Surah Al-Zalzalah

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

This chapter is called Surah Al-Zalzalah or Surah Al-Zilzaal and its name has been taken from the first verse, in which there is a mention of an earthquake that will take place before the Day of Judgement.

Chapter Number

Surah Al-Zalzalah is the 99th Surah of the Quran.

Number of Verses

This chapter has 8 verses.

Place of Revelation

Exegetes believe Surah Al-Zalzalah to have been revealed in the city of Medina.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 1-8

Foretelling the signs of the Day of Judgement and emphasis on the reckoning of man’s deeds.

The discussion in Surah al-Zalzalah pertains to the Day of Judgement and some of the signs that will take place before it, such as the occurrence of an earthquake, and the earth speaking about the events that took place on her surface. Then the chapter refers to mankind who will be raised alive for the reckoning of their deeds; and it ends with emphasis on how precise this reckoning will be. Discussions on this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول‌ الله صلی‌الله علی ه وسلم. من قرأ سورة إذا زلزلت أربع مرات کانک من قرأ القرآن کله

The Messenger of Allah has said: “Whoever recites Surah al-Zilzaal four times, is like a person who has recited the complete Quran.”

Verse 4: “On that day she will relate her news.”

يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا٤ فی معجم الطبرانی من حدیث ابن لهیعة حدثنی الحارث بن یزید سمع ربیعة الجرشی أن رسول ‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم قال: تحفظوا من الأرض فإنها أمکم و إنه لیس من أحد عامل علیها خیرا أو شرا إلا و هی مخبرة

In Mujam of al-Tabrani from the tradition of Ibn Lahiah, he says that al-Harith ibn Yazeed reported to him that Rabiah al-Jarshi heard the Messenger of the Allah say: “Be cautious of the earth, for she is your mother. There is not a person who carries out an act of good or evil on it, except that she will be its reporter.”

Verses 7 and 8: “So whosoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it; and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”

فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ٧ وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ٨ قال البخاری حدثنا إسماعیل بن عبد الله، حدثنی مالک عن زید بن أسلم عن أبی صالح السمان عن أبی هریرة أن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم قال: «الخیل لثلاثة، لرجل أجر و لرجل ستر و علی رجل وزر. فأما الذی له أجر فرجل ربط‌ها فی سبیل الله فأطال طیلها فی مرج أو روضة فما أصابت فی طیلها ذلک فی المرج و الروضة کان له حسناتو لو أنها قطعت طیلها فاستنت شرفا أو شرفین کانت آثارها و أرواثها حسنات لهو لو أنها مرت بنهر فشربت منه و لم یرد أن تسقی به کان ذلک حسنات لهو هی لذلک الرجل أجر؛ و رجل ربط‌ها تغنیا و تعففا و لم ینس حق الله فی رقاب‌ها و لا ظهورها فهی له سترو رجل ربط‌ها فخرا و ریاء و نواء فهی علی ذلک وزر

Bukhari says that Ismail ibn Abdullah related to me that Malik ibn Zayd ibn Aslam who related to him from Abu Saleh al-Samman from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah said: “The horses are for three: for one man they are a reward, for another man they are a shield, and for another man they are a burden. As for the one for whom they are a reward, it is the man who has dedicated them to be used in the way of Allah. For example, he uses a long tether for his horse and the horse grazes in a meadow or grassland. Whatever the horse enjoys of the grassland or meadow in the length of its tether are good deeds for him. If it breaks its tether and goes over a hillock or two, then its tracks and droppings are rewards for him. If it crosses over a river and drinks from it while he did not wish for it to drink from it, then that counts as rewards for him, and the horse is a reward for him. As for a man who keeps the horses to maintain himself and to be independent of others, and does not forget Allah’s rights on their necks and backs, then the horses are a shield for him. Thirdly, a man who keeps them to boast, brag and show-off, then they will be a burden for that person.”

قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا سلیمان بن داود حدثنا عمران عن قتادة عن عبد ربه عن أبی عیاض عن عبد الله بن مسعود أن رسول ‌الله صلی‌ الله علیه وسلّم قال: إیاکم ومحقرات الذنوب فإنه نّیجتم عن علی الرجل حتییه لکنه»

Imam Ahmad has said that Sulayman ibn Dawud related from Imran, from Qutada, from Abd Rabbih, from Abu Ayyadh, from Abdullah ibn Masood, that the Messenger of Allah said: “Beware of the sins that are belittled, for they will surely add up upon a person until they will eventually destroy him.”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

أُبَی بْنِ کعْبٍ عَنِ النَّبِی ص قَالَ مَنْ قَرَأَهَا فَکأَنَّمَا قَرَأَ الْبَقَرَةَ وَأُعْطِی مِنَ الْأَجْرِکمَنْ قَرَأَ رُبعَ الْقُرْآنِ

Ubay ibn Kab has narrated from the Prophet who said: “Whoever recites it (Surah al-Zalzalah), it is as if one has recited (Surah) al-Baqarah, and that person will be given a reward as if he recited one-fourth of the Quran.”

Verse 1: “When the earth is rocked with a terrible quake.”

إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا١ فِی الدُّرِّالْمَنْثُورِأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ مَرْدَوَیهِ وَالْبَیهَقِی فِی شُعَبِ الْإِیمَانِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِک أَنَّ رسول‌ الله ص قَالَ: إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لتخبریوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ – بِکلِّ مَاعَمِلَ عَلَی ظَهْرِهَا وَقَرَأَ رسول‌ الله ص«إِذا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زلزال‌ها»حَتَّی بَلَغَ «یوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبارَها»قالَ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا أَخْبارَها؟جَاءَنِی جِبْرِیل قَالَ: خَبَرهَا إِذَا کانَ یوْمُ الْقِیامَةِ أَخْبَرت بِکلِّ عَمل عمِلَ عَلَی ظَهْرِهَا

In Al-Durr al-Manthur, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqi in Shuab al-Iman report from Anas ibn Maalik that the Messenger of Allah said: “Surely the earth will relate that which took place on her surface on the Day of Judgement. He then recited the verse: ‘When the earth is rocked with a terrible quake’ until he reached the verse ‘On that day she will relate her news’ and said: ‘Do you know what her news or chronicles are? Jibrail came to me and said: ‘Her chronicle is that on the Day of Judgement she will relate all of the actions that took place on her surface.’’”

فِی رِوَایةِ أَبِی الْجَارُودِعَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ: فِی قَوْلِهِ: «فَمَنْ یعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیراً یرَهُ»یقُولُ: إِنْ کانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ قَدْ عَمِلَ مِثْقال ذَرَّةٍ فِی الدُّنْیا خَیراً(کانَ عَلَیهِ ظ)یوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ حَسْرَةً – إِنْ کانَ عَمَلُهُ لِغَیرِالله «وَمَنْ یعْمَلْ مِثْقال َذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یرَهُ»یقُولُ: إِنْ کانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ رأی ذَلِک الشَّرّیوْم الْقِیامَةِ ثُمَّ غُفِرَ لَهُ

Verses 7 and 8: “So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it; and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”

فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ٧ وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ٨

In a report from Abu al-Jarood from Abu Jafar regarding the Almighty’s words: “So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it” - he said: “If a person is from the people of the fire, and he had done an atom’s weight of good in his worldly life, then on the Day of Judgement he will be overcome with regret because he had done that act for other than Allah. As for the verse: “And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it” - if he is from the people of heaven, then he will see that evil on the Day of Judgement, but Allah will forgive him.”