ٱلْحَآقَّةُ 1
The Inevitable Reality -
Al-Haqqah
The Reality
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah Al-Haqqah, meaning "The Inevitable Reality" or "The Sure Truth," opens with a powerful and arresting rhetorical question that immediately captures the listener's attention: "The Reality! What is the Reality? And what will make you know what the Reality is?" This dramatic opening establishes the central theme of the surah, which is the absolute certainty of the Day of Judgment and the inescapable nature of divine reckoning. Revealed in Mecca during the early period of Prophet Muhammad's mission, the surah addresses an audience that was largely skeptical of the concepts of resurrection, accountability, and the afterlife. Like many Meccan surahs, it seeks to shake the listeners out of their complacency and heedlessness by presenting vivid imagery of both past destructions and future cosmic upheaval. The surah belongs to a group of early revelations characterized by short, powerful verses, intense imagery, and a tone of urgent warning designed to penetrate the hearts of those immersed in worldly preoccupations and idol worship. The surah proceeds to recount the fate of several ancient nations that rejected their prophets and denied the truth, serving as historical warnings to the Quraysh of Mecca. It mentions the people of Thamud, who were destroyed by a devastating blast (al-taghiyah), and the people of 'Ad, who were annihilated by a furious, howling wind that raged upon them for seven nights and eight days, leaving them lying hollow like fallen trunks of palm trees. The surah also references Pharaoh, the destroyed cities of the people of Lot (al-mu'tafikah), and the people of Noah, all of whom defied God's messengers and were met with overwhelming punishment. These narratives are not presented in elaborate detail but rather in swift, evocative strokes that emphasize one unified lesson: that denial of divine truth inevitably leads to destruction, and that God's justice, though sometimes delayed, is never absent. The brevity and force of these references suggest that the original audience was already somewhat familiar with these stories, and the surah uses them as reminders rather than full accounts. Following these historical warnings, the surah transitions to a breathtaking depiction of the Day of Judgment itself. It describes the blowing of the trumpet, the shaking of the earth and mountains, and the splitting of the sky, painting a scene of total cosmic dissolution. On that Day, humanity will be divided into two groups: those who receive their record of deeds in their right hand and those who receive it in their left hand or from behind their back. The one who receives the record in the right hand will rejoice, celebrating a life of faith and good deeds that
ٱلْحَآقَّةُ 1
The Inevitable Reality -
مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ 2
What is the Inevitable Reality?
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ 3
And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۢ بِٱلْقَارِعَةِ 4
Thamūd and ʿAad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e., the Resurrection].
فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ 5
So as for Thamūd, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].
وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ 6
And as for ʿAad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَـٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ 7
Which He [i.e., Allāh] imposed 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.
فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٍ 8
Then do you see of them any remains?
وَجَآءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتُ بِٱلْخَاطِئَةِ 9
And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities with sin.
فَعَصَوْا۟ رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةً رَّابِيَةً 10
And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a seizure exceeding [in severity].
إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَا ٱلْمَآءُ حَمَلْنَـٰكُمْ فِى ٱلْجَارِيَةِ 11
Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you [i.e., your ancestors] in the sailing ship
لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً وَتَعِيَهَآ أُذُنٌ وَٰعِيَةٌ 12
That We might make it for you a reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it.
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ نَفْخَةٌ وَٰحِدَةٌ 13
Then when the Horn is blown with one blast
وَحُمِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةً وَٰحِدَةً 14
And the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow [i.e., stroke] -
فَيَوْمَئِذٍ وَقَعَتِ ٱلْوَاقِعَةُ 15
Then on that Day, the Occurrence [i.e., Resurrection] will occur,
وَٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَهِىَ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاهِيَةٌ 16
And the heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm.
وَٱلْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرْجَآئِهَا ۚ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَمَـٰنِيَةٌ 17
And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them].
يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ 18
That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgement]; not hidden among you is anything concealed.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ هَآؤُمُ ٱقْرَءُوا۟ كِتَـٰبِيَهْ 19
So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, "Here, read my record!
إِنِّى ظَنَنتُ أَنِّى مُلَـٰقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ 20
Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account."
فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ 21
So he will be in a pleasant life -
فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ 22
In an elevated garden,
قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌ 23
Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near.
كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ هَنِيٓـًٔۢا بِمَآ أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلْخَالِيَةِ 24
[They will be told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth in the days past."
وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ بِشِمَالِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَـٰبِيَهْ 25
But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, "Oh, I wish I had not been given my record
وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ 26
And had not known what is my account.
يَـٰلَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ ٱلْقَاضِيَةَ 27
I wish it [i.e., my death] had been the decisive one.
مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّى مَالِيَهْ ۜ 28
My wealth has not availed me.
هَلَكَ عَنِّى سُلْطَـٰنِيَهْ 29
Gone from me is my authority."
خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ 30
[Allāh will say], "Seize him and shackle him.
ثُمَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ 31
Then into Hellfire drive him.
ثُمَّ فِى سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَٱسْلُكُوهُ 32
Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits insert him."
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ 33
Indeed, he did not used to believe in Allāh, the Most Great,
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ 34
Nor did he encourage the feeding of the poor.
فَلَيْسَ لَهُ ٱلْيَوْمَ هَـٰهُنَا حَمِيمٌ 35
So there is not for him here this Day any devoted friend
وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ 36
Nor any food except from the discharge of wounds;
لَّا يَأْكُلُهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْخَـٰطِـُٔونَ 37
None will eat it except the sinners.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ 38
So I swear by what you see
وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ 39
And what you do not see
إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ 40
[That] indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is the word of a noble Messenger.
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ 41
And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe.
وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ 42
Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember.
تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 43
[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلْأَقَاوِيلِ 44
And if he [i.e., Muḥammad] had made up about Us some [false] sayings,
لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِٱلْيَمِينِ 45
We would have seized him by the right hand;
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ ٱلْوَتِينَ 46
Then We would have cut from him the aorta.
فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَـٰجِزِينَ 47
And there is no one of you who could prevent [Us] from him.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَتَذْكِرَةٌ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ 48
And indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is a reminder for the righteous.
وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنكُم مُّكَذِّبِينَ 49
And indeed, We know that among you are deniers.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 50
And indeed, it will be [a cause of] regret upon the disbelievers.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَقُّ ٱلْيَقِينِ 51
And indeed, it is the truth of certainty.
فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ 52
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.
Practice memorizing Surah Al-Haqqah. Choose how much of the Arabic text to hide, then tap each ayah to reveal it.