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Al-Qari'ah · 101

Surah 101

Al-Qari'ah القارعة

The Calamity · all 11 verses with commentary

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101:1 Open in the reader →

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلْقَارِعَةُ

“The Striking Calamity -”

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Al Qari’ah



The Exposer


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ٱلْقَارِعَةُ 


The Qari’ah!


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مَا ٱلْقَارِعَةُ 


What is the Qari’ah!


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وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْقَارِعَةُ


What can make you truly understand?

What is the Qari’ah!


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The word Qari’ah is left as it is.  It comes from the root Qaf Ra Ein. This root was used for


  • an exposed courtyard of a house
  •  a shield that was made from animal hair which were later stripped away from it
  • A well whose water had depleted and its bottom had become exposed
  • An ostrich that had lost feathers on its head due to aging


Moreover, it was also used in the meaning of striking or hitting. For example, it was used for


  • Striking and hitting a door to expose the presence of someone inside
  • Striking ones teeth to express anger or guilt
  • Scolding; which in a way is hitting or striking someone with harsh words.


The core meaning is the exposure of the outer surface of something by stripping away what usually covers it. A strike that strips away and exposes the outer surface of something.  (Mu’jam Ishtiqaqi) 


Why Judgement day is called the Qari’ah is explained at the end based on what comes in the surah.



The Structure



There are three possibilities


  1. The first verse is the subject (Mubtada) and the second verse is its predicate (Khabar), in which case the meaning would be “The Qari’ah! How great an event it is!”

  3. The Qari’ah could be understood as the subject with its predicate hidden; in which case the meaning could be “The Qari’ah is near.”

  5. The first verse could act as a doer (Fa’il) with an omitted verb; in which case the meaning would be “The Qari’ah has come” or “The Qari’ah is coming.”


  • Normally after the first ayah, the second and third ayah should have used the pronoun to refer to the Qari’ah instead of the proper noun. The second ayah should have been  “What is it” and the third “What can make you understand? What is it?”

  • This a common theme in Balaghah and the repetition of the word “Qari’ah” instead of using the pronoun is to intensify its dreadful and grand nature. It is as if it is so dreadful that you need to hear it by its actual name every single time and no indirect reference to it by means of a pronoun can truly convey its true nature.

  • Consider there is a fire in a city and people are unaware of it. When somebody sees it for the first time, he will naturally shout out “Fire! Fire!” This is not only a natural reaction but also creates urgency. What he is saying by just shouting the words “Fire!” is that there is a fire nearby so get to safety quickly.

  • Same is the case here. Instead of saying the Qari’ah is coming, Allah says The Qari’ah! -  in an emphatic tone. The Qari’ah is near so get to safety quickly.

  • When someone says something in this emphatic tone and manner, he grabs the attention of the listener. If I shout “Fire!” people will naturally leave everything they are doing and look and listen to me. Now that I have their attention, people will very carefully listen to what I say after it because they will be expecting me to tell them where the fire is and how to get to safety.

  • Now imagine yourself sitting in a room and suddenly somebody gets inside hurriedly and instead of shouting the words “Fire!”, he shouts the words “The Qari’ah!” He has done two things. Number one, he has gained your attention. Number two, he has made you afraid. Qari’ah is something that hits strongly and exposes something, so now you would naturally presume that there is someone or something outside that is here to hit or harm you and wants to expose you. You would naturally leave whatever you were doing and give your full attention to that person.

  • By just saying “The Qari’ah” , Allah wants to grab your full attention and at the same time, make you afraid of something harmful like the fire in the above example. Allah is about to say something extremely important and he used an unusual way of speech just to grab your attention.
  • Now that He has your attention, He says:



مَا ٱلْقَارِعَةُ 

What is the Qari’ah!


  • This is not an interrogative question but rather serves to emphasise its grand nature. It is similar to how we normally speak. For example, if I see an extremely tall tower  I’d exclaim “How tall is this tower!” Even though it is phrased as a question it is not; but rather is just an exclamation that conveys wonder and disbelief on how tall that tower is. What this ayah is saying is “How great, terrible or near the Qari’ah is!”


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وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْقَارِعَةُ


What can make you truly understand?

What is the Qari’ah!


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  • The word Idraak has been translated as truly understanding. It comes from the root  Daal Ra Kaaf which was used to refer to the lowest depth of something; a rope tied at the end of a bucket’s handle; for rainwater when it reaches and mixes with the earth. The core meaning is to reach the farthest part or extremity of something. (Mu’jam Ishtiqaaqi)
  • It was used in the meaning of understanding but as indicated by the root meaning, it means deep understanding; an understanding with which one understands the very last depth; or the smallest and the largest details of something.

  • Based on the linguistic meaning of the word Qari’ah we can understand some part of what it is but are incapable of understanding its actual reality truly and deeply. The answer  lies with Allah alone. So He says; “What can make you understand? Or in other words - What is the best possible way to make you deeply and truly understand what the Qari’ah is? 


  • This ayah is normally translated as  “What can make you understand what the Qari’ah is.” but this seems to be incorrect. There are two separate statements in it.

  • Allah again repeats the same question. “What is the Qari'ah?” This is again done to emphasize the great magnitude of this event. A better way to understand this manner of speech is this.

  • Read the word “What” -  in the sentence - “What is the Qari’ah” normally, but put emphasis and elongate the word “is” and then do the same with the phrase “the Qari’ah.”


  • When read in that manner, one can understand the emphasis placed on it. It is done to highlight the great importance and magnitude of the Qari’ah as well as to warn of its frightening nature because again the proper noun (Qari’ah)  has come where a pronoun (it) should have been used.


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يَوْمَ يَكُونُ ٱلنَّاسُ كَٱلْفَرَاشِ ٱلْمَبْثُوثِ 


A day mankind is as scattered moths



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  • The word Mabsus is translated as scattered. It comes from the root Ba Tha Tha which means to disperse something that was originally gathered. (Mu’jam Ishtiqaaqi)

  • Why are people likened to moths? Moths are extremely weak and are attracted to light. The root meaning of the word used for moths is in fact weakness and spreading itself. (Mu’jam Ishtiqaaqi)

  • Moths gather near a light but when there is no light, they are scattered and wander aimlessly. The fact that they are scattered means that there is no light with each on its own.
  • First people will be so weak and helpless that they are likened to moths and top of that, they will be alone. Even if all mankind gets weak, perhaps they can get together and join their strength with each other but no, everybody will be on his own and as weak as a moth. The fact that they are scattered means there will be no light too.


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وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ٱلْمَنفُوشِ


The Mountains like hollow, fluffed up wool

 

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The word Manfush  is translated as hollow and fluffed up. It comes from the root  Nun Fa Sheen which was used for something loose, scattered and hollow inside. The core meaning is reducing the density of something by spreading it apart and increasing its volume. (Mu’jam Ishtiqaqi)


The word Ihn is translated as wool. Its root meaning is weakness. This root was actually used for a rod that had a hidden weakness in it; it looked solid but when it was shaken, it bent softly rather than breaking. (Mu’jam Ishtiqaaqi)


On that day, the mountains will have a hidden weakness. They will look like any mountain does, tall, strong and firm, but upon touch, they will be exposed to be just fluffed up mud with nothing inside it and will collapse when touched. So soft that one will be able to penetrate it just by touching it and it will collapse by this touch and scatter around


Wool may be soft but it is not hollow, you can still gather it, but imagine wool which is just fluffed up and is hollow inside. There is nothing more soft and weaker than it. 


In the previous ayah, people were likened to scattered moths. In this ayah, mountains are likened to hollow and scattered wool. In many ways, the words used in both verses mean the same thing. The root meaning of the words used for moths and wool is weakness. They are both described with words that connote spreading.


Humans are animate beings while mountains are inanimate. Human beings are likened to the weakest animate being in its weakest possible state, while mountains are likened to the weakest inanimate object in its weakest possible state. A moth is weak but when it is on its own, it is in its weakest state. Wool is weak and soft but when it is also hollow with nothing inside it, it is at its weakest.


In the last two verses, weighty things have become weightless. Human beings have become like moths. Mountains have become like wool. When weighed, both the moth and the wool will have no weight. They are weightless.


What used to have weight in the world, is now weightless. Human beings and mountains once bore weight but now they are weightless


What was looked up to in this world, will be exposed as worthless.


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فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ


So the one whose Mawazeen became heavy


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  • The word Mawazeen is left as it is and it is in the plural which creates complications.  There are two possibilities

  1. It is the plural of the word “Mowzoon” which is a thing that is weighed on a scale. Mawazeen would then refer to things and deeds that have weight and value in the sight of Allah.
  2. It is the plural of the word “Meezan” which means a scale or balance on which things are weighed. Mawazeen would then refer to the scales of deeds.


It comes from the root Waw Za Nun which means the measure or weight of something.


If the second opinion is correct then this creates complications as there would be multiple scales and balances being weighed. One opinion is that it is a plural for grandiose i.e; it is one scale but so large and significant that a plural had to be used to signify its large size and importance and another opinion is that it refers to multiple aspects of scaling and weighing deeds.



I am inclined towards the first opinion as it also ties with the overall context and theme of the surah. Mawazeen refers to the deeds itself. They are called so because these are things of weight and value to Allah.


The ayah would then read:


So the one whose deeds of weight and value to Allah became heavy


  • In the previous two verses, human beings and mountains became weightless. They held no value. If they were to be put in a scale, the scale would not move. But there are some things, which unlike the people and mountains, will actually hold weight and value on that day. The deeds that are of value and worth to Allah.

  • The question now arises; what are these things that hold value to Allah? The answer to this question is quite detailed and is contained in the previous two verses themselves.

  • Why Mention Human Beings and Mountains to Begin with?


  • In the Quran, mountains have been used as a symbol of this world and its wealth. (For example see Al Kahf 45 - 47)

  • What is the strongest earthly structure that we can see? The mountains. It is one thing to see a mountain from afar but another to look at it from its foot. Mountains are the strongest that the earth can produce. The best of it.

Mountains signify the best and the strongest structure of this world which for human beings is its wealth and power. The best things of this world to us are money, wealth and status etc.


A normal person lives life and does what he does for two reasons.


To gain the praise and respect of people and for the sake of status and wealth.


Both people, and worldly wealth and status become weightless on Judgement day.



The word for “people’ or ‘mankind’ in the Qur’an is Insaan. There are two possibilities regarding its root. Either it comes from Nisyaan which means to forget (Man is a forgetful creature) and it can also come from Uns which means love and affection felt when in the company of someone you love. (Human beings are social creatures and desire companionship)


  • This desire to be socially acceptable and to be liked by people is ingrained in human essence itself. That is why they are called Insaan to begin with.  It is human nature to want to be loved, accepted and looked up to by others but when this desire goes too far, it turns into an addiction. Man then lives this life for this purpose. He in a way, becomes the slave of people as everything he does is so that people can praise and respect him. It then goes a step further and he begins doing even religious acts such as the five daily prayers just so people can see and call him righteous. It is like a drug that keeps him going.


  • Or he lives his life in an effort to make it as luxurious and comfortable as possible. Islam does not forbid luxury as long as its rights are fulfilled, its boundaries respected, and the poor and deserving are given their share but when this goes too far, this becomes the entire purpose of life. This then becomes the drug that keeps him going. Wealth and power are accompanied by the fear of their loss. Man then lives his entire life to save his wealth and power. Ironically his life is spent in fear of losing these things and he lives life so that this fear does not come true. He becomes a slave of his wealth, status and luxury and of the fear of losing them.
  • Or he lives his life for both of these things. To be praised by people and to gain status. What other way to gain the praise and respect of people than by means of wealth, status and power?



These become weightless and worthless. Deeds done for these purposes are worthless to Allah. They are not Mawazeen - deeds of weight and value to Allah. When these deeds are weighed on Judgement day, the scale does move down that is weightless and worthless to Allah.


The one whose scale becomes heavy with good deeds that are free of what has been described above, his deeds will have weight and value to Allah.


So the ayah means:



So the one whose deeds of value and worth to Allah were the ones that were heavy




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فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَة رَّاضِيَةٍ


Only he has a life which is Radhiya



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  • This ayah appears simple at sight but is quite complex. The word radhiya is left as it is because it contains many complications.
  • There is an extra pronoun “he” which creates the meaning of exclusivity and hence the word “only” in the translation.
  • The word I'eshah is translated as “life’. It follows the pattern of nouns of state or condition and hence the ayah means - a life whose state is radhiya.
  • The word radhiya is actually a doer in this ayah. It comes from the root Ra Duadh Alif which simply means to be satisfied and pleased but in this ayah, the life (I’isha) itself is described as the one who is satisfied and pleased; not the one living it.

  • These are the possible meanings:

  1. A common interpretation is that the word Radhiya is derived from the attribute of Nisbah (relation). In this case it means a life having contentment or possessing satisfaction.  Therefore, it refers to a state of life that is inherently full of contentment and happiness.
  2. There is a problem with this interpretation. Adjectives that are used for the sake of Nisbah do not contain a feminine suffix whereas the word Radhiya does. Sirafi points this out and critiques that if the word Radhiya was an attribute of relation, the feminine suffix should not have appeared and Al Aloosi agrees with him.

  4. Radhiya can be in the passive form meaning ‘life that is pleasing and satisfying.” A life that is pleasing to the one living in it.

  6. It is Majaz ‘Aqli. The one satisfied is the person himself but by describing life itself as being the one satisfied makes it seem inherently blissful and satisfied, as if the entire existence of the person is immersed in happiness.
  7. This emphasizes the perfection of bliss experienced in it. If it had said that the person would be content, it would only emphasize the person’s feelings, but by describing life itself as being satisfied and pleased it suggests that the entire environment, circumstances and experience of his existence will be filled with contentment. This creates a stronger sense of everlasting comfort and bliss in Paradise.
  8. This does not limit contentment to just the person; it expands the meaning to the entire state of being in the afterlife and makes it timeless and universal. Anyone who reaches this stage will be in a life that is by nature (or constantly)  satisfied, peaceful, and blissful.

  10. Life itself is content with its people. It is as if life accepts and clings to those who live it. You will not have to chase it, happiness itself will come and  cling to you.

  12. Alternatively,  feminine suffix at the end of the word could be:

  • For the sake of preserving the structure of the word so that the letter ‘Ya’ does not fall off. These complications come up when one or more of the three root letters contains a weak letter.

  • For the sake of intensifying the meaning. The satisfaction and happiness is extremely intense.


People desire to be accepted and looked up to by other people; and they desire money, status and power because this is what happiness is to them but if one truly wants happiness and a life so full of happiness that the life itself is described as being content and happy, he needs to break free of these two shackles; people and wealth.  Where we naturally seek happiness is actually weightless and worthless. Happiness lies in going against our very natural perceptions, understandings and desires. A life in which the  entire environment, circumstances and experience of his existence will be filled with contentment and at all times with no fear and danger of it going away. 


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وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ


But the one whose deeds of weight were light


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  • The deeds are first filtered out. The deeds done for the sake of people and this world become weightless. After this, the deeds that are of actual value and weight to Allah, are weighed with bad deeds and if these deeds of value and weight to Allah were less then:



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فَأُمُّهُۥ هَاوِيَة


Then his mother is the Hawiyah


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  • The word Hawiyah comes from the root Ha Waw Ya which means emptiness. (Mu’jam Ishtiqaaqi).

  • The word Umm is normally translated as ‘refuge’ but it literally means mother here. A child is contained inside the mother. Its everything depends on the mother. The mother is the place where it lives, it takes its food from the mothers body and it is literally physically contained inside the mother.

  • Hawiyah will be their mother; or in other words, Hawiyah will be their everything. They will live inside it, it will completely surround them physically, it will also be their food, it will be their complete life. Also just as a child keeps returning back to his mother, so will they be returned to it. Whenever they desire or try to get out of it, they will be returned to it.

  • Al Hawiyah can refer to any deep abyss whose bottom is unreachable. Hell is described with this term because its bottom is unfathomably deep. (Mu’jam Ishtiqaaqi) It was also used for an empty low lying area between two mountains falling into which led to certain death. If something is so deep that its bottom is unfathomably deep, falling into it would of course lead to death.

  • A fire is hottest at its base. The lower one goes, the more intense it gets. The Hawiyah is unfathomably deep. A person falling in it will just keep on going down and down because of which the fire will only get more and more intense and more painful. A punishment that keeps on increasing. With the passage of time it is possible for a person to get used to the pain and become numb to it but the pain experienced in the Hawiyah just keeps on increasing so that the person cannot become accustomed to it. Constant and eternal pain that just keeps on increasing without break.

  • Focusing on the linguistic meaning, their mother is the Hawiyah which at its root means emptiness and void.. Their whole life will be void and empty. Nothing to live for and nothing to die for. They neither die nor live in it.  The previous verses mentioned the happiness and comfort that paradise contains but the lives of these people will be empty of any comfort, satisfaction and happiness; and this void and emptiness will completely surround them like a mother, it will be so in every aspect of their new lives. It is quite ironic that people seek other people's validation as well as status and wealth to be happy; but that lands them in a place that is empty and void of any happiness and comfort.




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وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا هِيَهْ



What can make you truly understand?

What is it!


🔷


  • The same question as ayah 3 is repeated. Again I consider these to be two separate sentences with both functioning in the same manner as the third ayah.

  • There is an extra ha suffixed to the last word but it holds no significance with regards to meanings. It is a phonetic addition that is used to ease the recitation when pausing at the end of the word. Some reciters omitted it when they recited without gap such as Ibn Abi Ishaq, A’mash, and Hamzah while the majority maintained it while reciting continuously as well as when stopping on it to protect the script of the Mushaf.


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نَارٌ حَامِية


A Fire which is Hamiyah


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  • The word Hamiyah comes from the root Ha Meem Ya which was used in the following ways

  1. The heat from something extremely hot such as the sun, furnace or due to the melting of a metal object.

  3. Anger and resentment. Hamiya (from the same root) means to be angry, offended or enraged. Hamiyyah (also from the same root) means fierce anger and pride.

  5. In the meaning of defending and protection. Hama means to defend. Hima is a protected area in a pasture where people are prevented from grazing. Himyah means restrictions (normally dietary)


The core meaning is extreme intensity in something that prevents approaching it. (Mu’jam ishtiqaaqi)



  • The life of those in Paradise was described as a life that was itself pleased and content with those living it. The abode of the opposite party is the Hawiyah that is now defined as a fire which is Hamiyah. The three primary root meanings of the word Hamiyah are extreme heat; resentment; and protection.

  1. The people of paradise will live a life that itself is pleased with them whereas the people of Hell will be in a fire that resents them.

  3. The Hawiyah was described as literally being the mother of its inhabitants. A mother protects her child. Similarly, this fire will also protect the people in it and not let anybody approach them because of the intense heat it carries. The only difference is that a mother does this out of love for her child whereas the fire will do so out of hate and resentment for its inhabitants. It will prevent anyone from taking them out of it.

  5. Fire is inherently hot and fierce. The use of the word “Hamiyah’ which also contains burning and hotness in its root meanings is Tawkid Lafzi (verbal emphasis). This intensifies the already intense heat of the fire.



The Word Qari’ah


This is the core meaning of the root of the word Qari’ah, mentioned again:



The exposure of the outer surface of something by stripping away what usually covers it. A strike that strips away and exposes the outer surface of something. 


The Qari’ah is something that strips away the covering that protects and covers something. People were exposed as being weightless. The mountains were also exposed as being weightless and hollow. People and worldly wealth and status were exposed to be worthless. The Qari’ah is a day that exposes the true reality of people and money by stripping them of the fake perception and appeal that they hold to people.


Additionally, the deeds of weight and value to Allah were exposed as the only things that bore weight.


The Qari’ah is a day that exposes the true reality of all things. The true worth and reality of everything will be exposed on that day.



Connection to Surahs Next to it


The surah before it is Al Adiyat. The main theme of Al Adiyat was penetration. Allah penetrated the graves to take out our hearts and then penetrated our hearts to take out our secrets on Judgement day. In this surah, judgement day is called Al Qari’ah i.e it will expose the true reality of everything. Allah will take out our secrets and expose the true reality of every single person by doing so.


The surah next to is Al Takathur whose main theme is the harm that comes with the obsession to hoard and pile up wealth. In this surah, worldly wealth became weightless. In the next surah, Allah will criticise men who still strive to hoard and pile up world wealth.




101:4 Open in the reader →

يَوْمَ يَكُونُ ٱلنَّاسُ كَٱلْفَرَاشِ ٱلْمَبْثُوثِ

“It is the Day when people will be like moths, dispersed,”

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