الزلزلة
Surah Az-Zalzalah
The Earthquake · Surah 99 · Medinan · 8 verses
1إِذَا زُلۡزِلَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ زِلۡزَالَهَا ١When Earth is shaken with her (final) earthquake.InsightElmalılı notes that the word ‘zilzal’ describes a repeated, violent shaking. Its coming as ‘the earth’s quake’ points to the earth being shaken with all the force it can hold. What is meant is the quake of the Day of Resurrection.2وَأَخۡرَجَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ أَثۡقَالَهَا ٢And Earth yieldeth up her burdens.InsightElmalılı relates two interpretations of these burdens: the dead coming out of their graves, or the treasures and minerals beneath the earth being cast out. On that day even the world’s most precious treasures lose their value.3وَقَالَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا لَهَا ٣And man saith: What aileth her.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this question depicts the magnitude of the terror: every person who sees it is bewildered and cries in alarm, ‘What is happening to the earth? What is this?’4يَوۡمَئِذࣲ تُحَدِّثُ أَخۡبَارَهَا ٤That day she will relate her chronicles.InsightAccording to a narration Elmalılı relates, the earth will bear witness to every deed done upon it. Elmalılı says this may be through the language of its state or through actual speech.5بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوۡحَىٰ لَهَا ٥Because thy Lord inspireth her.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the revelation here is a creative command, like the command ‘Be’. Allah creates states in the earth that speak like a tongue. It has also been said that Allah will truly make the earth speak.6يَوۡمَئِذࣲ يَصۡدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشۡتَاتࣰا لِّيُرَوۡاْ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ ٦That day mankind will issue forth in scattered groups to be shown their deeds.InsightElmalılı explains that the word ‘sudur’ means returning from water. People will come forth from their graves to the gathering in many different states: some with radiant faces, some in fear, some fortunate, some wretched.7فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرࣰا يَرَهُۥ ٧And whoso doeth good an atom’s weight will see it then.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, a ‘dharrah’ is a tiny ant barely visible to the eye; it is also used for a speck of dust seen in sunlight. Ibn Abbas put his hand in the soil, lifted it, blew on it and said: ‘Each of these is a dharrah.’ The real point is that even the smallest good will not be lost with Allah.8وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةࣲ شَرࣰّا يَرَهُۥ ٨And whoso doeth ill an atom’s weight will see it then.InsightElmalılı adds a subtle point: even within what we call an ‘atom’ there is a whole world. The verse expresses the lowest limit of responsibility in the smallest measure human senses can perceive.