Surah Al-Haqqah (The Reality)
Read in the interactive Mushaf readerAbout this surah
Name
The Surah takes its name from the word al-Haaqqah with which it opens.
Period of Revelation
This too is one of the earliest surahs to be revealed at Makkah. Its subject matter shows that it was sent down at the time when opposition to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) had started but had not yet become tyrannical. Musnad Ahmad contains a tradition from Hadrat Umar, saying: "Before embracing Islam one day I came out of my house with a view to causing trouble to the Holy Prophet, but he had entered the Masjid al-Haram before me. When I arrived I found that he was reciting surah Al-Haaqqah in the Prayer. I stood behind him and listened. As he recited the Qur'an I wondered at its literary charm and beauty. Then suddenly an idea came to my mind that he must be a poet as the Quraish alleged. Just at that moment he recited the words: "This is the Word of an honorable Messenger: it is not the word of a poet." I said to myself: Then, he must be a soothsayer, if not a poet. Thereupon be recited the words:"Nor is it the word of a soothsayer: little it is that you reflect. It is a Revelation from the Lord and Sustainer of the worlds. On hearing this Islam entered deep into my heart." This tradition of Hadrat Umar shows that this surah had been sent down long before his acceptance of Islam, for even after this event he did not believe for a long time, and he continued to be influenced in favor of Islam by different incidents from time to time, till at last in the house of his own sister he came by the experience that made him surrender and submit to the Faith completely. (For details, see introduction to surah Maryam and Introduction to surah Al-Waqiah).
Theme and Subject Matter
The first section (vv. 1-37) is about the Hereafter and the second (vv. 38-52) about the Qur'an's being a revelation from Allah and the Holy Prophet's being a true Messenger of Allah.
The first section opens with the assertion that the coming of the Resurrection and the occurrence of the Hereafter is a truth which has to take place inevitably. Then in vv. 4-12, it has been stated that the communities that denied the Hereafter in the past became worthy of Allah's scourge ultimately. In vv. 13-17 the occurrence of Resurrection has been depicted. In vv. 18-37 the real object for which Allah has destined a second life for mankind after the present worldly life has been enunciated. In it we are told that on that Day all men shall appear in the Court of their Lord, where no secret of theirs shall remain hidden each man's record will be placed in his hand. Those who had spent lives in the world with the realization that one day they would have to render an account of their deeds before their Lord, and who had worked righteously in the world and provided beforehand for their well being in the Hereafter, will rejoice when they see that they have been acquitted and blessed with the eternal bliss of Paradise. On the contrary, those who neither recognized the rights of Allah, nor discharged the rights of men, will have no one to save them from the punishment of Allah, and they will be cast into Hell.
In the second section (vv. 38-52) the disbelievers of Makkah have been addressed and told: "You think this Qur'an is the word of a poet or soothsayer, whereas it is a Revelation sent dawn by Allah, which is being presented by the noble Messengers. The Messenger by himself had no power to increase or decrease a word in it. If he forges something of his own composition into it, We will cut off his neck-vein (or heart- vein). For this is the Truth absolute and pure: and those who give it a lie, will have ultimately to regret and repent.
Surah Al-Haqqah — Arabic with English translation
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡحَآقَّةُ ٣
And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?
كَذَّبَتۡ ثَمُودُ وَعَادُۢ بِٱلۡقَارِعَةِ ٤
Thamūd and ʿAad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e., the Resurrection].
فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ ٥
So as for Thamūd, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].
وَأَمَّا عَادٞ فَأُهۡلِكُواْ بِرِيحٖ صَرۡصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٖ ٦
And as for ʿAad, they were destroyed by a screaming,1 violent wind
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ سَبۡعَ لَيَالٖ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومٗاۖ فَتَرَى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ فِيهَا صَرۡعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمۡ أَعۡجَازُ نَخۡلٍ خَاوِيَةٖ ٧
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.
فَهَلۡ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٖ ٨
Then do you see of them any remains?
وَجَآءَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَمَن قَبۡلَهُۥ وَٱلۡمُؤۡتَفِكَٰتُ بِٱلۡخَاطِئَةِ ٩
And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities1 with sin.
فَعَصَوۡاْ رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمۡ فَأَخَذَهُمۡ أَخۡذَةٗ رَّابِيَةً ١٠
And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a seizure exceeding [in severity].
إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَا ٱلۡمَآءُ حَمَلۡنَٰكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡجَارِيَةِ ١١
Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you [i.e., your ancestors] in the sailing ship1
لِنَجۡعَلَهَا لَكُمۡ تَذۡكِرَةٗ وَتَعِيَهَآ أُذُنٞ وَٰعِيَةٞ ١٢
That We might make it for you a reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it.
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ نَفۡخَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ ١٣
Then when the Horn is blown with one blast
وَحُمِلَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ ١٤
And the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow [i.e., stroke] -
فَيَوۡمَئِذٖ وَقَعَتِ ٱلۡوَاقِعَةُ ١٥
Then on that Day, the Occurrence [i.e., Resurrection] will occur,
وَٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَهِيَ يَوۡمَئِذٖ وَاهِيَةٞ ١٦
And the heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm.1
وَٱلۡمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرۡجَآئِهَاۚ وَيَحۡمِلُ عَرۡشَ رَبِّكَ فَوۡقَهُمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ ثَمَٰنِيَةٞ ١٧
And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them].
يَوۡمَئِذٖ تُعۡرَضُونَ لَا تَخۡفَىٰ مِنكُمۡ خَافِيَةٞ ١٨
That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgement]; not hidden among you is anything concealed.1
فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أُوتِيَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ هَآؤُمُ ٱقۡرَءُواْ كِتَٰبِيَهۡ ١٩
So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, "Here, read my record!
إِنِّي ظَنَنتُ أَنِّي مُلَٰقٍ حِسَابِيَهۡ ٢٠
Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account."
كُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ هَنِيٓـَٔۢا بِمَآ أَسۡلَفۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَيَّامِ ٱلۡخَالِيَةِ ٢٤
[They will be told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth1 in the days past."
وَأَمَّا مَنۡ أُوتِيَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِشِمَالِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي لَمۡ أُوتَ كِتَٰبِيَهۡ ٢٥
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
يَٰلَيۡتَهَا كَانَتِ ٱلۡقَاضِيَةَ ٢٧
I wish it [i.e., my death] had been the decisive one.1
ثُمَّ فِي سِلۡسِلَةٖ ذَرۡعُهَا سَبۡعُونَ ذِرَاعٗا فَٱسۡلُكُوهُ ٣٢
Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits insert him."
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٣٣
Indeed, he did not used to believe in Allāh, the Most Great,
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ ٣٤
Nor did he encourage the feeding of the poor.
فَلَيۡسَ لَهُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ هَٰهُنَا حَمِيمٞ ٣٥
So there is not for him here this Day any devoted friend
وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنۡ غِسۡلِينٖ ٣٦
Nor any food except from the discharge of wounds;
لَّا يَأۡكُلُهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡخَٰطِـُٔونَ ٣٧
None will eat it except the sinners.
إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوۡلُ رَسُولٖ كَرِيمٖ ٤٠
[That] indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is the word of a noble Messenger.
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوۡلِ شَاعِرٖۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تُؤۡمِنُونَ ٤١
And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe.
وَلَا بِقَوۡلِ كَاهِنٖۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٢
Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember.
تَنزِيلٞ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٤٣
[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
وَلَوۡ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيۡنَا بَعۡضَ ٱلۡأَقَاوِيلِ ٤٤
And if he [i.e., Muḥammad] had made up about Us some [false] sayings,
لَأَخَذۡنَا مِنۡهُ بِٱلۡيَمِينِ ٤٥
We would have seized him by the right hand;1
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعۡنَا مِنۡهُ ٱلۡوَتِينَ ٤٦
Then We would have cut from him the aorta.1
فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنۡ أَحَدٍ عَنۡهُ حَٰجِزِينَ ٤٧
And there is no one of you who could prevent [Us] from him.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَتَذۡكِرَةٞ لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ ٤٨
And indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is a reminder for the righteous.
وَإِنَّا لَنَعۡلَمُ أَنَّ مِنكُم مُّكَذِّبِينَ ٤٩
And indeed, We know that among you are deniers.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَسۡرَةٌ عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٥٠
And indeed, it will be [a cause of] regret upon the disbelievers.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَقُّ ٱلۡيَقِينِ ٥١
And indeed, it is the truth of certainty.
فَسَبِّحۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٥٢
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.