69- Surat Alhaqqah/Tafseer
52 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Al-haqqah (1).
The inevitable Reality.
Ma Al-haqqah (2).
What is the inevitable Reality?.
Wa-ma adraka ma Al-haqqah (3).
And what will make You know what is the inevitable Reality?.
Kazzabat thamudu wa Adun bel-qari'ah (4).
Thamud and Ad denied the Striking Calamity.
Fa-amma thamudu fa-auhleku bel-taghiyah (5).
So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by overpowering blast.
Wa-amma adun fa-auhleku be-rihin sarsarin atiyah (6).
And as for Ad, they were destroyed by screaming, violent wind.
Sakhkharaha alayhim saba layalin wa thamaniyata ayyamin husuman fa-tara al-qawma feeha sar'a ka-annahum a'jazu nakhlin khawiyah (7).
Which He imposed it upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so You would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
Fa-hal tara lahum men baqiyah (8).
Then Do You see any remnant of them?.
Wa ja-a fer'awnu wa man qablahu wal-mu'tafikatu bel-khate-ah (9).
And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities with sin.
Fa-asaww rasula Rabbihim fa-akhazahum akhzatan rabiyah (10).
And they disobeyed the Messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with an extremely severe seizure.
Inna lamma tagha al-ma-au hamalnakum fee al-jariyah (11).
Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you in the sailing ship.
Le-naj-alaha lakum tazkiratan wa ta-iyaha uzunun wa-iyah (12).
That We might make it for you a reminder, and that a conscious ear would be conscious of it.
Fa-iza nufikha fee alsuri nafkhatun wahidah (13).
Then when the trumpet will be blown with one blast.
Wa humilati al-ardu wa al-jebalu fa-dukkata dakkatan wahidah (14).
And the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow.
Fa-yawma-izin waqa-ati alwaqi'ah (15).
Then on that day, the Occurrence will occur.
Wa-nshaqqati alsamau fa-hiya yawma-izin wahiyah (16).
And the sky will split up, so that day it will have become frail.
Wa al-malaku ala arja-iha wa yahmilu arsha Rabbika fawqahum yawma-izin thamaniyah (17).
And the Angels will be on its edges, and there will bear the Throne of Your Lord above them, that day, eight.
Yawma-izin tu'raduna la takhfa menkum khafiyah (18).
That day, you will be exhibited, that no secret of yours will remain secret.
Fa-amma man autiya kitabahu be-yameenihi fa-yaqulu ha-umu eqra-ou ketabiyah (19).
So as for he who is given his book in his right hand, he will say, Here, Read my book.
Inni zanantu anni mulaqin hisabiyah (20).
Indeed, I was certain that I would encounter my reckoning.
Fa-huwa fee ishatin radiyah (21).
So he will be in a pleasant life.
Fee jannatin aliyah (22).
In an elevated garden.
Qutufuha daniyah (23).
Its fruits are hanging near.
Kulu wa-shrabu hanee-an be-ma aslaftum fee al-ayyami al-khaliyah (24).
Eat and drink delightfully for what you put forth in the past days.
Wa-amma man autiya kitabahu bi-shimalihi fa-yaqulu ya-laytani lam auta kitabiyah (25).
And as for he who is given his book in his left hand,he will say O! I wish I had not been given my book.
Wa-lam adri ma hisabiyah (26).
And had not known what is my reckoning.
Ya-laytaha kanati al-qadiyah (27).
O! I wish that it had been the end.
Ma aghna anni maliyah (28).
My wealth has not availed me.
Halaka anni sultaniyah (29).
My authority has gone from me.
Khuzuhu fa-ghulluh (30).
Seize him and Shackle him.
Thumma al-jaheema salluh (31).
Then in Hell let him burn.
Thumma fee silsilatin zar-uha sab-ouna zeera-an fas-lukuh (32).
Then Insert him into a chain whose length is seventy cubits.
Innahu kana la you'menu be-llahi Al-azeem (33).
Indeed, he did not believe in Allah, the Most Great.
Wa-la yahuddu ala ta-ami al-meskeen (34).
Nor did he encourage the feeding of the needy.
Fa-laysa lahu al-yawma ha-huna hameem (35).
So there is not for him here this day any devoted friend.
Wa-la ta-amun illa men ghisleen (36).
Nor any food except from the discharge of wounds.
La ya'kuluhu illa al-khate-oun (37).
None will eat it except the sinners.
Fa-la auqsimu be-ma tubsirun (38).
But nay! I swear by what you see.
Wa-ma la tubsirun (39).
And what you do not see.
Innahu la-qawlu Rasulin kareem (40).
Indeed, it is surely the word of a Noble Messenger.
Wa-ma huwa be-qawli sha-irin qalilan ma tu'minun (41).
And it is not the word of a poet, little do you believe.
Wa-la be-qawli kahinin qalilan ma tazakkarun (42).
Nor is it the word of a soothsayer, little are you being reminded.
Tanzeelun men Rabbi al-alameen (43).
A revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
Wa-laww taqawwala alayna ba'da al-aqaweel (44).
And if He had fabricated against us some sayings.
La-akhazna minhu bel-yameen (45).
We would have certainly seized Him by the right hand.
Thumma la-qata'na minhu al-wateen (46).
Then We would have certainly cut from him the aorta.
Fama minkum men ahadin anhu hajizeen (47).
And there is no one of you who could prevent from Him.
Wa-innahu la-tazkiratun lel-muttaqeen (48).
And indeed, it is surely a reminder for the righteous.
Wa-inna la-na'lamu anna minkum mukazzibeen (49).
And indeed, We surely know that among you are deniers.
Wa-innahu la-hasratun ala al-kafireen (50).
And indeed, it is surely a regret upon the disbelievers.
Wa-innahu la-haqqu al-yaqeen (51).
And indeed, it is the truth of certainty.
Fa-sabbih be-smi Rabbika Al-azeem (52).
So Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most Great.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Alhaqqah includes the news of the punishment that Allah had inflicted on the previous nations, and some scenes of the day of resurrection, which is mentioned by three names: Alhaqqah, Alqari'ah, and Alwaqi'ah. Then Allah describes the companions of the right and their bliss with their Lord, and the companions of the left and their punishment, and Allah affirms that the Holy Quran is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds, and that the Prophet Muhammad could not alter it, and if He were to do so, Allah would hasten His punishment.
Allah Almighty says in the first three verses (1-3) "The inevitable Reality, What is the inevitable Reality?, and what will make You know what is the inevitable Reality?", that is, the inevitable Reality (Alhaqqah) is one of the names of the day of resurrection, and it was named as such because it will inevitably happen and it will defeat the infidels with the truth, so the second and the third verses come to confirm how terrible it is, through the form of question in both verses, as if Allah is saying How very terrible it is, and as if He is saying to His Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) What will make You know how terrible and destructive Alhaqqah is.
Allah Almighty says in the next nine verses (4-12) "Thamud and Ad denied the Striking Calamity, so as for Thamud, they were destroyed by overpowering blast, and as for Ad, they were destroyed by screaming, violent wind, which He imposed it upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so You would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees, then Do You see any remnant of them?, and there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities with sin, and they disobeyed the Messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with an extremely severe seizure, indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you in the sailing ship, that We might make it for you a reminder, and that a conscious ear would be conscious of it", that is, Allah tells the stories of four previous nations, and the torment He inflicted upon them to serve as a lesson for those who give reason and understand.
Allah says that Thamud, the people of the Prophet Salih, and Ad, the people of the Prophet Hud, had denied the Striking Calamity (Alqari'ah), and Alqari'ah is one of the names of the day of resurrection as mentioned in Surat Alqari'ah, so Allah destroyed Thamud by the overpowering blast and destroyed Ad by screaming violent wind which He imposed upon them for successive seven nights and eight days, it was uninterrupted until it wiped them out so You would see the people therein fallen down as if they were hollow trunks of palm-trees. Then Allah addresses His messenger (PBUH) saying Then Do You see any remnants of them?, as Allah described that wind in Aya (25) of Surat Alahqaf saying {Destroying everything by the command of its Lord, then they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings}.
Likewise Allah punished Pharaoh and those before him, and Allah has destroyed the overturned cities (Al-Mu'tafikat), and it was said that the overturned cities refer to the people of the Prophet Lot whose cities overturned upon them, where Allah had made the highest of it its lowest, and rained upon them stones of layered hard clay as mentioned in Aya (82) of Surat Hud, and Allah has destroyed and punished them with a severe and painful punishment because they came with sin, and denied the Messenger of Allah. Allah says Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you in the sailing ship, as the Prophet Noah called upon Allah to destroy His people as mentioned in Aya (26) Surat Nooh, so Allah destroyed them by the flood, and saved the Prophet Noah and those with Him from among the believers, and carried them in the sailing ship (Ark), so Allah says We carried you, because everyone on the surface of earth is a descendant of Noah's people. And Allah confirms that He made the sailing ship in which He carried mankind as a lesson and an admonition by which mankind will be admonished, and will fear that if they disobey Allah, He will punish them as He punished those before them, so Allah says "And that a conscious ear would be conscious of it", where the ear here is a metaphor for the heart because the hearts are aware of what the ears hear of good or evil.
Allah Almighty says in the next six verses (13-18) "Then when the trumpet will be blown with one blast, and the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow, then on that day, the Occurrence will occur, and the sky will split up, so that day it will have become frail, and the Angels will be on its edges, and there will bear the Throne of Your Lord above them, that day, eight, that day, you will be exhibited, that no secret of yours will remain secret", that is, Allah describes some scenes of the day of resurrection, saying that the trumpet will be blown with one blast, which is the blast of resurrection and standing before Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and that the earth and the mountains will be lifted and then will be leveled with one blow, where the earth and the mountains will quake, move and disturb and the mountains will become a heap of sand, as mentioned in Surat Almuzzammil, then that day, the Occurrence (Alwaqi'ah) will occur, and Alwaqi'ah is one of the names of the day of resurrection, and that day the sky will split open, and it will have become frail, and the Angels will be on its edges, and this is similar to Aya (25) of Surat Alfurqan {And the day when the heaven will split open with the clouds, and the Angels will be sent down in successive descent}, and on that day, eight Angels will carry Throne of Allah, and then the reckoning will take place, and mankind will be exhibited, and all of their secrets will be exposed, as nothing of their affairs will be hidden from Allah. Accordingly, there will be the companions of Paradise who will take their book in the right hand, and the companions of Hellfire who will take their book in the left hand, and they are also described in Surat Alinshiqaq.
Allah Almighty says in the next six verses (19-24) "So as for he who is given his book in his right hand, he will say, Here, Read my book, indeed, I was certain that I would encounter my reckoning, so he will be in a pleasant life, in an elevated garden, its fruits are hanging near, Eat and drink delightfully for what you put forth in the past days", that is, the companion of Paradise will receive his record of deeds in his right hand, and will have an easy reckoning , and will say to his colleagues come her and read my record. And as narrated by Aisha, May Allah be pleased with her that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Any one whose account will be taken, will be ruined, I said O Allah's Messenger! May Allah make me be sacrificed for You Does not Allah say Then as for he who is given his book in his right hand, he will be reckoned by an easy reckoning, He said that is only the presentation of the accounts, but he whose record is questioned, will be ruined" (Sahih Albukhari 3939). The companion of the right will say I was certain that I would encounter my reckoning, so he did righteous deeds for that day, and then he will be in a pleasant life in an elevated garden whose clusters of fruit are hanging near, as mentioned in Aya (14) of Surat Alinsan {And near above them are its shades, and its fruits that will be picked will be lowered in compliance}, so whenever they want to eat fruits, the fruits will come in compliance close to them, then Allah will say to the companions of Paradise Eat and Drink with pleasure for what you did of deeds in obedience to Allah in the worldly life.
Allah Almighty says in the next five verses (25-29) "And as for he who is given his book in his left hand,he will say O! I wish I had not been given my book, and had not known what is my reckoning, O! I wish that it had been the end, my wealth has not availed me, my authority has gone from me", that is, Allah describes the companion of Hellfire saying that he will receive his record of deeds in his left hand and wish he had never been given it and had never known his reckoning. He will wish that there were no life or resurrection and that death in the worldly life was the end of everything. He will say that neither wealth nor authority will save him from Allah's punishment, for he will have no refuge or helper from that torment.
Allah Almighty says in the next eight verses (30-37) "Seize him and Shackle him, then in Hell let him burn, then Insert him into a chain whose length is seventy cubits, indeed, he did not believe in Allah, the Most Great, nor did he encourage the feeding of the needy, so there is not for him here this day any devoted friend, nor any food except from the discharge of wounds, none will eat it except the sinners", that is, Allah will order the Angels of Hellfire to seize the companion of Hellfire and shackle him, let him burn in Hellfire, and to insert him into a chain whose length is seventy cubits. He deserved the punishment because he did not believe in Allah, the Most Great, and he did not fulfill the right of his Creator, so he did not feed the needy nor did he urge people to feed him, and the needy are those who do not find enough food, clothing, or a shelter, but they do not ask the people anything despite their intense need, so they are given what will meet their needs, and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "The needy is not the one who asks a morsel or two from the others, but the needy is the one who has nothing and is shamed to beg from people" (Sahih Albukhari 1476). Thereupon, Allah assures that he will not find a devoted friend in order to intercede for him before Allah to save him from the affliction he is in, and that his food will be from the discharge of wounds (ghisleen), and it was said that ghisleen is a tree Hellfire, and none will eat from ghisleen except the sinners who disbelieved in Allah and denied His Messengers.
Allah Almighty says in the next six verses (38-43) "But nay! I swear by what you see, and what you do not see, indeed, it is surely the word of a Noble Messenger, and it is not the word of a poet, little do you believe, nor is it the word of a soothsayer, little are you being reminded, a revelation from the Lord of the worlds", that is, Allah swears by what the people of Quraish see, and what they do not see, where the people of Quraish accepted the existence of unseen beings and believed in the existence of the Jinn. These two oaths come to confirm that the Holy Quran is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds, and it is surely a word of a Noble Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) whom they see in front of their eyes, and at the same time it is surely a word of a Noble Messenger (Gabriel) whom they can not see, and Allah assures them that it is not a word of accursed Satan whom they believe in as mentioned in Aya (25) of Surat Altakwir, rather He is a Nobel Angel. So Allah addresses the people of Quraish saying that the Holy Quran is certainly a word of a Noble Messenger, and not the saying of a poet, little do you believe, nor is it the saying of a soothsayer, little are you being reminded, it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. Thereupon, Allah refutes the accusation of poetry and soothsaying made against His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) by Quraish.
Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (44-47) "And if He had fabricated against us some sayings, We would have certainly seized Him by the right hand, then We would have certainly cut from him the aorta, and there is no one of you who could prevent from Him", that is, Allah affirms that If Muhammad (PBUH) were as the people of Quraish claim, so He added or decreased from the message of Allah or said something from His own and attributed it to Allah, and this was not the case, Allah would hasten the punishment, seize Him by the right hand, and cut off His aorta as a sign of the severity of the punishment, and none of them would be able save Him from that punishment.
Allah Almighty says in the last five verses (48-52) "And indeed, it is surely a reminder for the righteous, and indeed, We surely know that among you are deniers, and indeed, it is surely a regret upon the disbelievers, and indeed, it is the truth of certainty, so Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most Great", that is, Allah affirms that the Holy Quran is a reminder for the righteous, and Allah knows that there are those who deny the Holy Quran, so it will be a regret upon the disbelievers, and Allah assures in Aya (44) of Surat Fussilat that the Holy Quran is guidance and a healing for those who believe, and it is a deafness and a blindness for those who disbelieve so they will not be guided by it nor will they understand it. Then Allah affirms that the Holy Quran is the truth of certainty from the Lord of the worlds in which there is no doubt, so He commanded the believers to glorify the Name of their Lord, the One who sent down this great Quran.