destroy a city, We send
a command to the affluent in it and they become deviant
in it and the Word is justly carried out against it and
We annihilate it completely. (Surat al-Isra: 16)
We revealed to him: 'Build the Ship under
Our supervision and as We reveal. When Our command comes
and water bubbles up from the earth, load into it a pair
of every species, and your family - except for those among
them against whom the word has already gone ahead. And do
not address Me concerning those who do wrong. They shall
be drowned. (Surat al-Muminun: 27)
Those against whom the Word has been justly
carried out will say, 'Our Lord, those people we misled,
we only misled them as we too were misled. We declare our
innocence to You. It was not us they were worshipping!'(Surat
al-Qasas: 63)
The Word has been justly carried out against
most of them so they have no iman. (Surah Yasin: 7)
So that you may warn those who are truly
alive and so that the Word may be carried out against the
kafirun. (Surah Yasin: 70)
We have assigned close comrades to them
who have made what is before them and behind them seem good
to them.And the statement about the nations, both of jinn
and men,who passed away before them has proved true of them
as well. Certainly they were lost. (Surah Fussilat: 25)
Those are people of whom the statement
about the nations, both of jinn and men, who passed away
before them,has also proved true; truly they were the lost.
(Surat al-Ahqaf: 18)
The Word will be carried out against them
for the wrong they did and they will not speak. (Surat an-Naml:
85)
In these verses, Allah is promising unbelievers
terrible destruction and endless torment. There is no escape,
salvation or way out for anybody to whom that 'word' applies.
They will suffer great torments, in this world and the next,
and will never be able to escape from it, because that is
Allah's promise and He never breaks His word.
It is clear from what we have seen so far that
the endless torment promised by Allah awaits the Day of Judgment.
On that day, the word of Allah will prevail over all those
who deny Him, and they will suffer terrible destruction and
torment.
The approach of the Day of Judgment will be heralded
by a number of signs. One of these signs that will come about
during the final times is the emergence of the
'Dabbe' referred to in Surat an-Naml.
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