وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ 3
Translations
And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?
Transliteration
Wa mā adrāka mā al-ḥāqqah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah, opening the third verse of Surah Al-Haqqah, poses a rhetorical question to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and believers, asking 'And what will make you know what Al-Haqqah (The Reality/The Hour) is?' According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this expression emphasizes the incomprehensibility and tremendousness of the Day of Judgment to human understanding, preparing the listener for the vivid descriptions of eschatological events that follow. The rhetorical device conveys both the certainty of the event and humanity's limited capacity to truly grasp its magnitude.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Haqqah is a Meccan surah revealed during the early Islamic period when the Quraysh denied the resurrection and the Day of Judgment. This ayah specifically sets the tone for the entire surah by emphasizing that the believers' comprehension of the Hour cannot match its actual reality, thereby reinforcing the certainty of resurrection against the deniers' skepticism. The surah serves to answer doubts about the afterlife prevalent among the Meccan disbelievers.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The Hour will not be established until... the Day of Judgment comes upon people when they least expect it.' (Sahih Muslim 2957) - emphasizing the absolute reality and inevitability of that Day. Additionally, the Quran mentions: 'They ask you about the Hour: when will be its appointed time? Say: The knowledge thereof is with my Lord' (7:187), reinforcing human limitation in understanding the Hour's exact nature.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that despite our intellectual curiosity and rational capabilities, certain divine realities—particularly the magnitude of the Day of Judgment—transcend complete human comprehension, encouraging humility before God's knowledge and sincere preparation for the Hereafter. It invites reflection on the limits of human understanding and the importance of accepting revealed knowledge about unseen matters with conviction.