Sūrat al-Qāriʿa

سورۃ القارعہ

Sūrat al-Qāriʿa, Makkī — revealed in Makkah. It has eleven (11) āyāt.

The commentary on Sūrat al-ʿĀdiyāt concludes here.

Esteemed readers! As long as God's fear does not touch a human being — as long as wealth keeps his heart occupied, as long as he consumes the world with neglect without gratitude — living life as a traveller borrowed from here — he should derive lessons from the conditions of the world, hold firmly to guidance, from God's good things extend your hands to servants of God, in all efforts strive for the pleasure of God — if you do righteous work in accordance with Allah's pleasure you will give thanks for His blessings and you will escape inna l-insāna li-rabbihi la-kanūd. Heed! Wake up before you are bound — let go of negligence!

الْقَارِعَةُ ۝ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ

al-qāriʿa. mā l-qāriʿa.

"The Striking Calamity! What is the Striking Calamity?" (al-Qāriʿa 101:1–2)

Al-qāriʿa — the one that strikes hard. Mā — what?

Translation: "The Striking Calamity! What is the Striking Calamity?"

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ

wa-mā adrāka mā l-qāriʿa.

"And what will make you know what the Striking Calamity is?" (al-Qāriʿa 101:3)

Wa — and. Mā — what? Wa-mā adrāk — and what has informed you! Wa-mā l-qāriʿa — what is the Striking Calamity?

Translation: "And what do you know what that Striking Calamity is!"

يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ

yawma yakūnu l-nāsu ka-l-farāshi l-mabthūth.

"The Day when people will be like scattered moths." (al-Qāriʿa 101:4)

Yawm — the day. Yakūnū — they will become. Al-nās — people. Ka — like, resembling. Al-farāsh — like butterflies, like moths. Al-mabthūth — scattered, dispersed, spread about.

Translation: "On that Day (the Day of Resurrection) people will be like scattered moths (scattered like moths flying about, fluttering)."

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنفُوشِ

wa-takūnu l-jibālu ka-l-ʿihni l-manfūsh.

"And the mountains will be like fluffed wool." (al-Qāriʿa 101:5)

Wa-takūn — and will become. Al-jibāl — the mountains — many mountains. Ka — like, resembling. Al-ʿihn — like the wool of sheep. Al-manfūsh — carded, pulled apart — the colour of wool — dyed, soft.

Translation: "And the mountains will become like fluffed wool (this is the Day of Resurrection's state)."

فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ

fa-ammā man thaqulat mawāzīnuh.

"Then as for one whose scales are heavy." (al-Qāriʿa 101:6)

Fa — so, then. Ammā — as for. Man — whoever. Thaqulat — is heavy, carries weight. Mawāzīnuh — his scales — mawāzīn — plural — the scales in which the deeds are weighed.

Translation: "Then whoever's scale of deeds weighs heavy (whose scale is heavy)."

فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ

fa-huwa fī ʿīshatin rāḍiya.

"He will be in a pleasant life." (al-Qāriʿa 101:7)

Fa — then. Huwa — he. Fī — in. ʿĪsha — life. Rāḍiya — pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, content.

Translation: "Then he will be in a pleasing life of happiness and pleasure."

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ

wa-ammā man khaffat mawāzīnuh.

"But as for one whose scales are light." (al-Qāriʿa 101:8)

Wa — and. Ammā — as for. Man — whoever. Khaffat — is light, is of little weight. Mawāzīnuh — his scales — whose deeds weigh little.

Translation: "And whoever's scale of deeds is light."

فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ

fa-ummuhū hāwiya.

"His refuge will be an abyss." (al-Qāriʿa 101:9)

Fa — then. Ummuh — his mother — um — the original, the root, the source. Hāwiya — the pit, the abyss — the name of one of Hell's levels.

Translation: "Then his dwelling will be the Abyss (Hāwiya)."

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَاهِيَهْ

wa-mā adrāka māhiyah.

"And what will make you know what it is?" (al-Qāriʿa 101:10)

Wa-mā adrāk — and do you know what its nature is? Māhiya — what is it?

Translation: "And what do you know what that (Hāwiya) is?"

نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ

nārun ḥāmiya.

"It is a blazing fire." (al-Qāriʿa 101:11)

Nār — fire. Ḥāmiya — burning hot, blazing, roaring.

Translation: "(That Hāwiya, Hell) is a blazing fire."

Esteemed readers! Just as matter has no permanent states — like this — there is another state in which the heart changes — movement becomes sound, sound becomes heat, electricity becomes light, electricity becomes a river of light — no rational person accepts this — and yet a single person can give everyone lifelong trouble and misery, spending time in ease and luxury — whereas others doing good and service to others also undergo trouble. Is this the equivalent of both? No! In the universe, divine justice and equity exists — the good will receive reward and the evil punishment. In the world there are people who do good and who do evil — and who get the better outcome? Both in this world and in the next, the good come to greet them — the wicked will meet punishment. Whoever does good, good will be given to him — whoever does evil, he will be the recipient of punishment — every person must receive the consequence of his action — every deed is accompanied by its result and outcome, which stays with him as closely as his own shadow. Companionship with ignorance and stupidity — whoever goes with the good will be a good person, and whoever goes with the wicked will become wicked.

In this world there is no full justice — in the world there will be no justice. What will happen on the Day of Resurrection? Some say a great explosion will come — some say a star will come down to earth and break it to pieces. Some say there remains no pull of gravity between the earth and the sun and the earth will break off and become a separate piece — some say the earth's orbit is losing its force and it is uncertain which star the earth will strike. In any case, on that day mountains will appear like coloured wool. On that day in the hands of divine justice and equity, the scale of good deeds will be weighed — whoever has goodness will remain in ease and pleasure — and the wicked will be cast into Hell, and their dwelling will be the Hāwiya. Every person will receive their own due reward — good, good; and bad, evil — and the cause of each person's state arises from their own actions — and the other person's good acts help and do service — and both people will do good service together. Is there no equity between them? Never — the divine justice in the world will come — He will give the good their reward — and He will punish the wicked. May Allah Most High command and say good things. And may Allah save us from the trouble of the Day of Resurrection — Āmīn.