Verses 1–12
Introduction
The sūrah refers to Al-Ḥāqqah (The Inevitable), which is another name for the Day of Resurrection. It has been termed in other instances as Al-Qāriʿah (The Catastrophe) and Al-Wāqiʿah (The Imminent) as well.
The discourse within the sūrah is divided into three distinct sections: the first provides a general account of the communities that rejected the truth of Resurrection and were consequently met with a severe punishment from God; the second describes “The Inevitable” (Al-Ḥāqqah), detailing the division of people into two groups, those on the right who will experience happiness, and those on the left who will endure sorrow; the third reinforces the veracity of the Qur’an’s information regarding Resurrection, emphasizing that it is an absolute certainty. The sūrah’s Meccan origin is indicated by the themes and context of its verses.
Commentary
الْحَاقَّةُ ١ مَا الْحَاقَّةُ ٢ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحَاقَّةُ ٣
(69:1-3) The Inevitable! What is the Inevitable?! What will show you (or make you know) what is the Inevitable?!
Al-Hāqqah refers to the grand Day of Resurrection, named for its indisputable and absolute certainty, derived from the root haqq, which signifies firm establishment and an undeniable reality.
The word “ma” (what) in the phrase “what is Al-Hāqqah” is used interrogatively to emphasize the enormity and significance of the event. The verse deliberately employs a noun in place of a pronoun to underscore its importance, thus it does not say “what it is,” and the interrogative phrase serves as the predicate for Al-Hāqqah.
The statements, “the Inevitable, what is the Inevitable?” serve to magnify the concept of the Day of Resurrection, enhancing the stature and profound reality of it with each iteration.
Furthermore, the verse “What will show you what is the Inevitable?” rhetorically denies the listener’s knowledge of the true nature of that day. This mode of expression symbolizes the supreme significance and the apex of sublimity of the event. This may align with what has been attributed to Ibn Abbas: that in the Qur’an, whenever it states “What will make you know,” it implies that God has indeed made him understand, and wherever it states “What do you know,” it suggests that the matter has been withheld. In essence, “What will make you know” indicates a metaphorical understanding, whereas “What do you know” is declarative.
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌ بِالْقَارِعَةِ ٤
(69:4) Thamūd and ‘Ad denied the Catastrophe...
The “Catastrophe” (Al-Qāri’ah, in this verse) refers to the Day of Resurrection, termed as such for its impact—it rattles and ravages the heavens, earth, repositioning mountains, wrapping the sun, eclipsing the moon, dispersing the stars, and subduing all entities as affirmed by the (various) verses. Notably, the narrative chooses the explicit “the Catastrophe “ instead of a pronoun, accentuating the event’s overwhelming scale and importance, although one might expect a simpler phrase such as “Thamūd and ‘Ad denied it.”
This verse, along with the subsequent eight, may superficially recount the tales of Noah’s people, ‘Ad, Thamūd, Pharaoh, their predecessors, and the Overturned Cities, and their destruction. However, its essence is an elucidation of the “Catastrophe” through various depictions: the Almighty obliterated numerous nations for their rejection of it, thus providing a tangible response to the interrogative “What is the Inevitable?” Similarly, the verses that follow, starting with “When the Trumpet is blown with a single blast,” present another perspective of this answer.
Thus the meaning of the verse is: “The Catastrophe (that is, the Day of Resurrection), which was denied by Thamūd, ‘Ad, Pharaoh, those before them, the people of Lot (al-Mu’tafikāt), and Noah’s people, became the cause of their divine extermination, an absolute obliteration as a result of their denial.”
فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ ٥
(69:5) As for Thamūd, they were destroyed by the Cry.
This provides a detailed account of the consequences of their denial of the “catastrophe.” The term al-ṭāghiyah (translated here as “the Cry”) signifies either the piercing blast, the violent earthquake, or the devastating thunderbolt, as the Qur’an varies in its description of the cause of their destruction in their narrative. The Qur’an recounts: “The Cry seized those who were wrongdoers, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes” (); it further mentions: “So the earthquake seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes” (); and also proclaims: “So the bolt of a humiliating punishment seized them” ().
There is an opinion that the term al-ṭāghiyah (the Cry) in the context of Thamūd’s destruction refers to their own transgression and this is supported by His statement: “Thamūd denied their prophet by their transgression” (). This view suggests that Thamūd’s destruction came as a consequence of their own tyrannical behavior or excesses.
The first of the two interpretation aligns more congruently with the context of the subsequent verses, which elucidate the modes of their ruin, be it by wind, a punishing grasp, or the deluge of water. Hence, the reference to Thamūd’s end by “the Cry” pertains to the method of their destruction.
وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ ٦
(69:6) And as for ‘Ad, they were destroyed by a fierce icy gale,
The term ṣarṣar denotes a bitterly cold wind that is extremely strong and gusty, and the word ‘ātiah is derived from al-’utū, which connotes tyranny (or transgression), indicating a force that deviates from obedience and the expected order of nature.
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَى كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ ٧
(69:7) which He disposed against them for seven successive nights and eight days, so that you could have seen the people lying about therein prostrate as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
“He disposed against them” signifies exerting control over them. The term ḥasūm (decisive) is the plural of ḥāsim (determining or concluding), which is akin to how shuhūd (witnesses) is the plural of shāhid (witness), originating from ḥasm (severance), which denotes successive branding or cutting, continuously. This description characterizes the seven nights and eight days as unrelenting and successive. The word ṣar‘ā (prostrates) is the plural of ṣarī‘ (one who has prostrated or fallen), and a‘jāz (trunks) is the plural of ‘ujz, indicating the extremity or end of something. The term khāwiyah conveys emptiness or hollowness, referring to the void within and cast aside. The meaning is clear.
فَهَلْ تَرَى لَهُم مِّن بَاقِيَةٍ ٨
(69:8) So do you see any trace of them?
In other words, “do you see any surviving individual?” This phrase is an idiom expressing the totality of their annihilation. Some have interpreted bāqiyah (trace) as a verbal noun signifying endurance or continuation, referring to what remains. However, the previously mentioned interpretation, indicating complete destruction, is more fitting to the context.
وَجَاءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَهُ وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَاتُ بِالْخَاطِئَةِ ٩
(69:9) Then brought Pharaoh and those who were before him, and the towns that were overturned, iniquity.
Here, “Pharaoh” refers specifically to the Pharaoh at the time of Moses, “those who were before him” denotes the nations of disbelievers who existed prior to his time, and “the towns that were overturned” allude to the towns of Prophet Lot’s people and their inhabitants. The term “iniquity” (khāṭi’ah) is a gerund that denotes wrongdoing or going astray, indicating that their arrival was marked by straying from the path of servitude to God. The remaining implications are clear.
فَعَصَوْا رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةً رَّابِيَةً ١٠
(69:10) Then they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a terrible seizing.
The word ‘disobeyed’ pertains to Pharaoh, his predecessors, and the inhabitants of the overturned towns (that is, the people of Lot). ‘The messenger’ here is used in a general sense for messengers of God. ‘Rābiyah’ (terrible) indicates an increase, hence, ‘a terrible seizing’ suggests a punishment of extreme severity. Some commentaries suggest it implies a punishment surpassing all others in its intensity, and others interpret it as a punishment that is exceptional, defying ordinary expectations.
إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَى الْمَاء حَمَلْنَاكُمْ فِي الْجَارِيَةِ ١١
(69:11) Indeed when the Flood rose high, We carried you in a floating ark,
This alludes to the deluge of Noah. The term jāriyah refers to the ark. Although the direct addressees are described as being carried in Noah’s ark (as in We carried you), it was, in fact, their ancestors who were aboard. This is because humanity is seen as a single entity; hence, the experiences of a part are ascribed to the entire group. The rest of the meaning is evident.
لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً وَتَعِيَهَا أُذُنٌ وَاعِيَةٌ ١٢
(69:12) that We might make it a reminder for you, and that receptive ears might remember it.
This passage elucidates the earlier expression “We carried you” () and the pronoun “We” in the subsequent phrase “We might make it” denotes the action of carrying. It signifies: Through Our act of carrying, We intended to create an event that you would retain as a remembrance, as a lesson to bear in mind, and as a counsel for contemplation and vigilance.
The expression, “and that receptive ears might remember it” refers to the concept of comprehension, akin to placing something in a container, and the intended meaning of “receptive ears” is that one should firmly embed and safeguard the message within oneself, ensuring that its purpose—to serve as a reminder and a lesson—is realized.
To clarify this, there is an ongoing universal divine precedent in the universe to guide each type of creature towards its perfection, appropriate to its unique existence, by endowing it with the necessary means to propel it towards its goal. This is supported by the verses, “Who gave everything its creation, then guided it” (), and “Who created and proportioned, Who determined and guided” (). This concept has been previously explained in the exegesis of Sūrah Taha, Al-A’la, among others.
Human beings share with all other material beings the aspect of attaining formative completion and following an existential conduct toward their ultimate existential perfection under the divine guidance that directs them to their intended goal. What sets humans apart is their capacity to achieve completion through divine legislation. This is realized through the human soul’s development via its voluntary acts, through the qualities and attributes it adopts, and through the dispositions and states it experiences in this worldly life. These aspects constitute the ultimate purpose of human existence, allowing for an eternal and blissful existence.
This is the impetus for legislating the shariah through the dispatch of messengers, the revelation of the scriptures, and guidance towards it as highlighted by the verse: “So that mankind may not have any argument against Allah after the (sending of the) the messengers” (). This concept has been elaborated upon in the discussions of prophethood in the second volume of the book and other places. Such guidance is meant to illuminate the path and to declare the straight path which humans have no choice but to follow. The Qur’an asserts, “Indeed, We have guided him to the way, be he grateful or ungrateful” (). Adherence to and following this path ensures a life of goodness and happiness, whereas turning away leads to eternal misery, with conclusive proof established against the individual regardless of the outcome, as the Qur’an proclaims: “So that he who perishes might perish by a manifest proof, and he who lives may live on by a manifest proof” ().
Once this is established, it is evident that divine precedent involves guiding humanity towards the fulfillment of their lives by revealing the path to achieve it. This is alluded to in the phrase, “We might make it a reminder for you.” A reminder does not inherently guarantee remembrance in those it is intended for; it can sometimes resonate and at other times be ignored.
In the scheme of divine precedent, the guidance of all things to their destined completeness is essential, a process that entails guiding and steering them to their ultimate state of completion. This is alluded to in the words, “and that receptive ears might remember it.” Here, the mentioned remembrance or awareness is an exemplification of this divine guidance. Yet, God did not attribute this act of remembrance to Himself as He does with the act of reminding (in the clause, We might make it a reminder for you,). The reminder’s objective is to complete the proof, which is an action of God. In contrast, the act of remembering, while it could be attributed to the Divine just as it could to humans, is couched within the framework of an invitation and the ensuing explication of rewards for responding to this invitation. Rewards and acknowledgments follow the act of remembering, considered as the individual’s deed, and thus attributed to their initiative, not directly to God Himself.
And it appears from the verse that external events have an influence on human actions, as evident from the likes of His statement: “If the people of the towns had been faithful and Godwary, We would have opened to them blessings from heaven and earth” (), which also indicates that human actions can affect external events, and some discussion on this has previously been mentioned.
Examining Narrations
- In Al-Durr al-manthūr, Ibn al-Mundhir narrates from Ibn Jurayj regarding the verse: “We might make it a reminder for you” he said: (The reminder is) for the Ummah of Muḥammad, and how many a ship has perished and traces have vanished meaning what remained of the ship until it was found by the Ummah of Muḥammad and they saw its planks visible on al-Jūdi.
Author’s comment: And what supports this has been preceded in the story of Noah in the exegesis of Sūrah Hūd.
- In the same source, Saʿīd b. Manṣūr, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Mardawayh narrate from Makḥūl who said: When the verse “and that receptive ears might remember it” was revealed, the Messenger of God said: I asked my Lord to grant me a “receptive ear.” Makḥūl said: Hence, ʿAlī used to say: I have never forgotten anything I heard from the Messenger of God.
- In the same source, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, al-Wāhidī, Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn ʿAsākir, and Ibn al-Najjārī narrate from Buraydah who said: The Messenger of God said to ʿAlī: Verily, God has commanded me to bring you close and not to distance you, and to teach you that you may understand, and it is your right to understand, thus this verse was revealed: “and that receptive ears might remember it.”
- In the same source, Abū Naʿīm in al-Ḥilyah narrates from ʿAlī who said: The Messenger of God said: O ʿAlī, verily God has commanded me to bring you close and to teach you so that you may understand, hence this verse was revealed: “And let there be a listening ear present”; you are the listening ear for my knowledge.
Author’s comment: And this meaning has been narrated in the exegesis of al-Burhān, by Saʿd b. ʿAbd Allāh with his chain from Abū ʿAbdillāh, and from al-Kulaynī with his chain from him, and from Ibn Bābawayh with his chain from Jābir from Abū Jaʿfar. And it was also narrated by Ibn Shahrāshūb in Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ from ʿUmar b. ʿAlī, and from al-Wāhidī in Asbāb al-Nuzūl from Buraydah, and from Abū al-Qāsim b. Ḥabīb in his exegesis from Zur b. Ḥubaysh from ʿAlī. And it has been narrated in Ghāyat al-Marām, from the paths of both factions, sixteen hadiths on this topic and it is said in al-Burhān that Muḥammad b. al-ʿAbbās narrated therein thirty hadiths sourced from both general (broadly accepted traditions) and from specific ones (acknowledged within certain groups).
al-Mu’tafikāt means “the towns that were overturned” referring to the towns of the people of Prophet Lot. See also verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
The term al-ṭāghiyah comes from the root ṭaghā, which means to transgress or to exceed the limits. (Trans.) ↩︎
A request for a “receptive ear” is metaphorical for a profound ability to listen and comprehend.” (Trans.) ↩︎