Soorah Az-Zalzalah (#99)

The Meaning in Summary

When Allah wills for the end of this world to occur and the time of the Hour to begin, He will order the earth to shake, and it will quake with unprecedented violence. It will throw up its burdens and those things buried inside; when man sees this epic occurrence, he will say, “What is the matter with it?” Meaning, what is happening to the earth, for neither has its like occurred nor is its cause known.

At that time, the earth will speak its information to you, and it will articulate with the language of events, not the language of speech, as was said by the great scholar, At-Tabaari in his Tafseer. For these are events occurring on the earth without a precedence or apparent reason, but by Allah’s inspiration to it. Even though some things occur in the universe by an obvious cause and others by a hidden cause, all that takes place in the universe happens by Allah’s Will and Command.

People will come out of their graves in scattered groups, and each person will be shown his deeds. Whoever does a good deed equal to the weight of the smallest ant, he will be rewarded for it; whoever does an evil deed equal to the weight of the smallest ant, he will be recompensed according to the deed. Allah Ta’aala says:

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ

And We shall set up Balance for justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in any thing. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We as Reckoners.[1]

In this Soorah, we are equally encouraged to do good deeds and warned against perpetrating evil deeds.

What Can Be Derived From These Verses

  1. The belief in the Resurrection and recompense are acknowledged.
  2. We are informed of an epic transformation, the transformation of the earth and the heavens into another earth and other heavens.
  3. Inanimate objects speaking is from Allah’s Signs that indicates His perfect Ability, Knowledge, and Wisdom; moreover, it indicates His divine and complete Power, which necessitates from us that we worship Him alone, without associating partners with Him.
  4. It supports the authentic Hadeeth:

Protect yourselves from the Fire, even if you do so with a part of a date

(by giving it in charity);

when one does not find (anything), then with a good word.

  1. The disbeliever reaps the rewards of his good deeds in this world, but not in the Hereafter.
  2. The believer is recompensed for evil in this world, and his good deeds are saved to help him in the Hereafter.

[1] [Soorah al-Anbiyaa’ (21): 47]