Verses 16 - 19 of Sura 75; Knowledge of the Addressee and the Time of Address

There are two viewpoints with regard to verses 16-19 of sura 75. The first is the one which considers them as parenthetical remarks among verses concerning the resurrection which address the holy prophet in this world and when the Quranic revelation was sent down. And the second is the one which treats them as being in the line of other verses of the sura, which address the infidel man in the day of resurrection and when the Record of Deeds is read. Taking a deliberation-centered approach, the present essay surveys the second viewpoint first and through consideration of other verses on the Record of Deeds as well as man’s awareness of his own actions, hadiths narrated in this connection, and context of sura 75 as well as other verses on the resurrection, comes to the conclusion that this perspective is encountering serious problems. As for the first viewpoint, although it suffers from some problems, it is more valid and is more supported by the context of Quranic verses and hadiths.