Surah 101. Al-Qari'ah

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Verses [Section]: 1-11[1]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-11101. Al-Qari'ahبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِاَلْقَارِعَةُۙThe Striking Calamity! مَاWhatالْقَارِعَةُۚ(is) the Striking Calamity وَ مَاۤAnd whatاَدْرٰىكَwill make you knowمَاwhatالْقَارِعَةُؕ(is) the Striking Calamity یَوْمَ(The) Dayیَكُوْنُwill beالنَّاسُthe mankindكَالْفَرَاشِlike mothsالْمَبْثُوْثِۙscattered وَ تَكُوْنُAnd will beالْجِبَالُthe mountainsكَالْعِهْنِlike woolالْمَنْفُوْشِؕfluffed up فَاَمَّاThen as forمَنْ(him) whoseثَقُلَتْare heavyمَوَازِیْنُهٗۙhis scales فَهُوَThen heفِیْ(will be) inعِیْشَةٍa lifeرَّاضِیَةٍؕpleasant وَ اَمَّاBut as forمَنْ(him) whoseخَفَّتْare lightمَوَازِیْنُهٗۙhis scales فَاُمُّهٗHis abodeهَاوِیَةٌؕ(will be the) Pit وَ مَاۤAnd whatاَدْرٰىكَwill make you knowمَاwhatهِیَهْؕit is نَارٌA Fireحَامِیَةٌ۠intensely hot

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Translation of Verse 1-11In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(101:1) The Calamity!¹

(101:2) What is the Calamity?

(101:3) And what do you know what the Calamity is?

(101:4) On that Day human beings shall be like scattered moths,

(101:5) and the mountains shall be like fluffs of carded wool in varying colours.²

(101:6) Then³ he whose scales weigh heavier

(101:7) shall have a blissful life;

(101:8) but he whose scales weigh lighter,⁴

(101:9) his shall be the deep pit for a dwelling.⁵

(101:10) And what do you know what that is?

(101:11) A Blazing Fire!⁶

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Commentary

1. al-qari‘ah literally means something that crushes. Accordingly, it is used of a calamity. In Arabic idiom this usage is fairly common. In the Qur’an too, it is employed elsewhere in the same sense: “Misfortune continues to afflict the unbelievers on account of their misdeeds,” (al-Ra‘d 13: 31). In both this verse and in Verse 4 of Surah al-Haqqah, however, al-qari‘ah is employed as a synonym for the Last Day, encompassing ail the stages of the Hereafter.

2. The reference here is to the first stage of the Last Day. As a result of this calamity the present order of the universe will collapse. People will run hither and thither in panic like scattered moths. Mountains will float like fluffs of carded wool of varying colors. This similar is used in view of the various hues of mountains.

3. This marks the description of the second stage of the Last Day - the Resurrection. The dead will be brought back to life in order to be presented before Allah.

4. The word mawazin may be the plural of mawzun or mizan. In the former sense, it stands for such deeds as carry some weight in Allah’s reckoning and may fetch some reward. Taken in its latter sense, it refers to the two ends of a scale. In other words, the scales of the righteous will weigh heavier and of the evil, lighter. Allah recognizes only good deeds as weighty. The scales will be heavier or lighter in proportion to one’s good and bad deeds. Moreover, mizan connotes weight itself. Once again, the allusion is to one’s good and bad deeds. In either case, the meaning of the verse is that Allah’s judgement will be on the basis of the weight of one’s actions. It will be ascertained whether their weight is heavy or light. This point is also illustrated at other places in the Qur’an:

The weighing on the Day will be the true weighing: those whose scales are heavy will prosper, and those whose scales are light will be the losers. (al-A ‘raf 7: 8-9).

Say, (O Muhammad): “Shall We tell you who will be the greatest losers in respect of their works? It will be those whose efforts went astray in the life of the world and who believe nevertheless that they are doing good. Those are the ones who refused to believe in the revelations of their Lord and that they are bound to meet Him. Hence, all their deeds have come to naught, and We shall assign no weight to them on the Day of Resurrection.” (al-Kahf 18: 103-105)

We shall set up just scales on the Day of Resurrection so that none will be wronged in the least. (We shall bring forth the acts of everyone), even if it be the weight of a grain of mustard seed. We shall suffice as Reckoners.(al-Anbiya’ 21: 47)

One learns from the above passages that one’s rejection of the truth is so grave that it will turn the scales, reducing all an unbeliever’s good deeds to naught. In contrast, a believer's scale will weigh heavy on account of both his faith and his good deeds. His bad deeds will also be weighed in order to ascertain whether his good deeds outweigh his evil deeds.

5. Literally, the verse reads as: the deep pit will be his mother. Hell is branded as hawiyah for being a deep pit into which the inmates of Hell will be hurled. As for using the word ‘mother’ in this context, it underscores that hell alone will be like the mother’s lap for the unbelievers in the Hereafter.

6. This deep pit will also be full of blazing fire.