Surah Haqqah
Qur’anic Exegesis
Introduction
Surah Haqqahforms a pair with Surah Ma‘arijthe succeeding surahwith regard to the subject discussed in both the surahs. The first surahcautions the Quraysh about the punishment of the Herein and the Hereafter and the second surahwarns such people from among the Quraysh of their fate as made fun of this very punishment and asked to hasten its arrival.
The surahis directed at the leadership of the Quraysh, and it is evident from its contents that, like the previous surahsof this group, it was revealed in Makkah in the phase of Inzarin the Prophet's mission (sws).
Central Theme
The central theme of SurahH~aqqahis to substantiate the Day of Judgement, to mention what will happen on that Day and to warn those among its addressees of the consequences of denying the warnings sounded by the Qur’an about it.
Explanation
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیْمِِ
الْحَاقَّۃُ (1) مَا الْحَاقَّۃُ (2) وَمَا أَدْرَاکَ مَا الْحَاقَّۃُ (3) کَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌ بِالْقَارِعَۃِ (4) فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُہْلِکُوا بِالطَّاغِیَۃِ (5) وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُہْلِکُوا بِرِیْحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِیَۃٍ (6) سَخَّرَہَا عَلَیْْہِمْ سَبْعَ لَیَالٍ وَثَمَانِیَۃَ أَیَّامٍ حُسُوماً فَتَرَی الْقَوْمَ فِیْہَا صَرْعَی کَأَنَّہُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِیَۃٍ (7) فَہَلْ تَرَی لَہُم مِّن بَاقِیَۃٍ (8) وَجَاء فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَہُ وَالْمُؤْتَفِکَاتُ بِالْخَاطِءَۃِ (9) فَعَصَوْا رَسُولَ رَبِّہِمْ فَأَخَذَہُمْ أَخْذَۃً رَّابِیَۃً (10) إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَی الْمَاء حَمَلْنَاکُمْ فِیْ الْجَارِیَۃِ (11) لِنَجْعَلَہَا لَکُمْ تَذْکِرَۃً وَتَعِیَہَا أُذُنٌ وَاعِیَۃٌ (12) فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِیْ الصُّورِ نَفْخَۃٌ وَاحِدَۃٌ (13) وَحُمِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ فَدُکَّتَا دَکَّۃً وَاحِدَۃً (14) فَیَوْمَءِذٍ وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَۃُ (15) وَانشَقَّتِ السَّمَاء فَہِیَ یَوْمَءِذٍ وَاہِیَۃٌ (16) وَالْمَلَکُ عَلَی أَرْجَاءِہَا وَیَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّکَ فَوْقَہُمْ یَوْمَءِذٍ ثَمَانِیَۃٌ (17) یَوْمَءِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَی مِنکُمْ خَافِیَۃٌ (18) فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِیَ کِتَابَہُ بِیَمِیْنِہِ فَیَقُولُ ہَاؤُمُ اقْرَؤُوا کِتَابِیْہْ (19) إِنِّیْ ظَنَنتُ أَنِّیْ مُلَاقٍ حِسَابِیْہْ (20) فَہُوَ فِیْ عِیْشَۃٍ رَّاضِیَۃٍ (21) فِیْ جَنَّۃٍ عَالِیَۃٍ (22) قُطُوفُہَا دَانِیَۃٌ (23) کُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا ہَنِیْئاً بِمَا أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِیْ الْأَیَّامِ الْخَالِیَۃِ (24) وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِیَ کِتَابَہُ بِشِمَالِہِ فَیَقُولُ یَا لَیْْتَنِیْ لَمْ أُوتَ کِتَابِیْہْ (25) وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِیْہْ (26) یَا لَیْْتَہَا کَانَتِ الْقَاضِیَۃَ (27) مَا أَغْنَی عَنِّیْ مَالِیْہْ (28) ہَلَکَ عَنِّیْ سُلْطَانِیْہْ (29) خُذُوہُ فَغُلُّوہُ (30) ثُمَّ الْجَحِیْمَ صَلُّوہُ (31) ثُمَّ فِیْ سِلْسِلَۃٍ ذَرْعُہَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعاً فَاسْلُکُوہُ (32) إِنَّہُ کَانَ لَا یُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّہِ الْعَظِیْمِ (33) وَلَا یَحُضُّ عَلَی طَعَامِ الْمِسْکِیْنِ (34) فَلَیْْسَ لَہُ الْیَوْمَ ہَاہُنَا حَمِیْمٌ (35) وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِیْنٍ (36) لَا یَأْکُلُہُ إِلَّا الْخَاطِؤُونَ (37) فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ (38) وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ (39) إِنَّہُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ کَرِیْمٍ (40) وَمَا ہُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِیْلاً مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ (41) وَلَا بِقَوْلِ کَاہِنٍ قَلِیْلاً مَا تَذَکَّرُونَ (42) تَنزِیْلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ (43) وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَیْْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِیْلِ (44) لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْہُ بِالْیَمِیْنِ (45) ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْہُ الْوَتِیْنَ (46) فَمَا مِنکُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْہُ حَاجِزِیْنَ (47) وَإِنَّہُ لَتَذْکِرَۃٌ لِّلْمُتَّقِیْنَ (48) وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنکُم مُّکَذِّبِیْنَ (49) وَإِنَّہُ لَحَسْرَۃٌ عَلَی الْکَافِرِیْنَ (50) وَإِنَّہُ لَحَقُّ الْیَقِیْنِ (51) فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّکَ الْعَظِیْمِ (52)
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful
The Inevitable!1 What is the Inevitable? What do you know what the Inevitable is? (1-3)
It is the Pounding One2 which the ‘A$d and the Thamud denied.3 As for the Thamud, they were destroyed by a calamity that exceeded all bounds and the A$d by a storm, fierce and violent. He let loose this [storm] on them for seven nights and eight days to ravage them. You would have seen them lying overthrown as though they were hollow trunks of palm-trees. So do you now see any of them?4 (4-8)
And the same crime was committed by Pharaoh and those before him and by the overturned settlements5 also such that they disobeyed the Prophet of their Lord [sws]6. So He gripped them with an intensifying grip. (9-10)
[Similarly, as a consequence of denying Noah (sws)] when [the storm blew over and] the flood rose high it was We who carried you upon the ark to make this [account of your ancestors] a reminder for you and that retaining ears may retain it7 . (11-12)
Consequently, [in a similar manner]8 when the trumpet shall be sounded once only and the earth and the mountains shall be shattered to pieces with one crash. So on that day will happen which is to happen9.
And the sky will be rent asunder; frail will it be on that day and the angels will be [gathered near] its borders10 and eight of them will on that Day bear the throne of your Lord over them11. On that Day shall you be presented [before Him] such that no secret will remain a secret. (13-18)
Then he who is given his record in his right hand will say ‘Take this and read it. I always thought that [one day] I shall have to face my reckoning’. Consequently, he will be in a life of bliss in a lofty garden whose fruits will be hanging low -- Eat and drink to your heart’s content as reward for what you did in the days gone by.12(19-24)
And he who is given his record in his left hand will say ‘Would that I were not given my record or were aware of my account. Would that [my] death were final. Of what use has been my wealth to me? And I am robbed of all my authority’ -- Seize him and chain him by the neck. Then into Hell cast him. Then with a chain whose measure in yards is seventy bind him -- For he used not to believe in Allah13, the Most High, nor urged the feeding of the poor. So, today he has no friend [who can sympathise with him] nor any food except the fluid in which wounds are washed14 . Only these sinners will eat it.(25-37)
[You think that thisQur’an has been inspired by some Satan?] No [certainly not. This is what you say]. So, I present before you the testimony of that which you see15 and also of that which you do not16. This Message has been brought by a noble messenger [an honoured angel]. It is no poet's word. Little do you believe17. Nor is it the word of some soothsayer. Little do you understand. It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds18. And if [this Prophet of Ours (sws)] had concocted some false discourses in Our name, We would have surely seized him by Our strong hand and then severed his life-vein. Then no one among you could have withheld Us from this19. And [O People! you did not give it due regard and this is certainly your own deprivation]. And surely this is a reminder for the God-fearing. And We very well know that there are those among you who deny it. [They will keep on denying it and [on the Day of Judgement] this [Qur’an] will indeed become a regret for these disbelievers. And [this Day of Judgement] surely is a certain reality. So [O Prophet (sws)! bear with patience what they say] and glorify the name of your Lord, Most High20. (38-52)